A daredevil granddad will celebrate his big day by plunging nearly 4,000m out of a plane on Wednesday above The Palm Jumeirah - becoming SkyDive Dubai’s oldest-ever customer.
Dick Corbit, who served in the US Navy during WWII, will cap a holiday to the UAE to visit his daughter Lisa with his first-ever parachute jump - crushing the previous record of the oldest jumper at SkyDive Dubai by 13 years in the process.
“I’m not worried at all,” insisted the father of four and granddad to six. “I’m excited. I looked it up on the computer and I don’t think there’s a safer place to do it.”
Dick Corbit, who served in the US Navy during WWII is celebrating his birthday with a skydive over the Palm Jumeirah - SkyDive Dubai's oldest customer
He added: “The views of The Palm look amazing.”
Lisa, 43, a teacher in Ras Al Khaimah, said her dad - retired for 30 years and a former engineer - is no stranger to heart-in-mouth antics. He’s been zip sliding in Costa Rica and still water skies for fun.
He even planned to do a sky dive for his 80th in Hawaii but bad weather scuppered the birthday treat. Corbit, who lives in Blanchard, Idaho, in the United States, also survived a suicide plane attack on his ship in Okinawa, Japan during WWII.
“His doctor told him he’s the healthiest man of his age he’s ever seen before,” said Lisa. Corbit, who turns 86 as he prepares to dive, said: “I never thought I’d live this long. I can’t wait.”
Would you be tempted to head to Dubai for a daring jump? How old is too old to be doing these things? Tell us what you think below.
