The History of Air Trash




Page II

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from: Carolyn Roemer

My first jump, with Larry Fatino as my jumpmaster, was July 20, 1975. We were told that day if you took your first jump certificate to the Pueblito, the bar would buy you a drink. Well, they had stopped doing that, but three guys did. That's when I met Dirty Ed, Dennis Trepanier and Gary Young. I was swiftly carted off to Taft where I continued to jump and learned how to fly (the basics). Many great memories of flying from Van Nuys on Spikes Beech to Taft.
At the scrambles in '76 I broke my ankle..and started hanging out in the Elsinore Ghetto. I remember meeting Richie sometime in early '77, to the best of my recollection.
After I was able to start jumping again I made many early jumps on pick up loads during the week. It was the best of times. Jumping with the experts and newbys combined.
We were trash. I was there the day Richie showed up with the first Air Trash hats. He put one on my head. He said I would always be Trash.

It was the fast lane, I had no business in. So I moved away to get my head back on, jumping in Oregon for a short while. I moved back to Elsinore and lived in the ghetto again in '78-early'79.

I loved those years and they are some of my best memories.
I was in nursing school when the Beech crashed. It was devastating to loose so many dear friends, then we lost the Beech on jumprun into Aloha stadium. My life went in a different direction.

A year later I flew on a commercial flight, we flew directly over the bowl...they were there...all of them. Terry Ward, Richie...they said, "come jump with us".
It may have just been my imagination, but I don't think so.

Two weeks ago I lost almost everything in a house fire, including parachutes, log books and photos...and my hat.
I didn't claim membership in this group, heck, didn't even know it existed until just before the Old Farts in 2011.
Some of my best memories are of the early years and Richies absolute joy in jumping. I only got to meet Frankie a couple of times. His absolute love and devotion for you and your girls was so clear.
If anyone has copies of photos, I would love to have them. My email is crroemer333@gmail.com

Blue Skies
ElCap16




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