Skip to Content

Lee Guilfoyle

International Skydiving Hall of Fame

Lee Guilfoyle

Flag
Invented, built, and tested his revolutionary Assist System.
Assist System is required by FAA Federal Law on all static line jumps.
Awarded the Leo Stevens Award for his contributions to the sport.
Inducted: 2024 Country: United States
Class Of 2024
A smiling man wearing a camouflage jumpsuit stands outside, equipped with a parachute harness in bright red and blue. A small ladder and a building are visible in the background.

Skydiving would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the constant search for safety by Lee Guilfoyle D-50. Because of a fatal static line jump, Lee invented, built, and put his life at risk to act as a really bad student to test his invention. It became an FAA Federal Law to have the Assist System on all static line jumps and is now required in most countries. It is impossible to say how many lives have been saved with the invention of Lee Guilfoyle. In 1971, Lee was awarded the Leo Stevens Award for his contributions to skydiving.

Photo Credit: Tim Telford

 

Related Hall of Famers

Tom Piras
United States
2025
A person in a stadium wears a helmet rigged with multiple cameras on top. The helmet features the Canon logo. The background shows empty stadium seats and an Olympics emblem.
Tom Sanders
United States
2019
A person smiling, wearing a black shirt with patches and a black cap. They have a medal with a red, white, and blue ribbon around their neck.
Craig Girard
United States
2012
A man in a military uniform, featuring U.S. Air Force insignia, poses for a portrait against a plain background. He has short hair and is smiling slightly.
Colonel Joe Kittinger
United States
2010

Join the Mission

Be Part of Skydiving History

As a nonprofit organization, we are counting on investments of time, talent, and resources from our collective community to make the International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame a reality.

Get Involved

Copyright © 2026, International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame, All Rights Reserved.

Website Design by Beyond Marketing

Two skydivers in mid-air hold a large blue flag that reads "International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame." They are flying over a vast landscape with clear blue skies.
Stay Connected
Receive updates from the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame & enter to win a free Star Wall highlight ($1,000 value*)

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.