Jumperintheair

I'm friends with the owner. Busy tandem DZ, excellent, bad-ass tandem instructors, nice new gear and facility! BUT...tandem only DZ, although I have seen a few fun jumpers sneak on load's mon-fri. Might want to stop by. Most scenic DZ I've jumped at in the North east!!

Interesting side note. After skydiving was banned from Ridgely Airpark for just over 20 year. Gordon Riner's grandson, Lance, started a tandem DZ there in 2006. as of the begging of 2012, they built a brand new facility just outside of Baltimore. I talked to Lance, he still holds the lease at Ridgely and jumps there on occasion, but for the most part its abandoned, again.

Here is a pic of 17D taken late 1990's in Oregon

Kool...thats where Jim Couch and the West Point gang are moving correct? So I guess no more skydiving at the point?

A very interesting read from the Chicago Tribune, has a lot of detail on the engines history.... http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-06-03/news/9306030181_1_plane-ntsb-fiery-crash

I jumped in Laurel half a summer in 1997 when in was under a different owner (Gordon Riner). The place was very busy, loads flying from sun up to sun set (and maybe a bit past sunset ;), always lots of tandems, aff, plenty of fun jumpers of all different experience levels, ect. I went there a few times this summer (2011) and can not believe how slow the place is. The Twin Otter is nice, but rarely if ever turns loads around. The pace is very slow, fly a load, land, wait 20 minutes, then put the next load on a 20 minute call. As a fun jumper your lucky to get 4 jumps in a day just cause loads don't fly that often, and they often stop jumping as early as 3-5pm. The pilot is very bitter and rude to the fun jumpers and seems to hate flying. The facilities are old and outdated (same exact facilities as 1997, which at that time were showing there age) The only change I saw (other than lack of business) was they added a wooden 'shed' which serves as manifest. Was sad to see the place as gone so far done hill from my 1997 visit.

So tomorrow is the 31st. Does anyone have any updates? Is the DZ officially moved out or are they working a deal with the new airport manager? I'm hoping for good news on this!

Give Billy Richards a call at the blue sky ranch. I hear he is totally in control of everything down in z-hills

I ran across this website, does anyone have details? I jumed in coleman years ago before it closed http://www.startskydivingflorida.com

are there any plans to go out to the DZ since there is jumping going on again in Ridgely?

A few years ago there was a full page ad in parachutist, for Mirage containers I think. Any how it had a pic of someone holding a rig on the horizontal stabilizer of a DC-3. On the tail you could clearly see the faded PI (parachutes Incorporated) logo on the tail. Looked like that airplane had been sitting for a long time. Anyone know the details on the ship...current location, condition, etc. Just curious

Taken fromhttp://www.ilovenapa.com/paulfranson_article.php?articleId=82

hmmm i think someone owes me a apology. Seems the only person spreading "uninformed rumors" was pawnmower himself

Quote Sorry to disappoint you, but thats 100% FACT. No "uninformed rumors" here, sorry. I'm all for a new DZ anywhere (especially in the MD the tandem factory capitol lol). Just letting everyone know the facts!! Good luck to all involved! (sincerely)

I wouldn't count on jumping there any time soon. Last i've heard is "pawnmower" has been calling just about every airport in Maryland (even ones that already have DZ's) trying to get a slot. Seems that it takes more than a myspace page to actually start a DZ (I would think you might want to start with having a firm lease at an airport, then make a cute myspace page with a bunch of false claimes!) What a joke! Good luck! Derm