Floyd Martineau, and the first CDN Baton pass among other things....

[skypuppy 1]

Floyd started jumping in 1954 while in the Cdn Armed Forces, I believe. As the cspa website says he was the first Cdn to compete in an international competition for Canada back in '58, jumping out of AN-2's in Czechoslovakia.

In '62, as Joe Ablitt recounted in the Oct-Nov 2004 Canpara, Floyd was a member of the Cdn team which won a gold medal in 1500 m. Accuracy in Orange, Massaschusetts (26 countries competing), and set a new world record. Other members of the team seem to have been Jim Noble, Simon Wyckham-Martin and Darryl Henry. Henry wrote an article about this meet for Canpara in 2002.

Then, In 1964, in Leutkirch, West Germany, with 29 countries competing, Floyd place 4th in 1500 m accuracy.

Floyd was not only an active competitor, he was also on some cutting edge rw jumps, back when 'passing the baton' was a real challenge. He and Darryl Henry completed the FIRST CANADIAN BATON PASS at Welland, Ontario. From the May-June '94 Canpara article by Darryl Henry, 'Wood Work' (Hope he doesn't mind me reprinting parts of it here, severely edited for brevity).

"It was the summer of 1959.... In fact, no one outside of Russia, France or the US had ever done it as far as we knew.... (at that time) A controlled 360 degree turn was a legendary accomplishment....

Next weekend Floyd and I tried again. Holder of Canada's D-2, he was the best skydiver in the country..... He had even done figure-eights.

On the second jump on Sunday, we succeeded. Floyd and I swooped together toward the end of our 45-second freefall, long enough for him to slam the stick into my eager left hand.... In lunging for the baton I lurched to the left, Floyd to the right. I went low, he stayed high....I dipped toward Lake Erie, and presumed Floyd was doing the same toward Lake Ontario. It wasn't so.

I looked above my head to see a perfect canopy develop. Then it exploded inward and started coming at me. I thought it had simply disintegrated....

The suspension lines went limp, wrapping around both hands.... The only recourse was to pull the reserve and hope it didn't entangle.... I landed briskly but safe, then looked around for Floyd.

He was still descending, both his main and reserve open. His head hung limply over his chest, his arms dangled uselessly at his sides.

I got to him at the same time as Glen's bus. He was a mess. His face was purple., both eyes swollen shut, line burns across his neck, his football helmet shattered. There was blood oozing from his nose and mouth. I was stunned. Glen had to explain what had happened. Floyd had collided with my canopy. The impact had apparently dislodged both his ripcords.

Floyd opened one eye, blood red. Through puffed lips he mumbled a question. We all bent forward to hear better. He squinted in my direction.

"Did you...did you get it?" he asked, barely audible.

I held up the piece of wood. I'd never let loose of it, not when riding my reserve, not when climbing out of my harness, not when running over. He focused blearily on it, grinned contentedly, and passed out for the better part of two days."

This description of the first CDN BATON PASS shows a bit of what it took to jump in the early days. I have two magazines, one from Nov, 1971, showing Floyd being presented his gold wings, and the other from Oct-Nov '76 showing Floyd doing his 2,000 jump with John Simis (John's 1000th), and being presented his diamond wings from his wife Betty (John had to settle for getting his from John Smythe, pres of cspa).

Floyd is not only in the Cdn. magazines, I've found references to him in Frank Ellis' book, Canada's Flying Heritage, 'Skydiving, the Art and Science of Sport Parachuting' by Bud Sellick, and Howard Gregory's 'Parachuting's Unforgettable Jumps'.

I was fortunate enough to do lots jumps with Floyd out of the Cdn Warplane Heritage DC-3 'Canucks Unlimited' back in the 90's(and the 50th anniversary of d-day at the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa in '94), and accompanied him and others on some trips up to Moose Factory to do exhibition jumps on the island near James Bay. It was always a lot of fun. Right up into the '90's Floyd was regularly winning at the SkydiveToronto Snofall winter accuracy meets, and was a regular test jumper for Irvin Parachutes before they closed up their plant in Fort Erie, near Niagara Falls.

Floyd has continued jumping. Although his jumping has been limited in the last couple of years, I understand he was out recently doing some. Hopefully he'll be out more this summer. I would love to talk to him again about some of his past experiences.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[JerryBaumchen 1,050]

I'm working from memory here but I believe that the first baton pass in North America occured in '58 at Abbotsford. Later in '58, Steve Snyder & Charlie Hilliard made the first pass in the USA. I do not know who the guys were who did it at Abotsford in '58. Is your post for the first Canadian baton pass by Canadians?

[skypuppy 1]

Yes, The first baton pass at Abbotsford BC was done in '58 by two americans (Lyle Hoffman and Jim Pearson) at a joint us/canadian national competition, so Floyd and Darryl were the first Canadians to achieve the feat.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone