Article By Ian McPhedran, Defence writer
MOST retired Special Air Service soldiers work in the security industry, but Danny Hogan and Wayne Jones have broken the mould thanks to fallen comrade Blaine Diddams.
Both men served alongside Sgt Diddams before he was killed in action in Afghanistan on July 2 this year.
When the two SAS patrol commander sergeants raised their idea to build a network of indoor skydiving centres with their mate prior to retirement this year, he put them in touch with his uncle John Diddams.
And so Indoor Skydive Australia was born with John Diddams as the company secretary.
Sadly, Sgt Diddams did not live to see the company formed, but the prospectus carries a moving dedication to the fallen soldier on its final page.
Indoor Skydive Australia plans to build several wind tunnels around the country including St Kilda, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Perth and throughout Asia.
The centres will include a five-metre-wide by 11-metre-high wind chamber powered by four 335kW fans fitted in the ceiling generating winds of up to 250km/h.
They will be open to everyone aged from five to 95 years — from first-timers to world-class sky divers and paratroopers — at a cost of about $100 for an hour that includes training, suiting up and two “skydives”.
Further information is available at www.indoorskydiveaustralia.com.au