The obituary notice of BRIAN LAITHWAITE

Brian put me out on my third parachute descent at Cark on 25 April 1976. He wrote "Spread OK, Flat, Looking down, Not counting" which just about summed up my skills as a parachutist.
I was one of the small Leeds University crowd that made our way up to Cark quite regularly in the mid 70s where Brian was one of the regular back up instructors, giving "uzz stoodents" a bit of stick from time to time, which was all par for the course and taken with large pinches of salt and endless good humour, which is what I remember most about Brian in those distant days.
I'm still in touch with a few of the crowd from then, though they are far flung now, so on my own and their behalf we send our most sincere condolences to the families of both Brian and Emma, whom I did not know.

Farewell D1248

When we were young we roared in the mountains and soared through the skies.
Thank you for sharing your life Brian

I'm trying to remember back to nearly 25 years ago, but for about a year, back in about 1986, I was involved in parachuting, at Capital City Skydiving Club at Biggin Hill. I don't completely trust my memory back all that time, but I am pretty sure that Brian Laithwaite was the Chief Instructor and owner of the club. Can anyone else confirm this? The news reports say he was sixty-five this year, which would have made him about forty when I knew him, which from what I remember seems about right. I was in my twenties then so he seemed enormously old!

I probably gave him plenty of grey hairs; I wasn't exactly a natural at skydiving, but he was always encouraging and helpful. I did 32 jumps (17 free fall), then the club ran out of money and closed down, so I took it as a hint and gave up as well. (By that time Brian had left). I've got involved in gliding recently, but the skydiving memory carried me through my ground-bound years and I shall always be grateful to Brian.

We will miss not seeing you down at the garage, within minutes of you arriving we would always be in stiches, such a funny guy, so happy and full of life, you will be truly missed! R.i.p Brian.

Much loved, sadly missed, never forgotten.

RIP Brian, died doing what you loved.