The late Steve Snyder, D-5, was an aeronautical engineer, aviation pioneer, and skydiver. He learned to fly at 16 and to skydive in college becoming one of the first competitive skydivers in the U.S. In 1958, he and Charlie Hillard were the first two Americans to pass a baton in freefall. After college, Steve started his own parachute jumping school but his interests later shifted to inventing and he incorporated Steve Snyder Enterprises. He earned several patents for parachute gear, among them the Altimaster II, a best-selling altimeter and his Para-Plane was among the first ram-air production canopies. Snyder died in 1999.