gus wing

My heartfelt condolences go out to Gus's family and friends.

Calen Chris Chrzan
Skydive Houston

DAMN!! I remember seeing him on the canopy piloting video I bought several years ago. Seemed like a real character--DAMN!

Blue skies, Gus!!

I've seen Gus Wing photographs in various publications since I started jumping in 1980 and it is very sad to learn of this unfortunate accident. Condolences to everyone feeling the pain of his loss.

Blue skies,

The news of his accident reaches North all the way to Québec tonight and saddens me even if I didn't know Gus.

Sincere condoleances to family and friends.

Quote

...
Guess the Lord needed a great Video man for the big way. You will be missed

Well put. I could not have said it better.

-Eric

Sorry to hear about this. My heart goes out to his family and everyone at Skydive DeLand.

I met Gus in the several months that I've spent at Skydive DeLand and spoke to him a few times. I remember one time he came up to me after landing telling me his concern and giving me some usefull advice about my actions on that approach which left me a bit stunned. Then he gave me a tap on the shoulder and said: 'Don't worry my friend, we've all been there'.

He was a great guy and will be missed.

Joris

I have tried to imagine what version of hell Bill "by the book" feels himself to be in right now. Bill, you are one of the finest pilots that it has been my priviledge to stumble out of a plane with and I hope and pray that you know you are loved at that dz and anywhere else you've tirelessly operated the jumper elevator. Please send him all your love and vibes......

Gus, I'll bet you've got a hell of a one liner for this..... hope to hear it some time. I'll miss ya......

Everyone at DeLand, you know I can't be there right now , but I'm praying for all y'all

(Fuck, this has been a tough weekend)

My condolences to Gus's family & friends,
the fact that he landed his canopy after this incident is a testament to him, his professionalism, and courage.

BSBD.

I never had the honor of meeting Gus, but express my sincere condolences to his family and friends. The lives he touched will forever be changed. Peace be with you all.

Sarah

Do you have any first hand info? I'm in DeLand and everyone at the dz is confirming 600ft. Maybe everyone should stop posting stuff that they don't know for sure.

We're devistated here and would appreciate everyone not posting unless you are from DeLand or really know what is going on.

I can't express the sinking feeling in my heart with words when I heard about this.

When we lived in the trailer park at Deland, Gus was our nieghbor. He had a beautiful garden I often saw him working in. My cats thought the garden was their personal jungle but Gus never complained.

I don't know what else to say. I wish we could be in Deland to give all our friends there a huge hug and to share their tears. You all are in our thoughts.

BSBD

Christina & Al

Contributions are rolling in slowly.
Let us celebrate Gus's life.
www.guswing.com

a recent addition from one of Gus's college friends is particulary touching...

EDIT: We added a song to the page now... appropriate, and crying, is probably inevitable. I hope it works, though, I never add audio online!

Blue Skies, Gus.
My thoughts are with the entire family at Deland.
Bill, know that you have the support of everyone that knows you, Gus included.

Des

Quote

Blue ones...

never met Gus, but his name is, like many of the well known jumpers, quite familiar...

Agreed....one of those guys everyone mentioned that you had to meet...and now will never have the chance to meet him.

My thoughts go out to all that loved him and partied with him.

Also, it sounds like your pilot, Bill, is really going to need a strong group of friends over the next few months....I can't even imagine how hard this has to be for him.

Blue ones...

Wow. This is so shocking. Gus, you are missed, things will not be the same in Deland without you. He was such a wise and funny man. My heart goes out to his wife and all of you in Deland, I wish I could be there now with you all.
And for Bill, my heart aches for you, hang in there.

Sometimes it's hard being so far away from home....

I have know Gus for 20 years. I have a great video of him, on the way to altitude, on our first meeting at Freak Brothers in '85. I really enjoyed seeing him again, just two weeks ago, smiling, and taking pictures. I just finished writing a check to the U.S.Team Fund. I hate that I seem to have to do that every year, as another great friend dies.....

As we all are, I'm sorry to hear of any loss in our sport.
I never knew him, but it sounds like he was a really great guy.

I work at a TV station in south florida, and we are doing the story on the news tonight. I am doing everything I can to insure that the :30 seconds of airtime it gets on the news is fair and accurate. I hate to see skydiving incidents misreported because they get the story off the news wires, and don't know what they are talking about. I already talked to the executive Producer about it once, and I'll make sure he gets it right!

Blue Skies Gus!!!!!

P.S. - If anyone had a picture of just Gus in the air, or in freefall, on the ground, attach it here, and I'll try to use it on the air for the over the shoulder graphic.

Gus Wing

Always a loud laugh, always great enjoyment of the moment, always positive encouragement, a firm handshake and a smile.

Eternal blue skies, brother. Thoughts and prayers to family and friends.

Quote

DAMN!! I remember seeing him on the canopy piloting video I bought several years ago. Seemed like a real character--DAMN!

Me too.

Blue Skies Gus Wing

I'm not sure how this pertains to this thread, or why I'm even saying this; but here it goes anyway:

This fatality has garnered a ton of publicity. I've had two unrelated incidents today where a whuffo asked me if I "heard about the guy in Florida who..."

Lot of people are tuned into this one.

Quote

I have tried to imagine what version of hell Bill "by the book" feels himself to be in right now. Bill, you are one of the finest pilots that it has been my priviledge to stumble out of a plane with and I hope and pray that you know you are loved at that dz and anywhere else you've tirelessly operated the jumper elevator. Please send him all your love and vibes......

Gus, I'll bet you've got a hell of a one liner for this..... hope to hear it some time. I'll miss ya......

Everyone at DeLand, you know I can't be there right now , but I'm praying for all y'all

(Fuck, this has been a tough weekend)

If you don't mind Sid, I'd like to echo some of your thoughts here. Bill Buchman has been dropping jumpers since the early 70's. He is the ONLY pilot I felt safe jumping from a Loadstar with. I always considered him the safest pilot around which makes this an even more bizarre incident in my mind.

My heart goes out to Gus's loved ones and to Bill.

Yes its a very very sad incident. i am sure the family and friends would appreciate no speculation whatsoever on this matter. Prayers go out to the family.
Like previously stated, God needed an awesome camera guy, if he needs a back up don't call me.
Blue skies dude

Blue skies Gus.

What a tragedy for the sport, and especially for the friends and family of Gus Wing.

Robbie Culver

Quote

Gus always had time to talk to anyone

I second that.
I got my rigging ticket at Jumpshack a couple of years ago. I sat in the restaurant at DeLand studying my manuals on the evenings and weekends. A fellow skydiver came up one day and took interest in what I was reading.
It was Gus.
A punk kid skydiver with a crew cut sitting by himself was important enough for a legend like Gus to talk to.

That says it all. Blue Skies Gus.

Damn, Damn, Damn....
My sincere condolences to all family and friends.

I was sitting on the underground train this morning on the way to work (London, UK), reading a local paper and saw the article.

I haven't jumped for ages, but for the last few years I have always carried pictures in my wallet of my buddies and I in a 4-way. All of the pictures were taken by Gus.

His amazing skill with aerial photography and sense of humour has provided me with so much pleasure over the years and will continue to do so. He has achieved so much and will never be forgotten.

Blue Skies Gus!!!

Glen Sugden