An Cosantóir

parachuting | 15 The Black Knights with their US colleagues the Golden Knights. Photo by Comdt Gary Gartland THE 'BLACK KNIGHTS' DISPLAY TEAM PTS instructors and jumpmasters also form the panel for the DF's para- Special Ops SPECIAL OPS PARACHUTING While PTS provides technical assistance as required (especially in the areas of regula- tion and R&D), special ops parachuting remains the preserve of the ARW, which conducts its own young-entry, progression and currency training. All unit members are trained as static-line parachutists, and ARW personnel have taken part in international airborne exercises on several occasions. In addition to this universal airborne qual- to develop a plan for participating in the 100th anniversary of the found- ing of the Irish Volunteers in 2013, which we hope will involve a number of high-profile stadium jumps. To that end, senior members of the panel attended an intensive training camp with the US Army display team, The Golden Knights, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, earlier this year. The Ameri- can 'Knights' are recognised as the leading parachute display team in the world, with regular displays into major US and international events such as the Superbowl finals. tions in Galway and the Bray Air Show, which between them boasted over 75,000 spectators. Freefall video taken by the team featured as the cen- trepiece of RTÉ's news item on the Bray Air Show and has since received over 45,000 hits on the DF's Facebook and Youtube pages. Looking forward, the Black Knights are already working with PR Section ification, the unit also maintains specialised military freefall (MFF) teams. In the last 10 years, the ARW has significantly developed this highly technical operational capabil- ity, and MFF teams can now deploy from up to 25,000ft for HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) and HAHO (high-altitude, high-opening) insertions, using oxygen where necessary. This progress is testament to the professionalism and 'can-do' attitude of the unit's parachutists, many of whom have also made a huge contribution to DF parachuting over the years. Past and present members of the Defence Forces Parachute Team pictured at the 40th Anniversary The end-of-course function for September's advanced skills course also doubled as a celebration of 40 years of parachuting in the DF. Military para- chutists, past and present, came together for a display, social evening and more than a few tall tales. As founding members met current jumpers, it was obvious that the men and women that are involved in DF parachuting today have two main things in common with the jumpers of 20, 30 and 40 years ago. The first is a love of parachuting. The second is that they all share a dream for parachuting in the DF. That dream is simple, and hasn't changed over the years – the dream that while the parachuting fraternity may be small and part-time, we still aspire to be the best small military parachuting organi- sation in the world. That aspiration was passed on by the early custodians of that dream – people like Connie Mac, Tom Hodson, John Walsh, and many others. Their dream is alive and well among the younger members today and, we hope, will still be thriving in 10 years time for our 50th anniversary! PARACHUTING REPS If you would like to get involved in static-line or sports parachuting in the DF, more information can be obtained from PCM's Formation reps:- 1 S Bde: Pte Colin Curran, 3 Inf Bn - colin.curran@defenceforces.ie 2 E Bde/DFHQ: Lt Dennis Gowran - 5 Inf Bn - dennis.gowran@defenceforces.ie 4 W Bde: Sgt Graham Nuttall, 6 Inf Bn - graham.nuttall@defenceforces.ie DFTC: Capt John Hogan, IWW - john.hogan@defenceforces.ie AC: A/W Jayne Kennedy, No 4 Sqn - jayne.kennedy@defenceforces.ie NS: Lt (NS) Danny Wall - daniel.wall@defenceforces.ie RDF: 2/Lt Kevin Farrell, 65 Inf Bn RDF - kevsan2008@gmail.com www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE chute display team, the Black Knights, which have carried out hundreds of displays since the early '70s as part of the DF's public relations effort. Highlights this year included jumps into the Volvo Ocean Race celebra-

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