Skydiving: The History Of Army Skydiving

Today we enjoy skydiving as a breathtaking leisure sport, but its origins lie within the army. The history books are chock full of dates and occurrences where skydiving has played an important part.

Army skydiving had a big role to play in the Second World War, when paratroopers dropped into enemy zones to fight – all the time relying on equipment far less sophisticated than the parachutes, helmets and jumpsuits we know today.

Skydiving is a natural sport to develop from army training. Not surprisingly, sport in general is a big factor in army life, and many expert skydivers found their passion after joining the army.

Army Skydiving Teams

The past few decades have seen many army skydiving teams enjoying the sport and becoming experts at what they do. Indeed, many of these teams are competition winners when it comes to aerial acrobatics.

Perhaps one of the most famous army skydiving teams is the Red Devils. The history of this team begins in 1964, and since then they have performed at air shows all over the world, impressing crowds of people with formation skydiving in their distinctive red jumpsuits.

Why Are Army Skydiving Teams So Popular?

The answer to this lies in the job they do. Army life can be extremely dangerous, and the training instils a need to communicate and work well together as a team, sometimes with little or no verbal communication.

This skill transfers exceptionally well to skydiving, as the team members need to rely on each other to attain the proper positioning and manoeuvres during freefall. Army skydiving teams are usually made up from volunteers, who serve as part of the team in addition to their usual duties.

Life After The Army

There have been occasions where army personnel have continued with skydiving as far more than a hobby upon leaving the army. Some personnel have set up professional skydiving centers as part of a whole new career, passing the skills they have learned on to many eager newcomers to the sport.

Such skydiving schools have been extremely successful, not least because of their esteemed history. Who better to teach you how to skydive than an army professional?

So it seems army skydiving has gone from being a skill developed to get into enemy territory quickly and efficiently, to a spectator sport appreciated by the masses. Decades of experience and army training have ensured that American army skydiving teams are among the best in the world.