Jumpers

that  jumped at

 Labertouche

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Visiting Newcastle jumper: Pat first jumped at Labertouche on December 27th 1966.   At that time, Newcastle Sport Parachute Club produced many of the country's top jumpers.

Dennis first jumped at Labertouche on June 22nd 1980.

Visiting Jumper:  Alan first jumped at Labertouche on  December 26th 1972.   He was a member of the 10 Man Speed Star Team "Apple Tart" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (1974) and a member of the team "Wings of Lemon" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championship 10-Man Star Event. (1975/76)

he was team reserve on the 1st Official Military team to jump in an APF Nationals (Rylestone 1974/75)

Allen passed away from natural causes during the latter half of 2009.

Visiting Jumper:  Simon first jumped at Labertouche on December 21st 1975 from 6,800ft.

Fran first jumped at Labertouche as an advanced student on May 28th 1978.  

Visiting Jumper:   Chris jumped at the Centre as a member of the 10-Man Speed Star Team "True Trash" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (73/74)  

And again as a member of the same team in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championships 10-Man Star Event (1975/76)

Visiting jumper:  Rob first jumped at Labertouche on December 22nd 1975 as a member of the Gold Medal winning team "Ramblers Raiders" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championship 10-Man Star Event. (1975/76)

Visiting Jumper:  "Rebels" 72/73 Nationals

Visiting Geelong Jumper: Mike first jumped at Labertouche on October 27th 1973.

He jumped as a member of the 10-Man Speed Star Team "Star Pact" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (73/74) at the Centre.

Visiting Jumper:   Sue first jumped at Labertouche on August 21st 1976 and was a regular jumper throughout that year..

Visiting Jumper:   First jumped at Labertouche on April 12th 1981.

Visiting Jumper:   Geoff first jumped at Labertouche on December 13th 1975

He was a member of "Green Machine" at the 1st World Championship in Relative Work at Warrendorf, Germany 1975.

Visiting Jumper:  Chris first jumped at Labertouche on December 26th 1972 in the 1972/73 Nationals and was back again for the 14th Australian Nationals in December 1975

Visiting Jumper:  Bob first jumped at Labertouche on January 21st 1973 from 7,000ft.

Greg first jumped at Labertouche on March 14th 1981.

Visiting Military Jumper:   Matt first jumped at Labertouche on August 29th 1982 from 6,000ft

Visiting Jumper:   First jumped at Labertouche on November 6th 1977 from 8,500ft.

Visiting Jumper:  Chris first jumped at Labertouche on December 28th 1968.

Visiting  jumper:  Brian first jumped at Labertouche on December 25th 1970.   He jumped at the Centre in the 10th and 13th Australian Parachute Championships (70/71) (73/74)  

John first jumped at Labertouche on march 9th 1980.   He became a Centre Instructor and was responsible for the development of many of the training aids used at the Centre.

He trained many ab initio students with Eagle Skydivers at Pakenham, including a number of television personalities.

John was the first Tandem Master to be contracted by Eagle Skydivers.   He built many of the advanced training aids used by Eagle Skydivers at Pakenham.

He has recently left APF employment as its Technical and Safety Operations Officer in its Canberra Headquarters to continue the lifestyle he led prior to settling down in the APF Office ? years ago, except that he is now paragliding rather than skydiving.

Visiting Jumper:   First jumped at Labertouche on December 27th 1975 from 8,000ft. without clothing.

Visiting jumper:   Phil first jumped at Labertouche on September 18th 1976

Visiting jumper:   Gary first jumped at Labertouche on February 4th 1979.

Visiting American jumper:  Denny, a former member of the US 4th Army Display Team arrived from the USA and first jumped at the Centre in 1966.   He jumped regularly at the Centre and as Pope Denny was a leading Cardinal Puff activist.    Shared a house on the beach south of St. Kilda with two other members of the clergy that was nick named "The Vatican".  

Visiting Jumper:  Steve first jumped at Labertouche on November 1st 1975 from 6,800ft.

