Jerry Bird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1943-03-06)March 6, 1943 (age 82) |
Jerry Bird (born March 6, 1943) is an Americanskydiver involved in the evolution offormation skydiving since the 1960s. He was a member or captain of four U.S. National Champion teams and four World Champion or World Cup skydiving teams.[1]
In 1967 Bird participated in the first documented 10-man star formation overTaft, California,[2] a milestone achievement in relative work (now known as formation skydiving). Following this, Bird became a founding member of the Arvin Good Guys and then Captain of Jerry Bird's All Stars[3] - skydiving teams that were instrumental in advancing formation skydiving techniques.[4] He captained the United States Freefall Exhibition Team (USFET)[5] which demonstrated formation skydiving at the 1970World Championships inBled, Slovenia. This led to formation skydiving becoming a recognized competition discipline in its own right.[6]
TheFédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) awarded him the Leonardo da Vinci Parachuting Diploma in 1983[7] and in 2010 he was inducted into theInternational Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame.[8]
Jerry Bird was born inEllijay, Georgia on March 6, 1943 to Carolyn Blanche Woodward and John Marion Bird. He was the fourth of six children. When he was three years old, his family moved toWeirton, West Virginia[9] where he grew up and attendedWest Virginia University majoring inelectrical engineering.[10]
In 1963 Bird migrated to Southern California where he made his first sport parachute jump at the Lancaster drop zone northeast ofLos Angeles under the tutelage of Brian Williams (SCR-8).[9][11][10]
In 1963 he was drafted into the army where he first attended Russian language school atFort Ord,Monterey, California, then, in 1965, theAirborne Jump School atFort Benning, Georgia.[10][9] He was assigned to10th Special Forces GroupGreen Berets. Flint Kaserne,Bad Tölz, Germany.[10][9]
In 1970, he was working as a computer operator at Security Pacific Optimisation Services in southern California.[10]
On May 16, 1966, Bird participated in the first 10-man baton pass overArvin, California.[12][13]
On July 2, 1967, he participated in the first world record formation, a 10-man star overTaft, California.[2][12][14] He later (1968) participated in the first 12-man formation, also over Taft.[15]
In 1968, he formed Jerry Bird's All Stars 10-way speed skydiving team.[10][3] On October 12, 1969, the team won the Third Annual Rumbleseat: Meet in Taft with a time of 39 seconds.[10]
In 1970, Bird was captain of the United States Freefall Exhibition Team (USFET) which demonstrated relative work at the 10thWorld Parachuting Championships inBled, Slovenia.[6]
In 1972, on January 16, Bird organized a world record 24-man star formation overPerris Valley California.[16] The jump was featured on theCBS programI've Got a Secret[17] and in the February 4, 1972 issue ofLife magazine.[18] Later (on June 16), Jerry Bird's All Stars won the 10-man star event at the National Championships inTahlequah, Oklahoma.[19] Bird later organized a world record 26-man star at the close of the 11th World Parachuting Championships, also at Tahlequah.[20]
In 1973, Bird's 10-way team, The Columbine Turkey Farm, won the World Cup Championship atFort Bragg,North Carolina with a time of 15.6 seconds.[21]
In 1974, Bird was captain of The Wings Of Orange 10-way speed star team which set a new world record of 12.76 seconds atPretoria in South Africa.[22]
In 1977, a likeness of Bird (alongside Dick Fortenbury, Mike Johnston and Bill Ottley) was displayed in theNational Air and Space Museum inWashington, D.C..[23]
In 1979, Bird joined the 8-way team Mirror Image. In 1981 they won the National Championship in 8-way sequential while setting a world record of 14 maneuvers in 48.3 seconds.[24][25]
In November 1983, Bird organized an expedition toVenezuela toBASE jump from the 979 metres (3,212 ft) highAngel Falls. The jump was filmed for a documentary by Mark III Productions ofMiami,Florida[26][27] and a segment was broadcast on ABC'sRipley's Believe It or Not! in December 1985.[28]
In 1986, Bird was part of the world record formation 120-way atQuincy, Illinois.[29][30]
On August 8, 1988, Bird was part of the world record 144-way diamond formation over Quincy, Illinois.[31]
On July 19, 1998, Bird was part of the 246-way world record formation over Skydive Chicago.[32][33]
In 1999, Bird was part of the 282-way world record formation with The World Team inThailand.[34]