St Croix Valley Skydiving Club-Osceola, Wis

Any body ever jumped at the St Croix Valley Skydiving Club, in Osceola, Wis?

This Club started way before I began jumping, which was in 1979, when I was 16 yrs old. The runway was out in the middle of a corn field that was mowed, and the people back then were considered very good skydivers and hard core partyers. Jimmy Hendrix could be heard playing loudly over the roof mounted speakers on the club house as one would enter into the corn field trying to find there way to the DZ.

A lot of stories came out of this place. One story involves the pilot who had inadvertently landed / crashed in the back of a pick up truck after a night jump while a couple were out in the truck watching the stars. That very same pilot was later flying a Beach D18, with a load of jumpers when an engine over heated. An emergency exit took place, and the pilot landed safely back at the DZ. Apparently, an industrious bird had built her next inside the cowling causing one of the engines to overheat.

The late Jon Quest (spelling) ran the NCC boogie (North Central Conference) at the main Oseola airport every Spring. And for this area, it was huge for its time. DC-3s were the norm, and preferred jump ship.

Exciting times for a sixteen year old. Unfortunately, Jon, along with several of my mentors were killed in a plane crash around 1990. A midair collision took place near the Oseola airport with another plane that was being piloted by a student. The jump plane had just taken off, and the other plane was setting up to land when this occurred.

The DZ had closed soon after this tradgedy. Jumpers disbanded and began to jump at Baldwin, Wis, aka Skydive Twin Cities. Others started a drop zone in Hutchinson, Mn.

If anyone else has any additional info on the Saint Croix Valley Skydiving Club, its history, etc, please post! They were good times among good people!

Hi Pete!
Yes, Osceola was a great place to skydive! I remember Skytrain landing there before it went to Alaska, everyone taking turns getting stuck in the muddy driveway in the Spring and a lot of great people that went there every weekend all year long. JQ (Quist), Quazi, Curt, Christy and Gary are dearly missed and were wonderful people to have known. We had a huge party in their memory on the ten year anniversary of the crash, where were you?
Blue Skies... Marsha

I have a St. Croix story!

The demo team I jump with stopped there to get a
'new hire' some experience on the night pyro equipment
we use.

We had signed a demo in the area, and at the last minute
the organizers decided to add the night show to the performance we were to do.

We always have someone that's not done the night act prior...do several practice jumps during the day to get
familiar with all the gear.

We're getting 'wavered' and one of the locals looks
at the big French Paraboots we all were wearing...
in the barefoot era....
and made some comment about us possibly moving into
the 20th century....
and that there were squares for rent if we wanted
to try something 'new'.

We were off by ourselves getting geared up...
Fire Proof Jumpsuits...electrical igniters...
massive boot brackets on each leg...
huge chest packs full of fireworks...

The local jumpers REALLY started looking at us like Martians!


All of us sitting together sweating like mad from the heat
and the gear...waiting for the bird for our load....

The owner broke the tension when he walked by and asked-

"Can I get you guys anything...
...Coke...sandwich.......A PRIEST?"

It was a neat, well run, laid back dropzone
that went out of their way to help us out.

Wasn't there a bar somewhere around there
named "Jimbo's"?
We ended the day there with a bunch of jumpers that
made sure we were well lubed for the
demo the next day!!

Oh the fun times. My first jump there was on 9/29/1968. TT with T-7A. JM was Bob Larson D1900. Comment: "Natural Frog" - Well what did you expect - I was a paratrooper. 173rd & 101st Airborne.

I was there, next to the pickup when it was obvious the Ernie (the pilot) was going to hit it. We were really lucky in those days. I was also in the Co-Pilot seat of the Beach, Wonder Hog on my back, stomach sucked in as far as I could, when Ernie pulled back hard on the wheel, lifting off way too soon in a heavy cross wind. We twisted hard to the right and then hard to the left as we dropped back on to the runway. What a scramble to get out as I watched the smoke from the right engine - hoping that it was not going to turn into flames. Getting a full load out was like the multitude of clowns exiting that tiny car...
Climbing and spinning around on the beacon; explaining to the cops that it couldn't have been us. Late night leaves to run up to Superior or over to Eau Claire. Sleeping in the hanger for a few hours and jumping again.
The bar was Tommies (aka Cascade - still there) and P.Y.'s which really didn't want us in there. Still there and much friendlier to bikers now.
Watched JQ (Jon Quist), when still a little 'rigger rat' fall off of the bar above the main door and break open his head on the floor. Didn't think he would make it to jumping after splitting his head open. Very sad to have lost him in such a senseless accident.
Art Steffen also passed away a couple of years ago. Have run into a couple of old timers as I stop in to Baldwin every so ofter as I ride through there quite a bit on the way to ansd from the good Wisconsin twisties us bikers love to much. Almost as good as jumping.

