A blind veteran paratrooper has successfully completed a tandem jump from 10,000 feet, reliving the thrill of his youth at the age of 88. Danny Gibbon, a resident of Swindon, undertook the jump on September 13 at Netheravon Airfield in Salisbury, raising nearly £2,000 for Blind Veterans UK.
Gibbon, who enlisted in the Army at 17 in 1954 to honor his father, who was killed at Dunkirk during World War II, reflected on the experience: “Getting in touch with the charity is the best thing I’ve ever done, which is why I wanted to give something back. The jump was great, but my legs were wobbly for two days afterward.”
This jump marked a return to his roots; Gibbon had completed a parachuting training course at the same airfield decades earlier. “It was completely different to what I did 70 years ago,” he noted. “Back then, I wanted to get out of the plane as quickly as possible with a machine gun strapped to me. This time, I was hanging out the edge of the plane waiting for the jump.”
Despite the excitement of the day, Gibbon has no plans to jump again. “After the jump, the chaps asked if I would be back for my 89th birthday. Absolutely not,” he quipped.
Gibbon, who suffers from macular degeneration and recently underwent cataract surgery, retains limited vision in one eye. He praised Blind Veterans UK for their support, saying, “They have been brilliant. I’ve been provided with talking books, I attend local meetings with fellow blind veterans, and I’ve played bowls.”
His wife, Carol, encouraged him to take on the challenge as a way to celebrate his 88th birthday and honor his father’s memory, while also helping others facing similar challenges.