The RAF Parachute Display Team, the Falcons, have carried out the first display jump from an RAF C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.
The display was carried out by eight members of the RAF Falcons jumping over Witney, Oxfordshire. The jump from the C-17 Globemaster of RAF Brize Norton based 99 Squadron, was primarily a proof of concept activity, which now allows the Falcons to use this aircraft for future displays and gives the team a much greater range. The sortie also provided important training for the 99 Squadron aircrew to gain the currency needed for this activity.
The opportunity was also taken to provide an opening display for the annual dinner of the Canopy Club, the Association for serving and former Parachute Jump Instructors of the RAF. The dinner was held at the Witney Lakes Resort complex which served as the landing zone for the Falcons.
As is tradition for displays by the Falcons – after landing, the Team formed up to salute a Reviewing Officer, in this case the President of the Canopy Club Association, Group Captain (Retired) Mike Milburn RAF, a former commander of the Parachute Training School.
“It was so good to see the RAF Falcons exiting the C17. The run-in over the drop zone was in itself a spectacle of air power and gravitas, and the Falcons thrilled the crowd with their precision and team cohesion as they landed safely into the arena.Those ex-Falcons of us watching were impressed with the professionalism of the team as they then interacted well with the crowd, talking mainly to the children about parachuting and the RAF in general. On behalf of the Canopy Club, which next year celebrates its 80th anniversary, it was a privilege to witness the current RAF Falcons parachuting from the C17.”
Gp Capt Milburn
The Falcons are now planning to jump from an RAF C-17 at the ZigAirMeet airshow at Mollis, Switzerland on the 19 and 20 August 2023.