The First Lady Of Skydiving: Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick

“Measured in feet and inches, her nickname ‘Tiny’ is obviously appropriate. Measured by her courage and…accomplishments, she stands tall among her many colleagues….”—National Air Museum Director, Phillip Hopkins, 1964

In honor of March’s Women’s History Month, A Crow’s View is highlighting a woman largely forgotten by history. This woman is Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick.

Miss Broadwick was born on April 8, 1893 as Georgia Ann Thompson in Granville County, North Carolina. She weighed only three pounds, which prompted her family to nickname her “Tiny.” Georgia would grew to be only five-feet tall and weigh around 80 pounds. Needless to say, the nickname stuck.

When Georgia was 12 she married a 24 year old man named William Elsie Jacobs. A year later the couple welcomed a daughter, Verla. Jacobs abandoned his family a short time later, forcing the young mother to take a job at a local cotton mill. Georgia often worked 14-hour days to support herself and her daughter. At that point she lived a rough life filled with exhaustion and little hope of escaping mediocrity.

In 1907 her life would change forever. Georgia attended the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. The young mill worker watched in awe as “The Broadwicks and Their Famous French Aeronauts” parachuted out of a hot air balloon. This sparked her interest. In an interview years later Miss Broadwick stated, “When I saw that balloon go up, I knew that’s all I ever wanted to do!”

Circa 1914

Georgia spoke to Charles Broadwick, the troupe’s owner, and asked if she could become a part of the act. The astute showmen immediately saw the potential the young petite woman could bring to his show and hired her. Georgia made arrangements with her parents to leave Verla with them, while she traveled with the troupe. In exchange she’d send a portion of her earnings home each month to support her daughter and help the family.

Broadwick billed his young pupil as the “Doll Girl.” She would wear a silk dress complete with ruffled bloomers, ribbons, and a bonnet. The fledgling aeronaut hated the costume and name, but the public loved it. She quickly became the star of the show.

1911

In 1908 Mr. Broadwick adopted the young aviator, thus officially changing her name to Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick.

Broadwick’s career as an aeronaut broke new ground for women and even pushed the frontier of parachuting. The intrepid young woman performed daring jumps and endured rough landings, which on occasion broke bones and dislocated joints. However, Broadwick never lost her enthusiasm for parachuting.

Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick’s aeronaut career ran from 1908 to 1922. She retired from parachuting at age 29 due to repetitive injuries and soreness to her ankles. Although her career was fairly short, her impact was immense.

Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick passed away in California at the age of 85 on August 25, 1978. She is buried in her home state of North Carolina at the Sunset Gardens Cemetery in Henderson.

Her life is a reminder that neither size nor gender indicates bravery, courage, or skill. Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick had all that in the smallest of packages. Her indomitable spirit helped make aviation safer and inspired women the world over.

Broadwick’s achievements and highlights include:

• Logged more than 1100 jumps
• Remembered as the “First Lady of Parachuting,”
• Listed in The Guinness Book of World Records for her achievements as a parachutist.
• First woman to jump from an airplane—June 21, 1913
• First woman to parachute into a body of water—Lake Michigan, 1914
• First person to jump from a seaplane
• First person to do a delayed parachute deployment (free fall)
• Credited with inventing the ripcord
• Demonstrated the lifesaving benefits of pilots exiting an airplane with a parachute to the U.S. Army Air Corps—1914
• Received the U.S. Government Pioneer Aviation Award
• Awarded the John Glenn Medal—1964
• Inducted into the OX5 Hall of Fame
• Received Gold Wings from the Adventurer’s Club in Los Angeles
• Member of the Early Birds of Aviation (only honors aviators prior to 12/17/1916)
• Honorary Member 82nd Airborne
• Served as an advisor to the Army Air Corps During World War I
• Inducted into the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame
• Awarded Gold Wings for completing 1,000 Jumps by the United States Parachute Association
• Inducted into the Museum of Air and Space
• Member of Curtis Hall of Fame
• Personal parachute donated to Smithsonian
• Honored by North Carolina with a historical marker near her final resting place & roads named in her honor.

PHOBIA: Acrophobia

“I don’t have a fear of heights. I do, however, have a fear of falling from heights.”—George Carlin

Acrophobia (the fear of heights) is a defense mechanism that’s been developed over eons of evolution. Its purpose is to prevent people from putting themselves in harms way while in high places. It is a fairly common fear that is considered a “natural phobia.”

A Crow’s View has a simple observation on acrophobia, and it is somewhat inline with the quote mentioned above by the late comedian George Carlin.

