Home › History › Places › Skydive Sandwich

Photo courtesy of Chris Phillips

A Different Kind of Aviation

By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the Sandwich Airport became known for something beyond traditional aviation.

Skydive Sandwich introduced a new kind of activity to the airfield, one that drew attention not just for airplanes, but for what happened after they climbed into the sky.

Parachutes.

A Weekend Spectacle

For many residents, weekends at the airport became something to watch.

Aircraft would lift skydivers high above the countryside before jumpers exited in sequence, drifting back toward the field under brightly colored canopies. Spectators gathered nearby, often pausing to watch as parachutes appeared overhead and slowly descended toward the landing area.

It was a different kind of aviation, quieter, slower, and just as captivating.

“Mr. Douglas” and the Sky Above Sandwich

One aircraft, in particular, became closely associated with skydiving at the Sandwich Airport, a Douglas DC-3 known as “Mr. Douglas.”

Used to carry jumpers to altitude, the aircraft was a familiar sight on the field. Skydivers would climb aboard before exiting high above the surrounding farmland, stepping out into open sky as the patchwork landscape of DeKalb County stretched below.

Photos courtesy of Chris Phillips

National Attention in a Small Town

The visibility of Skydive Sandwich extended beyond the local community.

In the mid 1980s, members of the United States Army Golden Knights parachute team trained at the Sandwich Airport ahead of national competition. Their presence brought a level of recognition few would expect for a small town airfield.

The Golden Knights were among the most skilled parachutists in the country, and their time in Sandwich reflected the airport’s continued relevance within aviation and skydiving circles.

Community, Events, and Connection

Skydive Sandwich was not just a spectator activity.

Local events and benefit efforts tied to skydiving groups brought the community into the experience in new ways. One such event in the early 1980s involved a benefit softball game connected to a national championship skydiving team, illustrating how the airport continued to serve as a gathering place even as its focus evolved.

Risk and Reality

As with all forms of aviation, skydiving carried inherent risks.

In 1988, a fatal skydiving accident at the Sandwich Airport served as a sobering reminder of the dangers involved. While incidents like this were rare, they were part of the broader reality of the sport and marked a more serious chapter in the airport’s history.

A Lasting Memory of the Airport Era

For those who remember it, Skydive Sandwich represents a distinct chapter in the life of the Sandwich Airport.

It was a time when the sky above town was active in a different way, when parachutes were a common sight, and the airport remained a place where people gathered, watched, and experienced something just a little out of the ordinary.

---

Related

• Sandwich Airport
• Bob Hope Draws Thousands to Sandwich Airport (1969)
• “Mr. Douglas”: The DC-3 Over Sandwich

Research & Sources

Information for this article was drawn from local newspaper coverage documenting skydiving activity at Sandwich Airport, including:

• Tri-County Today (August 18, 1982) — skydive team events and benefit activities
• The Sandwich Record (June 18, 1986) — U.S. Army Golden Knights training at Skydive Sandwich
• The Sandwich Record (July 2, 1986) — parachute team practice and local coverage

These sources reflect the period when Sandwich Airport became a regional destination for skydiving and aerial exhibitions.