A Gibsons man is one of five individuals who will be inducted this September into the International Skydiving Museum’s Hall of Fame in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Richard ‘Buzz’ Bennett will be inducted into the Class of 2017 at a banquet and induction ceremony held during a skydiving weekend celebration event and fundraiser the weekend of Sept. 21 at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle, Illinois.
According to the museum, “The Hall of Fame recognizes and honours those who, through leadership, innovation and/or outstanding achievements, have defined, promoted, inspired and advanced skydiving at the highest and sustained levels in the past, present and for future generations of skydivers.”
Bennett is described as one of Canada’s foremost sport parachuting personalities, with more than 6,300 jumps since making his first in 1966.
He chaired the Competition and National Teams Committee of the Canadian Sport Parachute Association (CSPA) from 1975 through 1991, and during that time created its Judge Rating Program and authored a Canadian Judge Training Manual, which is still in use today.
He was chief judge at four World Parachuting Championships in the 1980s, as well as the chief of judge training at the 1991 World Championships. He is still an active judge. Bennett served as Canada’s delegate to the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) for 40 years, retiring in 2015. During his tenure, he sat on the Style and Accuracy, and Canopy Piloting Committees and chaired the Sporting Code Working Group, and the Rules and Regulations Committee. He was the IPC Treasurer for 14 years as a member of the IPC Bureau.
The Fédération Aéronautique Inter-nationale awarded him the 1983 Paul Tissandier Diploma (for serving the cause of general aviation), the 1999 IPC Leonardo da Vinci Diploma (for specific achievements in sport parachuting), and CSPA honored him with its highest non-competitive award, the 2005 Glenn Masterson Memorial Trophy for services to CSPA and Canadian parachuting. Bennett is a commercial pilot with more than 1,200 hours, many of them flying jumpers.
The International Skydiving Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony presented by the Parachute Industry Association is expected to attract more than 300 guests from around the world, all who come to watch the sport’s legends claim their well-deserved spot in skydiving history. Bennett will accept his blazer and plaque from long-time friend and fellow skydiver Dick Williams.
The other honourees include three Americans and one Australian.
– Submitted