Visiting Queensland jumper:   Stainless was a member of 3RAR Sport Parachute Club, Brian's first jump at Labertouche was on the 5th of March 1966.   An army Warrant Officer, Brian is an avid sport jumper and a soldiers' soldier.

John, ex Chief Instructor of Thruxton, immigrated from England and did most of his jumping in Sydney.  He first jumped at the Centre in 1966 and became a Centre Instructor. Pictured at left with his judge's fichet stuck through the rim of his slouch hat.

He had a cult following in Sydney Skydiving circles.  His residence in Paddington was not unlike a commune, with Cardinal Puff sessions conducted under the watchful eye of Pope John.    Annie McKie was one of his loyal disciples.

John coined the word "sedagarous" to mean something that in skydiving circles was good.  His aim was to get the word published in the Oxford Dictionary, it certainly became common usage in the Australian skydiving sub-culture.

He remained in the Melbourne area for some time and he and Denny Clark rented a house on the beach that was known as the "The Vatican" because of the regular Friday night Cardinal Puff sessions that were held under the supervision of Pope John and Pope Denny.

He returned to England for a while and was driving London buses but he is now back in Sydney practicing law.

Foundation member.  Sam was working in Western Australia when he heard that a new parachute centre was about to open full time in Victoria.   He had made three static line jumps and liked it.     He turned up at Labertouche with Blue Dog, ready to progress to skydiving as quickly as possible.   He certainly did that, he arrived in late November 1965 and by January 1966 he was a practiced relative worker.   

He enjoyed his skydiving so much he took a job locally and spent all his spare time jumping at the Centre.   He was a member of the 10 Man Speed Star Team "Ramblers Raiders" and the 4-Way Team "Ramblers" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships 1973/74.

He was a member of the team "Metrognome" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championships 10-Man Star Event (1975/76).

Sam is a carpenter and he built the bunks in the Gorilla Pit and made other repairs to the Gatehouse.

Sam played guitar, and he, Sonny Ranney and Claude would sometimes jam jazz for hours at night in the Gatehouse.

A true Australian and one of nature's gentlemen.   He now lives in Queensland.

Visiting Jumper:  Terry first jumped at Labertouche from 8,000ft on 13/4/74

Visiting jumper:   Garry first jumped at Labertouche in December 1975.   1981

Visiting jumper:   Jane first jumped at Labertouche on July 18th 1981.

Visiting Pakenham jumper:  Peter first jumped at Labertouche as a member of ParaSport on the 4th of October 1970.

Represented Australia at the following International competitions:

2nd World Cup of Relative Work at Pretoria, South Africa 1974 as a member of "Star Pact"

European Relative Work

Was a member of the 10-Man Speed Star Team "Star Pact" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (73/74) at the Centre and a member of the team "Aces High" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championship 10-Man Speed Star Event. (1975/76)

Visiting jumper:  Ann first jumped at Labertouche on January 23/01/1983 from 8,000ft.

Visiting Jumper:   Greg first jumped as an advanced student at Labertouche on May 15th 1976 from 7,000ft.

Visiting jumper:  John first jumped at Labertouche on January 22nd 1983 from 8,500ft.

Visiting Jumper:   Russell first jumped at Labertouche on December 26th 1972.

He represented Australia as Team Captain at the 1st World Cup of Relative Work at Fort Bragg, North Carolina USA 1973.

Visiting Jumper:  First jumped at Labertouche on August 26th 1979 8,500ft.

Visiting Jumper:  Albert first jumped at Labertouche on March 29th 1970.

Visiting Jumper:   Dave first jumped at Labertouche on September 8th 1968.

Don's first jump was made at Labertouche on the 1st of April 1973.   An academic, Don was a regular jumper at the Centre for a number of years.   He was particularly interested in air to air photography.

Don is a lecturer and still maintains an interest in aerial photography but shoots from the aircraft now specialising in air to ground.

Visiting Jumper:   Rick first jumped at Labertouche in December 1975 as a member of the Gold Medal winning team "Ramblers Raiders" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championship 10-Man Star Event. (1975/76). Also visited in August 1979 

Was an APF employee in both Mentone, Victoria and Curtin, ACT.  

