Tiny Broadwick
Encyclopedia
Tiny Broadwick or Georgia Broadwick, was a pioneering parachutist
. She was nicknamed 'Tiny', as she weighed only 85 pounds (38.6 kg) and was 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
Born Georgia Ann Thompson, at the age of 15 she saw Charles Broadwick's World Famous Aeronauts parachute
from a hot air balloon and decided to join the travelling troupe. She later became Broadwick's adopted daughter.
Among her many achievements, she was the first woman to parachute from an airplane. These early jumps included a well-publicized jump on January 9, 1914, from a plane built and piloted by Glenn L. Martin, 1,000 feet over Griffith Park
in Los Angeles, California
. She was also the first woman to parachute into water.
In 1914, she demonstrated parachutes to the U.S. Army
, which at the time had a small, hazard-prone fleet of aircraft. On one of her demonstration jumps, the static line
became entangled in the tail assembly of the aircraft, so for her next jump she cut off the static line and deployed her chute manually, thus becoming the first person to jump free-fall
.
By the time of her retirement from jumping in 1922, she was said to have made over 1,100 jumps. She is one of the few female members of the Early Birds of Aviation
.
Tiny appeared on You Bet Your Life
episode 55-07 on November 10, 1955. (Available on Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes - Disc 2.)
She is buried in Sunset Gardens in Henderson, North Carolina
.
In February 2006, Vance County, North Carolina
, commissioners decided to name a portion of the Henderson Outer Loop highway after her.
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
. She was nicknamed 'Tiny', as she weighed only 85 pounds (38.6 kg) and was 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
Born Georgia Ann Thompson, at the age of 15 she saw Charles Broadwick's World Famous Aeronauts parachute
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
from a hot air balloon and decided to join the travelling troupe. She later became Broadwick's adopted daughter.
Among her many achievements, she was the first woman to parachute from an airplane. These early jumps included a well-publicized jump on January 9, 1914, from a plane built and piloted by Glenn L. Martin, 1,000 feet over Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. She was also the first woman to parachute into water.
In 1914, she demonstrated parachutes to the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, which at the time had a small, hazard-prone fleet of aircraft. On one of her demonstration jumps, the static line
Static line
A static line is a fixed cord attached to a large, stable object. It is used for safety in construction andto open parachutes automatically for paratroopers and novice parachutists.-Use in parachuting:...
became entangled in the tail assembly of the aircraft, so for her next jump she cut off the static line and deployed her chute manually, thus becoming the first person to jump free-fall
Free-fall
Free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it, at least initially. These conditions produce an inertial trajectory so long as gravity remains the only force. Since this definition does not specify velocity, it also applies to objects initially moving upward...
.
By the time of her retirement from jumping in 1922, she was said to have made over 1,100 jumps. She is one of the few female members of the Early Birds of Aviation
Early Birds of Aviation
The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928 and ultimately accepted a membership of 598. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was...
.
Tiny appeared on You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
episode 55-07 on November 10, 1955. (Available on Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes - Disc 2.)
She is buried in Sunset Gardens in Henderson, North Carolina
Henderson, North Carolina
Henderson, with a population of 16,095 at the 2000 census, is the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States.The city was named in honor of former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, who lived nearby and was a friend of early settler Lewis Reavis...
.
In February 2006, Vance County, North Carolina
Vance County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,954 people, 16,199 households, and 11,647 families residing in the county. The population density was 169 people per square mile . There were 18,196 housing units at an average density of 72 per square mile...
, commissioners decided to name a portion of the Henderson Outer Loop highway after her.