Pete Lubrano began his skydiving journey in 2009 while serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Not far from base, Skydive Paraclete XP in Raeford became his home drop zone, where he transitioned from military jumping to sport skydiving and quickly found his place under canopy. As a multiple-time canopy piloting medalist at USPA Nationals, well-respected Momentum instructor and flocking pioneer, Lubrano feels most at home with a wing over his head. Known for his sharp wit and dry humor, he makes a big impression on those around him—both on the ground and in the sky.
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“Pete is exceptionally knowledgeable and talented in everything he does—cool, committed and calculated. An asset to this sport and a pioneer in his work, he’s a great person and an even better friend, undeniably having perfected the art of sarcasm. ‘Pistol Pete’ is truly one of a kind.” –Robin Jandle, Parachutist profilee #306
Nickname: Pistol Pete
Age: 50
Height: 72” (ish)
Birthplace: Framingham, Massachusetts
Marital Status: In a committed relationship with someone really great.
Children: A son who is a U.S. Army JAG officer.
Pets: Maggie, Mia, Maisie and Mille
Education: B.S. in History from Excelsior College in Albany, New York
Hobbies: Skiing and paramotoring. Pretty much anything that’s expensive but hard to do in North Carolina.
Occupation: Team member, Military Operations Manager and H.R. representative for Momentum. Canopy coach for Superior Flight Solutions.
Favorite Food: Eggs Benedict
Pet Peeves: Really small reserves, spiraling under canopy and bare feet.
Rock, Rap or Country? Mostly country, but it depends on the mood.
Hard opening or line twists? Hard openings all day.
Neat packer or a trash packer? I adhere to the basic principles of a proper pack job.
How did your skydiving progression start? Military static line.
Team Name: Momentum
Sponsors: Airtec CYPRES, Cookie Helmets, Deep and Steep, Larsen & Brusgaard, M87 Flywear, Performance Designs, United Parachute Technologies
Container: UPT Micron 319, UPT Mutant
Main Canopy: PD Valkyrie 79/84/90, PD Sabre3 120
Reserve: PD Optimum 143
AAD? Of course; I’m not an idiot. CYPRES C-Mode.
Discipline: Formerly canopy piloting, now canopy flocking.
Home DZ: Skydive Paraclete XP
Year of First Jump: 2009
Total Jumps: 7,000-plus
Hop and pops: 2,500
Flocking: tons
Military: a bunch
Instructional: a lot
Cutaways: Seven
What was your canopy progression?
Well, the first wing I ever owned was a Velocity 111. Let’s just leave it at that.
Is there one particular jump that stands out the most?
Losing our friend and teammate Brandon on a jump last year. Unfortunately, that’s a jump I’ll never forget.
How long do you plan on skydiving?
Until I can no longer run out a Valkyrie landing.
What do you like most about the sport?
You’ll never figure it all out.
What do you like least?
People who have it all figured out.
Who has been your skydiving mentor?
Too many to list, but a handful of the original Flight-1 crew helped guide me when I first started swooping. Greg Windmiller kept me alive in my first year of competitive canopy piloting.
What are your future goals?
I started canopy flocking during its transition to a recognized discipline. I want to see where we can take it.
What safety item is most important?
A proper landing pattern.
How did you get in to skydiving?
I think I was always intrigued by skydiving, I just had other priorities early in life. Once I made my first solo jump during the Military Freefall Basic Course, I was hooked.
I skydive because:
The people and the never-ending opportunity to learn and get better. I’ve made friends in this sport who I consider to be family.
Any suggestions for students?
Don’t neglect canopy skills during your progression in the sport. The B-license canopy course shouldn’t be the end of your canopy education.
What's the most badass thing you can do in the air?
I think having the 100% trust of my teammates, whether I’m leading or following, is pretty badass.
What's one thing people could do to make Earth a better place?
Put their shopping carts back in the corral.
What is your perfect day like?
Coffee, a crossword puzzle and a couple of jumps with my friends. Evening walk with the pups. Chipotle for dinner to top it off.
Most embarrassing moment in freefall:
I dislodged someone’s reserve handle on a belly jump when I was a newer jumper. It didn’t deploy but he was pissed. Rightfully so.
Someday I am going to own …
I will co-own a first-class military training facility. Coming soon.
The toughest thing about the sport:
Adapting to change and losing friends.
What kind of skydiving student were you?
Somewhere just above being a flailer and well below being a natural. I was pretty okay under canopy.
What jump would you do over again?
The jump we lost Brandon on, 100%.
What do you consider your most significant life achievement?
I don’t think it’s happened yet.
Strangest thought while skydiving?
Wondering if my leg straps were on while exiting.
Best skydiving moment?
There’s been a handful, but my first big-way flock stands out. Being surrounded by 20-plus high-performance wings in close proximity is pretty surreal.
Weirdest skydiving moment?
Watching a C-17 fly right by me at 2,400 feet. They had no idea I was there.
What drives your competitive spirit?
My team. Momentum is a collection of highly-skilled individuals who all have unique skillsets and I’m just trying to keep up.
What do you miss most about competitions?
The camaraderie. Canopy piloting is a strange discipline. A bunch of individuals trying to beat one another, yet extremely tight-knit.
What do you love most about being a flight instructor for Momentum?
To some degree, everyone struggles when they first start flocking. I love seeing the look on our camp participants’ faces when it starts to click and they become hooked.
Explain Pete Lubrano in five words:
Highly sarcastic but means well.