Steve Snyder

[captain1976 0]

I don't think many of the newbies ever heard of him but many of us know of his many contributions to our sport.

Was going through some boxes with his stuff the other day and ran across these. The plaque is pretty big and mounted on some varnished wood but I was able to scan and reduce it to a picture to be readable

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[JohnRich 4]

Very interesting. The plaque says that baton was passed as a recreation. Which brings up the question: where is THE baton that was passed in the first-ever freefall hookup? That needs to go into the National Skydiving Museum.

[BKR 0]

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I don't think many of the newbies ever heard of him but many of us know of his many contributions to our sport.

Was going through some boxes with his stuff the other day and ran across these. The plaque is pretty big and mounted on some varnished wood but I was able to scan and reduce it to a picture to be readable

the first Worldwide baton pass has been done in France in 1956 (2 years before Snyder) by J.L. POTRON et J. CHALON).

Jérôme Bunker
Basik Air Concept
www.basik.fr
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Luc-France/BASIK-AIR-CONCEPT/172133350468

[captain1976 0]

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Very interesting. The plaque says that baton was passed as a recreation. Which brings up the question: where is THE baton that was passed in the first-ever freefall hookup? That needs to go into the National Skydiving Museum.

Who knows where the 1st one went, it probably was never saved. This one looks like a sawed off broomstick.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[Guru312 0]

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This one looks like a sawed off broomstick.

That's what we used. I spent lots of jumps trying to grab a broomstick wrapped with cloth tire tape. For many jumps we never even saw each other. We had no clue. Time was '61 or '62. I can't find my older log books!

Steve and I spoke often because we both invented stuff. He helped me quite a bit. He never held it against me...at least openly to my face...for opening a competing DZ 60 miles from his.

I introduced my daughter to him at the Wilmington, DE airport about two weeks before his fatal accident. I'm glad she had the chance to shake hands with one of the true pioneers of this sport. We always got together to talk about inventing at MEPA meets. A really smart--and cutting scarcastic guy. I liked him a whole bunch.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[nitrochute 2]

Steve's son, Howard(supposedly NOT named after the airplane) posts here sometimes. maybe he will come forward and let us all know if Steve (or his widow, Barbara) saved any of that old stuff.

[captain1976 0]

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Steve's son, Howard(supposedly NOT named after the airplane)

I think Barbara gave most of that stuff to Bob Mathews of the National Parachute Testing Center in Florida. Mathews was Steve's partner in some businesses and took care of a lot of his affairs.

That's where I found this stuff while helping to clean out an old warehouse but I will ask him when he gets back in town.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[JerryBaumchen 1,432]

Hi captain,

In Sep of 2000 I was sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Paris waiting for the shuttle out to DeGaulle airport. Also sitting there was a guy wearing a T-shirt that said something about a 'South Jersey Air Museum.' I asked him if he had ever heard of a guy named Steve Snyder and he stopped cold in his tracks. Apparently, this guy knew him quite well so we spent the entire trip out to the airport talking about Snyder.

Just in case you might want to know . . .

JerryBaumchen

[mjosparky 4]

It’s kind of ironic that both Steve and Charlie died in old war birds.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[captain1976 0]

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It’s kind of ironic that both Steve and Charlie died in old war birds.

Sparky

Yeah, it is. Especially when Charlie's was a simple flip over when he broke his neck.

But thats the fate of dozens of pilots I have known over the years who bought it either practicing for or performing at airshows.

Jumping has its hazards but that airshow stuff is far more dangerous.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[danchapman 0]

I first met Steve in '63 jumping at his south NJ skydiving center, he was flying and the Weber brothers were running the operation, as I recall. I was 16, looked 10. He was 'baby faced', looked like a teenager. It was a MEPA meet and I was with the Manville NJ club. On one flight they filled the Cessna jump plane emgine with oil but apparently forgot to put the cap on. By 2000 feet the windshield was covered with oil, tho not so bad you couldn't see. Steve gave us the choice of jumping or landing with him. He got us to on a short jump run and we all went out on one pass. He landed the plane without difficulty. I believe that meet was one which carried on the early MEPA meet tradition of torching the outhouse or 'Loo'. I recently located an 8 mm film, home movie of the meet, in which I finished 2nd in the intermediate class- accuracy. Maybe I can figure out how to load it and post it. Fun to watch hook turns on a 7-tu LoPo.

[airtwardo 7]

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I don't think many of the newbies ever heard of him but many of us know of his many contributions to our sport.

Was going through some boxes with his stuff the other day and ran across these. The plaque is pretty big and mounted on some varnished wood but I was able to scan and reduce it to a picture to be readable

~Now there's a flash from the past!~


I was on that re-enactment jump.

http://www.dropzone.com/photos/Detailed/Personal/Steve_gearing_up_for_the_last_parachute_jump_he_ever_made-_a_reenactment_of_the_first_baton_pass._40_105820.html

Should be a sticker from a trophy shop in Creston, Ia. on the back...

As stated in the article, there were actually TWO passed that day, the one you have and the plaque were presented to Charlie's widow Doreen when we landed.

I have a pic of the presentation ceremony during the EAA Oshkosh airshow someplace around here... J.T. Hill has the free-fall stills and video.

We were going down the crowd line following that jump, Steve, J.T. and I were together in the same convertible waving at the crowd...doing the 'Clap Lap' as it's called.

Steve put an arm around us and with tears in his eyes said ~

"Gentlemen, that was the last skydive I'll ever make and I can't think of better people, a better place, or a better way to do it."

It was truly my honor to pack Steve's rig for that and all the practice jumps we made.
He had a bad back, and when he saw the foot long 'zipper' on my best-side from a recent major spinal surgery, said he figured I was current on rigging for 'soft' openings!

Steve gave Hill the other baton back later that evening, I was playing with it just a few months ago.

Mr. Snyder was the quintessential classy guy, I cherish the time we spent together that week.

*IIRC, It was there that day Steve bought the F-86, he was working on rebuilding some Me262's, he said he was planning to fly one at the airshow the following year.


~If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to put that in the Charlie Hillard building at the Oshkosh airport, next to a large photo of he & Steve!

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

[airtwardo 7]

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Very interesting. The plaque says that baton was passed as a recreation. Which brings up the question: where is THE baton that was passed in the first-ever freefall hookup? That needs to go into the National Skydiving Museum.

I was a broken off tree branch that was thrown away following the jump...

Steve told me the whole story, even the parts not generally known as 'part of the history'

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

[kkeenan 14]

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I was a broken off tree branch that was thrown away following the jump...

Enough about you. What happened to that baton ?

[captain1976 0]

I will see about giving it to the museum. What do ya think? Should I wait and give it to the new UPSA museum when it opens?

Mike

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[airtwardo 7]

Drop 'em a line & see, I'd bet they do!

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

[airtwardo 7]

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I was a broken off tree branch that was thrown away following the jump...

Enough about you. What happened to that baton ?

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

[captain1976 0]

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I will see about giving it to the museum. What do ya think? Should I wait and give it to the new UPSA museum when it opens?

Mike

Actually its no mine to give. I though I had it in my trunk and was going to speak with the person who owns it, but its his decision and I think he will agree that it belongs in the museum.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime