Kbone 0 #1 December 2, 2004 Hi San Diego skydivers! I was just in the area and I could not seem to get in touch with Skydive Southern California in San Diego. I ended up going to Skydive San Diego(otay lakes) instead. They are both very close together so I don't want to confuse anybody. This new dropzone that is less than a year old seems to have shut down? Am I wrong? -Their website is no longer online -Their phone is disconnected -They were suppose to have a Twin Otter but in their profile on DZ.com it says Cesna 206? Bummer if it's true! I was looking foward to trying out the new dropzone. What happened? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nate_1979 9 #2 December 2, 2004 I thought about checking them out since they were so close once, but I also could not get ahold of anyone... I have heard *RUMER* and rumer only that they had shut down due to some people being deployed? Who knows... Skydive San Diego rocks anyway, no biggy FGF #??? I miss the sky... There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #3 December 2, 2004 I did my AFF-I down there, and the owner, Joe Masalta, had just recently retired from the SEALS. Most of his tandem instructor and AFF staff were SEALS as well. Anybody with "operator" credentials, like ex-Recon, Delta Force, Green Beret, etc, has very lucrative security contract work available to them over in the sandbox. Pure speculation on my part, but I'd guess somebody made him an offer he just couldn't refuse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,090 #4 December 2, 2004 Yep, they are shut down; financial issues. It's too bad. Joe was a good guy and there were some good people there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #5 December 2, 2004 Did I see that another one was opening at Brown airfield? I've got two friends that went out to work for Skydive Southern California and thought I heard they were trying to work for a new one.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #6 December 2, 2004 -Their website is no longer online -Their phone is disconnected -They were suppose to have a Twin Otter but in their profile on DZ.com it says Cesna 206? That was 1 of Spaceland's 3 otters that we got back in August for the TSR attempts. Steve was told to keep it here that they just couldn't afford it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,090 #7 December 2, 2004 > Did I see that another one was opening at Brown airfield? Not that I know of. Otay is still open. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #8 December 2, 2004 I found the thread. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1358000;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unreadI'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,090 #9 December 2, 2004 Huh, I knew Luther was talking about doing that; I didn't know he'd opened up his own DZ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kbone 0 #10 December 3, 2004 So this "new" dropzone is at the same place as Skydive Southern California located at Brown Field. Run by an employee of the recently defunct dropzone? They are using the same Cesna 206 as well? It looks like they get some cool ocean views! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #11 December 3, 2004 The views on climb from both Otay and Skydive SoCal are magnificent. Out over the placid Southern California Pacific Coast just north of Mexico, then back to jump just north of the border. Otay is a little better due to the lake, but the landing area is a little tighter. Otay is a land-and-walk vs. Skydive SoCal's land-and-bus, like Hollister. And Monterey. All beautiful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #12 December 3, 2004 Otay is a fantastic facility, a very good bunch of customers and a wonderful staff. I cannot recommend this facility enough! Their landing area is plenty big even for those of us that have to sometimes sqeak it in from the west. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeeeeeeFly 0 #13 December 3, 2004 The new drop zone is oriented towards college students or individuals who wish to do tadems. It is not set up for AFF and has a couple of guys and a cesna 206 jumping on "Trident". The best of luck to Luther. ~G~ "The edge ... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who know where it is are those that have gone over" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kbone 0 #14 December 3, 2004 Quotea cesna 206 jumping on "Trident". What is Trident? So it sounds like a part time Tandem deal. I've heard of tiny dropzones in Hemmet and Palm Springs but nobody ever talks about those places, I don't even know if they are still around either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,090 #15 December 3, 2004 >What is Trident? An LZ used by the military near the border. Brown Field and Socal used LZ's right next to it. It's all really one big field, just past the eastern extent of development, just before the Otay Moutains. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #16 December 4, 2004 QuoteI've heard of tiny dropzones in Hemmet and Palm Springs but nobody ever talks about those places, I don't even know if they are still around either. Hemet closed down. Parachutes over Palm Springs (POPS) is actually in Palm Desert at the Bermuda Dunes Airport. It was taken over by another operator after Jamey Woodward left. Not sure exactly what the status is there now, but last I heard Albert Champagne was running it by appointment only (tandem operation). ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kbone 0 #17 December 4, 2004 Thanks! I appreciate the info! It is funny how you hear about a dropzone but there is no listing on DZ.com and there is no website either. It's like these dropzones don't want people to know they are around. Sort of a fly by night thing. Kbone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudseeker2001 0 #18 December 5, 2004 I heard that DZ had a bad vibe. "Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance, others mean and rueful of the western dream" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeeeeeeFly 0 #19 December 6, 2004 There was a sort of rivalry between San Diego and Brown... Stuff that has been there since before I started jumping. Seems there are some locals that contiue to hold grudges and anger towards certain people... You know that old chestnut... ~G~ "The edge ... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who know where it is are those that have gone over" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #20 December 6, 2004 QuoteThere was a sort of rivalry between San Diego and Brown... Stuff that has been there since before I started jumping. Seems there are some locals that contiue to hold grudges and anger towards certain people... You know that old chestnut... ~G~ I thought all that crap had long since passed. FWIW - the only real beef (imo) was the CYPRES requirement, which ended up being moot. Does anyone know where Joe ended up??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #21 December 7, 2004 QuoteQuoteThere was a sort of rivalry between San Diego and Brown... Stuff that has been there since before I started jumping. Seems there are some locals that contiue to hold grudges and anger towards certain people... You know that old chestnut... ~G~ I thought all that crap had long since passed. FWIW - the only real beef (imo) was the CYPRES requirement, which ended up being moot. Does anyone know where Joe ended up??? Yeah. Buzz bought Otay. ;^) ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #22 December 7, 2004 QuoteDoes anyone know where Joe ended up??? ...in the Navy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeeeeeeFly 0 #24 December 7, 2004 I didn't want to go there but yes there is still a lot of angst regarding that... But I could care less, the place is an excellent place to jump and lately the management has turned it completely around and now I consider it to be comparable to the other two DZ's (Perris and Elsinore) with a better view and nicer ticket prices... ~G~ "The edge ... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who know where it is are those that have gone over" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #25 December 9, 2004 From what I can tell the management is excellent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
