BILL KENNY

Bill Kenny was killed on Saturday, November 14th during a skydive at Orange, Virginia. He was 71 years old. The main container was nearly impossible to open due to a mis-routed bridle for the pull-out pilot chute. Apparently no attempt was made to open the reserve as the reserve ripcord was still in place. There was no AAD.

Bill leaves behind a loving family and many, many friends. He had more than 4000 skydives and probably close to 40 years in the sport he loved so much. Most of those jumps he made were at Skydive the Point in West Point. We will miss him very, very much. There aren't any other 70+ year olds who can be found getting on their motorcycles to ride to the Drop Zone and make a few skydives with friends!

As information becomes available about services it will be added here. Rest in Peace, Bill.

Services for Bill will be Thursday, November 19 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at JT Morriss and Sons Funeral Home at 3050 W. Hundred Rd., Chester, VA. The number is 804-748-2500. The actual internment will be private. Skydive the Point will be holding a memorial at Middle Peninsula Regional Airport in West Point, VA.

Since Bill was such a fan of accuracy (he even flew his Saber 150 with an accuracy approach-yikes!) we have decided to start the Bill Kenny Memorial Accuracy Meet and make it an annual event. Saturday, Nov. 21 we will hold the event. A 3 round accuracy meet with a $20 registration fee. The profits will be split in half. Half will go to the West Point rescue squad and half will go to the charity of the winners choice. Slots should be around $10 per jump. The winner will also have their name engraved on a plaque that will be displayed at Skydive The Point along with the dollar amount raised. So dust off your parafoil and come out to West Point Nov. 21. Rain date will be Nov.22.  If it rains both days we will announce another time, probably in early December.

Accuracy Meet Results November 21, 1998

Well the winds were pretty strong and variable during Saturday but we decided to hold the competition anyway. Swooping the target with a fast canopy proved to be the most effective method as a fierce battle was raging between Tim Dudley and Brian O'Neal for the advanced class. Both had 2 dead centers in a row and the meet was decided on the last jump when Tim Dudley was only 6 inches off the mark and Brian was slightly farther off. In intermediate competition Stephanie Harris took the win. But perhaps the best competition was in the Tandem category between Doug Boyd, Jim Crouch and Benny Sherman. We were all trying for dead centers with-out dragging our passengers through the peas and as luck would have it Benny had the lowest score after 3 rounds. I chalk it up to plain blind luck. He normally couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. In fact, we tell the visiting friends of his tandem passengers to stand in the pea pit to gaurantee their safety while Benny is landing! But I guess even a broken clock is right 2 times a day, and he was probably trying to land on a parked aircraft or building and just happened to hit the pit! But we had a good time and did it with-out any damage to a tandem passenger!

In all $320 was raised to go to The West Point Rescue Squad and whatever charity Tim decides on, probably the Richmond Christmas Mother. We'll take another shot at it next year.

Bill would have been proud.

Updated 11/22/98 9:30 pm