For some people, skydiving is a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list thrill. For others, it’s a hobby and sport they regularly participate in throughout the year. And for Kim Knor, it’s been a lifelong pursuit of breaking barriers and making history.
Who is Kim Knor?
Kim knew she wanted to skydive when she was five years old after her uncle brought home a military parachute from World War II. In 1959, she forged her parents’ signatures so she could make her first jump and later traveled around Europe as a parachute enthusiast.
She was one of only two women to compete against men at the 1961 U.S. Parachute Team Tryouts, and in 1962, she made history as a member of the first U.S. Women’s Parachute Team, which won gold at the Sixth World Parachuting Championships.
Today, she has a new goal.
What brought Kim to Memphis?
At 86 years old, Kim is touring the country to reach 1,000 lifetime skydives and earn her official United States Parachute Association (USPA) Gold Wings. She visited local drop zone West Tennessee Skydiving in June so she could jump during the Sisters in Skydiving (SIS) Boogie. This is an event where female skydivers get together to uplift and empower one another in the sport while raising money for important causes. This year, SIS supported the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.
During SIS Boogie and into the following week, Kim made 36 tandem jumps and brought her total lifetime skydives to over 800!
Women-friendly skies.
Kim Knor is leading the way for women skydivers, but like many sports, it’s still a male-dominated sport – women account for only 14% of skydivers. To make skydiving more welcoming to women, USPA started SIS in 2011 to provide resources and support networking among women skydivers.
West Tennessee Skydiving has played an important role in helping promote women in skydiving in the Memphis area, having hosted 10 SIS Boogies to make the sport more welcoming and accessible for female skydivers.
Ready to jump?
West Tennessee Skydiving is home to the famous Mike Mullins’ Super King Air, a B90 King Air plane that has been modified specifically for jumping with an in-flight door, step, and handles. This high-performance aircraft will take 14 jumpers to 14,000 feet in seven minutes under standard conditions. It’s the fastest-climbing jump plane in the country, and comfortable with air conditioning and heating – not every drop zone can say the same of their planes!
West Tennessee Skydiving is located 40 minutes from Memphis and welcomes skydivers of all levels. Whether it’s your first jump or your 400th, it is home to licensed USPA instructors, tandem instructors, Accelerated Freefall (AFF) skydiving instructors, coaches, and load organizers available. As a USPA-affiliated drop zone, we ensure compliance with USPA’s Basic Safety Requirements as well as applicable Federal Aviation Regulations.
Join us on World Skydiving Day!
Now is the perfect time to jump into skydiving – and you could be a part of skydiving history!
The second annual World Skydiving Day takes place on Saturday, July 12, 2025. This global celebration is for first-time jumpers and experienced skydivers alike to celebrate the thrill of the sport while aiming to break the world record for the most skydives completed on World Skydiving Day. The record was set last year when skydivers around the world came together and made 30,351 jumps across 51 countries.
Visit West Tennessee Skydiving to contribute to the new record! It may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or, like Kim Knor, you may find a new lifelong passion and a welcoming community right here near Memphis.
Mike Mullins is the drop zone owner of West Tennessee Skydiving, located 40 minutes from Memphis
