The Parachute Team Trains in Raeford

The West Point Parachute Team traveled to Raeford, NC train and develop the skill level of the team. A primary focus of the trip was to introduce the plebes to the sport of skydiving. During the week-long training camp, the entire class of new jumpers successfully completed tandem skydives. After gaining confidence through those tandem jumps, the plebes began Accelerated Freefall (AFF) jumps by the end of the week. Through the AFF program, the plebes successfully skydived and navigated their canopy alone, with the guidance of trained instructors. The Yearling class took great strides in their new disciplines of 4-way, demonstration jumping, and VFS. The Cow class also continued to train these disciplines, while providing mentorship to their underclass counter-parts. The team had the opportunity to train with Golden Knights at the Raeford Drop Zone who provided coaching from their years of experience and thousands of jumps. Although the weather was not ideal throughout the week, the team still managed to complete 200 jumps and trained for 13.5 total hours in the nearby wind tunnel when outdoor jumping was not viable. Overall, the cadets took full advantage of this time in Raeford to enhance their individual skill levels and grow more cohesive as members of the West Point Parachute Team.