Maine News Updates

Updated at 2:39 p.m. with detail and quotes

KENNEBUNKPORT -- President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 85th
birthday today by parachuting from an altitude of
10,500 feet into the churchyard of St. Ann's Episcopal Chapel in
Kennebunkport. He landed at 1:44 p.m. and was greeted by his wife Barbara Bush.

The plane, a C-31 Fokker, had to make several passes before finding an opening in the clouds where Bush could make the jump.

As Bush landed at the church about 150 people waiting there burst into applause, and the crowd began chanting "Gampy Gammy," the Bush family name for grandfather.

Just offshore from the seaside church, onlookers in pleasure boats erupted into a version of the "Happy Birthday" song.

"It's a great day in the air," Bush said. "It's an exhilarating feeling. I don't feel a day over 84."

In the morning before leaving for the airport, Bush recalled that his wife Barbara had jokingly told him, "It's a very good thing you're doing it at a church. We don't have far to move you" in case of a mishap.

"I'm exhilarated, charged up, excited," said Bush, who intended his jump as a message to other elderly people to embrace life.

"Get out and do something," he said. "Get out and enjoy life."

George W. Bush, flanking the elder Bush with his brother Jeb, added, "I think it's awesome that an 85-year-old man can jump out of an airplane on his birthday."

The elder Bush recalled that his first jump out of an airplane, at age 20, was far more frightening -- his parachute got hung up for a moment on  part of the crashing combat plane he had been piloting.

For today's jump, Bush said, "I'm glad to be alive and my family is all with me here."

1:44 p.m.

KENNEBUNKPORT -- President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 85th
birthday today by parachuting from an altitude of
10,500 feet into the churchyard of St. Ann's Episcopal Chapel in
Kennebunkport. He landed at 1:44 p.m. and was greeted by his wife Barbara Bush.

12:52 p.m.

KENNEBUNKPORT -- President George H.W. Bush will celebrate his 85th birthday at 1 p.m. today by parachuting from an expected altitude of 13,000 feet into the churchyard of St. Ann's Episcopal Chapel in Kennebunkport.

On hand to celebrate the event are his five children -- including 41st President George W. Bush -- two brothers, a sister and 14 or his 19 grandchildren.

It will be Bush's seventh parachute jump, including the jump he made from a crashing combat aircraft in WWII.

Also on hand will be Bush's personal doctor, Bernie Morrey, a hip specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

His wife, Barbara, according to Bush's Chief of Staff Jean Becker, "is so calm about this. She has full confidence that he'll be fine."

Sgt. Michael Elliott of the U.S. Army parachute team will accompany the president on his jump. In all, 14 people are scheduled to jump in three separate drops.

The president will free-fall for about a minute, open his chute, then take about six minutes to float the rest of the way to the ground.