Don Cross

Chief Instructor, AFF Instructor, Tandem Master, Pilot, Drop Zone Operator and APF Director Instructors

Since doing his first jump in 1985, Don Cross has achieved much in the sport of skydiving. Of note, he was awarded the AUSTRALIAN SPORTS MEDAL 2000 by the Prime Minister Mr John Howard, and the Governor General Sir William Dean. 

Don has achieved over 10,000 skydives in his career and when he isn’t jumping out of planes you’ll find him flying them. You just can’t keep his feet on the ground.

In 1999 he was awarded the Diploma of Excellence in Formation Skydiving from the Federal Aeronautique Internationale – the International Skydiving Federation. His 8 Way team still holds the Australian Record for the maximum number of formations scored, a record made at the World Championships in 1999. 

A veteran of competition Don has won 8 National Skydiving Championships in his time, the most recent being 2007. In 2008 Don became a World Champion by representing Australia in Formation Skydiving in a veterans event for parachutists over 40 years of age.

After 20 years of continuous service and over 1000 military jumps in the Australian ARMY Don still maintains his ties, as a Reservist, by providing parachute instruction when required. Don is also a highly qualified Coach and Instructor with an Associate Diploma in Vocational Training.

Don has recently been appointed the most Senior Instructor position in Australia, as the Director of Instructors for the Australian Parachute Federation.

Louise Cross

AFF Instructor, Drop Zone Safety Officer and Drop Zone Operator

Louise has completed 1500 jumps since 1987. She has been an active instructor at several drop zones, and came to Victoria with Don Cross to run Skydive Nagambie.

Louise has been competing at State and National Level since the beginning of her skydiving career, and was a member of Australia's largest women's freefall formations in 1990 and 1992. She was also a member of the largest mixed freefall formation in the country in 1993. After just 3 years of skydiving, Louise became the Victorian Intermediate runner up State Champion!

Since 1991, she has focused on teaching and coaching others in the sport of skydiving. With her impeccable safety record, Louise is also the Drop Zone Safety Operator for all disciplines. With the friendliest manner on the microphone, you will find Louise at manifest most weekends, getting people organised to get in the plane and go jumping!

1991 - APF AFF Instructor
1994 - Level 2 Coaching Accreditation
1997 - Instructor B Rating
2000 - Drop Zone Safety Officer (all disciplines)
2000 - Australian Canopy Relative Work Crest

Lee Barton

Tandem Instructor, AFF Instructor, Drop Zone Safety Officer

Lee has been jumping since 1989 when he did his first static line jump at Corowa and has since clocked up over 1600 jumps. Lee gained his Instructor rating in 2000 and loves taking people for their first skydive experience whether it be AFF or Tandem. 

He enjoys many aspects of skydiving including RW and video but doesn’t get time to attend to them as much these days due to parental and work commitments. Lee’s present goals are to keep on pulling drogues until his wonderful daughter is old enough to do a tandem and to get into some big way formations and CRW.

When he’s not skydiving you can find Lee chasing crooks on his jetski. Water Rats eat ya heart out!

Steph Vaughan

AFF Instructor, Formation Skydiving Champion, Rigger

Steph started skydiving at the age of 16 and now has over 3200 jumps. She participated in the 81 way Australian record in 1999, and completed her AFF Instructor rating in 2000. 

Steph has spent a lot of time jumping at various locations in the States, building up skills and has competed in teams around Australia. In 08 Steph competed at the World champs in France with her team Snatch Force. Most recently she won the National Championships with her new team Rotor Out and broke the Australian record for turning the most points in a formation Skydive.

Darren Griggs

BMI (Birdman Instructor), Cameraman

Darren has accumulated over 2000 jumps in his skydiving career and enjoys 4-way skydiving, wingsuit flocking and loves his tunnel time. His favourite discipline is swooping, in which he has won national medals.

One of Griggsy’s skydiving highlights was completing a 3 point 36 way formation at Skydive Chicago.

Darren is cameraperson for the National Champion 4 way RW team, Rotor Out.

When not in the air you’ll find him running canopy courses or planning his next swoop.

Neil Hobbs

Tandem Instructor, AFF Instructor

Hobbsy began his jumping in Corowa in 1995 and has never looked back.

Clocking up over 1700 jumps right here in Oz, superior NZ and the U.S.A.

Neil’s favourite jumps include experiencing freefall as the world ticked over into the new millennium, cranking out 30 jumps on his 30th birthday, a sunset 4-way over Vegas and taking his boss Sgt Peter Law for a tandem jump, raising $5’000 for the Police Blue Ribbon Foundation in the process!

Officer Hobbs is a swoop-n-chug expert but has never forgiven Gerome for knocking him off in the ’04 Chug Off on the DZ ute. Watch your back Gerome!

Neil reckons the best things about jumping are introducing people to the sport through tandems and feeding off their adrenaline as well as his own, and hearing the bell ring at the end of a hard days jumping!

Warren "The Silver Fox" Keogh

Tandem Master, AFF Instructor, Drop Zone Safety Officer, Freeflyer!

Wokka, as we also like to call him has been jumping for over 10 years and has accumulated over 1500 jumps. He loves to freefly and takes particular pride in showing Tandem students their first ever jump.

His notable feats include "honche flying", which is a new form of freeflying on one's "honches", and of course the well known "shimmy carve". A two time National Open Freefly silver medalist and ace chopper pilot, is there nothing this man can't do??

Wokka's biggest enjoyment? Tucking into a well earned Caramello Koala after a hard days jumping.

John Kinton

AFF & S/L Instructor, Instructor ’B’

John Kinton is living proof that age is no barrier in the sport of skydiving. John began his skydiving career in 1989 and has clocked up over 1300 jumps. A keen POP’s (Parachutists Over Phorty) member, John has participated in 7 World POP’s Meets and jumped in many countries including Jordan, Switzerland, the USA, Spain, England, Canada and NZ.

You can often find John in the classroom taking Newbies through their AFF Course’s or discussing the merits of red wine with Greasy Greg.

Although on the surface he appears to be a grumpy prick we assure you he is really a big softie.

Mike Tibbitts

Tandem Master, Wingsuiter, AFF Instructor

Mike Tibbitts has been leaping out of planes with varying degrees of style, accomplishment and forethought for seven years.

He started his jumping career static lining into the depths of an English winter, but as a recently qualified tandem instructor, he now calls sunny Nagambie home, which is much nicer.

Mike is also a very keen wingsuiter and took part in the October 09 Australian wingsuit record.

When not at the Dropzone, Mike can be found wearing his wingsuit around the bars of St Kilda doing his utmost to look both casual and edgy.

Paul Easterbrook

Packer, Cameraflyer, AFF Instructor

Paul has worked with us at Skydive Nagambie for over a year now.

He is currently on the camera roster working every jumpable day he can, and recently became one of our newest AFF instructors. He also recently completed his 1000th jump.

An avid chef, Paul can be found baking bread in the early hours of the morning and making pizzas well into the night.