By Susan Turcotte
The playground stands empty except for an orange flag flapping gently in the breeze and
two men moving about testing wind speeds. A CF Hercules circles above. The Sky Hawks are
dropping in for a visit, and 600 students in Belleville, Ont., are gathered along the
perimeter of the drop zone waiting for their airborne arrival.
The Sky Hawks, the Canadian Forces Parachute Team, have been busy since early May
dropping into crowds in about 90 different locations across Canada and the United States,
from schoolyards to air shows. By the time the season winds down in October, team members
will have jumped more than 400 times.
The Sky Hawks say travelling and meeting people are the best parts of the job. In the
air, they are athletes performing complicated aerobatics under their famed maple leaf
canopies; on the ground, the Sky Hawks are great ambassadors for the Army.
All of them display a remarkable rapport with children. During school visits, members
pair up in classrooms to describe the team’s history and explain their equipment.
With older students, they discuss the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. And they
patiently answer the same question over and over: "What do you do if your parachute
doesn’t open?"
The 17-member team, now in its 28th season, is based in Trenton at the Canadian
Parachute Centre and jump from a Buffalo provided by Comox’s 442 Squadron.
For more information about joining the team or requesting a visit, see their Web site: www.achq.dnd.ca/8wing/skyhawks
Susan Turcotte is the Assistant Editor for the Army.
