The Royal Air Force FalconsParachute Display Team

Probably the most well-known facet of the School is its Display Team, the Royal Air Force Falcons. The Display Flight, as the Team is also known, is responsible to the Strike Command Participation Committee for public free fall parachute displays. It comprises 12 Parachute Jumping Instructors (2 officers and 10 senior non-commissioned officers) and one non-commissioned officer, Safety Equipment Fitter, and conducts over 120 displays throughout the display season. Although an excellent public relations tool for the Royal Air Force, the Team's main function is as a training vehicle on which suitably experienced free fall instructors are produced and thus, in many ways, a tour of duty on the Team may be considered a 3-year course in free fall and canopy-handling techniques. It is most certainly the tour of duty most up-and-coming Parachute Jumping Instructors aspire to and leads those who show an affinity for free fall into a realm of exciting and rewarding pursuits with the likes of the Parachute Test Team at Boscombe Down.

For more information on the RAF Falcons, including an image gallery, details of the current team members and the display calender, visit their own web site at www.raf.mod.uk/falcons.