-
May 9, 2008 6:15 pm US/Eastern
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Golden Knights 'Parachute' Into Air Show
KDKA's Keith Jones flies with the 'Golden Knights'
(KDKA)
There's something for everyone at this weekend's "Wings Over Pittsburgh" Air Show.
KDKA's Keith Jones got a preview of the show when he flew along with the Golden Knights.
The group was created in 1959 and is based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"The team consisted of about 20 members of all different services, brought all together, and basically built new parachutes to keep up with the Soviet Union at the time," said Sgt. Pete White, current member of the Golden Knights.
But he says these days the Golden Knights serve more as a recruiting and public relations entity.
Sgt. White says that he has more than 2,300 free fall jumps in his time with the group.
During the air show, they can be seen jumping from a plane, sometimes in mass jumps or five different jumps.
They say they use the Fokker Aircraft for the air show performances only, and when they are in a special active duty mission or a training mission they use a C-130.
Sgt. White says they like to thrill the crowds during air shows.
"We show the crowd what happens when a parachute malfunctions. He releases one side of the chute. The jumper plummets 90 miles per hour and wouldn't be able to survive under that parachute," says Sgt. White. "They release it; continue to free fall, deploy another parachute."
Click here for more on the Wings Over Pittsburgh Air Show.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)