SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 51 ft. 6 in. 
Length: 31 ft. 9 in. 
Height: 10 ft. 1 in. 
Weight: 7,400 lbs. max. 
Empty: 4,478 lbs, 
Useful load: 2,822 lbs. 
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 of 600 hp. 
Crew: One or two 
Jumpers Carried: 10 

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 162 mph. 
Cruising speed: 148 mph. 
Range: 1,150 miles 
Service Ceiling: 17,000 ft. 

Image by Thom Lyons at Lakewood, New Jersey

PI and the Parachute Club of America used the drop zones' stable of Noorduyn Norseman aircraft for the meet including the one sent to Ryan Field/Hemet DZ, California, which was flown back to Orange for the meet . 

Detailed information on the Norseman can be found on the Norseman Page.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 59.9ft (18.18m) 
Length:  41'10ft (12.74m) 
Height:  13'2ft (4.00m) 
Weight:  12,125lb (5500kg)
Empty:  7,605lb (3450kg) 
Useful load: (1050kg) 
Engine: 600 hp. or 1000hp Shvetsov ASh-62M 
Crew: One or two 
Jumpers Carried: 9 

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 160mph (258km/h) 
Cruising speed:
Range: 560 miles (900km)
Service Ceiling:

They were upset over the fact that the last 3 meets (6 years) were held behind the Iron Curtin and that the Russians were the defending champions in the coming meet, where ever it was held.  The PCA and the Commonwealth of Massachutes officially made application to host the 62 Meet and Congress supproted the application and passed funding under Public Law 86-796 which was signed by President Wisenhower in his last days on office.

The PCA also wanted the Meet on an American DZ and Jacques Istel wanted it at Orange.  Istel had competed in the 1956 Meet where he captained the US team.  Things improved after that and in the 1960 Meet near Sofia, Bulgaria the USA won it's first medals, one gold and one silver.

PI was anxious to host the meet for various reasons ranging from the publicity it would give them to the improvements in fixed plant PI could get Orange at no expense to them.  Jacques Istel pushed the Parabow concept (see the bottom of the page) and planned on charging $3 a day to sit in it and watch the jumpers.  It was to be sponsored by a $1.6 federal loan but at the last minute the deal fell thru and a reduced version was built.  Even so when the Meet came, the Friendship Bowl was filled to the brim on many days of the meet.  You have to remember that skydiving was an amazing spectator sport in the 1962, the jumpers to be seen as extraordinary people, much more than today.

Istel was a master at organizing money.  He got the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to appropriate $125,000 for planning and promotion of the Meet though the State witheld $100,000 till the federal Government matched the funds.  The money was released when the Federal Government granted $500,000 for the operations of the meet, housing and feeding of staff and contestants and for local and internation promotions (in other words the Propaganda war). 

When the last State monies were released they went for promotions, improving PI's fixed plant and the Orange airport and misc. coordination costs.  Pi was not allowed to keep the gate money and had to return it to the government.  Both governments hoped to recoup all it's money and more based on the expectations of matching the 600,000 spectators that attended to 1958 World Meet in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
Gov. Volpe.

Massachusittes Governor Volpe not only pushed the meet to help the State but the local city and county was also hot to get the Meet realzing the money to be made and the free publicty they would get.  Press releases pushed the concept that "The World Came to Orange".

The PCA and the Massechutes Parachute Commission (Chaired by Jacques Istel) worked hard to get the Meet and won.  Once this happened PI had to prove it's organizational skills or suffer the consequences.  They succeeded admirably!

The job was massive.  The meet had to be organized, judges and rigging staff found, pilots and aircraft brought in, physical plant built up and housing arranged for.  Eventually, the Meet employed hundreds of people as guides, civilian police, gate keepers, carpenters, electricians, cleaning and sanitation staff etc..  Orange airport itself became a walled city partially to keep non-paying wuffs out and with the cold war in full swing, to keep the Soviet Bloc contestants in.  For security reasons the Russians insisted on their own aircraft and pilots, and KGB agents hovered over the East Bloc contestants.  Even so one managed to escape to freedom in a carefully arranged escape plot.  (See story on Max Knor)

The high fence had several gates and all forms of invitations, tickets and passes were used (Click to see the passes).  There were airport passes, Bowl passes and tickets and even jumpers' passes just to get on the airport.  Local and State media were there as well as agents from the State Department keeping a close eye on the "Communists".  Aside from the international politics, the jumpers themselves were a happy and friendly lot, much happier than their minders!

