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JohnRich

Parachutes as Government Symbols

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A recent news story got me wondering about this.

Zephyrhills, Florida, considers the long-standing drop zone there to be so important to the city that it puts a parachute on the official city seal. This can be seen in the top right corner of the city web site, here: http://www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us/index.asp

Orange, Massachusetts is the home of America's oldest commercial drop zone, and uses a parachute on the shoulder patch worn by city police officers. This patch can be seen here: http://www.police-patches-collector.com/img/patches/thumb/Orange%20Police%20Mass.jpg

These are the only two examples of this of which I can think. Are there any more government organizations out there which use parachutes on their official symbols? Excluding military organizations, of course, where they might be a natural.

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Makes you wonder if Orange police officers could wear USPA gold jump wings on their uniform.;)



I'd like to get one of those patches since it's got MY canopy on it! ;)


They used to sell coffee mugs... I bought one while at the Orange DZ, the year they had the National competition for Style & Accuracy. Photo of mine attached.

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Makes you wonder if Orange police officers could wear USPA gold jump wings on their uniform.;)



I'd like to get one of those patches since it's got MY canopy on it! ;)


Thats a pretty sweet 7 line canopy, but... hows the flare?
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
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Makes you wonder if Orange police officers could wear USPA gold jump wings on their uniform.;)



I'd like to get one of those patches since it's got MY canopy on it! ;)


Thats a pretty sweet 7 line canopy, but... hows the flare?


Less drag...flys GREAT! B|










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I'd like to get one of those patches since it's got MY canopy on it! ;)



You have a parachute in French flag colours? Must of been very popular in Texas back in 2003. B|:D


No, actually I have about a dozen of 'em. :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I'd like to get one of those patches since it's got MY canopy on it! ;)



You have a parachute in French flag colours? Must of been very popular in Texas back in 2003. B|:D


Its also the state flag colors for TexasB|
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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Texas...France...meh, what's the diff?



Skydive Spaceland, San Marcos, Houston, Dallas, hell, theres more dz's in TX than Georgia.
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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and also whats the History behind the town name ?



From WIKI



Name
The name comes from the appearance on a map of several streams converging on the town as do the shroud lines of a parachute combined with the arc of the ridge line above the streams which resembles the canopy of a parachute. The town was previously named Grand Valley.

The town was originally named Parachute, after the one creek that flowed into town from the northwest. Parachute Creek was named such when the original surveyors mapped the area. As noted above, the creek has three main branches that converge at a point and a topographical map of the canyon has the appearance of a parachute—but this is several miles northwest of the town. In 1908, the name of the town was changed to Grand Valley to lure travellers on their way to the Grand Valley, which is the Colorado River valley to the southwest known for its fruit production. After the local history "Lest We Forget" was published in the late 1970s (the name was changed in the 1980s), the town voted to return the name Parachute to the town.

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The town was originally named Parachute, after the one creek that flowed into town from the northwest. Parachute Creek was named such when the original surveyors mapped the area. As noted above, the creek has three main branches that converge at a point and a topographical map of the canyon has the appearance of a parachute...



Interesting.

Attachment #1: Aerial photo of Parachute, Colorado area. Not real obvious in this view, but I guess the topo map reveals it better. The town of Parachute is at the red star. Parachute Creek is the smaller main canyon that flows from north to south directly down into the town at the red star. So I guess the top end of that with the side canyon branches is what is supposed to look like a parachute.

Attachment #2: Topo map of top end of Parachute Creek. Nope, I still ain't seeing it... I wonder what those surveyors were seeing that I'm not?

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The town was originally named Parachute, after the one creek that flowed into town from the northwest. Parachute Creek was named such when the original surveyors mapped the area. As noted above, the creek has three main branches that converge at a point and a topographical map of the canyon has the appearance of a parachute...



Interesting.

Attachment #1: Aerial photo of Parachute, Colorado area. Not real obvious in this view, but I guess the topo map reveals it better. The town of Parachute is at the red star. Parachute Creek is the smaller main canyon that flows from north to south directly down into the town at the red star. So I guess the top end of that with the side canyon branches is what is supposed to look like a parachute.

Attachment #2: Topo map of top end of Parachute Creek. Nope, I still ain't seeing it... I wonder what those surveyors were seeing that I'm not?



If my parachute looks like that, its time to find out what color the reserve is!
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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The West Virginia State Quarter, which sports an embossing of the New River Gorge Bridge on its back, initially had a version of it proposed that also embossed upon it - a parachute descending from that bridge, commemorating the biggest annual draw to its states annual "Bridge-Day" celebration there.

Unfortunately though, the quarter version WITHOUT the parachute was eventually what was officially minted. [:/]

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

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The West Virginia State Quarter, which sports an embossing of the New River Gorge Bridge on its back, initially had a version of it proposed that also embossed upon it - a parachute descending from that bridge, commemorating the biggest annual draw to its states annual "Bridge-Day" celebration there.

Unfortunately though, the quarter version WITHOUT the parachute was eventually what was officially minted. [:/]



I had forgotten about that one. Almost!
Attached: Proposed quarter design.
Previous discussion thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2133389;#2133389

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