1. Parachuting PioneerLeslie Irvin 2010with Dan Poynter, PIA Historian ParaPub.com

2. PIA Achievement Award ???ParaPub.com 3. Don Beck MemorialParaPub.com 4. Don & Jean Met at IrvingParaPub.com 5. Don & Jean = DJ AssociatesParaPub.com 6. ParaPub.com 7. Don Beck Memorial PIA Achievement Award For parachute or skydiving achievements that have stood the test of time Past Recipients: 1981 Russ Gunby 1982 Ken Coleman 1983 Bill Booth 1984 Bill Ottley 1987 Don Beck (posthumously) 1989 Ted Strong1990 1993 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011Dan-San Abbott Lowell Bachman Helmet Cloth Paul Thompson Elek Puskas Dan Poynter Dave Dewolf J. Floyd Smith Leslie IrvinParaPub.com 8. Means Business ParaPub.com 9. And This Year . . .The person who started it all ParaPub.com 10. Leslie Irvin Meant The Parachute Business ParaPub.com 11. ParaPub.com 12. Leslie Leroy Irvin Born 1895 in Los Angeles First jump in 1909, age 14. Soloed in 1911, age 16. Stunt jumper for the film Sky High, 1914 Design a static-line parachute in 1918 Tested the Floyd Smith/Army parachute in 1919 Started Irving Air Chutes in 1919 Built the 1st order of 300 for the U.S. Army 40 air forces used Irving parachutes in the 1930s WW-2 Irving parachutes saved more than 10,000 lives. ParaPub.com 13. 1909Leslie Irvin earned his balloon license at age 14ParaPub.com 14. Smoke Balloon Jump The InflationParaPub.com 15. The AscentParaPub.com 16. The ReleaseParaPub.com 17. Leslie in BasketParaPub.com 18. 1914. Venice PierParaPub.com 19. Gas Balloon over L.A.ParaPub.com 20. 1918. Sky High IrvinParaPub.com 21. ParaPub.com 22. ParaPub.com 23. Observation BalloonParaPub.com 24. ParaPub.com 25. WW-IBalloonists had parachutes Pilots did not Major General Billy Mitchell came to the rescueParaPub.com 26. 1919:Testing at McCook FieldFloyd Smith inspects damage to a Heinicke canopy dropped with 200 lbs at 150 mph on June 9, 1919ParaPub.com 27. The TeamRussellSmithHoffmanBottrielBallIrvinParaPub.com 28. 1918-1920: The Army Years McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio Floyd Smith, designer and pilot. Guy Ball, designer. Leslie Irvin, movie stunt man. Jimmy Russell, Jumper. J. J. Higgins Major E. L. Hoffman, Team Leader. Sgt Ralph Bottreil, Pilot & Jumper. ParaPub.com 29. Leslie Irvins 1st Patent A Static-Line-Operated DesignApplication Filed December 16, 1918ParaPub.com 30. Floyd Smiths 1st PatentFiled July 27, 1918. He wore a manually-operated parachute of his own design while flying in late 1917.ParaPub.com 31. The U.S. Airplane Type A ParachuteGuy Ball ParaPub.com 32. ParaPub.com 33. April 28, 1919 at McCook Field, Ohio. Leslie Irvin made a freefall jump to test the Type A parachute as Floyd Smith piloted the plane. The manually-operated parachute was basically the same one that Smith had designed earlier. ParaPub.com 34. Jimmy Russell Makes Test Jump #3 Fifteen days later, on May 12, 1919, Floyd Smith, Jimmy Russell and 2 others jumped the new parachute.ParaPub.com 35. George Waite, Silk DealerParaPub.com 36. George Waite & Leslie IrvinParaPub.com 37. The Company Name Irvin immediately formed Irving Air Chutes and built the first 300 units for the Army. In a rush to print business cards, a g was added to the Irvin name and the company was Irving Air Chutes for 40 years. In 1999 *** Irvin UK and GQ merged ***ParaPub.com 38. The air was his whole life. He had no other ambition beyond the next jump, the next balloon trip. The air was his life. --Velda IrvinParaPub.com 39. Irvin the Man Irving the CompanyParaPub.com 40. Irvins 2nd PatentFiled January 9, 1920ParaPub.com 41. People who design products Should be condemned To use themParaPub.com 42. Leslie Irvin, Parachute User The man who may have to use this chute isnt going to get a second chance. --Leslie IrvinParaPub.com 43. ParaPub.com 44. Irving Production 1922 430 parachutes 1923 - 812 1924 1,102 parachutes. 