James F. “Curt” Curtis III, D-1407, packed administration, competition, DZ ownership and a dazzling array of skydiving accomplishments into a 12-year skydiving career. He made his first jump in 1966 at the Lakewood Parachute Club in New Jersey, where he quickly advanced and served as the club safety officer and then area safety officer (the forerunner to today’s Safety and Training Advisor position). Curtis worked for USPA as its assistant executive director and served on the USPA Board (including terms as president and board chairman). He was team leader for three U.S. national teams and the American delegate to the parachuting arm of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Curtis competed in style and accuracy, but reached the pinnacle of his competition career as a member of the famed Mirror Image world championship 8-way team in 1977, where they won the gold. Along with Tim Saltonstall, Curtis opened the world-famous Pope Valley Parachute Ranch in California. His last jump—number 4,317—was with skydivers from several countries at a world meet in Gatton, Australia. He is a recipient of USPA’s 1983 Lifetime Achievement Award.
