'Operation Packrat' Offers Chance to Crack Open Historic Crates With Your Own Two Hands

The Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame is seeking assistance with its 2nd Operation Packrat, running from April 4—7, 2023 at Sun Path Products, in Raeford, North Carolina.

The Museum’s Curations Committee is looking for help in identifying, tagging, and storing hundreds of units of assorted parachute equipment, documents, film media and instruments that have been acquired over the last 4 decades of operation. The first Operation Packrat, under the auspices of the Curations Committee and more than 30 volunteers, resulted in the processing, handling and identification of over 1,500 individual items. There's still plenty to catalog, however, so the Museum is looking for interested, qualified volunteers capable of sorting the wheat from the chaff. 

"We are seeking qualified volunteers to travel to Raeford NC and participate in this historic event," said the Museum notice. "We are looking for individuals who are willing to travel to Raeford AT THEIR EXPENSE and join the teams of “Old School” jumpers, riggers, pilots, DZOs and others who share a passion for the preservation of the history of our sport."

The Curations Committee is searching for a particular breed of parachutists, hoping to wrangle up a few riggers and photographers with the lifelong know-how required to know what they're looking at. 

"We are recruiting specialists such as “Old School' riggers and photographers in each of these areas to help identify, document, and log the information into our special museum database program. These groups will have team leaders and members to open the boxes, in many cases for the first time in years, and to identify what we have, grade it as to its suitability for use in the museum, and repackage it into standard boxes, and label with barcode ID for storage and future use."

Of course, the old salts aren't the only hands needed around the place, with plenty of work to be done hauling some cardboard from A to B as they sort the collection.

"In return for your volunteering to come and join this endeavor, you will receive a morning coffee break, lunch and dinner, a closing banquet AND a most unique and limited edition T-shirt and sweatshirt commemorating your participation and contribution to what is guaranteed to be a once (or twice if you participated in the first Packrat) in a lifetime project."

Interested parties may fill out the Packrat interest form no later than February 15, 2023 for screening.

FMI: www.skydivingmuseum.org