William “Bill” Ottley, D-298, made his first jump in Orange, Massachusetts in 1959. A Yale graduate, Ottley was equally at ease in a jumpsuit as a business suit, flying his own plane from parachute meets to board meetings. Without his contributions to the sport, skydivers might have suffered from untold FAA airspace restrictions. Ottley established the USPA as a lobbying organization in D.C. to fight for skydivers’ rights. It was his vision to build the Museum and he left a sizable bequest when he passed away in 2005.
