Arvin

[robskydiv 0]

Recently I got to visit a brand new TA that sits right off of I-5 in Arvin. As I visited I couldn't help but stop and think of the articles that were found in Parachutist about that place and feel a sense of nostalgia since skydiving history was made there. Feel free to post your fondest memories of jumping there. I never got to, I could only imagine what it would be like to be in freefall over that desert floor with those mountains in the background. Must have been spectacular. Harry

[howardwhite 6]

Brian Williams, one of the original "Arvin Goodguys," was at the reunion in Felicity, CA last month. He's got stories. Some of them are here.

HW

[Jim_Hooper 4]

Brian Williams put me out on my first freefall at Arvin, signing my logbook "Brian Jumpmaster."

Hoop SCR242 SCS90

[SCR216 2]

Arvin will always be a special place to me. Both my brother and I made our first jumps at Arvin. I got my first training talk in a 49 Ford while driving over the GrapeVine from LA to Arvin in 1965. When we parked the car the 195 was ready to go so I got on my rig and went up for my first SL jump. The first student out of the door had his reserve open on exit and he landed with both chutes open. Thanks God for proper PLF training back then. My JM then turned, looked at me and said, OK Kid it's your turn, and please only use one fricken chute.

Brian Williams, Bill Newell, Terry Ward, Paul Gorman, Clark Fisher, Jerry Bird and the other Good Guys were around at that time, so I wanted to do it right the first time out.

When Arvin closed I moved on to Taft, Elsinore, Perris, Oceanside and other DZ's.

To this Date I still try to keep in touch with the Arvin Good Guys.

This May we will be holding another Grumpy Old Farts get together at Taft. Some of the Arvin Good Guys will be there. It looks like we will be able to put together a 12 or 15 way with jumpers that have been in the sport from 40 to 47 years.

Man, I love this sport.

SCR-216, SOS-1201, CC-17

[boyfalldown 0]

You don't have to imagine what its like, just head out to skydive san joaquin. There not currently jumping but will be when the new runway is done. There off I-5 at copus rd. just a few miles from arvin.

[rapter 0]

I jumped the 'new' Arvin in the early 90s. they were flying a D-18 at the time, short lived but fun while it lasted,

Only the good die young, so I have found immortality,

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

I've driven through Arvin a few times on my way to Taft...

Anyway, I'm not sure how many of the "Arvin Goodguys" are left?

[SCR216 2]

There were more people in the Arvin Good Guys than was on the first 10 man star team. Of the 10 in the first star 7 are still around and kicking hard.

First 10 man star;
- Paul Gorman:
Passed away last year. Great flyer in the air, and great to be around on the ground.

- Bill Stage:
Passed away last year. Always ready to go anywhere to make a jump with friends and his friends from back then still remain friends today.

- Terry Ward:
Passed away in the early 80's. He always looked like he knew something we didn't, and would not tell us what the hell it was. He just looked and you and gave a big smile and laugh.

- Jim Dann:
Still riding his bike and coming to reunions.

- Bill Newell:
Still running the SCR program for all of us in the sport and reminding us of where we came from and how we got here.

- Clark Fisher:
Living the good life in the islands, and making it to reunions.

- Brian Williams:
Still outclassing us all. Great historian and story teller.

- Jerry Bird:
A FL man now. Jerry could tell you when and how you came into the all formations he was on. Great mind for the sport.

- John Rinard:
Still around the Railroad industry or traveling.

- Gary Young:
Now Gary ticks me off, while the rest of us now look much older, Gary still looks the same as he did back in the 60's. His dad was one of our pilots at Taft for years, and a very good one.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

I knew Tall Paul. Had the pleasure and privilege of doing a few jumps with him "back in the day" (90s ) at Cal City and Apple Valley.

Lou Paproski (used to own a bar in Ridgecrest CA) passed away a few years ago too. I got to be on a few loads with him too back when I started jumping at Cal.

I'm pretty sure Dennis "Deek" Dillon is still with us, but he quit jumping after a bad ankle injury at Perris several years back.

[skybill 22]

Quote

There were more people in the Arvin Good Guys than was on the first 10 man star team. Of the 10 in the first star 7 are still around and kicking hard.

First 10 man star;
- Paul Gorman:
Passed away last year. Great flyer in the air, and great to be around on the ground.

- Bill Stage:
Passed away last year. Always ready to go anywhere to make a jump with friends and his friends from back then still remain friends today.

- Terry Ward:
Passed away in the early 80's. He always looked like he knew something we didn't, and would not tell us what the hell it was. He just looked and you and gave a big smile and laugh.

- Jim Dann:
Still riding his bike and coming to reunions.

- Bill Newell:
Still running the SCR program for all of us in the sport and reminding us of where we came from and how we got here.

- Clark Fisher:
Living the good life in the islands, and making it to reunions.

- Brian Williams:
Still outclassing us all. Great historian and story teller.

- Jerry Bird:
A FL man now. Jerry could tell you when and how you came into the all formations he was on. Great mind for the sport.

- John Rinard:
Still around the Railroad industry or traveling.

- Gary Young:
Now Gary ticks me off, while the rest of us now look much older, Gary still looks the same as he did back in the 60's. His dad was one of our pilots at Taft for years, and a very good one.

Hi 216,
All this about Arvin got me ta' thinkin'. Ole' Don "SCR-007" Henderson some time ago gave me a tape of some old 8mm footage he shot back when. A lot of it was at Arvin!! Go rattle his cage and get him to bring some of that old vintage stuff to old farts!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[SCR216 2]

Thanks Tim and Bill,

I got in a few jumps with Tall Paul Gorman back when I was a teenager. At that time I was in love with his first wife, Mary and had a hard time trying to talk to her. Hell, as a teenager I was in love with every girl I looked at. I think Mary moved to Baja with Ron Richards years ago.

lou was a friend of my brother Paul.
Don Henderson and Deke Dillon should be showing up at the Grumpy Old Farts get together at Taft this May. I'll hit Don up for his 8mm film from the old black and white film days. I'll bet the Keystome Cops will be jumping in them. Or at least it will look like them.

