Skydive Pilot Pages

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Anderson Cooper Skydives for a Thrill and for a Cause


As first reported by the Virginian-Pilot - The CNN journalist and author was in town over the weekend and jumped out of a plane high above the Skydive Suffolk facility on Saturday, said Johnny Abbitt, who also went skydiving.
Abbitt said he talked briefly with the star of “Anderson Cooper 360.”
“I went up on the plane after his,” Abbitt said. “I was just there and he was there with a group of several people. It was my first time jumping and he said it was his first time.
“I talked to him and got a picture.”
Skydive Suffolk co-owner Laura Manthey said Cooper is the place's biggest celebrity since they took over the operation four years ago.
"This was kind of a big deal for us," she said. "We had one of the back-up singers for Toby Keith once. We try to keep it on the down-low until they've left so that they can enjoy their time.
"We just love to take people up to our playground."
Cooper has been in town before for a speaking engagement in Norfolk. He donated his fee from that event to retired SEAL Jimmy Hatch, who runs the Spike’s K9 Fund that has purchased $2,500 ballistic vests for most of South Hampton Roads police dogs.
A Facebook post for the fund said that Cooper was in town for a Spike’s K9 event and some skydiving.