Mayor Honors Historic Parachute Club

People
Thursday, December 26, 2024

Above: Livermore Mayor John Marchand (left) holds the certificate of recognition while Elevation restaurant owner Harmail Chatha (center) and California Parachute Club member T.J. McGrath hold the collage that will be on display at the restaurant.

In 1956, ex-Airborne jumper Deke Sonnichsen founded The California Parachute Club. The club still has 53 members and though it is mostly social now, those who still jump are no longer required to wear white shirts and black ties under their jumpsuits, along with perfectly shined boots, as they did early in the club’s history. The club is thought to be the oldest parachute club still in existence. Until 1998, the CPC operated in Livermore, California, and after that used other locations as their base of operations. Most club members now jump at Bay Area Skydiving in Byron.

On September 26, Livermore Mayor John Marchand presented the club with a Mayor’s Recognition Certificate for their contributions to the local community and for skydiving nationally. Also in attendance were members of the Chamber of Commerce and the local flying club.

The presentation occurred at the Elevation Restaurant, which is located on the site of the airport where the club’s training center was located and where club members participated in numerous air shows over many years. The restaurant owner, Harmail Chatha, allowed the club to place a collage of photos spanning its history on the wall of the restaurant. One side of the framed, two-sided collage has photos and patches that represent the 68 years the club has been in existence, and the other side contains memorials to those club members who have passed away.  

T.J. McGrath | D-3581
Pleasanton, California