90-year-old Don Lockley tells what it’s like to plunge 12,000 feet

DON Lockely was still running around in the heat of a Darwin hockey pitch at 85 so it’s little wonder that yesterday he celebrated his 90th birthday by skydiving over Darwin

90-year-old skydiver Don Lockley and Tandem Instructor Ashley Smith land on Lee Point. Picture Glenn Campbell

DON Lockley was still running around in the heat of a Darwin hockey pitch at 85 so it’s little wonder that yesterday he celebrated his 90th birthday by plunging 12,000 feet from a skydiving plane over Darwin.

Don, who served with the RAAF in Darwin in the ’50s said it was a mission he was glad he had completed and was contemplating another jump if time is kind to him.

The jump with Top End Tandems Skydiving was a gift from his family and it is something Don says has been a highlight of a very active life.

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He revealed the main catalyst for the jump was that he was a prostate cancer survivor. “I want to show other sufferers that you need to get on with life and enjoy every minute you have,” he said.

“Get out and do something … live life to the fullest and don’t let it get you down.”

Don says he chose Darwin as a home for his family because of its great outdoors.

“It’s absolutely fantastic,” he said. “I have always been active. I’ve done rock climbing, I’ve climbed the Three Sisters at Katoomba and I’m an outdoor person.

90-year-old skydiver Don Lockley and Tandem Instructor Ashley Smith land on Lee Point. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“The parachute jump will be hard to beat. The initial launch is an adrenaline rush, but as you glide to earth it is an amazing feeling.

“The view was amazing and I’d do it again. If I’m around when I’m 100 I’d think about giving it another crack.”

Don puts his ability to do the jump down to his fitness and a lifetime committed to hockey. He played most of his hockey career with St Mary’s which is now known as Palmerston Saints.

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“I officially retired at 85, but I had a run with the Vets about a month ago, which was good,” Don said. “It was the first time I had a stick in my hand since I was 85 and I loved every minute of being back.”

And it seems Don is not the only senior in Darwin with a hankering to test their limits in their twilight years.

Top End Tandems said one of the oldest they had joining them for a jump was 97 years old. “We get all sorts of people wanting to experience the thrill of a jump over Darwin and plenty are seniors,” a spokesman said.