 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
his photos, and more recently have kept up with his contributions to skydiving on the
web. From an old friend and pilot who has never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, CAVU, Gus.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
I'm reeling. Gus and I started (he slightly before me) at the same DZ in Virginia--West Point. I remember him always fiddling with cameras and helmets and watched with joy as his talent took him onwards and upwards in the sport. I saw Gus a few weeks ago in Deland and, as always, exchanged hugs and conversation with him. I can't believe he is gone. April is the cruelest month.... oxoxo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My son, Casey, a college student, was on Gus' last flight. In fact, Gus was videotaping him! This was Casey's first time skydiving and he told me how Gus put him and everyone else right at ease. During the course of their conversation, Gus looked right at Casey and told him that he's the one he wanted to photograph! They were together for a brief amount of time, but Casey was inspired by him--by his outlook on life, his love of skydiving and videotaping, his concern for everyone's safety and his overall respect of life. From what Casey has relayed to me about Gus' accident, Gus did indeed maneuver to land away from the group in order to spare them a horrible memory. A professional and caring individual to the end. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the skydiving community. Sincerely, |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Diana Guirlinger |
|||
|
|||
|
I am listening to the music that accompanies the The dropzone was subdued today. Some of us made a jump and some of us just passed. I passed due to low energy from a sleepless night. The wind was definitely taken out of our sails. Gus video'd my hubby's first tandem jump last year. He was comforting, kind, and most of all classy. I will watch the videos of that jump "through Gus's eyes" many times. I knew Gus many years as well. He was one of the old gang from that early 80s. Back from the days of Eustis Paragators and "Pelicanland." Gus was a pillar of the skydiving community and one of the "nicest" skydivers on the planet. Thanks for your gift Gus!
Fly free Gus! Elizabeth May |
|||
|
|||
|
My God, this is the first time I have ever been in tears about a fellow skydiver. I have met several over the years that have died from stupidity or from doing something that they knew they weren't supposed to. But, this is Gus. He was one of the best reasons to go to Deland. I learned so much from talking to him over the years. Every single tandem I brought up there I made sure Gus was doing their video. Part of me cannot accept that he's gone. Fred Lackey |
|||
|
Our daughter Kelly Boyce lives in Lake Mary Florida. A couple of years ago my wife Doris and I drove from Indiana to Deland to make our first skydive. We arrived early and sat outside and I was starting to feel the jitters coming on. Gus happened to walk by. He stopped and explained how the jump and video were going to work to 2 perfect strangers from out of town. He didn't know us from Adam and wasn't even our videographer. We made our jump and left thinking what a nice guy. We are so sorry to hear of his death. He will certainly be missed by Skydive Deland and our heart goes out to his family. Dennis Maxey |
|||
|
|||
Here is a photo of Gus I took during Sky Quest at Fantasy of Flight in November
2001. I was out at the DZ at DeLand today and saw a couple of people gimping around on crutches. I was reminded of the time Gus ruptured his achilles tendon
playing basketball and gimped around for about 6 weeks before acknowledging that he might just have to go get medical treatment. Gus is one of the most
genuine people I have ever met. He was adamant about safety under canopy and could land his canopy anywhere he wanted. He will be greatly missed - he was
part of the fabric of Skydive DeLand. My heart goes out to Lydia. I am praying for her and I know that God will watch out for both of them.
collection of tributes Dawn created for Gus on his "new" website. I am finally able to allow the sadness to replace the denial that it ever happened. I must
thank Dawn for helping to me let "trouble melt like lemon drops...somewhere over the rainbow."
This is what Gus did (see photos)! He gave us lasting memories of the best times
of our lives. His work captured the sheer joy humans are capable of. There was only one time in mine and my husband's life, where we could ever experience the
joy of his first skydive together. Gus captured this for us forever! He WAS the typical selfless skydiving videographer...never in the picture but always ensuring
he captured the happiness of once in a lifetime events like these. I can't tell you how many thousands of smiles I personally witnessed him give. I sat in the
perfect spot numerous times and watched him play a tandem video for the first time for family and friends of the tandem passenger and witness the overwelming feelings of the effect of human flight. His gifts defined 
measurement. He is personally responsible for generating
more smiles and happy tears than any other human I know. All the while he just did his magic, quietly, unassuming....knowing the film would say what he wanted others to hear. His work was an unselfish gift of love to others.
