Tribute to Pat Works D-1813

February 5, 2020 admin No comments exist

Madden Travis Works Jr. “Pat”, one of the founders and major contributors to the modern sport of parachuting, was born on St. Patrick’s Day and that’s only the first thing remarkable about the Founder of the CG God Frog Good Vibes Award.
Black-belt Space Cadet General “Crazy Pat” Works made his first Jump during 1961 in Houston; became D-1813 in 1965, and National Champion, Team(Univ. of Houston) Event, National Collegiate Parachuting League in 1966 .
His awards include Three time Conference Champion in 4-way RW (Once in 10-way in ’72?–Introduced 10-way RW at the Nationals, 1972).
His written works “RWunderground”, “Parachuting: The Art of Freefall Relative Work” and then “United We Fall,” describe how to do relative work skydiving, make its participants feel like part of a fraternity and goes on to promote it as a legitimate competition discipline. The book “The Art of Freefall R W” was the first book which told would-be flyers how to be RW skydivers and it evolved into “The Bible” for performing those skills.


Prior to 1972 and Pat Works, at any parachute club or drop zone to which you traveled, finding enough fun-jumpers to make a three-way was a Big Deal indeed.
Just a few of Pat’s contributions:
In 1976 he Introduced the idea of feet thrusters(booties?) in jumpsuits
Competed in 4-way, 10-way and 8-way RW at the USPA Nationals in 72, 73, 76, 78.
Teams won the Rumbleseat Meet twice.
Two time Conference Champion in 8-way RW.
Relative Work Training Camps in Maubeuge, France, Summer 1976, Schriudde. Fallschirmsport, Meissendorf, Germany, 1977-1978-1979.
Progressive Relative Work Training Camps, California, 1978-1979 (first RW camps in the USA).
Training camp for USN Special Warfare Group 1 (Navy Seal Team One).
Freefall Training Camp, British Parachute Association, Plymouth, England, 1979.
Served three terms (from 1981-1986) as a National Director on the USPA Board.
MS in Information Systems, Claremont Graduate University, 1992.
MBA, Executive Management, Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management.
September 2013 USPA Executive Director Ed Scott presented the USPA Gold Medal for Meritorious Service to Pat Works, D-1813, at National Skydiving Museum’s Hall of Fame induction dinner. USPA’s board of directors had unanimously conferred the Gold Medal to Works. “..,for over 50 years of contribution as a teacher, innovator, author and competitor—and for encouraging and inspiring countless skydivers to advance their skills and find joy in the blue sky.”
Pat and his darling Jan were awarded the International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame’s Trustees’ Award during the museum’s Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration Event on October 8, 2016. The award was given to recognize the Works’ “Efforts on the Museum’s Collections and Curatorial committee.”

A Wunderful Spirit-Forever Free.
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“Honor the Communication Imperative by being open to learning new things and then sharing what you’ve learned with others.” — with Pat Works.

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