Skyhawks dive into Coe Hill
By Jim Eadie, Special to Bancroft This Week
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 7:48:08 EDT PM
On Sunday, Sept. 2, the Skyhawks parachute team based in CFB Trenton made an impressive aerial display in the skies over Coe Hill as part of the Warriors Day presentation at the fairgrounds.
There was an amazing demonstration of sky diving, all but one of the eight divers landed exactly on the target set out in the field in front of the grandstands.
Divers jumped from a brand new C130J Hercules aircraft.
Master Corporal Natacha Card explained that the new “Hercs” are even larger than the older models often seen flying over North Hastings on training flights.
“We will do 30 shows across Canada, the U.S.A. and in Belgium this year,” she said. “We are thrilled to be in Coe Hill today.”
Members of the Skyhawks team are all full time members of the armed forces who volunteer for this special task.
Drawn from the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre (CFLAWC) in Trenton, all have been trained in skydiving, parachuting, rappelling, mountaineering, and helicopter duties. The Canadian Forces website describes CFLAWC as a centre of excellence in military training.
“There are ... three women in the group,” said Card, “but none will be jumping today.”
Parachutists jump from 6,000 feet, and use a 200 square foot square parachute.
Lieutenant Ben Huddleston explained that a round parachute just drops straight to the ground. With a square parachute, the jumper has the ability to steer and control the fall.
Who calls the shots on a jump?
Team Captain Pierre Pelletier is in charge and also is one of the jumpers. He makes decisions from the plane, and from the air.
Eight members of the team made the jump, four at a time.
Jumpers linked up in the air for very complicated choreography, which included large Canadian flags and coloured flares.
The large crowd cheered and gasped as jumpers performed aerial acrobatics, and finally landed safely in the small field directly in front of them.
After the safe landings, Pelletier and the other jumpers showed local children and their parents the parachutes, and how to fold them properly for the next time.
George Goddard, 6, and his little brother Nick helped Pelletier fold his parachute by rolling on it to get all of the air out of the fabric.
Their mom Tracey Goddard said, “we all love this show. We come every year and the boys love it.”
The Goddards have a cottage on nearby Finnegan Lake, and often see the low flying Hercules aircraft overhead in the summer.
Parachutist Sergeant Francis Gosselin had both of his sons in the crowd to see their dad jump, since they live in Trenton.
Gabriel, 6, and Dylan, 3, were enthusiastic, but said they had seen Daddy jump out of a plane before.
The new Hercules made a very low pass over the grandstand before returning to base in Trenton.
North Hastings is lucky to have seen this international demonstration in Coe Hill. It was one of only 30 shows the Skyhawks will do this year.
Full Article
There was an amazing demonstration of sky diving, all but one of the eight divers landed exactly on the target set out in the field in front of the grandstands.
Divers jumped from a brand new C130J Hercules aircraft.
Master Corporal Natacha Card explained that the new “Hercs” are even larger than the older models often seen flying over North Hastings on training flights.
“We will do 30 shows across Canada, the U.S.A. and in Belgium this year,” she said. “We are thrilled to be in Coe Hill today.”
Members of the Skyhawks team are all full time members of the armed forces who volunteer for this special task.
Drawn from the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre (CFLAWC) in Trenton, all have been trained in skydiving, parachuting, rappelling, mountaineering, and helicopter duties. The Canadian Forces website describes CFLAWC as a centre of excellence in military training.
“There are ... three women in the group,” said Card, “but none will be jumping today.”
Parachutists jump from 6,000 feet, and use a 200 square foot square parachute.
Lieutenant Ben Huddleston explained that a round parachute just drops straight to the ground. With a square parachute, the jumper has the ability to steer and control the fall.
Who calls the shots on a jump?
Team Captain Pierre Pelletier is in charge and also is one of the jumpers. He makes decisions from the plane, and from the air.
Eight members of the team made the jump, four at a time.
Jumpers linked up in the air for very complicated choreography, which included large Canadian flags and coloured flares.
The large crowd cheered and gasped as jumpers performed aerial acrobatics, and finally landed safely in the small field directly in front of them.
After the safe landings, Pelletier and the other jumpers showed local children and their parents the parachutes, and how to fold them properly for the next time.
George Goddard, 6, and his little brother Nick helped Pelletier fold his parachute by rolling on it to get all of the air out of the fabric.
Their mom Tracey Goddard said, “we all love this show. We come every year and the boys love it.”
The Goddards have a cottage on nearby Finnegan Lake, and often see the low flying Hercules aircraft overhead in the summer.
Parachutist Sergeant Francis Gosselin had both of his sons in the crowd to see their dad jump, since they live in Trenton.
Gabriel, 6, and Dylan, 3, were enthusiastic, but said they had seen Daddy jump out of a plane before.
The new Hercules made a very low pass over the grandstand before returning to base in Trenton.
North Hastings is lucky to have seen this international demonstration in Coe Hill. It was one of only 30 shows the Skyhawks will do this year.
Full Article