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40-530: Golden Knights may refer to: United States Army Parachute Team , commonly known as the "Golden Knights" Vegas Golden Knights , a National Hockey League team Golden Knights (chess) , the US's annual correspondence chess tournament Clarkson Golden Knights , Clarkson University's athletics teams "Golden Knights", pre-2007 name for the UCF Knights "Golden Knights",

80-414: A headquarters section, a media-relations section, and a supply section. The administrative and support personnel make up about half of the unit's end strength, and provide invaluable logistical support for the demonstrators and competitors as they perform their duties in the US and abroad. The team's operational elements include two demonstration teams, a four-way relative work team, a style and accuracy team,

120-479: A longer fatigue life, improved aerodynamics, and a lighter structure; Fokker became the first such company after de Havilland to employ such means. In 1953, the proposed airliner received the name Friendship . A total of four prototypes were produced, two of these being flyable aircraft that were used for the test flight programme and were paid for by the Netherlands Institute of Aircraft Development ;

160-644: A mixture of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft by the end of 2009, the last of these aircraft were subsequently donated to the Hickory Aviation Museum . As of July 2010 a total of 65 F27s were in commercial service with almost 30 different airlines. By July 2013, only 25 Friendships remained in service, operated by 13 different airlines; most of these were F27-500s, with two -400s and a solitary -600 series aircraft in service. Italian cargo airline MiniLiner operated six F27s and Air Panama had four in its fleet. The United States Army Parachute Team has operated

200-518: A probationary status for a one-year period. Those soldiers who successfully complete their probationary period are then officially deemed Golden Knights and then serve their remaining three seasons as full-fledged members of the team. Two teams participate in national and international parachute competitions, in four-way formation , eight-way formation, style and accuracy , and canopy piloting competitions. They have won an array of medals from national and international competitions each year, and hold

240-502: A tandem section, and most recently, a canopy swoop team. The two Golden Knight demonstration teams travel the United States (and occasionally overseas), performing for public audiences at venues ranging from relatively small civic events to nationally and internationally televised events (such as Monday Night Football games, NASCAR races, and large international airshows). The two, 12-member teams travel around 240 days per year, and use

280-517: A testament to their professionalism and skill. For those wishing to become one of the few, the Golden Knights hold an annual tryout and selection program by which qualified U.S. Army men and women are invited to attend a grueling and mentally challenging 6-week course, while temporarily assigned to the team at Ft. Liberty. During this event, applicants typically make 150–200 freefall parachute jumps and typically lose 5–10 lbs of body weight due to

320-575: Is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker . It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful European airliners of its era. The F27 was developed during the early 1950s with the intent of producing a capable successor to the earlier piston engine -powered airliners that had become commonplace on

360-419: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages United States Army Parachute Team The Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team (STRAC) was originally conceived by Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell . The first STRAC team consisted of 19 military parachutists. This unofficial unit competed successfully in parachute competitions, provided assistance to

400-405: Is garrisoned at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and has several dedicated facilities in the area. These facilities include an aviation support facility, a team headquarters facility, and a dedicated team drop zone. The team itself is composed of about 95 men and women and divided into several smaller task-oriented subunits, also called teams or sections. The support elements include an aviation section,

440-612: Is performed to exacting standards of practice, but can also be tailored to the specific venue. These shows range from jumpers exiting the aircraft and landing in a major-league stadium, to more involved 20- or 30-minute aerial displays. The Mass Exit show consists of multiple jumpers exiting the aircraft and forming a geometric shape, often with smoke canisters employed for additional crowd effect. The 30-minute Full Show consists of several aircraft passes or "jump runs", with each pass consisting of one or more jumpers exiting and then performing somewhat unusual parachuting maneuvers. Once safely on

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480-540: The College of Saint Rose 's athletics teams "Golden Knights", James Madison High School (Brooklyn) 's athletics teams See also [ edit ] Golden (disambiguation) Knight (disambiguation) The Golden Knight , 1970 Hong Kong film Gold Coast Knights SC , soccer team in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Ghosts 'n Goblins: Gold Knights , two video games, "Gold Knights I" and "Gold Knights II" in

520-533: The Ghosts 'n Goblins game series Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Golden Knights . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_Knights&oldid=1160144531 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

560-502: The DC-3, the F27 possessed superior levels of efficiency, enabling faster flight times, greater passenger comfort and a higher level of reliability. In 1960, the base purchase price for an RDa.6-powered F27 was £239,000. By the end of the production run for the Fokker F27 in 1987, a total of 592 units had been completed by Fokker (additionally, another 207 F-27s and FH-227s had been produced in

