My Flight With The Army Golden Knights Parachute Team

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By Cliff Lethbridge

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, FL (March 24, 2001) - Yes, it fell somewhat outside the realm of rockets, missiles and the Space Shuttle to which my 22 years of journalism have been primarily devoted. Still, Patrick Air Force Base, located about 15 miles south of Cape Canaveral, remains the management hub of launch activity at Cape Canaveral and I have long known that their periodic air shows rank among the finest in the nation. That's why I jumped at the opportunity of reserving one of a few seats graciously made available for journalists wanting to fly with the Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. And, it is a decision I will never regret.

I had seen the Golden Knights perform and I knew what their aircraft looked like, but quite honestly I had no idea what to expect so far as "flying" with them was concerned. All the confirmation e-mail I received from 45th Space Wing Public Affairs said was that I had a seat on the early flight for Saturday, and all I had to do was arrive at the Patrick Air Force Base Main Gate at 7:15 a.m. That seemed easy enough to me. Saturday, March 24 marked the official opening of the 2001 Patrick Air Force Base Air Show (some activities including two Golden Knights performances were conducted a day earlier). I would be flying with the Golden Knights to observe their in-flight activities during the first of two scheduled performances. This was considered to be the Grand Opening event of the Air Show, and needless to say I was excited despite the time of day.

I was greeted at the gate by Air Force Major Cynthia East, which made me very happy because she is someone I had developed a professional friendship with over the years. She would act as my official escort during the flight. I was somewhat shocked to find that I was the only journalist that accepted an invitation for this flight. But, exclusivity never bothers a seasoned reporter. We convoyed south to the 45th Space Wing Operations Center for transport to the aircraft we would be flying in. It was there we met our pilot, CW4 Hunter Odum. Infectiously optomistic for that time of day, Odum drove us out to the aircraft. There was some discussion about how cold it would be at the jump altitude of 12,500 feet but I wasn't too concerned about that - at least not at the time.

The Army Golden Knights C-31A Friendship Aircraft looked impressive on the tarmac with its attractive combination of white, gold and black coloring. We were greeted by one of the Golden Knights, who almost immediately invited us on the aircraft for a safety briefing. I must admit I was concerned by talk of airsickness, blown ear drums and potential lack of oxygen at the jump altitude of 12,500 feet. But, the seats in the front of the aircraft that we were seated in for the briefing were just like those of a commercial airliner, so how difficult could the flight be? And concerns of the cold temperatures at the jump altitude were somewhat alleviated by the Golden Knights, who provided us with official jumpsuits and gloves to wear over our regular clothing. Major East also most graciously lent me a jacket she had planned on wearing herself.

Since we had arrived just a few minutes before the scheduled departure time, we were quickly strapped into our seats. But not the seats I thought we would be sitting in. I was told that since I was the only journalist on the flight, I would get the "best seat". And where was that? You guessed it. Right smack in the back of the aircraft next to one of the gaping holes on either side of the plane where the rear hatches had been removed to give the parachute team an easy exit. Now I would not be honest if I said I was particularly excited about this aspect of the flight at the time. I kept thinking about 12,500 feet and the fact that I was seated just a few inches away from my eternal reward. The prospect of sitting there for the entire flight was indeed daunting and I was very nervous. I just hoped it didn't show. But, if a Golden Knight himself told me this was the "best seat" then this was the one I really wanted, and I know I wouldn't have been happy anywhere else.

It seemed like just a few seconds passed and the aircraft was filled with those who would be flying. There was our pilot, a co-pilot and a Golden Knights crew chief. And of course there were ten Golden Knights, many of whom had logged over 2,000 individual parachute jumps. I scanned all of their faces, smiles and hand waves were exchanged and then it was down to business. The aircraft started rolling, and after I said a quick but fervent prayer, we were on our way. The aircraft was actually airborne very quickly after we started moving, owning to the fact that this would be the Grand Opening of the Air Show. I knew I had to look outside the aircraft sooner or later, so I chose sooner rather than later. The speed at which the ground was moving made me a bit dizzy, but I recovered very quickly. I was actually surprised that looking at the ground directly out the side of an aircraft didn't bother me at all, and I was instantly struck by the beauty of the scenery below and how much of it I could see. I could see outside both sides of the plane, and through the cloudless sky the views were absolutely magnificent.

