David Layne (b1944)

Great Gonerby-born David Layne was educated at Spittlegate Infants School, then Spittlegate Primary at Stonebridge House.  After that  he was educated privately.

Aged 21, he decided to emigrate to Dayton, Ohio, in the United States.  At that time (1966) the economy locally was poor and he was, to say the least, “restless!”

By December 1967 he was in the US Army becoming a paratrooper. He served for a year in Vietnam as a helicopter crew member and four years in Germany where he was a member of the US Army Parachute Team.

He joined the prestigious Golden Knights parachute team and with them had more than 1,300 descents to his credit.

The team set 81 world records and were watched by more the 50,000,000 people.

On leaving the Army he worked for the US Postal Service and up until retirement was a parachuting/skydiving Instructor.

Since then he has made about 4000 jumps and retains his interests in parachuting and aviation

He lives near Mobile, in Alabama, in a small airport community