600-414: The F27 made its maiden flight ; on 19 November 1958, the type was introduced to revenue service. Shortly after its introduction, the F27 was recognised as being a commercial success. Under a licensing arrangement reached between Fokker and the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Fairchild , the F27 was manufactured in the United States by the latter; Fairchild went on to independently develop a stretched version of

640-439: The F27 were developed and made available for commercial operators. Several military transport models were also produced. Fokker also chose to design a dedicated model of the F27 for conducting maritime reconnaissance missions. During 1952, Fokker established a relationship with the US aircraft manufacturer Fairchild , which was interested in the upcoming F27. In 1956, Fokker signed a licensing deal with Fairchild, under which

680-619: The F27. The Fokker 50 ultimately replaced the F27 in production. In November 1958, the first production aircraft, an F27-100 model, was delivered to Irish airline Aer Lingus ; it performed its first revenue flight in the following month. Other early customers of the Friendship included Braathens SAFE and Luxair in Europe; New Zealand National Airways Corporation ; Trans Australia Airlines and its Australian competitors Ansett and East-West Airlines ; and Turkish Airlines . Initial sales for

720-423: The US by Fairchild), more than any other western European civil turboprop airliner at the time. In later service, many aircraft have been modified from their original configurations for passenger service to perform cargo or express-package freighter duties instead. The last major cargo user of the F27 in the United States was FedEx Express , using it as a cargo "feeder" aircraft. These were retired and replaced by

760-582: The airliner, which was designated as the Fairchild FH-227 . During the 1980s, Fokker developed a modernised successor to the F27, the Fokker 50 , which eventually replaced it in production. In the aftermath of the Second World War , twin-engine all-metal monoplanes such as the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner dominated commuter aviation. Over 10,000 DC-3s had been manufactured during wartime, which led to

800-452: The current military world record in both male and female four-way freefall formation and the world record in canopy piloting speed. The Golden Knights tandem section provides the team with the unique ability to provide tandem parachute jumps to approved local and national celebrities, media personnel, and VIPs. This allows the team to jump with these celebrities into venues which have local and national flavor, interest, and appeal. This program

840-460: The design team chose to incorporate various new technologies into the tentative design. Fokker evaluated several potential configurations for the airliner, including the use of Wright Cyclone radial engines , before finally settling upon a high- wing aircraft, which was furnished with a pair of Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines and a pressurised cabin which contained a total of 28 passengers. The Dart engine had already proven successful on

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880-612: The early 1980s, Fokker decided to develop a modernised successor to the F27 Friendship, designated as the F27 Mark 050 and marketed as the Fokker 50 . Although originating from the F27-500 airframe, the Fokker 50 was virtually a new aircraft, complete with Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and modern systems, which led to its general performance and passenger comfort being noticeably improved over

920-473: The early models of the Vickers Viscount , while a high-mounted wing had been selected as it produced a higher lift coefficient than a lower counterpart, it also enabled easier ground loading due to a lower floor level and provided unfettered external views to passengers without any weight increase. In the aircraft's construction, Fokker used an innovative metal-to-metal bonding technique, Redux , resulting in

960-634: The exception of the Team 6 commander) are all chief warrant officers in the ranks of CW3 to CW4 and most have typically 4,000–5,000 flight hours in fixed-wing aircraft. The enlisted personnel (with the exception of the operations NCO) are all UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crewchiefs in the ranks of SGT to SFC and most have 500–2,000 flight hours. The Golden Knights use three Viking Air UV-18 Twin Otter Series 400s and two De Havilland Dash 8 's designated C-147A as their jump planes. The UV-18s are most frequently used by

1000-467: The ground, the jumpers traditionally perform a ground line-up, in which each jumper is introduced and then the team usually presents a team memento to a distinguished selectee from the show audience. Each maneuver the Knights perform is executed with the enjoyment and safety of the audience being the paramount concern. The Golden Knights enjoy an unparalleled safety record in the professional parachuting arena,

1040-456: The honor of jumping with numerous celebrities and heads of state, most notably President George H.W. Bush, in 2007, 2012, and 2014. The Golden Knights headquarters section consists of the team's leadership and administrative, operational planning, safety, and parachute maintenance personnel. The team is commanded by a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) and run by a U.S. Army Sergeant Major (E-9). Additionally, only four commissioned officers are on

1080-563: The latter was authorised to manufacture the F27 in the USA. On 12 April 1958, the first American-built aircraft conducted its first flight. Production of Fairchild built aircraft would continue until July 1973. Fairchild proceeded to independently develop a stretched version of the airliner, designated as the FH-227 . The majority of sales completed by Fairchild fell within the North American market. In

