Gold Team Wows the Crowds at the Wings Over Whiteman Airshow

Gold Team gathers for a pre-jump hoorah. Photo by SSG Joe Abeln

The weekend was off to a great start at Whiteman AFB this weekend, with beautiful weather and large crowds, who were out enjoying the sunshine and impressive static displays, which included the B-2 Stealth Bomber.Two members from Tandem Team joined Gold Team for the weekend, and were able to take Katie Horner, the Chief Meteorologist from KCTV Channel 5 News of Kansas City, on a tandem Saturday morning, and were also able to supplement Gold Team on the remaining jumps this weekend.

SSG Jon Ewald gives the tandem briefing prior to the jump on Saturday morning. Photo by SSG Joe Abeln

Tandem master SSG Jon Ewald and tandem passenger Katie Horner, the Chief Meteorologist from KCTV Channel 5 News of Kansas City, exit the Team's C-31 aircraft. Photo by SSG Joe Abeln

America's newest skydiver lands right on target. Photo by SSG Joe Abeln

But despite the running start out the gate, the weather caught up with the Team on Sunday. After a storm front rolled in, resulting in a lower altitude jump on Saturday afternoon, the Team woke up to 300 foot cloud ceilings and one mile visibility on Sunday. But true to the unpredictability of the Midwestern weather, the skies cleared up and the Team was able to perform their full show later in the afternoon. It’s been a great weekend here at Wings Over Whiteman, and hopefully the Team will be able to return here in the 2011 season.

The third point in Gold Team's mass formation on Saturday morning. Photo by SSG Steve Robertson

SGT Jen Schaben talks to an interested supporter after the jump. Photo by SSG Steve Robertson