As a skydiver, I’ve noticed that experience jumpers don’t suffer from acrophobia. Through discussions with other skydivers, I’ve come to realize that the reason we don’t experience a fear of heights while skydiving is because we feel safe when wearing our gear. Simply put, our safety equipment (skydiving gear) gives us a sense of security that assuages the primal fear of acrophobia.

For instance, skydivers do not experience acrophobia while freefalling, nor when they are piloting their parachutes back to Earth; yet, the same person may feel queasy when standing on a rooftop or another high earthbound object.

This phenomenon of putting aside acrophobia doesn’t apply just to skydiving enthusiast. Mountain climbers, hang gliders, high-rise window cleaners and construction crews all deal with high altitude environments. They find ways to ignore the evolutionary phobia of heights to enjoy their hobbies or perform tasks while exposed to great heights?

What allows these people to overcome acrophobia? It all boils down to feeling safe. People who enjoy extreme sports or professions that expose them to high altitude environments become accustomed to the heights. They also develop a complete faith in their abilities and safety equipment.

Yet someone doesn’t have to be a hang glider or a seasoned skyscraper builder to overcome acrophobia. A good example is people flying commercially for travel or work. I’ve noticed most people don’t have a problem sitting in the window seat of an airplane (a lot of people prefer that seat) and looking out at the ground below. The reason is they feel safe in a large aircraft, but in a smaller airplane—like a Cessna 182—they’d feel unsafe and experience symptoms of acrophobia. The only difference is their mindset and how they feel when exposed to heights, not the altitude.

Evolution has instilled a dose of acrophobia in each of us. It’s a health phobia and served its purpose well through antiquity; however, in the modern world acrophobia can be beaten. Developing a sense of security and removing an ancient mental block about heights will allow virtually anyone to enjoy a view from above.

More phobias in the Series:

Hoplophobia

Aquaphobia

Metrophobia

Politicophobia

Legacy Of 41

“President Bush always found a way to set the bar higher.  As a young man, he captained the Yale baseball team and served as the youngest aviator in the United States Navy….Later in life, he rose to the pinnacle of American politics…President of the United States”—President Donald Trump & First Lady Melania Trump

On November 30, 2018 former President George Herbert Walker Bush died at age 94. Shortly after his death was announced, a National Day of Mourning was declared for December 5. This date also coincided with his scheduled state funeral. Three days prior to the funeral, his body laid in State at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC.

The passing of a president is always a solemn moment for the United States. It’s a time for the nation to look back and honor the life, accomplishments and legacy of a former Commander-in-Chief.

Bush spent decades in public service and amassed an impressive resume. At 18 years old he became one of the nation’s youngest fighter pilots during WWII. After the war, he moved to Texas and became a member of Congress. Following two terms in Congress, Bush was tapped to serve as US Ambassador to the UN. He would go on to serve as Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People’s Republic Of China and CIA Director. His resume concludes with eight years as Vice President under Ronald Reagan and as President of the United States from 1989 to 1993.

As in most cases, when former presidents die they are looked upon fondly and eulogized by media and politicians alike. George Herbert Walker Bush is no exception. Several public and private memorials were held for Bush, and to honor his memory all flags under federal jurisdiction were flown at half staff for the rest of 2018.

A Presidential legacy is a large concern for any incumbent, and after leaving the presidency, an effort is made to craft and preserve that legacy. Once a former president passes away there is ubiquitous conversations centering on his presidency and its consequences.

Bush’s single term in office is filled with stellar accomplishments. His Iraq victory is probably the most prevalent; however, during his tenure the Berlin Wall crumbled, the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed giving President Bush huge foreign policy successes.

Bush’s domestic policy wasn’t as robust, but included appointing two Supreme Court justices, signing into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and launching the “Thousand Points Of Light” campaign to promote public service and volunteerism.

Despite his many accomplishments, Bush’s presidency will be remembered for his missteps and and broken promises. His supporters are left with a sense of “what could have been.” Bush had a chance at being an extremely consequential president that could have shape the United States for decades; however, his loss to Bill Clinton in 1992 ended that opportunity.

Unlike any other President, Bush’s legacy will forever be linked to his son’s presidency. They’re not linked due to policy, but by redefining how we refer to presidents. For instance, George Herbert Walker Bush was known simply as George Bush his entire career. And for eight years following his presidency, he was referred to as President Bush or simple as Bush; however, that all changed when his semi-eponymously named son, George W Bush, decided to campaign for president.

It didn’t take long for journalists and pundits to start referring to the senior Bush by using his full name, George Herbert Walker Bush, or the shorter version George HW Bush. This was done to easily identify one George Bush from the other, but once George W Bush was elected President, people started referring to the the elder Bush as “Bush One”—then over time “Bush 41.” Eventually it was shortened to simply “41” when speaking of President George W Bush’s father.

