DF Parachuters win international competition

[Tempest]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I haven't seen it on the forum. No harm to mention this great achievement again!

JULY 2010 Flying In Ireland Magazine

On the 14th of June it was announced that the Defence Forces Parachute Team had won its first international competition in almost 30 years in France beating ten military and civilian teams from countries across Europe including French and Belgian military paratroopers. The formation skydiving competition took place over four days, with each team completing eight jumps from 10,500 feet. The Irish Team finished well clear of their nearest rivals with an impressive display. The team is made up of five members of the Defence Forces from a variety of units and are all skydiving instructors within the organisation. The result comes after eights months of training consisting of 200 training skydives and monthly training in an indoor skydiving simulator. The team are currently training for the 35th CISM World Military Parachute Championships, being held in Switzerland in July. Three further competitions planned for this year and 2011 will see the team compete at the World CISM competition in Brazil and the World Cup in Germany. This training is part of the ongoing parachute training in the Defence Forces in order to continue raising the standard of this specialised military skill.

[RoyalGreenJacket]

the [Irish] Defence Forces Parachute Team had won its first international competition in almost 30 years in France beating ten military and civilian teams ... including French and Belgian military paratroopers....This training is part of the ongoing parachute training in the Defence Forces in order to continue raising the standard of this specialised military skill.

i'm guessign it was not military jumps, if not it isn't really a 'specialised military skill' and more of a sport, as there are other methods of freefall parachuting used by the military and formation skydiving is not one of them.

anyhow either way - brilliant result lads and well done, it raises the profile of the Irish DF and Irish Parachuting in general and they are obviously masters of their chosen sport.

[RoyalGreenJacket]

kermit - jumping freefall out of an aircraft and adopting different formations is not a 'military skill' so what's the problem?

it's a sport, and it's something these lads, some of which are Irish DF deserve credit for in doing so well and achieving a 1st place win in this big international event.

i say again - well done, and if you don't think they deserve credit for their achievements then maybe you should be the one crawling off into a shameful hole.

you should be proud of these lads.

[Goldie fish]

kermit - jumping freefall out of an aircraft and adopting different formations is not a 'military skill' so what's the problem?

it's a sport, and it's something these lads, some of which are Irish DF deserve credit for in doing so well and achieving a 1st place win in this big international event.

i say again - well done, and if you don't think they deserve credit for their achievements then maybe you should be the one crawling off into a shameful hole.

you should be proud of these lads.

Damn right.

[RoyalGreenJacket]

and from what i have heard through the grapevine i'd say it's safe to say that some of the Irish DF members who were successful in this event could no doubt give any other Army a good run for their money when it comes to military jumping too.

well done to the Irish DF for projecting themselves so well into this elite skill in both a civilian and military capacity.

[Vanguard]

i'm guessign it was not military jumps, if not it isn't really a 'specialised military skill' and more of a sport, as there are other methods of freefall parachuting used by the military and formation skydiving is not one of them.

anyhow either way - brilliant result lads and well done, it raises the profile of the Irish DF and Irish Parachuting in general and they are obviously masters of their chosen sport.

Stacking is also used in HAHO military jumps.

Excellent achievment.