Skydive Skyranch jumps at opportunity

■ A new hangar and office building at Cecil Smith Field are key components in company’s expansion plan.

A day of cold rain kept skydivers and their planes grounded on Saturday, but the approximately 50 jumpers and instructors still had plenty to do on solid ground at Cecil Smith Field.

Skydive enthusiasts from around the area flocked to the Siloam Springs airport, site of Skydive Skyranch, and attended a Safety Day lecture. Safety Day is an annual program organized by the United States Parachute Association, of which Skydive Skyranch is a member.

The Siloam Springs-based skydive facility is the only USPA sanctioned jump zone in the state, with the next nearest zone being north of Tulsa.

After Safety Day lessons, those gathered met to turn ground on a new improvement at Cecil Smith Field. The improvement, which will be the first at the airport in almost 10 years, is a 17,500-square-foot hangar and office building. The improvements come as the Skyranch is changing ownership.

The new owner, Dan Gryder, said the Skyranch is looking to increase the number of tandem jumps taken per year from around 1,500 to 2,500. Gryder will also be adding new planes to the operation.

With the new hangar and office comes a new focus for the company. As they are expanding, Gryder said he wanted to turn the Skyranch into a more eventbased operation, hosting country music concerts and other public events.

The new hangar will also allow spectators to enjoy the Skyranch in a safer way. In the past, spectators have watched jumps from nearby hangars and active taxiways. The new hangar will ultimately include an observation deck on the roof with picnic tables, Gryder said.

The change was exemplified by the choice of celebrity for the event. Besides being a personal friend, Gryder said Jana Jae, who played fiddle on the nationally broadcast TV show, “Hee Haw,” was a good representation of the direction he wanted to take the company. Between the safety day presentation and the groundbreaking, Gryder, Jae, and the previous owner of the Skyranch, Wolf Grulkey, gave a bluegrass miniconcert.

Gryder said the improvements should be completed in Spring 2018, with the hangar itself opening before that.

Michael Burchfiel/Herald-Leader Members and instructors at Skydive Skyranch gathered to observe safety day and celebrate the groundbreaking of a new building.