Philip Bowden, a lieutenant colonel with the Peachtree City Civil Air Patrol, celebrated his 73rd birthday on Sept. 24 with a tandem skydive with Ed Bishop of Skydive Monroe as his tandem master. Bowden had made three static line parachute jumps in 1966 but said that the tandem jump from 13,050 feet was “much more fun.” The free-fall lasted 50 seconds and Bishop opened the ‘chute at 4,500 feet, giving them a good five minutes ride before “skidding in on our rumps in the grass beside the runway.” At 73, Bowden was the oldest tandem jumper that Bishop had jumped with, but President George H.W. Bush made his most recent skydive at the age of 85, so Bowden has 13 years to go to catch up with him. Bowden made another skydive in October to keep Col. Brent Bracewell company as Bracewell made an advanced free-fall jump on the same load. Bowden added that the two marked Bracewell’s birthday in 2006 with an hour-long hot air balloon ride. The moral to this story, according to Bowden, is “if it flies, it is good.” Photo/Special.