|
|
Gus was one of the first people I met when I made my first jump way back in 1979 at Buckingham Parachute Center in Orange, Va. We made many memorable jumps together. On one when I was jumping a belly wart rig, this was a really long time ago, one of the elastic bands that pull the pack open somehow came loose and hooked onto Gus's riser. As I was falling on my back desperately trying to do a hard arch and thinking that these people have lied to me about a hard arch always working, Gus was pulling on the elastic band until it broke and we separated. I had no idea what had happened until he told me on the ground. The first video camera that Gus used was a JVC two piece unit that belonged to me. I have many wonderful memories of those years of jumping with Gus before he became famous. I have heard he lectured people on their landing technique. This may be because he watched me break my back by making a dumb mistake on landing. I was lying in the hospital in a body cast and he was berating me for being so stupid. Blue Skies Gus. You will be missed. MICHAEL MORAN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
He will truly be missed by many. Randy Thurston |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
My condolences to Gus' family and friends. Bill Obst |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Hamba Gashle Gus... Bushman |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
"Bubba", Thanks for all the fun 'n' laughter, giggles, smiles, inspiring conversations, silly jokes and putting up with all my monday-morning-one-liners and going through Angel Falls:)) You'll be missed! C Ya at the rainbow......... "Bub" |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Gus, thank you for all the laughs and the serious late-night conversations. You will not be forgotten. I'm glad to know that these last few years were good to you with the love you and Lydia obviously shared. Blue Skies |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
I loved that song. [Israel Kamakawiwaole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow & What A Wonderful World] That's a great song. It's so perfect for Gus. I'm gonna miss ya buddy! I met Gus a couple times at Deland. I got to fly with him twice. I remember one day when it was windy, and I got backed up under my canopy, he was telling me that a friend of his died because he jumped on a very windy and gusty day. He told me "If you want to live long in this sport, you gotta know when to stay on the ground". Thanks Gus! Who would have known that his adage would be my cardinal rule that I stick to till this day. You're the best there ever was Gus! I'm angry and sad at the same time! Thank you for having such a positive impact on my life man! I'm glad that I got to meet you. I'm glad that you inspired me. I'm glad that I got to fly with you. Rest in peace buddy. I will never forget your words of wisdom and everything that you taught me. See you soon Gus! This is a sad tragedy. We will all miss Gus. My condolences to his blood family and his skydiving family in Deland. Let's all be happy for him that he left this world to go to the holy land, where he's enjoying eternal peace. God knows that he deserves to be up there. We'll all miss you Gus! Rest in Peace. Superkat a.k.a. "Windsock" |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Angie Percy |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Sending prayers to all! Dani Bridges |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Gus was one of the sweetest guys I've ever known. I haven't seen him in many years but I have always remembered him fondly. And now he is gone.... "For certain is death for the born "Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them.
Let us not beg for the stilling of the pain but for the heart to conquer it. "Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Fly forever in the Light, Gus! Alice |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Forever in my thoughts..... Vrank Le Poole |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
I am still in shock and disbelief; I am glad I got to see you on Friday, Gus (smiling as usual with the infamous "life is good"), the day before you left this 3rd stone from the sun in physical form. We'll all miss you, Gus; my best goes out to Bill Buchman, my friend for 30 years - it was an accident Bill, there is no sense or logic to this incident Frank Arenas |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta! (sorry, it was an inside joke, Gus would get it). Blue skies, wherever you are, Gus. -Marco |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
"A true friend is the one who grabs your hand and touches your heart" and this is exactly what He did. he knew how to reach people. He wanted everyone who came to skydive to feel at home, he wanted them to be part of our world, not just visitors! I canīt really say bye to Gus, because i never did. Throughout the years, everytime i arrived at the DZ, it was as if i had not left at all. I would continue to tease him as he would tease me. When it was time to leave, i would only say: "see you soon Gus". Juan "Pablo" Iragorri |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
I met Gus in 1989 in Lebanon Me. I was a jumper with 400 jumps bit young and no fear. Those were the days before 0P canopies and all of
the high performance landings. Marc Tripari |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Continue Reading about Gus Wing on the Next Page
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Please E-mail Contributions to Dawn Suiter |
||||||||||||||||||
What an amazing man!! I went skydiving for my birthday last July and Gus did my video. He
made me feel so comfortable with what I was about to do. He was the most alive person I have ever met. He had everyone on the plane singing to me and made it like the most normal
thing in the world was to be jumping out of an airplane. I only knew him for a brief time but he will me in my heart forever. He absolutely loved doing what he did. My thoughts and
prayers are with his family and friends.