RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team

The RAF Falcons have enjoyed a long and distinguished history as one of the premier display teams in the world. The team was originally formed in 1961 by parachute jump instructors from No1 Parachute Training School which was then based at RAF Abingdon. The team was nickhaned "The Big 6" as most of the members were shorter than 5 ft 6 in! Display techniques have changed dramatically since the early years, in 1965 they flew the round "Para Commander" parachute and would jump with bags of flour, today they use a highly manouvorable square canoy and coloured smoke.

The Display Flight, as the Team is also known, is responsible to the Strike Command Participation Committee for public free fall parachute displays. It comprises 12 Parachute Jumping Instructors (2 officers and 10 senior non-commissioned officers) and one non-commissioned officer, Safety Equipment Fitter, and conducts over 120 displays throughout the display season. Although an excellent public relations tool for the Royal Air Force, the Team's main function is as a training vehicle on which suitably experienced free fall instructors are produced and thus, in many ways, a tour of duty on the Team may be considered a 3-year course in free fall and canopy-handling techniques. It is most certainly the tour of duty most up-and-coming Parachute Jumping Instructors aspire to and leads those who show an affinity for free fall into a realm of exciting and rewarding pursuits with the likes of the Parachute Test Team at Boscombe Down.