COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The U.S. Army Parachute Team, “The Golden Knights,” inspire audiences of all ages with their patriotism and exciting maneuvers. Formed in 1959, the Golden Knights are the Army’s official demonstration team. Members are drawn from U.S. Army paratroopers who have demonstrated excellence in parachuting skills. They’ll thrill Columbus Air Force Base’s guests and spectators with their intricate canopy work, along with skydiving formations and landings that require extreme precision. They have a combined experience of over 13,000 freefall and static line jumps, and nearly 100 years of cumulative skydiving experience. Each team member has been pulled from all corners the Army, and their diverse background and experiences enhances their skills and recruiting efforts to all future Army warriors.
Freefall Parachuting was invented at Old McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. Army Lt. Harold R. Harris became the first person to parachute out of a malfunctioning airplane on October 28, 1922. For many years, Wright Field, now Area B of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was a main location for parachute technology research and development for the military.
The Golden Knights are based in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. These U.S. Army ambassadors represent the skill and professionalism of U.S. soldiers serving all over the world. The 16 member team will travel to Columbus Air Force Base in their Fokker C-31A Troopship, which will also serve as their skydiving aircraft. Their arrival and demonstrations are only two months away! Their demonstrations will consist of two primary parachuting formations: the show-line spread and the mass exit. The show-line spread is the grandest of entrances. It is the perfect beginning of opening ceremony of Wings Over Columbus. The Golden Knights will dive from nearly 10,000 feet above the ground in sequence and formation, flying their bodies and parachutes in a precise path that ends in a single-file line that’s parallel with the show-line. A true testament to the skills and precision of the Golden Knights.
Please join us April 21-22 as the U.S. Army Golden Knights inspire another generation of service-men and women during Wings Over Columbus 2018 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.