31 to foreign governments. 1,000 for U.S. and 685 shipped abroad. ParaPub.com 45. Began in Buffalo--Expanded UK, 1926. Sweden South Africa ItalyParaPub.com 46. The Golden Age of Aviation The period between the wars Heroic deeds Great public acclaim Expansion Leslie Irvin continued to improve his designs.ParaPub.com 47. Leslie Became the Chief Salesman Sincerity Technical knowhow Recited the number of savesParaPub.com 48. 1930s Momentum Good products Well known constantly improved Highly regardedUK was a springboard to rest of Europe Sales tours to other countries Russia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Holland, Germany and France wanted their own plants to assure supply in wartime. ParaPub.com 49. Caterpillar Club1930s: 2-3 week 1939: 4,000 total WW-2: Up to 50 applications/day 1960: 80,000 total ParaPub.com 50. 1937 Catalog ParaPub.com 51. World War II Irvin stayed in England. It was his home now. The pilots of the Royal Air Force would need him Did not profit from the war. His work barely recognized in the UK Could have returned to the US and put his money in the bank. He was a U.S. citizenNot recognized in the U.S. He lived in BritainParaPub.com 52. Battle of Britain RAF lost 120 pilots/week Running out of pilots Could only give them 2-weeks trainingIrvin parachutes saved 65/week Many pilots returned to the air the same day.ParaPub.com 53. The Plant Expanded 80 to 400 workers All female Some as young as 152-12-hour shifts. 7 days/week.ParaPub.com 54. Return of the Static Line For airborne troops Tying a line to the ripcord did not work Irvin consulted Raymond Quilter and James Gregory Added bag to static line. Allowed lines to deploy before canopy emerged. Still used today.65,000 British and US troop lowered into battle Next static line use: Ejection seats ParaPub.com 55. The EquipmentIrvin in Letchworth HertsNote how the parachute pack is attached to the harness ParaPub.com 56. The Soviet ANT-6ParaPub.com 57. Russian ParachutistsParaPub.com 58. ParaPub.com 59. U.S. Expansion Plant opened in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1942.ParaPub.com 60. 1946. George Waite retires Irvin becomes president of the company Must spend more time in the U.S.1947. George Waite passes away 1948. Lexington plant closed. 1949. Plant opened in Fort Erie, Ontario. 1950. Korean War. Buffalo plant expanded. Lexington reopened. 1952. Seat beltsParaPub.com 61. ParaPub.com 62. 1949?. Plant opened in Glendale, California. 1953. Buffalo plant closed. Older plant Labor union challenges.1960s. Leslie and Velda moved to California. Spent much time at El Centro and skydiving centers. ParaPub.com 63. ParaPub.com 64. Film of factory in the UK http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?i d=44927 ParaPub.com 65. Company History Irving Air Chute, 1919. Irvin Industries, 1970. Irvin Aerospace Co, 1996. Airborne Systems Global, 2007. Irvin Aerospace GQ Parachutes Para-Flight Aircraft Materials ParaPub.com 66. 1964-Brought Family to UKParaPub.com 67. Irvins Last JumpParaPub.com 68. ParaPub.com 69. (10 September 1895 9 October 1966)ParaPub.com 70. Leslie IrvinJumper Manufacturer 2011 PIA Don Beck Memorial Achievement AwardMr. Parachute ManufacturerParaPub.com 71. Leslie Irvin2011 PIA Don Beck Memorial Achievement AwardMr. Parachute Mfgr EndParaPub.com 72. ParaPub.com