United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District Breeze - USCGAUX ...

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24 U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Breeze Air Staon Miami Makes History Transporng the U.S. Army Special ‘Ops’ Parachute Demonstraon Team Arcle and photos by Diane Riggan, Assistant District Staff Officer–Public Affairs-East D7 STUART, Fla.—On a windy November day in 2011, straps, got into position, and opened ed the cargo ramp. it took just 19 seconds for the HC-144A Ocean Sentry to get airborne. LTJG Dan Feirman and LTJG The Ocean Sentry circled the airport and surrounding Hans de Groot from Coast Guard Air Station Miami area to gain altitude while the jump team evaluated the guided the medium range aircraft into the partly winds. The airfield reported winds at 12 knots, gusting cloudy sky and headed for an altitude of 10,000 feet. to 16; the limit for a safe jump was not more than 17 knots. That day the cargo SGT Kelly Becker prepared to jump first. SGT First Class was light. Onboard Gordy Horvath, was the Coast SSG Travis Guard crew, and, Weathers, and for the first time as SSG Jeffrey Inman a commercial venue, would follow a special operations her. Three large parachute team rolls of streamers from the U.S. Army. were tossed out The performance at 2,000 feet to by the Black check the winds. Daggers Parachute The team member Demonstration Team maneuvered a few days later around on the would be historic edge of the open – not for them, but cargo ramp to for the Coast Guard. get the best view Today was practice. for watching the wind’s AMT 3rd Class effects on the Stephen Basset and AMT 3rd Class Kareem el colorful l streamers. Cherbini, United States Coast Guard, talked about how significant this day was. It was the first time the SGT Becker rechecked her gear and began to make her Ocean Sentry would serve as a platform for a jump move out to the edge. Becker made history by being the team for an air show. They were excited about the first female chaplain’s assistant to become a member opportunity to be part of it. Also on board were Diane of the Black Dagger’s team. She knelt down, looking Riggan and her husband, Wilson Riggan, Chief of intently focused, and, in a blink of an eye, stood up and Aviation, both members of Flotilla 59 in Stuart. They stepped off the ramp, just as though she were stepping assisted the Coast Guard with the arrangements for off a curb to cross the street. The brilliant red smoke this particular community event and were thrilled to trailing from her boots may have been visible for miles. learn that they would be going along for the practice run. Bassett gave them the safety briefing before boarding while waiting for the parachute team. Soon the flight deck checklist was complete, the jump team was onboard, and the cameras were ready to photograph the demonstration team. There would be just one chance to capture this event. Feirman and DeGroot received their clearance to taxi from the tower, brought the power up and rolled into take off position. After the initial climb out, AMT el Cherbini stretched a safety line mid-fuselage, from side to side, separating the area for the jump team from the rest of the cabin. He then attached his safety The team’s jumpmaster focused on communicating with the cockpit crew, however time was getting close for the others to depart the airplane. They rechecked each other’s safety gear as the plane approached 10,000 feet. SSG Inman gave “thumbs up” to the unofficial photography team, and the three made their way onto the edge of the ramp. In less than 20 seconds, Horvath stepped off backwards into thin air, followed by Inman and Weathers, and they all spread their arms to fly. Each jumper pulled on a thin cord that stretched from their wrist to the canisters on their heels. As they did so, red smoke streamed out and blazed across Continued on page 25
Volume LVIII Issue 1 Spring 2012 25 the clear blue sky, as they parachuted back to earth. Once the entire team was away, the aircraft turned and banked, and AMT el Cherbini activated the controls to close the cargo ramp. In just a few minutes, the aircraft was back on the ground and their day was over. On Sunday, November 13, 2011, with nearly 20,000 people waiting for the opening ceremonies to begin, the jump team finished their walk-thru in a grassy area away from the crowd. They then boarded the Ocean Sentry and, within minutes, the public address announcer drew the crowd’s attention to the Coast Guard HC-144A circling above. Thousands of faces looked skyward, at the gleaming white and orange Coast Guard airplane as it climbed higher and higher. Cameras caught the cargo ramp opening. and soon one jumper was away, highlighted against the beautiful South Florida sky. With smoke streaming from the jumper’s boots, the American flag stretched out behind them in the wind, and the National Anthem playing over the public address system, the team made for an impressive start. The announcer told the audience that the Black Daggers would be presenting the flag they had just carried to the family of one of our nation’s fallen military members. It was presented to Mrs. Elizabeth Jenkins, of Stuart, Fla., to honor her late husband, Navy Second Class Petty Officer Robert Boyd Jenkins, who was killed in Iraq in May 2004. Meanwhile, in the skies above, the Coast Guard crew Page 24: Wilson Riggan, Auxiliary Chief of Aviaon, looks out the window of the HC-144A Ocean Sentry from Coast Guard Staon Miami during the Coast Guard’s pracce run with the U.S. Army Black Daggers Parachute Team. Above: SGT Kelly Becker, a member of the U.S. Army’s Black Dagger Parachute Team boards the Coast Guard’s Ocean Sentry before the November pracce jump. In the background is the Ocean Sentry. The cargo ramp is open and a jumper is visible just beyond the tail. maneuvered the plane to perform a low pass fly-by, in a final tribute to Jenkins. The crowd cheered and clapped as the Ocean Sentry flew by. At the close of the air show, the Black Daggers presented the Coast Guard crew with a team photo, nicely mounted, with the signatures of the entire team. This day would be noted in Coast Guard aviation history as the first time the Coast Guard transported a parachute demonstration team for an air show in an HC-144A. It was done with the highest degree of skill and professionalism.Ω
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