The designation “41” refers to the order in which George HW Bush served as president. It’s an unofficial presidential numbering system of sorts. For example, Bill Clinton is known as 42, George W Bush is 43 and Barrack Obama 44. Former President Donald Trump is 45 and so on.

The media’s continued use of a President’s number to quickly identify an office holder may be “41’s” biggest and most lasting achievement in terms of a Presidential legacy. It’s a system that is firmly set in the public’s consciousness and will likely be used for decades to come. That one tiny contribution to pop culture will eclipse “41”s” real-world accomplishments from his term in office.

The Presidency Of George H.W. Bush

Bob Sinclair, A True Pioneer

If the Wright brothers hadn’t put their lives on the line, we would not be flying around the world these days. So we need pioneers~Felix Baumgartner

It’s been a year since a true skydiving pioneer passed away. He was a man who pushed the boundaries of the sport, yet remained obscure to the general public.

His innovation of the “buddy system” skydiving method, creation of the 35mm helmet-mounted camera and skydiving videography helped to revolutionize the sport. He probably single-handedly introduced skydiving to millions of people.

In the early 1960s, Mr. Sinclair’s worked on scores of television shows, commercials, and motion pictures, along with taking the reigning king of late-night TV, Johnny Carson, on a skydive in 1968.

It would be remiss not to mark his passing without sharing a few blogs and articles about this remarkable man.

Below are links to some of the best written memories of Mr. Sinclair.

Blue Skies,

USPA Blog

Skydiving Museum Article

 

 

GoPro Fun-3

What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce. –Karl Lagerfeld

During the July 4 Holiday, I went skydiving at a dropzone outside of Portland, Oregon.

An accidental tilt of my GoPro during exit yielded some great shots of me and my shadow coming in to land.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Giving Skydiving a Positive Image—One Step at a Time

I started skydiving because I loved the idea of freedom –Felix Baumgartner

This is a nice blog post from Jay Stokes that is worthy of sharing. It’s important not to let people get the wrong idea about any legitimate activity.

Leap Of Faith For Recovery

A group of recovering addicts from Serenity Lane celebrated recovery in a unique way- by skydiving. Their message is that there is life after the death of

via Leap Of Faith For Recovery.

Eugene Skydivers: Six-Month Milestone Reached

“It’s taken longer than I would have thought. I guess it’s a milestone, but I wish it happened earlier than it did.”–Dan Callahan

The six-month milestone marking the return of skydiving onto the Creswell Airport was reached over the weekend of August 22-24. Urban Moore (owner of Eugene Skydivers) and the City of Creswell agreed to an out-of-court settlement in January of this year. The agreement quickly brought an end to a prolonged legal battle between the two sides, which flared up in August 2006, and paved the way for skydivers to resume landing on a strip of land adjacent to the Creswell Airport on February 22.

With the settlement in place, a constructive relationship developed between Moore and the City of Creswell. “I’ve been pleased, overall, with several people in city government for working in good faith to keep the city in compliance with the agreement,” states Moore. “2014 has been a relatively hassle free year.” The newly forged relationship appears reciprocal. Mayor Dave Stram declined to comment directly on the six-month milestone; however, he did congratulate Moore on this achievement, which is a stark contrast to the acrimony of past administrations.

Besides illustrating an improved relationship, the six-month milestone shows an increased ability for Eugene Skydivers to better serve its customers and to provide an enhanced skydiving experience for its students and spectators. “The sport of skydiving is a convivial activity, particularly for students,” Moore continues. “Students jumping with us now can bring a cheering section along to watch them exit the plane and land across the runway from our hangar.”

To celebrate the milestone Moore and his crew spent the weekend training students for their first skydive, while the experienced skydivers either preformed routine fun jumps or practiced for an exhibition skydive into Cresfest–a local celebration held on private property. “We put jumpers into Cresfest every year, but this year it seems more electric since we have more experienced jumpers showing up to skydive or to practice their demo jumps here at the airport,” states long time parachute packer April Dummert. The general consensus among the skydiving community is that landing on the airport during the last six-month has added a social dynamic that’s been missing for eight-years.

About Eugene Skydivers

Eugene Skydivers opened for business in February 1992 and has operated continuously from the Creswell Airport. In August 2006 a dispute over landing rights forced skydivers to land off-site. The issue was resolved in February 2014. During the last 22-years, Eugene Skydivers trained world-class skydivers, performed professional exhibition skydives, and hosted a successful 1998 Oregon State skydiving record. It is estimated that more than 73,000 skydives have been performed since operations began. Business hours are Thursday thru Sunday and by appointment.