When I first started jumping my brother talked Henderson into jumping with me to see if he could sort out some of the strange things I was doing in the air. It must have worked because I'm still at it.

5 right, 10 left, 5 rignt, no, stop, oh shit, go around, and this time do what the hell I tell ya to do...
Dennis
SCR-216, CC-17

[skybill 22]

Quote

Thanks Tim and Bill,

I got in a few jumps with Tall Paul Gorman back when I was a teenager. At that time I was in love with his first wife, Mary and had a hard time trying to talk to her. Hell, as a teenager I was in love with every girl I looked at. I think Mary moved to Baja with Ron Richards years ago.

lou was a friend of my brother Paul.
Don Henderson and Deke Dillon should be showing up at the Grumpy Old Farts get together at Taft this May. I'll hit Don up for his 8mm film from the old black and white film days. I'll bet the Keystome Cops will be jumping in them. Or at least it will look like them.

When I first started jumping my brother talked Henderson into jumping with me to see if he could sort out some of the strange things I was doing in the air. It must have worked because I'm still at it.

5 right, 10 left, 5 rignt, no, stop, oh shit, go around, and this time do what the hell I tell ya to do...
Dennis
SCR-216, CC-17

Hi Dennis
the 5-right 10 left etc.. reminds me of one of those old pen and ink cartoons in Lyle's rag by Steve Moran !! Don has those 8mm's put on tape. even had Rod Pack's chuteless jump in the fray!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[SCR216 2]

You are correct, Steve Moran is where I got the saying from. The real cartoon has more to it then what I just put down. I still have that cartoon on my wall next to all the other jumping stuff I like to look at. Steve was my brothers' first flight instructor at the Van Neys airport. Back then Lyle talked me into writing a few articles for his magazine. You might remember Steve putting FUBAR on the helmet of the guy doing the spotting. Well, Lyle and Art Armstrong tagged me with that jumping name and it took me years to get if off my resume.

[skybill 22]

Hi Dennis,
Yup, those cartoons of Steve's are here in my archives somewhere. "FUBAR" Fowled Up Beyond All Recognition was one interpertation as I recall and along with that lets corrupt "HALO" to "HAGALO" thats High Altitude Grab Ass Low Opening!! The Beat Goes On!!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[SCR216 2]

Rod Pack, now there is a name frm the past. I saw him a few times at Arvin, but I never got to know him. It is my understanding that after his chuteless jump, Life mag said it all went too fast to get a good picture of it and they wanted him to redo the jump!!! I think he said something back to them like, "Joe's Moma" and didn't do it a second time. No Balls, no balls. In later years I heard that he was doing stunts and tricks like doing low BASE jumps out of palm trees at motorcycle meets. I am not sure if that last one is true or not, but it makes for great a great story.

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

lou was a friend of my brother Paul.

I think I may have told you this when I saw you at Perris. I made my first demo with your brother Paul onto a small beach at Lake Perris. We drank Champagne out of his leg after we landed.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[skybytch 273]

Quote

Don Henderson. . . should be showing up at the Grumpy Old Farts get together at Taft this May.

Please pass along a huge hug for me! Haven't seen Don in at least 15 years. Jumped with him in Paso Robles in the early '90's. Is he still jumping?

[SCR216 2]

Yes I for sure remember the story Mike. It makes me hapy to know that people still remember Paul after all these years. Paul taught me a lot about jumping and life in general. I have 100's of stories of when we jumped together all over the world. Paul with his right leg missing and me with my left leg half there. We were a great team for the flying circus back then.

Hope to see you at Taft this May to air it out.

Dennis
SCR-216, CC-17, SOS-1201

[SCR216 2]

You bet SB, Don is still jumping. Don is still fast out of the door and very fast into the formation. Each time he makes it to a reunion he brings along one of his antique cars he has been rebuilding and a box of pictures of our days back when. It is like going to a museum and looking up the history of our part of the sport. I told Don that when he goes we are going to stuff his ass and send him to the Smithsonian for everyone to gawk at because he was always a different bird.

Dennis

[steve1 5]

Has anyone heard from Walt Mercer? He used to fly for Hod Sanders in Stevensville....

[SCR216 2]

Hello Steve,

During the old timers reunion in Falicity last month, Walt's name was on the list of people that had passed away. I don't this this is true though. I think he is still living up in the hills somewhere in Blue Sky country.

Walt, Spike, Spanky, Lyle, Art Armstrong and Rick Young were some of the best pilots I ever traveled with.
Dennis
SCR-216

[steve1 5]

I hope Walt is still around. He was a great guy. He flew loads well into his late 70's and was our best jump pilot. He had to quit flying because of a heart murmur. I know that was hard on him. I posted a picture earlier of our club with Walt. I'll see if I can find it....Last I heard he was living in Stevensville, Mt.

[SCR216 2]

Correct me if I am wrong Steve, but I thought Stevensville, MT was near where you live.

Dennis

[steve1 5]

Quote

Correct me if I am wrong Steve, but I thought Stevensville, MT was near where you live.

Dennis

Actually that is my home town. I went to school there. The Silvertip Skydivers moved from Missoula to Stevensville in the mid 70's. Insurance problems closed the club down in Stevensville, about five years back. There still is some jumping in Hamilton. Hod moved his operation to Ronan....

[skybytch 273]

Quote

You bet SB, Don is still jumping.

Give him my love! He'll remember me as Lisa from Paso.