Was APF Director Safety from 1989 to 1990 and Australian Alternate Delegate to the IPC Plenary Meeting in Rome 1990. 

Was also Australian Team Manager for the 20th World Parachuting Championships in Lesce-Bled, Yugoslavia in 1990.

Passed away recently in Queensland.

Visiting Darwin Jumper:   Trevor first jumped at Labertouche on October 22nd 1978 from 8,500ft.

He has been the leading sport parachuting administrator in the Northern Territory since ??

Trevor is a long serving member of the APF Board and has been Chairman of the Board since 2001.

Visiting Jumper:   Tony first jumped at Labertouche on March 6th 1982 from 8,500ft.

Tom first jumped at Labertouche on May 21st 1967.  He continued to jump at the Centre until 1974.

He was the leader of the Saint John's Victorian Para-rescue Team and recruited a number of the Centre instructors into the team.

A Law Clerk, Tom helped many of the Centre's jumpers with legal problems.

Visiting Pakenham jumper:   Gaye first jumped at Labertouche on December 26th 1972 in the 12th  Australian Parachute Championships.  

Jumped as a member of the 10-Man Speed Star Team "Leroy Brown" and her 4-Way Team "Gaye's Gobblers" won the gold medals in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (73/74)

One of the core jumpers in the regular Douglas DC-3 group at Corowa.

Spent a lot of time in the merchant marine and was living in Albert Park, a Melbourne suburb when she died.

Dennis first jumped at Labertouche on January 18th 1975 as an advanced student.

Gavan's first jump was made at Labertouche on the 8th of April 1979 as a member of Monash University Skydivers.

Among his many adventures at the Centre, one earned him the title "The Loch Lab Monster".    On a night jump, he mistook lights reflected off the dam for the target lights and landed dead centre in the dam.  The dam was shallow and muddy, so when he stood up and walked from the dam with his canopy draped over him, Jo Craig thought he looked like the Loch Ness monster and coined the name. 

Gavan still lives in Melbourne, keeps in touch with many of the old Labertouchians and attends World POPS Meets.

Visiting Jumper:   Gary first jumped at Labertouche from 4,000ft on the 12th of September 1982.

Visiting Jumper:   Graham first jumped at Labertouche on Saturday, the 16th October 1982 from 8,000ft.   Made his first jump on a ram air canopy at the centre on the 23rd October 1982 and was still jumping at the Centre in March 1983.

Visiting Jumper:   John first jumped at Labertouche on December 22nd 1972.

Visiting Jumper:   Kev first jumped at Labertouche on January 7th 1976

Visiting Jumper:   Mick first jumped at Labertouche on September 26th 1981

Visiting Jumper:   Greg first jumped at Labertouche on February 16th 1980 from 8,500ft.

Malcolm's first jump was made at Labertouche on October 22nd 1978 and qualified for his certificate "A" on April 13th 1979.

Was a regular jumper at the Centre until it closed and he continued jumping at Pakenham with Eagle Skydivers.

Became a Centre Jumpmaster in 1981 and was an active member of Colin Holt's "Worms".

Is a Channel 9 cameraman and turns up at all of the Labertouche Skydivers' reunions.

Visiting Queensland Jumper:  Murray came to Labertouche to practice for the Port Pirie Nationals in December 1965.

Was a relative work pioneer and was prominent in the early development of the sport in Queensland.

Murray now conducts Murray Cosson's Australian Outback Flights in Alice Springs.

Bob's first jump was at Labertouche on the 22nd of June 1968. He was a foundation member of Monash University Skydivers,  gave generously of his time to the Centre and was a volunteer worker for the APF.

In 1972, Bob was Team Interpreter for the Australian Team at their training camp in Graz, Austria, prior to it competing at the World Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia.   He then travelled to the south of Germany where he spent six months brushing up on his German.

Fluent in German and Japanese, he was an executive with Herscht? a German chemical company but his love of flying saw him embrace commercial flying and he formed a partnership with Gary Gardner to open an air charter operation.   He was also a pilot at the Centre for many years.

