A BIT OF HISTORY

From the 14th Annual Far Western brochure (1971)

California Parachute club, the oldest sport parachuting club in the nation, military or civilian, was founded in 1956 by Deke Sonnichsen (who now mostly follows his current love of ballooning and is occasionally seen in full-color spreads in national magazines) and a handful of other early enthusiasts who are not named because of the certainty of leaving some of them out. Jumping was on the old airport, where the exit from the highway leads into town, until 1960, when the club's drop zone was moved out to the farm land north of town.

Since 1961, the club has had a number of different drop zones, all on land belonging to Mr. Jensen. This is the third year that the jump planes have used a strip on the drop zone during good weather.

Cal Club has had its share of people contributing heavily to the national sport. One of the brightest of these is Susan Clements Joerns, National Women's Champion for at least five years running, starting in 1962, and former wife of the late Ludlow Clements, whose courage and humanity were well known to old hands in the sport.

The first national film about skydiving was made for the PCA (at no cost to that organization) in 1962 by CPC members Jim Pol and Ken Herschberg. Jim also made the first Cinerama film, shown at Canada's Expo '67, using 85 pounds and $20,000 worth of camera equipment in a "vortex ball". Vort Ball, by the way, was for years the only nonhuman member of USPA. The Fairchild used for that film was taken to Antarctica by Admiral Byrd and is now in the Smithsonian Museum.

Past presidents of CPC still seen around the drop zone from time to time include old hands like John Percival, Walt Walker, Stan Padahag, Bill Nelson, C. M. Solis, Bob Walker, and Paul Schissler. Mike Potts is now in his second term.

The Stevens Cutaway System, thought by many to be a revolutionary contribution to student safety, was tested and first used at Livermore. It has now spread to more than 50 drop zones throughout the country.

The only real handbook of skydiving was written by Russ Gunby when he had only 38 jumps. A longtime Cal Club member, Russ has revised and expanded the book to make it the bible of sport parachuting.

Clubs come and go, but California Parachute Club, through good years and bad and with many a hassle along the way, goes on. Its members welcome you to its 14th Far Western, and throughout the rest of the year, the welcome mat is always out to all who belong to the brotherhood of jumpers.