Second jump meet I went to was at Osceola, 1974 I guess. My first 8-way was there also when Charlie flew us down from Superior in the 185 to do formation loads. I jumped at Art's Farm a few times when the DZ moved as well. I was standing looking out the windscreen on takeoff, begging Ernie to pull the power, when he planted the Beech on take-off. I landed on top of Colombo, who was hollering something about fire, but bailed instead of sticking around to hear the details. No fire fortunately. Good times…

Wow, this thread has been resurrected!

There are a lot of Earnie stories out there. I think he eventually got kicked out of Osceola, and went to Baldwin, Wisconsin to fly jumpers. I know I've jumped out of his plane many times, a C182 with the Star of David painted on the side.

I remember I got my SCS at Osceola, and I purchased only a twelve pack of beer. No one would sign their full name on the SCS form because I didn't by a case, only half of one. Everyone just laughed at me.

My buddy went out to that, now closed drop zone, a couple of years ago and took pictures of the club house. On the roof someone had painted, "Goofy Lives!" Goofy died trying to take off on the Alaskan shoreline with a plane load of salmon. Sky Train (DC3), that he was flying never had enough airspeed because the tires sank into the sand, due to high tide coming in. He died.

There had always been an unspoken curse with that dz, in that when ever a pilot had purchased a large jump ship for the dz, they would parish within the first couple of years after its addition to the drop zone.

We had fun. And at the age of 17, while jumping there, no one at my high school had better stories than me as to what they did over the weekend.

Pete D-8150

So you were the one blocking my exit. After A quick look to see that Ernie was moving I tried to swing out of the co-pilot seat and got bounced back when I hit a backpack still in the doorway. I believe we only had one person hurt - a twisted ankle.
Towing that plane off the field with my Camaro almost cooked the clutch.
Lots of really fun times up at Androsky's (Charlie & Bev) - remember the 10-man nude pyramid in the bar... Nice tight, wooded, landing area. Lots of woods...
I got the picture up on our web site at: www.WestBankMC.org/photoalbums/funstuff/harald/index.htm
Are you in the picture?
Got lots of photo's, mostly slides, that one day I will scan and get posted - soon after all the motorcycle stuff...

Nope, I'm sad to say I'm not in the nude pyramid pix.

I've jumped at Superior Wisconsin, two time, I think. Tight airstrip. Tight DZ. A lot of mechanical turbulence when the winds picked up due to the tall pine trees. The hill at the end of the runway always got my attention too.

What a life. Run a bar and operate a DZ. They go hand in hand.

I've jumped with Mark Androwsky, a couple of times. He had a Rapid Transit System that he damaged from a smoke jump.

I also jumped with Q, Quasy, Vicky Churches, Art, Bob Ivy, Marsha Buckintine, "Landrew," and others, but never with Rigger Rat, or Stick Man. Stick Man and the other pilot, Moochie, were on their way out of the sport. Rigger Rat, only jumped occassionally.

Pete

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Nope, I'm sad to say I'm not in the nude pyramid pix.

I've jumped at Superior Wisconsin, two time, I think. Tight airstrip. Tight DZ. A lot of mechanical turbulence when the winds picked up due to the tall pine trees. The hill at the end of the runway always got my attention too.

What a life. Run a bar and operate a DZ. They go hand in hand.

I've jumped with Mark Androwsky, a couple of times. He had a Rapid Transit System that he damaged from a smoke jump.

I also jumped with Q, Quasy, Vicky Churches, Art, Bob Ivy, Marsha Buckintine, "Landrew," and others, but never with Rigger Rat, or Stick Man. Stick Man and the other pilot, Moochie, were on their way out of the sport. Rigger Rat, only jumped occassionally.

Pete

Does anyone know the where abouts of Stick Man? Robbie Murray?

I heard Stick Man, was still in Minneapolis. He has a belly now.

Robbie, the pilot at Osceola that had purchased a Beech D18 to fly jumpers, that was prevously an owner of a marina, was killed delivering paychecks. If its the same guy, Robbie had complete power loss on a night flight and apparently had the perfect approach into an open field, but he hit some high tension wires. I never new his last name, but I think its the same guy, Murray. Robbie had about 1k jumps, and had a pierced ear. A cool cat.

As mentioned before, the DZ had a curse in that when ever somebody would buy a big plane (bigger than a 206) the pilot would get killed within a couple of years of the purchase.

Yeah Robbie's family owned a marina. I didn't know he was a pilot. Also didn't know about his death. To bad, he was a good friend that I lost touch with back in the late seventies... Same for Stick Man.. I can't even remember his real name... If you have any idea how to get in touch with Stickman, let me know..

I see if I can locate stick man and let you know.

Good times back then. I'm glad that I survived.

Remember them all and many more. The boat works is still there in Stillwater. Thought Robbie hit the side of a mountain. My memory is getting pretty fuzzy these days.

