It has been a busy few months for Skydive GB as we took delivery of our new aircraft. This has been a long time coming and we are excited to announce we now have our own Turbo Airvan. This is a promising step for the centre and will improve our turnaround time and increase the amount of lifts we can achieve. We must say a huge thank you to Brucie from Skydive London for all his help with making this a reality, training our pilots and being an all-round nice bloke. Dave Lewis has also played a crucial part in making this happen, so thanks also. Our pilots are now trained up and doing well. Chris Milnes has gone that extra step and just achieved his Instrument Rating, which is useful in the winter Yorkshire weather. At the time of the new aircraft arriving, we still had G-VANA, which was too good an opportunity to miss putting a multi Airvan lift up.
We have collated the numbers for tandem jumpers this year and yet again we have increased them, which is predominantly due to the amazing work that the staff team do. This includes everyone and we cannot thank them enough. We have a great team of people and recognise it could not happen without their dedication and attitude towards the centre. Thanks must also be given to those fun jumpers who help out regularly around the centre. You guys keep it interesting!
Our very own Lofty Thomas has been inducted into the Skydiving Hall of Fame (posthumous) in Perris, California. His wife Grace and daughter Sarah flew out there for the occasion. Lofty started skydiving in 1967 and was well known for his rigging and forming Thomas Sports. Lofty featured in The Eagle Has Landed and various other films, was an active member of the BPA for 25 years and completed his last solo skydive on his 80th birthday. Lofty’s achievements are a list too long to write. To all at Skydive GB he was a legend and a lovely man, and we are exceptionally proud that he is in the Hall of Fame.
Skydive GB will be closed during December for the usual maintenance. We will reopen at the beginning of January, fully motivated for some cold weather jumping. May we take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Sara Orton
Achievements: JUMP NUMBERS 300 Kevin ‘Mac’ Mccormack
Find out more about Bridlington: https://www.skydivegb.com/
Photo: Grace, Sarah and Derek Thomas
