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Army Golden Knights Srgt. Rachel Medley and Staff Srgt. Brandon Valle jump out of an Army plane at the Rockford Air Show. (Tribune photo by Stacey Wescott / July 31, 2010) |
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Not many people would jump out of a plane 12,500 feet in the air moving at 120 mph — even if they had a parachute, a net and a pit of foam ensuring their safe landing.
But members of the Army's parachute team, The Golden Knights, do just that every day (minus the net and pit of foam, of course). And not only do they jump out of a plane — they also perform acrobatics on the way down with a smoke can attached to their feet. The red smoke that the can emits displays the Knights' path as they land about 50 feet from the (possibly apprehensive) audience.
The Golden Knights will be performing Saturday and Sunday at the 52nd annual Chicago Air and Water show, which has featured a Golden Knights team for 51 years. To kick off the show this year, Vince Vaughn will tandem jump with the Golden Knights at 11 a.m. Saturday, but, as shown by the Bill Murray jump of 2008, Vaughn will be strapped to his designated parachutist so tightly it probably will be hard to see him until he actually lands on North Avenue Beach.
Hanging out around their plane before taking off for a different show, the current members of the Golden Knights stand in calf-high black tactical boots and wear matching black shirts and shorts emblazoned with the Army's logo. The effect is a bit intimating, but speak to one of them and it becomes obvious that this is an approachable group.
Sgt. Rachel Medley, 32, of Eureka, Calif., has been on the team for two years.
"The tryout was hard," Medley said. "It was eight weeks long, six days a week and we did about 10 jumps a day. But the tryout was more about seeing if you could be a good team member than if you were a good skydiver. It was all about finding out if you have the ability to be personable and be a good representative for the Army."
According to Medley, the Knights are on the road about 270 days of the year, not including the days they are training on-base at Fort Bragg. Between March and November, the Knights perform almost every weekend, but they all say they wouldn't trade their job for anything.
"I love absolutely everything about my job," said Sgt. Brandie Phillips, another parachutist for the Golden Knights. "Most people dread going to work every day, but I am excited to wake up in the morning and get to base. I get to hang out with some of my best friends and represent all the soldiers in the Army. It is the best job."
Phillips, 23, of Fort Calhoun, Neb., has been on the team two years and is the only member of the team that hasn't seen combat, but that will change soon as she is set to deploy to Iraq within a year.
Because the jumpers can't communicate during freefall, they go over all their formations on the ground, what they call a "dirt dive," about 20 minutes before takeoff. After that the team piles into the plane, where they don black jumpsuits, gloves and helmets and put on their 40-pound backpacks. They're sweating and obviously hot on the ground, but the temperature drops 30 to 40 degrees at 12,500 feet.
Up in the air, a couple members of the team work with the pilot to coordinate the exact location at which the team will jump, called the release point. These precise calculations must include height and wind speed in order to ensure a pinpoint landing for the parachutists.
After two safety checks and a couple of motivational high-fives, the Knights jump. Literally hopping out of the plane, they seem to be suspended in mid-air before they begin to fall.The group will jump a couple of shows before they make their way to the Air and Water show, but the team is already excited.
Phillips worked the ground handing out pamphlets about the Knights and the Army at last year's show.
"I talked to a lot of people sitting on the beach," Phillips said. "Everyone was really nice and really wanted to know about what we were going to be doing."
"Chicago was amazing last year," Medley agreed. "The show and the city had a really good vibe. It was amazing to jump right onto North Avenue beach and see all the people watching us. I love jumping in the Chicago show."
cocrowder@tribune.com
Show survival guide
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Vince Vaughn will jump with the Knights at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Where: The performance box for the show stretches along the lakefront from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the center point.
Price: Free!
Transportation: Public transportation is recommended; visit transitchicago.com to plot your route. There will be a free shuttle from the Millennium Park and East Monroe Street parking garages. Show your parking ticket in order to board the shuttle.
Food: There will be vendors along North Avenue Beach; to avoid long lines, bring a picnic lunch.
Lesser known places to watch: Consider Navy Pier, a boat on the lake, Lincoln Park on the west side of the Lake Shore Drive apartment buildings or any rooftop along the lakefront in the Lincoln Park/Gold Coast area.
What time should I REALLY get there: People start claiming the best spots as early as 7 a.m.
