Skydive Orange Tandem, AFF, and Static Line Instructor, Kevin Gibson "Rahlmo Meegan"
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I wanted to be a skydiving instructor from the very first jump. My best friend at the time, Jack Demme, taught me to jump. I always admired him and wanted to be as good an instructor as he was. Then when I took the USPA Jumpmaster course, I found it was terrible! I dreamed of going to work for USPA and fixing the instructional programs. | |
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| When I started skydiving, I had various odd jobs as a carpenter, mechanic, painter, etc. Finally I realized that if I wanted to keep skydiving and buy good parachutes, I needed to go to college and earn a degree. So I did. I tried to quit one time after I sprained my neck exiting a Twin Beech in DeLand, Florida. I moved back to Texas, sold all my gear and stopped going to the DZ or hanging out with skydivers. The parties were so boring, and I didn't meet anyone I found interesting. Everyone seemed to lack imagination and the desire for freedom. Then I went to a skydiving party with some of my old buddies and had so much fun, I knew I had to start jumping again! I got a job at the local DZ the next month, where they had no school. |
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I borrowed some gear and wrote their training program for them, while
publishing a little regional newsletter. Two years later in 1988, I took
a job here in Virginia with USPA.
Now guess what: I'm helping revise all the student programs! |
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Age: ??
Years in sport: 27 Ratings- AFF, Static-Line Tandem Instructor, Strong and Vector Tandem,
Skydive University Body Flight Evaluator |
FAA Master Parachute rigger, back and chest ratings Private pilot with 400 hours, SEL What other places you have skydived and why you decided to stay at orange: I have skydived at probably 40 drop zones around the country, and this is the friendliest. What I like about skydiving: The endless things I learn from the sport and the people who love it as much as I do. Experiences as a student: I was a static-line student and unemployed, so I couldn't afford to repeat a jump. I had to put every bit of effort I had into succeeding. I made only one mistake, when I almost went unstable while trying to pull my ripcord with two hands on a ten-second freefall. |
(Kevin wrote the original ISP Skydiving Certification program for USPA.)
