Stormville, NY...anyone?

I jumped ther a few times. Iwas told about the peison's no landing zone. I got to jumps Sweets lodestar in Indiantown Fl at Pop's place and then again there. I also jumped the Beaver left side exit Malone NY. Senneca Falls club?. On the same trip Turner Falls MA Taunton MA . Then of course Orange and Pepperell with a C-206 and water gear. The guy running it was old style and accuracy buff.

Roger, Steve Huebeck. His brother jumped as wll and was a pilot.

We didn't spend much time there until Bob Sweet brought the Lodestar in.
Stormville was good, but the student operation scared me a bit
We went to Ferd's place as it was more congenial and less cluttered.

And when Mild Man took over it became the place

I jumped at Sha wan Ga Valley, in Bullville, in the '69-72, after jumping in Gardiner for a few years before that. I made a few jumps with Kevin Rogers, including a photo jump, still have the photo somewhere. We had a MEPA meet there in July '69 where I missed out in placing in the accuracy event due to a 'butt strike' a few feet short of the disc. Stu Prakin, Dennis Hollahan, Danny 'Smoke' Miller, Dick Clark, Bob Novak Dave 'Sky' King used to jump there, as well as Ray Finneran. We had a few meets at nearby Wallkill Airport, including the NE Conference Nat'l Qualifing Meet in May '69.
Were you related to Kevin Rogers C-7337?

A little off topic, but in looking at my logbook for the Bullville, jumps I noticed your signature, hard to read, but the C-3896 is still clear. for a jump out of the Norseman at Orange 4/27/68, while I was still a college student jumping that weekend at the Collegiate Championships. Landed in the schrub brush for the accuracy event, not my best weekend.

My signature has gotten worse, but I finally got a D a couple of years ago.

HW

Quote

Roger, Steve Huebeck. His brother jumped as wll and was a pilot.

We didn't spend much time there until Bob Sweet brought the Lodestar in.
Stormville was good, but the student operation scared me a bit
We went to Ferd's place as it was more congenial and less cluttered.

Hi Pat

Thanks for the thread!

I was able to hook back up with steve after you confirmed the last name and spelling.
K-RIP

And when Mild Man took over it became the place

Who (beside me) remembers Ferd's last name?

HW

I made some jumps at Shawanga air field, its in Bloomingsburg NY some of the jumpers wrere Bob Smith, Bob Novak, Disi McQuire, the place owned by old man Horton, it was run by Rudy Nikoren and his brother Carl a pilot another pilot Bob can't remember his last name, Iv got some pictures of the old DZ, the field was to small todays planes.

Hey all- this is Al Jorgensens daughter, Holly. You all used to party at our house when we were little. I loved running around the drop zones barefoot! Just here to hear some stories, especially about my dad. I miss him. I used to call Ray and hear many every now and then- but now I miss him too :C been almost a year now. Any great stories about Monkey? How did he get that nickname? How did Ray become The Count? You loud people robbed me of many nights of sleep as a littl un! I'm still in touch with Annie!

Quote

Any great stories about Monkey?

Is this the same Monkey that the Ranch's MonkeyMan Boogie is named after?

Yes, I believe so. I'd forgotten they did that! That really touched us :) Did you know him or you just jump there?

I heard a story a long time ago that has stuck with me for some reason. Your dad, and another friend of his (from whom I heard the story) were packing. I believe it was your mom who went very low in freefall, so low that everyone thought she bounced. Your dad looked up shocked, looked at Freddie, and said "What am I going to tell the kids?" IIRC, your mom had dump her reserve, and I believe the reserve had snag some trees. Bottom line, she was fine.

Wow! That's something! Yes sounds like my Ps! Thank you so much for posting! I believe I was in free fall even in utero haha! Until my mom knew, that is. Don't know for sure if that story is good or bad! I have so many good memories of that place! Fishing fallen change from in between the Quonset floor boards with a shoelace and chewing gum, rearranging the little magnetic skydivers on their formation-planning boards, catching crawfish in the creek, crawling through people's motor homes etc, sleeping in a tent and LOUD late night campfires. Mom and dad teaching is to land like a frog while we kept from the jump practice platform. Then of course my dads "LaBomba" bazooka potato gun and Big Al J Cobbs blowing up the outhouse!

I'm go into ask some stories from my mom and post them too. I guess I should start a new thread more about the Ranch? I have a few videos too. My mom did start out in a round chute at Stormville though so I'm going to get a few stories out of her and put them out here first. I do know that it was much if the same crowd between the two places. I remember going to both and when Stormville closed that all the same people came to the Ranch. As someone aptly put it- the Hudson valley old crew of divers. Wasn't there an old wrecked huge cargo plane out at Stormville that people used to take cover in for chute packing or rain etc? I remember getting the rare chance sometimes to play in an old parachute or running through chutes drying out and getting all snagged in the lines and hollered at! Ah so many memories!

On 9/14/2003 at 5:17 PM, jimmytavino said:

Stormville

 

On 9/14/2003 at 5:17 PM, jimmytavino said:

Stormville

Hello old Stormville friends. I started jumping there 1973. Pete and Willy were an influnce on me I will never forget. Pretty sure it made me the strong woman I am today at 70. Great memories of the old days when the few women jumpers got to go out last..made for some scary landings. Bouncing off the wall of Greenhaven prison was a big one. I'm on facebook, Ann Montgomery if anyone wants to get in touch.

I used to skydive in Stormville in the early '80s. I was known as Frenchie, then.

The runway is still there, but all aviation activity stopped over 30 years ago. The skydiving loft is also long gone. Nate "Willie" Smith died before 1992. I go there about once a year 'I live less than 30 minutes away), for old times sake. There has been plenty of urban sprawl all around, and driving on the road past the Green Haven CF will shock old--timers.
Jump pilot "Dave" Parent died a few years ago (he appeared in the news about 3 years ago, when someone purchased his storage locker after he died (https://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-storage-locker-upstate-new-york-contained-diane-keaton-wallet-from-1960s-20181130-story.html). Another jump pilot, "Woody" Wood reportedly died when his plane crashed in fog on one of the hills around Danbury airport in the early '90s, but his son Curt, another jump pilot, is still around (https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2016/06/07/curt-wood-invested-in-the-greenwich-landscape/).

The attached photo should be a memory for all old-timers.

Anyone else from that era?

Frenchie