Cathy Williamson: perseverance pays off

One of Australia's first female sport parachutists, SA's Cathy Williamson, made her mark on skydiving in the days when jumpers taught themselves many of the the basics.

She made her first jump at Aldinga on that historic weekend in November 1961 and quickly went on to secure a place among the nation's best known jumpers of the day.

Cathy, who won a place on the 1964 Australian team and competed in Europe, recalls the early challenges of a young woman taking part in what was still in many ways a macho, fringe activity.

1960s movie puts the focus on jumping

The 1969 movie The Gypsy Moths went down a treat with SA’s still emerging skydiving community. Not only was the feature film’s aerial footage an inspiration in an era when freefall movies were a rarity but the movie, playing on Adelaide’s big cinema screens, also gave the sport a valuable profile boost.

While the Metro Goldwyn Mayer movie, starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Gene Hackman, played to the then still prevalent “daredevil / barnstorming” image of parachuting, it nevertheless helped our early promotions. The SASPC mounted a foyer display in the old Metro theatre in Hindley Street during the movie’s run.
A digital copy of the original film is safely tucked away – highlights were available for viewing at the SASPC 50th in 2011.

»» In the meantime, here’s taste of the movie action »»

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Skydiving's origins: Col Parsons looks back

If anyone is qualified to reflect on South Australian skydiving's 50 years it has to be veteran parachutist Colin Parsons.

An active jumper right from the kick-off in November 1961 until 1995, when he had a hip replaced, Col has witnessed all of the sport's progress.

As chief instructor for the SASPC for many years and later as founder and CI of the State's first truly successful commercial operation, Skysport Parachute Centre, Col introduced many hundreds of South Australians to skydiving.

In this extensive interview Col looks back on the birth of the sport and the  characters who got it off the ground. Sadly, Col died in 2018.

Parachuting pioneer at home in the sky

Brian Brown’s aviation career had humble enough beginnings – he was one of the young, adventurous few who jumped at Aldinga in November 1961, launching the new sport of skydiving in South Australia.

Brian was one of the early “naturals”, excelling at the brand new art of baton-passing (the precursor of relative work) and devoting all of his spare time and enthusiasm to the sport.

Places in national and international teams in the early 1960s were an obvious recognition of his talent.

But his feel for the air really blossomed after he joined the Royal Australian Airforce, flying helicopter gunships in Vietnam and, later, Mirage fighters.

But despite those diversions, Brian continued to jump.

Trev Burns makes it to the top

Thirteen must have been SA parachuting pioneer Trevor Burns' lucky number.

Nineteen year-old Trevor, one of those who made skydiving history with a step into space over Aldinga on November 19, 1961, was the thirteenth student to jump  that weekend. He went on to be a leading advocate of the young sport.

Trevor set up his own parachute club and commercial centre, edited and published the sport's national magazine, served on the board of the Australian Parachute Federation and was the APF National Safety Officer and later the Department of Transport's  inspector of parachuting and a number of other air sports.