The Team

The experience our international team of experts has gained since 2008, 2009, 2010, 211and 2010 events, has put Everest Skydive on the top list of companies offering extreme adventure. Our team includes expert skydivers and mountaineers – some of the best names in the business. Throughout your adventure, the best skydivers in the world, mountaineering specialists, medical doctors and highly skilled high-altitude mountain pilots will accompany you.

Suman Pandey

Team Leader

To operate a skydiving event in the extreme and difficult mountain environment of Nepal’s Everest Region is no child’s play. From procuring special permits to arranging logistics and ensuring nothing untoward happens during the event, it needed (and still needs) a lot of hard work, determination, planning and a fair amount of bureaucratic clout to organize and hold an event of this caliber in the Himalaya.

At a time when most Nepalese hardly knew what skydiving is, Mr. Pandey went ahead and introduced this adventure in his mountainous country – the first in Nepal as well as in South Asia. It took a lot of perseverance on Mr. Pandey’s part to persuade the Civil Aviation authorities, Ministry of Tourism and other bureaucrats to allow this adventure to take place in the Everest Region.

The event which was christened the World’s Highest Skydiving event, made history and set many records. Mr. Suman Pandey continues to be at the helm of affairs of Everest Skydive, charting out new plans and looking for ways to make the skydiving adventure in Nepal more challenging and exciting. Having been a part of path breaking adventures in the Himalaya like the GKN Mission Everest, Nepal Government’s Highest Cabinet meeting, and many more, Mr. Pandey has been adorned with the prestigious title of “Tourism Man of the Year 2010 – Nepal” by Gantabya Publications and Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (2004).

Wendy Smith

Chief Coordinator& Camera Flyer

Wendy Smith grew up in New Zealand and has a great passion for the mountains; she has been based in France for many years and is the Chief Coordinator for Everest Skydive. She is also the director of aerial cinematography and production for Everest Skydive. She holds her Chief Safety Officer certificate for parachuting operations, is an AFF Instructor as well as the Ambassador for the Global Angels Charity Organization. The 2013 event will be her sixth Everest Skydive Expedition.

World and Guinness record skydiver Wendy Smithmade her first jump in New Zealand in 1985. Her resume to date is:

• X 7 World Records
• Emmy Award Winner
• 19,000 Skydives
• Professional Camerawoman and Aerial Cinematographer for 22 years
• Live Broadcast, Media, Air to Ground Cameraman
• International Events and Sports Athlete Recruiter
• International Skydiving Competitor since 1989
• Model Stunt Skydiver
• Accelerated Freefall Instructor
• Freefly Kiwi School of Body Flight (founder and coach)
• Chief Safety Officer NZPIA for parachuting operations
• First Everest Skydiver 2008 (8,843m oxygen-assisted)
• Women’s World Record, September 09, 181 way formation skydive
• World’s Highest landing at Kala Pathar – near Mount Everest at 17,192ft in October 09
• Himalaya, Nepal NEW HALO record skydive from 30,000ft in October 2010

As the Chief Coordinator & Camera flyer for Everest Skydive, Wendy has taken some fantastic aerial footage during the events. Her technical abilities have allowed her to cover helmet cameras, exceptional reportages and international skydiving events. She has gained several medals in different disciplines, won Emmy Awards for best remote location camerawoman, and has gained a new women’s world record gold medal in speed skydiving. She has also produced, filmed and participated in extreme skydiving movies at the cutting edge of sport skydiving and published a photographic book, ‘Eyes in the Sky’, to compliment 15 years of sport skydiving.  She has been very active in live broadcast air to ground media transmissions all over the world and has actively participated in charity events helping raise millions of dollars for exceptional causes. Wendy is one of the most experienced members of our Everest Skydive Crew.

www.wendysmithaerial.com

Tom Noonan

Chief Tandem Instructor, Operation In-charge 

Tom Noonan is a professional skydiving instructor from the USA.  He is also involved in both Civilian and Military Tandem Equipment design and test jumping. Tomhas made 4,000 skydives and is a USPA Tandem Instructor-Examiner, USPA AFF Instructor, and USPA Instructor Examiner Rating Course (IERC) Director. He also holds a FAA Senior Rigger certification and is a USPA Safety & Training Advisor (S&TA). Tom holds the world record (along with Wendy Smith and Jai Kishan) for the highest parachute landing at 17,192ft. He has been with Everest Skydivesince its launch in 2008 and is in charge of the tandem skydiving programme of Everest Skydive as well as the tandem equipment rigging and maintenance.

Doctor Ryan Jackson

Tandem Master / Expedition Doctor

Dr. Ryan Jackson from England is a tandem master and our expedition doctor. Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge in mountain climbing, skydiving and medicine to our crew. He has travelled and jumped in many places around the world.

Derek Thomas

Master Rigger/ Jump Master

Derek Thomas from USA / UK is a manufacturer and designer of leading skydiving equipment, Master Rigger, tandem master, AFF Instructor and International competitor in sport skydiving. Derek holds five world records for skydiving and has spent his life in the design and development of exceptional equipment for our sport.  He joins our team as Master Rigger and Jump Master.

Dawie du Plessis

Tandem Master/ Camera flyer

Dawie du Plessis from South Africa is a tandem skydiving instructor and freelance photographer. He started skydiving in Klerksdorp in 1995 and has made almost 5,000 jumps. He has done specialised stunts for films and commercials, such as tracker commercial, Virgin Mobile advertisement, Telkom broadband advertisement and lots of BASE-jumping stunts in Bollywood movies.

Omar Alhegelan

Skydiver, Jumpmaster & Videographer

Omar helped pioneer what is now known as “free flying” and has received every single accolade related to Freestyle Skydiving. He was also a part of an international group of amateur and professional skydivers at the Everest Skydive 2008 programme. He’s highly sought after to perform.

Ted Atkins

Skydiver, Oxygen Supervisor

He spent a large part of his career with the RAF Mountain Rescue Service where he was the Staff Officer for Scotland. Ted invented the Topout oxygen system that we use for jumping and has developed the systems we now use. He is a keen mountaineer with: Everest, Lhotse, Kangchenjunga and Makalu ascent records. Ted made hisfirst jump with Ryan in 2011 to affirm the systems we now use.

Mountain Crew

Nepal

Along with our skydiving experts, the Nepalese Mountain Crew supports the Everest Skydive event. The crew is made up of Everest Summiteers, experienced mountain & trekking guides and event facilitators. All of them have been to the Khumbu (Everest Region) several times and have a vast knowledge of the area.