The Pelican Class Reunion of 2010 on Facebook

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Subject: Pelicans History

Scott, here is information about the Pelicans. Mike Schultz shared this history in a couple posts in a thread on the reunion page. Julie

Stockett's Farm was the Pelicans location before Ridgely. It was in Crofton, right next to the Naval Academy Dairy Farm at Waugh Chapel. Dave Dulin and Bud Sylvia flew Cessna 182s on a downhill takeoff, over Rte. 3 N (about 5 miles north of Rte. 50). The State Police were constantly complaining about traffic stopping and clogging the highway. Croom was before that; and before that Targeteers in Manassas.

Another little note of history. The 76-acre property just outside of Ridgely, MD was purchased by a group of 5 persons. One was Bill Fravel, the provider of the Cessna 182s that were flying out of Stockett's Farm in 1965. Another was Johnny Crews, an early Pelican Skydiving Club member, and still another was Dick Snyder, a sometime pilot for the Club. These gentlemen, along with 2 other investors, formed the Pelican Land Corporation, which purchased the property by way of two mortgages. That's where the name Pelicanland came from. Mike Schultz’s tenure as DZO was specified by the rent they charged him over a 9-year period. Wayne Beall and Mike formed the Pelican Sport Aviation, Inc., taking over operation of the DZ in 1969, which had been run by Bill Fravel since 1966. They assumed the property mortgage payments, the Cessna mortgage payments, and were responsible for property maintenance. Mike left as DZO in 1978. By that time, the drop zone was operating a DC-3, a Beech 18, 2 Cessna 180's, and a Cessna 170. A new era was ushered in when Johnny Crews and Tom Forsythe took over, followed by Gordon Riner. Things pretty much petered out as the sport and the number of regional DZs expanded.