Skydive Umatilla (FL) makes the newspaper

[skymama 37]

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UMATILLA -- The legacy of a "wild" parachuting company complicates Frank Reno's dream to bring sky diving back to this city's tiny airport.

When Reno sought permission this week for his sky-diving club, City Council members quickly reminded him what happened the last time parachutists took to the sky here.

"They claimed the sky divers were basically hellions," Reno said.

City officials insisted there will be rules this time: absolutely no drunken diving, no accidental backyard landings, and for goodness sake, no nude sky diving.

"We made it very clear that we were not going to have any of the problems that we had before, or we were going to shut him down," City Councilman David Adams said.

City Council members Tuesday gave Reno preliminary approval for his nonprofit club to take off, parachute and land at the municipal airport. But not before the city writes rules, which some say might not be legal, to restrict how and when his Central Florida Aviation Club may operate.

Reno says he and other sky divers are being penalized for "urban legends": tales of parachutes opening noisily; backyard landings; shouting, drunken sky divers.

"We've heard about jumping out naked, half-drunk, this that and the other," City Administrator Tim Scobie said.

"What they're saying is so far from the truth, it's extraordinary," Reno said.

The truth, he says, is the Paragators parachute school was an inconvenience. It closed more than seven years ago, after owner Jimmy Godwin died.

The only documented problem prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation in 1995, when a Umatilla sky diver, barefoot and reeking of alcohol, plummeted to his death after his chute failed to open. No one was charged in the accident, but residents living near the airport continued to complain. They hired attorneys to shut down the business but failed.

And in a town smaller than some high schools, bad blood lingers.

Jerry Hatfield, who runs two local charter schools and lives next to the airport, groaned at the mention of parachutists and ticked off his complaints.

"They'd land in my yard, drop parachutes in my tree, hover over my house in their plane. They jump at night," Hatfield said. He has no faith in the city's ability to regulate sky diving.

Reno currently does not plan to run a business at the airport. He and a handful of local club members simply don't want to drive 40 miles to the DeLand drop zone every time they want to parachute.

"We're law-abiding citizens," said Reno, who said he is a former Monroe County deputy sheriff and that he served in the Navy for 20 years.

The city could be hindered by FAA regulations tied to the city's acceptance of at least $1.4 million in federal aviation grants. The grant agreement prevents them from writing policies that discriminate against sky divers, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

Johnny Reyes, owner of Skydive Paris in Paris, Tenn., fought restrictions similar to ones Umatilla wants to place on Reno -- limiting the time of day, and which days, that he can jump. After a two-year appeal through the FAA, Reyes was formally allowed to continue his operation in July.

"They have to share," Reyes said. "It's like a sandbox -- everybody can play as long as we play by the rules."

Hatfield already plans to post plywood signs angled toward the sky, warning the parachutists not to touch down on his land. He said he and his neighbors are "creative people" who might hire an attorney to prevent what he thinks will be a sky-diving fiasco.

"I prefer not to live back through that again," Hatfield said. "I'm sure the city does not want to, either. But you know, if you're lying on the beach peacefully and someone kicks sand in your face, you're going to get up. And that's what we're going to do."

Erin Cox can be reached at 352-742-5926 or ecox@orlandosentinel.com.
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No accidental backyard landings? How is the city council going to enforce that?

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[tkhayes 348]

love that whuffo rhetoric! But just goes to show that we all need to put some effort into customer relations.

[SWATcop 0]

That would be great to skydive at Umatilla again. That was one of my favorite places to jump in the mid 90's.

Kevin

Muff Brother #4041
Team Dirty Sanchez #467

[Squeak 17]

Quote

"They'd land in my yard, drop parachutes in my tree, hover over my house in their plane.


Reno currently does not plan to run a business at the airport. He and a handful of local club members simply don't want to drive 40 miles to the DeLand drop zone every time they want to parachute.

OK I want to jump here, if the jump plane is a Harrier


But 40 miles, man I love to be 40 miles from a DZ like Deland

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[SansSuit 1]

Quote

City officials insisted there will be rules this time: absolutely no drunken diving, no accidental backyard landings, and for goodness sake, no nude sky diving.

Say what ???

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[Lindercles 0]

Just watch out for Farmer W.T. McNasty*






*W.T. = Whole Town.