90-year-old Maine man skydives for first time (VIDEO)

WTOP ^ | July 16, 2012 | AP

[Islander7]

PITTSFIELD, Maine (AP) - A Maine man who learned how to use a parachute as a Navy pilot during World War II has finally made his first jump _ at age 90.

Lester Slate of Exeter jumped out of a plane for the first time on Sunday at Pittsfield Airport and was guided to the ground by a tandem jumper, and accompanied by another skydiver trailing a U.S. flag.

The jump was a 90th birthday present to himself. More than 50 family and friends watched.

[Islander7]

Slate says he had such a good time he wants to do it again _ on his 95th or 100th birthday.

[gorush]

Good for him...live it while you got it.

[bcsco]

Not news. A buddy of mine skydived last year on his 91st birthday (in September). He’s planning to do it again this year.

[gorush]

Was it a tandem jump or static line...or did he have a log book that allowed him to freefall on his own?

[ROCKLOBSTER]

The radio news said tandem.

[bcsco]

In tandem with one of the facility managers. He has video on it (I have a copy because he wanted me to do a DVD for him).
It was also in our local paper.

He’s a WWII submarine service veteran. We accuse him of spending too much time under water in a think shaped like a dildo...

[gorush]

Sounds like a heck of a guy.

[bcsco]

Yeah, he is. I see him every week at our Kiwanis breakfast meeting, and sometimes play golf with him. He’s pretty active for his age, and has a great sense of humor (but there’s no way I’ll tell him that...).

[gorush]

I took up that most predictable of "sports" back in the early '70's and eventually logged more than 2 hours of freefall time, adrenaline can be addicting. Here are a few photos for your potential entertainment. (I was in my 20's and 30's) at the time.

[the invisib1e hand]

Move over, Bush Sr.

[bcsco]

Good for you, though, it's not for me...:) The Chicago Skydiving Center is located in our town, 80+ miles west of Chicago. We have people from around the world coming here to skydive. It was the operations manager who tandemed with him. He came to give a presentation to our Kiwanis club one week, and I think that's what got the bug in Jim's mind.

It's not too far south of my house, and the planes are constantly going. Driving south past the airport, or east-west along I-88, you have a pretty good chance of seeing divers...