These days, Bob lives on the Mornington Peninsula, still flies corporate aircraft and travels a lot.

Tim's first jump was made at Labertouche on ??

Visiting Jumper:   Peter first jumped at Labertouche on November 7th 1976 from 7,000ft.

Visiting Darwin jumper:  Ian first jumped at Labertouche on September 3rd 1967.

Visiting New Zealand jumper:  Dick first jumped at Labertouche August 28th 1971 from  7,000ft.

Faye jumped at the Centre in the 13th Australian Parachute Championships (73/74) and was a member of the "The Kelly Gang" 10-Man Star Team in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships at Labertouche 1973/74.

She and her husband Jim were regular jumpers at the Centre on and off according to their extensive travel around Australia.

A serious competition jumper, Faye was a member of the Australian Parachute Team at the: 

9th World Championships at Graz, Austria 1968, the 

10th World Championships at Bled, Yugoslavia 1970, the 

12th World Championships at Szolnok, Hungary 1974, the 

16th World Championship at Lucenec 1982, the 

17th World Championships at Vichy 1984, the 

Asia/Pacific Championships Dookie, Victoria, the 

18th World Championships at Ankara, Turkey 1986, the

22nd World Championships at Chengdu, China

She was heavily involved in the administration of the North Queensland Parachute Council for many years.

Faye is designated a Master of Sport Parachuting by the Australian Parachute Federation, is an FAI International Parachuting Judge and Secretary General of the Asiania Parachute Council.

One of Sport Parachuting's really dedicated administrators.

Visiting Sydney jumper: Jim came to Labertouche on the 12th of December 1965 to train for the Port Pirie Championships.   After becoming an Australian Champion at that meet, he travelled around Australia in his Morris? car following the jump weather and courting Faye Glassford, who eventually became his wife.   He also jumped at the Centre in the 13th Australian Parachute Championships (73/74)  

Won a place on every Australian Parachute Team from 1966 until 1974.  Jim represented Australia at the:

8th World Championships in Leipzig, Germany 1966, the

10th World Championships in Lesce-Bled 1970 and the

17th World Championships in Vichy, France 1984.

He and Faye bought a property just outside of Townsville, constructed an airfield and started Townsville Parachuting and Skydiving Centre.   The jumpers named the dropzone "Golliwog Farm" because Faye, Jim and their dog all had curly hair.

Was a member of the "The Kelly Gang" 10-Man Star Team in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships at Labertouche 1973/74.

Was a long serving member of the APF Board and he and Faye worked for the North Queensland Parachute Council for many years.   In retirement gave of himself every year to parachuting events with enthusiasm,

A plumber by trade, became a land speculator and in retirement, he and Faye lived in Coolum, Queensland, an area that is fast becoming a skydivers' retirement village.

Came down with asbestosis late in 2008 and it claimed his life recently, it is hard to imagine Australian Sport Parachuting without Jim.

Visiting Meredith Jumper:   Harry first jumped at Labertouche on December 14th 1974 from 6.800ft.   

Father of Lorri and ??? Craig, visited the Centre during the 1970's.

Died of natural causes in 2008.

Jo's first jump was at Labertouche on may 28th 1978.

Was a  regular jumper at the Centre and had a "C" Class International Parachutist's Certificate.

Was one of the regular DC-3 jumpers at Corowa, NSW.

Died in a parachuting accident at Corowa on the 10th of April 1982.

Lorri's first jump was made at Labertouche on June 1st 1975.

Was a member of "Bunch of Amateurs" in the ?? Australian Parachute Championships 4-Way Relative Work Event.

Regularly attended Nationals and Boogies at Corowa during the 70's

Our last contact with Lorri was from a recent Email message correcting the spelling of her first name.

Having spent about three years in the United Kingdom she has recently returned and is living in Queensland?

Russ' first jump was at Labertouche on May 14th 1975.

Visiting Jumper:   George first jumped at Labertouche on May 8th 1977 from 7,000ft.

Member of "925" Gold Medal winners in the 9th Australian Parachute Championships 1981
4-Way Relative Work Event.

