Steve Sutton (skydiver)
Encyclopedia
Steve Sutton is a Canadian skydiver
who began the sport in 1965 at the age of nineteen.
On July 3, 1969, Sutton set a then-Canadian record by making 200 jumps in a 24-hour period. At the time, this was not only a Canadian but also a world record.
He was a member of Canada's National Parachute Team from 1970 to 1972, competing in two World Championships, and winning the Silver Medal in Men's Individual Accuracy
at the XI World Parachuting Championships in the USA in 1972.
As part of his skydiving career, Sutton also researched improvements in parachute
design in the 1970's. These endeavors led Sutton to design the FlowForm kite, a kite based roughly on the idea of the ram air parachute but also self-regulating and adapting to significant changes in wind conditions. He is married to Kathy Sutton, herself a Gold Medalist in Women's Individual Accuracy
at the XV World Parachuting Championships in Bulgaria
in 1980.
Skydiver
A skydiver is a person who engages in the sport of parachuting. It may also refer to:* SkyDiver a futuristic submarine featured in the TV series UFO* "Skydiver" a carnival ride produced by Chance Morgan...
who began the sport in 1965 at the age of nineteen.
On July 3, 1969, Sutton set a then-Canadian record by making 200 jumps in a 24-hour period. At the time, this was not only a Canadian but also a world record.
He was a member of Canada's National Parachute Team from 1970 to 1972, competing in two World Championships, and winning the Silver Medal in Men's Individual Accuracy
Accuracy landing
Accuracy landing is one of the oldest skydiving disciplines, in which skydivers attempt to land as closely as possible to a pre-determined target.-Competitive accuracy landing:...
at the XI World Parachuting Championships in the USA in 1972.
As part of his skydiving career, Sutton also researched improvements in parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
design in the 1970's. These endeavors led Sutton to design the FlowForm kite, a kite based roughly on the idea of the ram air parachute but also self-regulating and adapting to significant changes in wind conditions. He is married to Kathy Sutton, herself a Gold Medalist in Women's Individual Accuracy
Accuracy landing
Accuracy landing is one of the oldest skydiving disciplines, in which skydivers attempt to land as closely as possible to a pre-determined target.-Competitive accuracy landing:...
at the XV World Parachuting Championships in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in 1980.
External links
- CSPA Canadian Records - Describing his 200 jumps in a 24-hour period in 1969.
- Canadian Medal Winners at Past WPC's - Silver Medal at the XI World Parachuting Championships and other achievements.
- Our Flight to Florida, Christmas 2002 - Trip to FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
from TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in Fluffy, a Cessna 150, in December 2002-January 2003. - Development of the FlowForm kite - Research into new parachute designs and how it led him to develop the FlowForm kite.