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US Army Golden Knights parachute team thrills KC Air Show
August 27, 2011
By Buck Sommerkamp
Special to The Tribune
The US Army Golden Knights parachute team brought trails of pink smoke against blue skies, along with swells of patriotic joy, to Kansas City air show audiences last weekend.
Following the fatal crash of stunt pilot Bryan Jensen at Saturday’s air show, the Golden Knights performed a fitting ‘missing man formation’ tribute during Sunday afternoon’s opening air show ceremony. One of the performers drifted to a soft landing with the POW-MIA flag while another landed with the official flag of the State of Missouri.
When the opportunity arose to “fly along” with the Golden Knights for this story, I jumped at the chance (insert rimshot sound here)! Accompanied by some other members of the Kansas City media community, I had the chance to go behind the scenes and fly with the team, representing California, New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia, Nebraska, Colorado and Florida during Sunday’s air show demonstration.
Media Specialist Matt Navarro gave us pre-flight media briefings, including the verification that none of us had been SCUBA diving in the past 48 hours, were not wearing pacemakers and had no sinus issues. The C-31A Friendship Fokker, which leaves 30-40 minutes prior to the demonstration jump, is not pressurized for obvious reasons – and we were sufficiently prepared for takeoff once jumpsuits were worn, cameras and cell phones were “strapped down” with ties, and we were personally harnessed into our seats for takeoff. SPC Navarro reminded us on several occasions that our safety was the Army’s number-one priority.
The team has been performing for over 52 years in all 50 states and in 48 countries, over the course of more than 16,000 shows. The US Army Golden Knights team is one of three authorized Department of Defense aerial demonstration teams, along with the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. The Knights earned their nickname on October 15, 1962 on the competition field of battle after the Strategic Army Command Parachute Team (STRAC) was formed in 1959. The intent was originally to compete during the Cold War effort, and the new US Army team swept the international competition circuit in what was then the Soviet-dominated sport of skydiving.
The team’s mission is primarily one of goodwill – connecting America with its Army – but they also test and evaluate new parachuting equipment and techniques that assist in improving operations and safety for the military freefall teams. The 89 men and women who make up the Golden Knights are separated into eight sections: two demonstration teams, a tandem team, three competition teams, an aviation detachment and a headquarters section.
On this Sunday at the KC air show, it was all about the “Black Team.” Following preparation for takeoff and the necessary pre-flight instructions about the risks of hypoxia (were we turning blue?) and airsick bags (with reminders to not be embarrassed if they were actually used), we lifted off over the Charles Wheeler airport and began to see through the open rear half of the plane such landmarks as the Sprint Center, the Missouri River, and the downtown skyline gradually fade into the distance. At around 1,000-2,000 feet, SPC Navarro dropped a set of black and gold “wind drift indicators” to help the team determine exactly what the atmospheric conditions were, and where the jump would initiate. Some decisions were made about whether to jump from above cloud-level, or to remain below.
One of the main impressions I got from Staff Sergeant Trevor Oppenborn was that the team spends far more time planning and plotting their jumps than they actually spend in the few minutes of freefall itself. For nearly half an hour, our plane made several climbs, adjustments, and circles, way before the jump began, as the jumpers and cockpit crew exchanged hand signals and radio information about conditions in the air and on the ground. We saw plenty of “rear ends in the air” as the crew spent plenty of time crouched down on the floor, poking their heads out of the plane and looking down -- collaborating, planning and pointing at their intended jump zone and their landing target.
Following a loud buzzer and a signal light that changed from red to green, the jumps began. I must admit that you’re never fully prepared for a uniformed Army parachutist to be casually chatting with you one second, and gone with a tiny “puff of wind” sound the next second as he or she almost immediately disappears from the plane and begins the freefall. Each time one of the crew jumped, I could hear my media counterparts across the aisle let out a small scream because of the shock factor!
Temperatures at 12,500 were surprisingly cool. Even dressed in jumpsuits and jackets, we did not feel the heat of summer until landing. For the benefit of the air show audience, we were pre-warned before takeoff that the C-31A pilot would be performing a “rapid descent” (in layman’s terms, it felt more like a “spiraling nosedive”) to bring the plane very quickly from 12,000 feet to 50 feet so we could do a “fly-by” just above the audience at the Wheeler airport. I have a greater appreciation for the pressurized cabins and slow descent of commercial aircraft after experiencing the instant sinus pressure and stomach churn associated with the rapid drop; we were instructed to look at the floor rather than try to make sense out of the window or cockpit view, which consisted of spiraling ground below (and, no, I never had to use the airsick bag I clutched tightly in my hand, although the thought did cross my mind on several occasions).
I sat next to Staff Sergeant Brandie Phillips, who didn’t appear to be a day over 25, but had already undergone over 1,300 jumps in her service to the Army. Seeing the professionalism of the entire crew brought a smile to our faces as we realized how much the Golden Knights truly enjoy their delicate balance of adrenaline rush, public relations, and hard skills needed for protecting our troops on the ground. They demonstrate the “Band of Excellence” and the “Warrior Ethos” that are continually demonstrated by all US Army Soliders in Operation Enduring Freedom and represent the greatest free-fall team in the world. Traveling around the world, the Golden Knights proudly serve our country with pride, skill, and enthusiasm.
Visit the US Army Golden Knights team, and see video of their many types of performances, at www.ArmyGK.com.
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