Gold Team Fights the Winds in Florence, South Carolina

June 6th was the final day of the airshow in Florence SC. Again today, Gold Team opened the airshow to the playing of the National Anthem. The winds in Florence for the morning show were over the limit to conduct safe parachute operations for accuracy parachutes. The limit for these parachutes is 20 mph. Since the winds were at these limits Gold Team had to modify their show and still be able to perform their show and do it safely. Gold Teams determination to become pro rated on more than just accuracy parachutes enabled them to use much smaller parachutes and make the show happen.

SGT Dan Cook was the narrator for the opening performance. The rest of the team exited the aircraft one after another and performed a show line spread. A show line spread is where the lands from one end of the show line to the other. This enables everyone to get a better look at a parachute landing instead of just the people at show center. Once on the ground the team went to the fence line, shook hands and met with the crowd. For the second performance of the day the winds had gotten so bad it wasn’t safe for either of the two different parachute systems Gold Team uses, so the pilots of the team aircraft (nicknamed Team 6)put on a show, doing a low altitude high speed fly by down the show line. This allows the spectators to get a close look at the teams aircraft in action.

in these photos: SFC JD Berentis, the team leader, flys the smoke chain as the assistant team leader SSG Aaron Figel flys in formation with him.

Gold Team at the fence line meeting with the spectators after their jump.

Photos by: SSG Ryan Ray