RAF Falcons carry out first display jump from C-17 Globemaster

The RAF Parachute Display Team have carried out the first display jump out of a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.

Eight members of the Falcons jumped over Witney, Oxfordshire, from an aircraft belonging to RAF Brize Norton's 99 Squadron.

The jump was primarily used as a proof of concept activity, which will now allow the Falcons to use the Globemaster in future displays.

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It also allowed training for the 99 Squadron crew to gain the experience needed for the jump.

The display from the Falcons was used to open the dinner of the Canopy Club – the Association for serving and former Parachute Jump Instructors of the RAF.

The event was held at the Witney Lakes Resort, which also served as the landing zone for the RAF Display Team.

After the landing, the RAF Falcons saluted the Reviewing Officer, the President of the Canopy Club Association, Group Captain (Retired) Mike Milburn RAF, a former commander of the Parachute Training School.

Gp Cpt Milburn said it was "so good to see" the RAF display team jump from the C-17.

"The run-in over the drop zone was, in itself, a spectacle of air power and gravitas, and the Falcons thrilled the crowd with their precision and team cohesion as they landed safely into the arena," he said.

"Those ex-Falcons of us watching were impressed with the professionalism of the team as they then interacted well with the crowd, talking mainly to the children about parachuting and the RAF in general.

"On behalf of the Canopy Club, which next year celebrates its 80th anniversary, it was a privilege to witness the current RAF Falcons parachuting from the C17."

Next up, the Falcons are planning to jump from a Globemaster at the ZigAirMeet airshow at Mollis, Switzerland on 19 and 20 August 2023.