1120-515: The market, such as the Douglas DC-3 . A key innovation of the F27 was the adoption of the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine, which produced substantially less vibration and noise which provided improved conditions for passengers; another major comfort feature was cabin pressurisation . Innovative manufacturing techniques were also employed in the aircraft's construction. On 24 November 1955,

1160-485: The maximum number of passengers which could be carried to 32. These aircraft were also powered by the Dart Mk 528 engine, which was capable of generating greater thrust. Throughout the F27's production life, Fokker proceeded to adapt the design for various purposes and roles. Via modifications such as the adoption of improved engines, rearranged loading doors, elongated fuselages, and other changes, several different models of

1200-496: The military in the development of modern parachuting techniques and equipment, and provided support for U.S. Army public relations and recruiting. In 1959, the team was formally organized and later redesignated as the U.S. Army's official aerial demonstration unit on June 1, 1961. The STRAC is part of the United States Army Marketing and Engagement Brigade, headquartered at Fort Knox , Kentucky . The parachute team

1240-611: The most time and experience performing demonstration jumps and typically holds the rank of a U.S. Army sergeant first class. The 24 demonstrator positions on the team are typically held for at least three consecutive years. At the end of their tenure, soldiers then either rotate back to U.S. Army line units or they may request to stay with the team for an additional period in one of several specialty positions. These positions are usually reserved for tandem parachute instructors, videographers, team leaders, and competition parachutists. The demonstration teams perform several types of shows; each

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1280-416: The other two prototypes were for static and fatigue testing. On 24 November 1955, the first prototype, registered PH-NIV , performed its maiden flight . The second prototype and initial production machines were 0.9 m (3 ft) longer than the first prototype in order to address a revealed tendency for slightly tail-heavy handling as well as to provide additional space for four more passengers, raising

1320-427: The regimen of jumping, technical classes, and physical training. When they are not jumping, these nascent Golden Knights learn the team's history, memorize over 13 pages of show narration verbatim , and receive public-affairs and public-speaking orientations. At the culmination of this process, the remaining applicants who are not released from the program are "knighted" during an induction ceremony and are then put on

1360-399: The tandem and competition teams and for local jumps near Ft. Bragg due to their shorter range. Golden Knights' aircraft have unique livery which is black and white with a gold stripe down the middle, on the fuselage. The tail has the U.S. Army symbol upon it. In 2019, the team retired two Fokker C-31A aircraft it had used for 34 years prior. Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship

1400-546: The team's two Fokker C-31A Troopship jump aircraft as their primary means of transportation, and sometimes the UV-18C Twin Otter Series 400 made by Viking . The two demonstration teams are dubbed the Gold Team and Black Team, in reference to the official U.S. Army colors. Team members come from a variety of backgrounds in one of the 150 jobs available in the U.S. Army. Each team has a team leader, who typically has

1440-622: The team, which makes it unusual in that it is mostly composed of and run by enlisted personnel. The team performs tandem jumps at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in North Carolina. The team's aviation section, affectionately known as "Team Six", is commanded by an U.S. Army Major (O4). This section is composed of about 10 U.S. Army and Department of the Army Civilian (DAC) pilots, and six enlisted soldiers. The U.S. Army pilots (with

1480-402: The type being highly available and thus encouraging its adoption by hundreds of operators across the world. By the early 1950s, various aircraft manufacturers had begun considering the post-war requirements of the civil aviation market and several commenced work upon projects aiming to produce designs for new aircraft which would be viewed as best meeting these requirements; Dutch firm Fokker

1520-453: The type were slow, which led to Fokker seeking financial support from banks and from the Dutch government in order to maintain production of the airliner while more customers were sought. In 1960, demand for the F27 increased rapidly as multiple airlines placed sizable orders for the type. This is in part due to the spreading reputation of the type, having been found by operators that, in comparison to its piston-engine wartime counterparts like

1560-418: Was amongst the companies pursuing development of such an aircraft. By 1951, figures within Fokker were urging that design work be undertaken on a prospective 32-seat airliner intended as a direct replacement for the popular DC-3. Fokker sought the opinions of existing DC-3 operators on what performance increases and refinements they would expect of a new model of commuter aircraft. On the basis of this feedback,

1600-503: Was designed to allow celebrities and VIPs the opportunity to experience the freefall with the Knights while in a safe, carefully controlled setting and to showcase the skills and qualities of U.S. Army soldiers to these special individuals. This element consists of six soldiers who were selected from the ranks of the demonstration teams and all are specially trained in tandem parachuting and accelerated freefall parachuting techniques, as well as freefall photography. The Golden Knights have had

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