The pilot began a series of large circles around Patrick Air Force Base that would allow the aircraft to reach the desired jump altitude of 12,500 feet. The Golden Knights busied themselves donning their equipment and making last-minute checks. A few were rather reserved in their manner while others were more jovial and outgoing. I was most struck by how calm and well organized they all were. I was also very gratified by those who took the time to give me a smile and a "thumb's up" to make sure I was doing okay. Between the views outside and the activity inside, I became deeply absorbed in what I was privileged to be witnessing. The flight progressed for perhaps ten minutes when a set of streamers was thrown out of the aircraft about a foot from my head. The streamers were then observed in order to gauge relative wind speed and direction. Then it was conference time at the front of the aircraft and one or two of the Golden Knights kept walking from back to front, occasionally kneeling on the floor and looking outside the aircraft. Hand signals were exchanged to help guide the aircraft to the best position for the jump.

Then it got cold. And I don't mean chilly. I mean cold. The Golden Knight who had given us the safety briefing told me we had reached the jump altitude of 12,500 feet. And it was freezing cold. Air temperature on the ground was probably in the upper 60's Fahrenheit at takeoff and we had been told to expect temperatures 30 to 40 degrees colder at jump altitude. I guess it wasn't the air temperature so much as the constant wind what was hitting me from outside that really started to kick in. Although I was enjoying the flight and all I was seeing, I started to hope the Golden Knights would be jumping soon so the aircraft could descend from the cold. At this point, because I was really starting to get chilled through, minutes seemed to take longer to pass. But it actually wasn't too long before the jumps began. The Golden Knight who had given us the safety briefing would be the first to go. He was the assigned narrator for the show, and no one else would jump until he reached the ground. It was so amazing to me the way he left the aircraft. His eyes met mine for an instant, he took a giant step backwards and before my eyes could focus on him he was gone, like a bullet. I had hoped to get a photo of this but the cold temperature killed the battery in my camera and it did not respond fast enough.

As I examined the camera I discovered that I was so cold I could hardly raise my arms to lift it, so the battery problem didn't matter that much anyway. A few minutes after the first Golden Knight had jumped, the remaining nine gathered in the back of the aircraft. I managed to raise my camera, and by some miracle got a shot of the Golden Knights that jumped from the hatchway opposite me. As was the case with the first jumper, they too were gone in the blink of an eye. To my delight the aircraft started an immediate downward spiral, and I knew relief from the cold would soon arrive. Each time I spotted Patrick Air Force Base I strained my eyes to see the parachutes, but I was never able to see any. I was confident that all of the Golden Knights had arrived at their destination safely. After a few minutes I began to recover from the cold and started once again to appreciate the stunning views outside the aircraft. At one point I waved to a boater and to my surprise the boater actually waved back. The aircraft would soon land, ten passengers shy of those with which it had taken off.

Those passengers were already on the ground, long since having stripped down to shorts and T-shirts, now busily re-packing their parachutes while signing autographs for delighted members of the audience. Once I had stripped out of my jacket and jumpsuit, it was a quick walk from the tarmac to where the Golden Knights had completed their jumps - every jumper precisely hitting a mark on the ground about the size of a basketball. Somehow I managed to thank all of them for the great ride while having them autograph the back cover of the official press kit I had been issued before the flight. I saved the airsickness bag I had been issued and they signed that, too. Thankfully, it didn't have anything in it. One of the Golden Knights wrote on it "Official Golden Knights Barf Bag" and I am sure it will be displayed with pride for generations to come. Yes, it was a flight I will always remember and I can only hope the invitation will be open again someday. And as I looked upward and watched the Golden Knights parachute toward the ground during their second and final performance of the day, I did so with a perspective that made me feel proud - a bit of me but especially of them.

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