The National Sky Diving Museum in Fredricksburg, Virginia welcomed seven new members to it’s hall of fame last November. The National Sky Diving Hall of fame honored the seven new inductees at a ceremony in Eloy, Arizona at a weekend celebration that took place November 9-11.
Among the new inductees are Carl Boenish of California (posthumous); Bob Buquor, also hailing from California (posthumous); Claude Gillard, Australia; Craig Girard of Arizona & Dubai; Dan Poynter of California; and husband and wife Hank Simbro (posthumous) and Muriel Simbro of California.
Carl Boenish was considered the Father of modern BASE jumping. In 1978, as a free fall cinematographer, he filmed the first jumps from El Capitan using Ram-Air Parachutes. These jumps were repeated for pure recreational enjoyment and are the basis of what would be come to be defined as BASE jumping. Boenish died while doing a BASE jump off of the Troll Wall in Norway in 1984.
Bob Buquor played a huge role in the beginnings of star formation relative work. The Bob Buquor Memorial Star Crest skydiving awards were also began in 1967 by Bill Newell to Honor Buquor after his passing to honor Buquor,his friend and mentor.
Claude Gillard is President of Honour of both the FAI International Parachuting Commission and the Australian Parachute Federation Inc.
Craig Girard began skydiving in 1981 and became a Golden Knight in 1986.
Dan Poyntor is an author, constultant, writer and parachute designer. Poynter has been active in the skydiving industry since 1962 and written more books on parachutes and skydiving than any other author. He is also know for inventing the Stylemaster parachute, the Fastbak parachute, revolving cones, Tri-vent modification for reserve canopies, and he patented the Pop Top parachute.
Hank and Muriel Simbro both earned pilot’s licenses and began flying together in the late 1950’s. Hank decided upon seeing some men parachuting out of a plane, that they should learn to do the same, for safety reasons. Muriel was not immediately on board, but her husband’s new obsession with skydiving eventually made it’s way into her life as well. In 1960, Muriel began jumping in a sport that was still very much a man’s thing. She was the first woman to earn “D” status (completing over 200 jumps) which led to her being known as “The First Woman of Skydiving.” Hank, who passed away in 2010 was a member of the men’s team that third place in 1000 meter accuracty at the 1962 world meet in Orange, MA.
The Hall of Fame honors those who have been innovators, leaders and who have made outstadning achievements in the sport of skydiving.
