United States Army Parachute Team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed and commonly known as the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army. It consists of demonstration and competition Parachutist teams, drawn from US Army Paratroopers who have demonstrated excellence in their parachuting skills.
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[edit] History
The Golden Knights evolved from an informal Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team, organized by 13 Army parachutists in 1959. This unofficial unit competed successfully in parachute competitions and was recognized and organized as an official unit on June 1, 1961.
[edit] Units
The Golden Knights consist of several teams and an organizational headquarters team.
[edit] Demonstration teams
Two demonstration teams perform public relations duties of parachute jumps at sporting and other events, airshows, and the like. These teams are named the Black Team and the Gold Team.
[edit] Competition teams
Two teams participate in national and international parachute competitions. These teams compete in Four-way Formation and Style/Accuracy competitions.
[edit] Headquarters
The Golden Knights headquarters unit includes the team's leadership and commanding officer, administrative functions, operational planning, safety, and parachute maintenance.
[edit] Aircraft
The Golden Knights use the Fokker C-31A Friendship and the De Havilland Canada UV-18A Twin Otter as their delivery aircraft. The C-31A is the most commonly the model that they jump from. Both of the planes have a unique Golden Knights livery, which are white with a yellow stripe down the middle of the fuselage. The bottom and tail are painted black (on the C-31A). The tail has the familiar "Go Army" sign on it (ex. Twin Otter).
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Golden Knights webpage
- GoldenKnights.com Golden Knights Airshow Schedule, FAQ's & Pictures