Eugene Skydivers

Eugene Skydivers: News Release-Six-Month Milestone

Colonel Joseph Kittinger Awarded Cliff Henderson Trophy

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” ― Brodi Ashton

A Crow’s View is pleased to learn Col. Joe Kittinger, a true American hero, was honored by the NAA. It is the view of this blog site to encourage people to learn more about this spectacular person.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger

Canopies Over Creswell

This is a copy of an article I wrote. It was published in the May 2014 edition of Parachutist Magazine.

Eugene Skydivers regained the right to land at the Creswell Airport after city administrators decided to settle the long-running dispute. The agreement between Drop Zone Operator Urban Moore and the City of Creswell marked the end of a bruising eight-year legal battle. Local skydivers celebrated the victory on February 22 by skydiving into the Creswell Hobby Field. This singular event marked the first time since 2006 that skydivers have been allowed to land on city property adjacent to the airport. “It’s great to see canopies over Creswell,” reflected long time packer April Dummert.

The story of Eugene Skydivers reads like classic literature, reminiscent of the vicissitudes of Ben Hur or Jean Valjean of Les Misérables. From humble beginnings, Urban Moore started Eugene Skydivers in February 1992; the fledgling business was born with a rented airplane, borrowed gear, and lots of uncertainty. A mere handful of years later, the drop zone ballooned to include three Cessna 182s, a Cessna Caravan on weekends and a steady stream of eager customers. His successes involved developing new skydivers, sponsoring boogies, hosting a state skydiving record and having a permanent stable of packers, videographers, and rigging services to meet a burgeoning client base. Things were going very well despite minor tension with the city and airport officials.

In 2006, everything changed when city administrators flexed their political muscle and successfully blocked skydivers from landing on airport property. This assault launched against Eugene Skydivers by the City of Creswell decimated Moore’s business and hit the local skydiving community pretty hard. To keep his business afloat, Moore procured permission to land in a farmer’s field eight miles away. The increased costs and turnaround time between loads adversely affected the DZ’s ability to operate. The services he could provide shrank as his staff dwindled to a skeleton crew and his client base evaporated. However, rather than folding up or relocating, Moore decided to fight back. This was a tough challenge, as he had to battle a rival that had unlimited resources at its fingertips while his income was precipitously dropping. Looking back, Moore says, “The first few years were pretty bleak; it feels like you’re buried under an avalanche when you are fighting a city. You just feel so alone.”

In order to take the fight directly to the city, Moore utilized the one resource at his disposal: the United States Parachute Association. The USPA and its Airport Access Defense Fund (AAD) were huge supporters. Ed Scott, who at the time was USPA’s director of government relations (and now Executive Director), and current Director of Government Relations Randy Ottinger proved to be extremely valuable. Equally important was the backing from USPA’s AAD fund. Its financial support alleviated a huge burden Moore was facing by helping to finance a challenge to regain airport access.

Eugene Skydivers hit back against the City of Creswell and the Creswell Airport by filing a Part 13 Informal Complaint with the FAA. Although its decision sided with Eugene Skydivers, it did not resolve the issue. The next step Moore would have to take is to force the city to comply with FAA regulations. He did this by filing a Part 16 Formal Complaint, which is a process more akin to traditional court litigation, and wait for the FAA to render its decision.

With the Part 16 filed, Moore set in motion a key element of his defense. While the FAA was adjudicating the Part 16, Moore threw a counter-punch by filing a separate lawsuit in district court seeking personal damages. The combination of the lawsuit and a pending Part 16 proved to be an effective tool. The City of Creswell capitulated on its stance, and approached Eugene Skydivers about an agreement that would allow skydiving to return to the airport. “The Part 16 was the catalyst that brought the city to the bargaining table; otherwise an agreement would not have happened,” stated Moore.

With the agreement in place skydiving has returned to the airport. It’s a sure bet that canopies will again pepper the skies over Creswell as they did a decade ago. Moore expects it will take three years to regain the level of success he had but also said, “this time I have the planes and equipment, so it will not be as hard.”

If he had to do it all again, Moore said that he’d have worked to resolve the issue a little differently. “I’d reach out to the USPA as soon as possible, not be silenced and not isolate myself by failing to network with other DZOs who went through similar battles,” Moore said. He firmly believes the resources of the USPA helped guide him through the FAA process and got him on track to regain airport access. “The USPA and the AAD [Fund] were critical to successfully regaining our landing rights,” declares Moore recently as he prepares a student for a jump.

It is fitting the story ends with Moore getting back to work. Like the characters of Ben Hur and Jean Valjean, Eugene Skydivers has emerged from an abyss to reclaim its position with help from key allies.”The FAA’s process is a slow, cumbersome and bureaucratic one,” said Ottinger. “Many DZOs would not have had the stamina or patience to see it through.”

www.uspa.org

www.eugeneskydivers.com