Temecula Resident To Be Inducted Into National Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame

The following contributed content comes from Nancy Kemble, administrator for the National Skydiving Museum.

Jim Wallace of Temecula will be inducted into the National Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame, Saturday, September 7. 

Wallace is one of six individuals who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013 at a dinner ceremony held during a skydiving weekend celebration and fundraiser September 6-8 at Skydive Chicago, Ottawa. 

The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those, who through leadership, innovation and/ or outstanding achievements have defined, promoted, inspired and advanced skydiving at the highest and sustained levels in the past, present and for future generations of skydivers.

Wallace served a two-year stint as a Marine in the Vietnam conflict.  He started skydiving in 1970 and logged over 23,000 jumps. He became a USPA-rated instructor in 1982 and opened his own skydiving instruction school in 1992. He was a U.S. Skydiving champion three times, holds 11 world formation skydiving records and is a commercial pilot. 

In 2006, he received the 2006 USPA Gold Medal for Meritorious Service.  As a member of Screen Actors Guild, he has participated in numerous commercials, exhibition skydives around the world, and several major motion pictures as an aerial stunt double.

The National Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame dinner is expected to attract more than 300 guests from around the world, all who come to watch the sport’s living legends claim their well-deserved spot in skydiving history. Wallace will be presented his official Hall of Fame blazer by Jay Stokes. 

The other honorees inducted into the fourth class of the Hall of Fame include:  Jackie Smith (England); Jack Jefferies (Avon, CO); James F. (Curt) Curtis (Hobe Sound, FL and Far Hills, NJ); Kim Emmons Knor (Denver, CO); and Chuck MacCrone (Madison, AL). 

In 2010, the inaugural class of the National Skydiving Museum inducted eleven honorees:  Ted Strong (Orlando, FL), Lowell Bachman (posthumous),  Jerry Bird (Dade City, FL), Tiny Broadwick (posthumous), Joe Crane (posthumous), Joe Kittinger (Altamonte Springs, FL), Eilif Ness (Norway),  William H. Ottley (posthumous), Lew Sanborn (Imperial, MO), Cheryl Stearns (Charlotte, NC), and Gene Paul Thacker (Raeford, NC).  In 2011, six others joined this prestigious group: Bill Booth (DeLand, FL), Lenny Potts (Port Orange, FL), Jacques-André Istel (Felicity, CA), Tee Taylor (Tucson, AZ), Steve Snyder (Philadelphia, PA - posthumous), and Uwe Beckman (Braunschweig, Germany - posthumous). And in 2012, a celebration in Eloy, AZ included inducting seven more members to this prestigious group:  Carl Boenish (posthumous); Bob Buquor (posthumous); Claude Gillard (Australia); Craig Girard (Casa Grande, AZ and Dubai); Dan Poynter (Santa Barbara, CA); and Hank (posthumous) and Muriel Simbro (Clark Fork, ID).

The dinner and fundraising weekend is expected to raise more than $100,000 toward the National Skydiving Museum’s capital program that will raise the necessary funds to build the museum. When completed, the 15,000 square feet National Skydiving Museum will recognize and promote the sport of skydiving through public education and awareness; recognize the contribution to skydiving by its personalities; and enhance aviation safety as it pertains to skydiving.  It is expected the museum will draw visitors from throughout the world to experience the thrill of skydiving through its history of people, equipment and events.