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USA POPS HISTORY FROM 1966 TO THE PRESENT
(This history of the US POPS was prepared by Bill Wood in 1989 and
updated by Cheryl Whitford in December 2004.)
POPS was founded in the USA by Lenny Barad (POPS #1) in the summer of 1966. It all started
with a
letter from Lenny to Parachutist magazine, inviting all jumpers having reached the ripe
old age of forty years or over to join. The principal idea behind the concept of this
new organization is promote good fellowship between the elder jumpers in the sport.
The only obligation on anyone's part was and is to promote parachuting in general and
safety in particular.
It is felt that the image of sport parachuting would be assisted if the general public
knew there were a group of men and women involved in this sport who were on the more
"mature" side, family types in all walks of life and reasonably settled in their community.
Since then, some of the people listed in the roster book have passed on, others simply lost
interest in jumping and quit, but their POPS number is theirs never to be reissued.
Many others have been very active, many receiving their Gold Wings, Diamond and Double
Diamond Wings and a myriad of other awards presented in our world of parachuting.
For many years we have established a pattern of holding a Winter Meet of accuracy,
Hit & Rock, and R.W. in Florida in the spring and a National Meet in late summer or
early fall of each year. The National Meet is rotated among various drop zones so that
POPS and POPS families may visit different areas of our great country. Various other POPS
Meets are held during the year, all are advertised by Parachutist & Skydiving magazines.
For competitive spirit and just great family fun, don't miss the next POPS Meet.
POPS has grown, and now has chapters in many countries around the world and since 1995
there is a World Top POP in addition to a national Top POP in many countries. Jumpers
over forty from any country are welcome as members of the USA POPS.
USA Top Pops in order of their service are:
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Lenny Barad - TOP POP #1 - POPS # 1
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J. H. "Jack" Sowle - TOP POP #2 - POPS # 33
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Mike Efstration - TOP POP #3 - POPS # 37
left photo December 1974, right photo 2007
Download and view Profile of Mike Efstration scanned from Truth News Trends
View some photos from TOP POP #3.
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John McManaman - TOP POP #4 - POPS # 21
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Bob Rhyne - TOP POP #5 - POPS # 305
left photo 1974, right photo 2005
Download and view Profile of Bob Rhyne scanned from Truth News Trends
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Tom Morrison - TOP POP #6 - POPS # 96
left photo 1974, right photo 2006
Download and view Profile of Tom Morrison scanned from Truth News Trends
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John L. Reid - TOP POP # 7 - POPS # 966
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Bill Wood - TOP POP #8 - POPS # 1135
left photo 1993, right photo 2005
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Alicia (Anderson) Moorehead - TOP POP #9 - POPS # 2375
left photo 1993, right photo 2006
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Ted Rose - TOP POP #10 - POPS # 2584
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Tom Zukowski - TOP POP #11 - POPS # 2253
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Items scanned from Truth News Trends are contributed by Mike Efstration.
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