Represented Australia at the 4th World Championships in Relative Work, Zephyrhills 1981 and at the China/ Australia/New Zealand Friendship Parachute Meet held in Anyang, China.

When Eagle Skydivers moved from Labertouche to Pakenham in 1983, the Centre contracted George to conduct AFF Ab Initio Training.

These days, George operates a parachuting organisation in ??

Visiting Jumper:  Bob first jumped at the Centre on March 5th 1983

Visiting Jumper:  Ian first jumped at Labertouche on October 5th 1975 from 8,000ft.             77

Visiting Jumper:   Rod first jumped at Labertouche on January 23rd 1977 from 8,500ft.    7/3/82

 Tony Cullopy

Visiting Jumper:   Stan first jumped at Labertouche on August 15th 1970 from 6,000ft.

Tony's first jump was made at Labertouche on ??    As the plane came on jump run, the Jumpmaster noticed that an RAAF C-47 was approaching the dropzone at 1,500 ft as though it were on jump run too.   He pointed out the C-47 to Tony and told him to be ready to climb out when the C-47 had gone past. As the C-47 past underneath (it had twice the speed of the Cessna), Tony was told to climb out on the wheel and with the C-47 about 50 metres in front and 1,000 below, Tony left the aircraft and had a good jump landing close to the cross on the student LZ.   Tony was the happiest student in the country, he talked about the C-47 for weeks.

Became a competition parachutist and represented Australia at the:

10th World Parachute Championships at Bled, Yugoslavia 1970,

11th World Parachute Championships at Tahlequah, USA in 1972

1st World Championships in Relative Work, Warrendorf, West Germany 1975 with "Joint Effort" Silver Medals

2nd World Championships in Relative Work at Gatton-Laws, Queensland 1977.

In Bled, Yugoslavia, enjoyed taking the "Mickey" out of the Australian team interpreter's efforts to indoctrinate the team in the superiority of the communist system over that of capitalism.

Jumped at the Centre as a member of the 10-Man Speed Star Team "La Cosa Nostra" in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships (73/74)

His very productive and pleasant life was ended in a road accident when his motorbike collided with a car head-on while making a right turn in Ballarat.   The sport lost an ardent participant.

Visiting jumper:   A member of Latrobe Skydivers, Bill's first jump at Labertouche was on the 28th May 1966

Visiting Pakenham jumper:  Bob first jumped at Labertouche on the ??    A keen student, Bob was always trying to move ahead of the training progression table.   On one occasion he tried to board the aircraft wearing Laurie Trotter's rig that contained the first and only Paracommander canopy in the country.  Laurie had bought the canopy from Tee Taylor and sent back to Claude so that it would be ready for him to jump when he got back.   Bob swapped it for the student rig he was issued with and was foiled by the gear check at the plane.

Visiting Jumper:  Cygi first jumped at Labertouche on May 7th 1972 from  8,500ft.

Visiting jumper:  Ski first jumped at Labertouche on December 23rd 1975 as a member of the team "Metrognome" in the 4th Australian Relative Work Championships 10-Man Star Event (1975/76).

He represented Australia at the:
1st World Cup of Relative Work at Fort Bragg, Nth Carolina USA 1973 and the
1st World Championship of Relative Work, Warendorf, West Germany 1975 with "Joint Effort"   Silver Medals.

Was a keen relative worker (formation skydiver) and he built a beautiful Skybolt aircraft for his own recreational flying.

Visiting Queensland jumper:   Jim first jumped at Labertouche on the 23rd of December 1973.  

Jumped in the13th Australian Style and Accuracy Championships (73/74) and was a member of the 10 Man Speed Star Team, Ramblers Raiders, in the 2nd Australian Relative Work Championships at that meet.  He also flew a few loads in VH-AGF at the meet.

Represented Australia at the:

12th World Championships in Szolnok, Hungary, 1974 and the

17th World Championships in Vichy, France 1984.

Married Janine Hayes, a Labertouche jumper and the two of them operated a very successful parachute training organisation and air charter business in Toowoomba, Queensland.

They have split and Jim is a warbird pilot and still lives in Queensland.

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