To head the meet PI seconded Korean War Veteran Bob Spitola who had been working at the Deleware Valley Parachute Club at Valley Forge, PA since the 50's along with Steve Synder.  Bob also ran the 1962 Governor's Cup meet not soon after (also held at Orange).

Organizing a full team was one thing (listed below) but PI was short of aircraft.  N13340 was at Orange and N69795 "Red Lead" was working the PI Hemit DZ in California.  795 returned to Orange with manager Lew Sanborn and the Hemit DZ "temporally" closed but never reopened.

To bring the aircraft fleet up to strength, PI purchased two more Norseman from Wien Alaska Airlines and made the necessary modifications to the interiors, doors and steps just in time for the meet.  When they were all ready the four big birds did a low formation fly over the airport and city with engines droning and the different colors blazing in the sun.  It was quite a site to see these four transports flying in formation at 400 feet!  N13340 was in the White PI scheme, 795 was still in her original Western Alaska Airlines red scheme and Nxxx and N1207 had black bodies with yellow wings, their Wien colors.

Besides the operational areas at PI and around the airport, the PCA, FAI and other World Meet functionaries set up dozens of administration tents on the closed runway by the "Friendship Bowl".  Cars were also parked on the side of two runways, one which was active.  (Photo)

On August 9th the first teams arrived at the DZ and others at Boston airport.  The next day, Aug. 10, registration began followed by practice jumps and a press conference that evening.

The first official jumps were made on saturday Aug 11th with a crowd pleasing mass "Friendship Jump".  More practice jumps were made after that till sundown.

The Meet began in ernist the next day as follows:
August 12.
   -Group Accuracy-men 1000 meters
   -Group Accuracy-men 1500 meters
   -Individual Accuracy-woman 1000 meters
Monday August 13
  -Individual Accuracy-men 1000 meters
  -Individual Accuracy-men 1500 meters
  -Individual Accuracy-woman 1500 meters
Tuesday August 14
   -bad weather buffer day, rest and relaxation
Wednesday August 15
   Bad weather buffer day and practice jumping
Thursday August 16
   -Style Event-woman
   -Style Event-men
Friday August 17
   -2nd Round Individual Accuracy- men 1000 meters
   -2nd Round Individual Accuracy- men 1500 meters
Saturday August 18
  -2nd Round Individual Accuracy- women 1500 meters
  -2nd Round Individual Accuracy- men 1000 meters
Sunday August 19
  -Group Accuracy- women 1000 meters
  -3rd Round Individual Accuracy- men 1000 meters
  -2nd Round Individual Accuracy- woen 1000 meters
  -2nd Round Group Accuracy- men 1500 meters
Monday August 20
   Weather buffer day
   Rest & Recreation Day
Tuesday August 21
   Recreation day (sports_
   Motorcade
Wednsday August 22
Thursday August 23
Friday August 24
Saturday August 25
Sunday August 26
Monday August 27
   Weather buffer day
   R&R day
Tuesday August 28
Wednseday August 29
Thursday August 30
   Entertainment (Massive DZ Party!)
   Motorcade
Friday August 31
   Recreation Day
   Teams trade equipment
Saturday September 1
Sunday September 2
   Weather buffer day
   Special Attraction-Friendship jumps
Monday September 3
   Awards Ceremony

When the US Team lined up at the Ceremonies (Photo below) there was gold waiting.  The USA unleased it's super weapon, 21 year old Sgt. Jim Arender.  Jim had been winning meet after meet around the USA and the Army was happy to let him serve America under a 28' LoPo.  The US also fielded a very strong Woman's team which is a story in itself.  Some countries did not segrigate their members and sent single teams.  Australia is an example of this..
 

The Meet results were: