Tiny Broadwick

[vholman 0]

Hi--
I'm a very amateur skydiver and doing some research on Tiny Broadwick
for a piece I'm writing. Am interested in
contacting anyone that might have known
her or welcome leads.
Virginia Holman

[slotperfect 7]

Forum Search results

Arrive Safely

John

[3331 137]

http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/bios/broadwickt.html

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[skypuppy 1]

Buy the book

Tiny Broadwick, the First Lady of Parachuting
by Elizabeth Whitley Roberson

Although interestingly enough in the patent infringement lawsuits that took place in the '30's over who designed and jumped the first freefall rigs, Tiny's evidence was so confused and conflicting that it was all but ignored by the judge. (reference the book 'Sky High Irvin' by Peter Hearn}.

I think that in her time Tiny was more of a circus performer than an aeronautical engineer, and she probably didn't understand the parachutes she jumped very well. (Understandable, I guess, I think she was only about 14 years old when she started, I'd have to re-read the book to be sure).

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[wartload 0]

The book is about the best resource on "Tiny" that's readily available, but a very few of the comments in it are not accurate. For example, it states that the Early Birds refused her membership for many years because she was a woman--hard to buy when one of the founders of that same organization was Katherine Stinson.

I wouldn't try to take anything away from the incredibly brave "Tiny," but I believe that skypuppy is pretty much on the mark. Mr. Broadwicke (neither her father nor her husband) was the designer. Tiny just jumped 'em.

[jbrasher 1]

Just?

And one is the operative word.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[wartload 0]

Quote

Just?

And one is the operative word.

Not sure that I follow you.

[jbrasher 1]

Most (if not all) of her jumps were done without using a reserve parachute.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[wartload 0]

Quote

Most (if not all) of her jumps were done without using a reserve parachute.

I think that I'm quoting her reply pretty near exactly when she was asked if she ever had a reserve parachute:

"Oh, yes! I always had a reserve on the ground with me in case the one that I was jumping got torn or wet!"

[pchapman 279]

To add to the remark about Tiny's "reserve" being the one on the ground, there's also this story:

"When I asked her how many malfunctions she had using this rather unique deployment method, she quietly answered "27". When I then asked her what she used for a reserve, and she questioned, "What's a reserve?" I almost s**t. Then I realized that her malfunctions were most likely "Mae West" partial inversions, and that her large canopy combined with her light weight allowed her to walk away from all of them."

[Source: Bill Booth in
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=283437;search_string=broadwick%20malfunctions%20how;#283437]

Where else but dropzone.com can one find Bill Booth writing, "I almost s**t"?...