StickMan is hanging out at Meister's Cedar Lake Bar & Grill in WI. (1176 County Road H, New Richmond, WI‎ - (715) 248-7012‎). He's working on getting his belly as big as mine.
I've seen him a time or two, has his own stool with a great view of the lake. We stop there a few times a year as there are some good motorcycle roads up in that area.

The ceiling in the hanger had the leg busted thru the ceiling panel. Clad in paratrooper boots and kacky jumpsuite. I always got a chuckle from that. Great place to jump.

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I see if I can locate stick man and let you know.

Good times back then. I'm glad that I survived.

Looking back, I'm amazed that I survived as well. those indeed, were the days..

Isn't Osceola the place where they had the "student tree". One lone tree in the middle of a whole lotta nuthin and every year some student would land in it.
If that's the place then in the spring they use to have a cheapo accuracy contest. Two classes. One modified and one unmodified.
And wasn't the Superior DZ at a drag strip? I remeber jumping up there. They would hold up the drags to let the plane take off and land. Didn't really slow up either operation. Too cool.
If you see Stickman tell him Wildman says hi.

Wildman,

The drag strip at the Apollo was built in 74 or 75 but the DZ was there years prior. Great Chuck A story; he gets the drag strip association to pave his private runaway and then they went out of business just a year or so later. Meanwhile, the drop zone runway is now paved at no cost to Chuck and could be used year round...assuming you had a snowplow. Which, of course, Chuck did.

Anyone that hears from Stickman, say hello for me as well. I'll look him up at the bar if I get up to Wisconsin this summer.

Pat

Any body on the Beech load that Earnie Joiner was flying? On the way to altitude one engine began to overheat. Everyone bailed out. Earnie landed without incedent. Parked the plane and pulled out a birds nest in the cowling.

There's a lot more stories, but I'll dole them out over time as to not monopolize this thread.

Oh yeah. Not only did they have a leg coming down from the ceiling of the club house. On the wall was a fabric poster that was beginning to mildew, about 10 ft square advertizing the old Burt Lancaster movie, "The Gypsy Moths." There was a picuture of a four way round taken from above the formation and below the photo it said, "Gypsy Moths, not only a way to live, but a way to die!" I thought that was bad ass!

Pete

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Isn't Osceola the place where they had the "student tree"

Yup - you got the right place. This thread got me poking around and I already found a bunch of pictures from '69 to '71 of Crash & Burns (anyone still remember those), jumping in the snow, meets and my first freefall photo's. Most are slides but there may still be enough winter left to get them scanned in. Also got shots of Souix Falls meet which reminded me of 'the Roach' (Bob Roach that is). What does a keg of beer (punctured) in a pool do to the water; did having a lawyer in the club help get you out of jail when 'accused' of running across a bridge naked (not me).
And the Beech 'Oops' on the heavy cross wind attempted take off (kind of a crash) was 15 Oct 1977 which should have been my 799th jump.
Now it's on to the interesting runs to Eau Claire after a long day jumping and heavy partying. Climbing one of those very high gas station towers at 3am just because it was there. That young station kid was so scared we'd fall... Hard to believe we survived this foolishness. Kids - don't try any of this; Times have changed.

The Beech oops, that's another Earnie story, isn't it? I started jumping in 79, and that was one of the storys I heard at the Baldwin, Wisconsin DZ.

Upload thos picutures! That would be great.

Pete

Earnie story's need not be exaderated! They stand alone on their own merrit! He truely was a unique individual

The best part of this sport is the characters we meet along the way. Blue skies Earine.

Hi sky,

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The best part of this sport is the characters we meet along the way.

So what do you think the other guy is saying about you????

JerryBaumchen

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Hi sky,

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The best part of this sport is the characters we meet along the way.

So what do you think the other guy is saying about you????

JerryBaumchen

Right back at ya .....

Osceola was filled with good people (charactors one and all). That's why it's missed, and remembered fondly. I only jumped there occasionally. But, I was always made to feel at home.

One time at the NCC Boogie, a group of “ladies” decided to do a buff dive. One of the girls had all the cloths in the back of a pick up truck and the plan was to drive down to the end of the runway to meet the others when they landed. However, when the plot was discovered, the pickup was hijacked.

Anyway, my question is this…. Who were these girls that had to walk back wearing only parachutes togas? Come on girls, fess up.

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I see if I can locate stick man and let you know.

Good times back then. I'm glad that I survived.

Ever locate Stickman??

Hi Pete and Marsha!

Attached is a few snapshots from hundreds of video's I've shot there. This should bring back some memories! Check out the purple ducktape interior -- a scene right out of Fandango! :)

For the "newer" jumpers there in the 90's, here's a video of a Queen Air weekend at the DZ, close to the end of its era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA1yvWbppik

Lot's of good memories.. I spent pretty much every non-winter weekends there for quite a few years.

Bill