Listen: WBBM-AM 780 will broadcast commentary by Herb Hunter, a pilot and the voice of the show for 23 years.
Remember: Sunscreen and water! (Someone has to nag you.)
But members of the Army's parachute team, The Golden Knights, do just that every day (minus the net and pit of foam, of course). And not only do they jump out of a plane — they also perform acrobatics on the way down with a smoke can attached to their feet. The red smoke that the can emits displays the Knights' path as they land about 50 feet from the (possibly apprehensive) audience.
The Golden Knights will be performing Saturday and Sunday at the 52nd annual Chicago Air and Water show, which has featured a Golden Knights team for 51 years. To kick off the show this year, Vince Vaughn will tandem jump with the Golden Knights at 11 a.m. Saturday, but, as shown by the Bill Murray jump of 2008, Vaughn will be strapped to his designated parachutist so tightly it probably will be hard to see him until he actually lands on North Avenue Beach.
Hanging out around their plane before taking off for a different show, the current members of the Golden Knights stand in calf-high black tactical boots and wear matching black shirts and shorts emblazoned with the Army's logo. The effect is a bit intimating, but speak to one of them and it becomes obvious that this is an approachable group.
Sgt. Rachel Medley, 32, of Eureka, Calif., has been on the team for two years.
"The tryout was hard," Medley said. "It was eight weeks long, six days a week and we did about 10 jumps a day. But the tryout was more about seeing if you could be a good team member than if you were a good skydiver. It was all about finding out if you have the ability to be personable and be a good representative for the Army."
According to Medley, the Knights are on the road about 270 days of the year, not including the days they are training on-base at Fort Bragg. Between March and November, the Knights perform almost every weekend, but they all say they wouldn't trade their job for anything.
"I love absolutely everything about my job," said Sgt. Brandie Phillips, another parachutist for the Golden Knights. "Most people dread going to work every day, but I am excited to wake up in the morning and get to base. I get to hang out with some of my best friends and represent all the soldiers in the Army. It is the best job."
Phillips, 23, of Fort Calhoun, Neb., has been on the team two years and is the only member of the team that hasn't seen combat, but that will change soon as she is set to deploy to Iraq within a year.
Because the jumpers can't communicate during freefall, they go over all their formations on the ground, what they call a "dirt dive," about 20 minutes before takeoff. After that the team piles into the plane, where they don black jumpsuits, gloves and helmets and put on their 40-pound backpacks. They're sweating and obviously hot on the ground, but the temperature drops 30 to 40 degrees at 12,500 feet.
Up in the air, a couple members of the team work with the pilot to coordinate the exact location at which the team will jump, called the release point. These precise calculations must include height and wind speed in order to ensure a pinpoint landing for the parachutists.
After two safety checks and a couple of motivational high-fives, the Knights jump. Literally hopping out of the plane, they seem to be suspended in mid-air before they begin to fall.The group will jump a couple of shows before they make their way to the Air and Water show, but the team is already excited.
Phillips worked the ground handing out pamphlets about the Knights and the Army at last year's show.
"I talked to a lot of people sitting on the beach," Phillips said. "Everyone was really nice and really wanted to know about what we were going to be doing."
"Chicago was amazing last year," Medley agreed. "The show and the city had a really good vibe. It was amazing to jump right onto North Avenue beach and see all the people watching us. I love jumping in the Chicago show."
cocrowder@tribune.com
Show survival guide
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Vince Vaughn will jump with the Knights at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Where: The performance box for the show stretches along the lakefront from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the center point.
Price: Free!
Transportation: Public transportation is recommended; visit transitchicago.com to plot your route. There will be a free shuttle from the Millennium Park and East Monroe Street parking garages. Show your parking ticket in order to board the shuttle.
Food: There will be vendors along North Avenue Beach; to avoid long lines, bring a picnic lunch.
Lesser known places to watch: Consider Navy Pier, a boat on the lake, Lincoln Park on the west side of the Lake Shore Drive apartment buildings or any rooftop along the lakefront in the Lincoln Park/Gold Coast area.
What time should I REALLY get there: People start claiming the best spots as early as 7 a.m.
Listen: WBBM-AM 780 will broadcast commentary by Herb Hunter, a pilot and the voice of the show for 23 years.
Remember: Sunscreen and water! (Someone has to nag you.)