posted Nov 7th, 2010 - The NSL News has recently gone quite far back in time during the coverage of the new Arizona Airspeed lineup. Mark Kirkby's new NSL Profile story did not only begin with the first Airspeed lineup of 1994. It also covered the earlier time in US Formation Skydiving competition after his arrival in California, including teams like the Gumbies and Airmoves.

However, even the Airspeed history flashbacks were nothing compared to another view back in time that goes to the very beginnings of Formation Skydiving competition. One name stands out for the very early days in the USA and in the world: Jerry Bird.

The achievements of the legendary competitor, load organizer and storyteller were acknowledged and celebrated during the 50-year anniversary boogie of Joe Kittinger's high altitude record jump in August this year. The NSL News reported this event with the story on 19 August 2010.

The celebrations honoring the living legend were not over by then. Skydive City hosted an event yesterday that was inviting skydivers to "Jerry Bird's Life Tour". The NSL News packed up the mobile NSL-TV studio and made the trip across Florida to Zephyrhills.

Jerry Bird was busy organizing hundreds of T-shirts when the NSL News arrived. He had collected them over the 47 years of jumping and gave them away to registered participants of this weekend's event. However, eventually he took a few minutes to honor the NSL News with his unique voice in front of the NSL-TV camera.

Joannie Murphy, Skydive City owner and Sunhine Factory founder, joined the conversation, together with two of Jerry Bird's former Mirror Image team mates: Mike "Michigan" Sandberg and Mitch Decoteau.

It is impossible to even just provide an outline of Jerry Bird's skydiving career on one page. That's probably the reason why he is now working on "The Book", the memories of Jerry Bird.

Jerry Bird was born in Georgia and reared in Weirton, West Virginia, as one of six children in the family. He has now retired and lives in Dade City with two of his grown sons, close to the place where he spent most of his skydiving life, Zephyrhills.

The NSL News was mostly interested in his competitive career. Jerry Bird confirmed during the NSL Talk that teams and competition were all he did during his most active years. He started jumping in 1963 and did his first 10-way in 1965. Two years later, on 2 July 1967, he built the first 10-way Star in the history of Formation Skydiving in Taft, California.

His teams included the "Arvin Good Guys", "Jerry Bird's All Stars", "Columbine Turkey Farm", "USFET", "Wings of Orange" and finally "Mirror Image". Mike "Michigan" Sanford, one of his Mirror Image team mates, explained during the interview that this US 8-way team won all the world meets until 1981. Mirror Image then disbanded after the 2nd place in 1983.

Jerry Bird himself also won 10-way Speed world championships in 1973 with Columbine Turkey Farm and in 1974 with Wings of Orange before he did the same with Mirror Image in 8-way in 1979 and 1981. His Mirror Image lineup posted new world records in 8-way, as well, first with an 11-pointer in 1979, then with a 16-pointer in 1981.

Mirror Image also posted a 10-way world record in 1979 just to make a point. The team completed a 10-way Star in 5.16 seconds from a DC3 door. NSL-TV has no videos of the early 8-way competition available at the moment. There is a chance though...

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