United States Army Parachute Team The United States Army Parachute Team , nicknamed and commonly known as the Golden Knights , is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army . It consists of demonstration and competition Parachutist teams , drawn from US Army Paratrooper s who have demonstrated excellence in their parachuting skills . History . The STRAC or Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team was originally conceptualized by Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell . The original STRAC team consisted of 13 military parachutists . This unofficial unit competed successfully in parachute competitions , provided assistance to the military in the development of modern parachuting techniques and equipment , and provided support for Army public relations and recruiting . In 1959 , the team was formally organized and later re - designated as the Army ' s official aerial demonstration unit on June 1 , 1961 . Unit Organization . The United States Army Parachute Team is part of the United States Army Accessions Command ' s Accessions Support Brigade , Headquartered at Ft . Knox , KY . The parachute team is garrisoned at Ft . Bragg , NC , and has several dedicated facilities in the area . These facilities include : an aviation support facility , a team headquarters facility and a dedicated team drop zone . The team itself is composed of approximately 95 men and women and divided into several smaller task - oriented sub - units , also called teams or sections . The support elements include : an Aviation Section , a Headquarters section , a Media Relations Section , and a Supply Section . The administrative and support personnel make up about half of the unit ' s end strength , and provide invaluable logistical support for the demonstrators and competitors as they perform their duties in the US and abroad . The team ' s operational elements include : two Demonstration Teams , a 4 - way Relative Work Team , a Style and Accuracy Team , a Tandem Section and most recently , a Canopy Swoop Team . Demonstration Teams . The two Golden Knight demonstration teams travel the United States ( and occasionally overseas ) performing for public audiences at venues ranging from relatively small civic events , to nationally and internationally televised events ( such as Monday Night Football games , NASCAR races and large International airshows ) . The two , 12 - member teams travel approximately 240 days per calendar year , and use the team ' s two Fokker C - 31A Troopship jump aircraft as their primary means of transportation , and sometimes the De Havilland Canada UV - 18A Twin Otter . There are two demonstration teams , dubbed the Gold Team and Black Team , in reference to the official Army colors . Team members come from a variety of backgrounds in one of the 150 jobs available in the US Army . Each team has a team leader , who typically has the most time and experience performing demonstration jumps and typically holds the rank of an Army Sergeant First Class ( SFC ) . The 24 demonstrator positions on the team are typically held for at least three consecutive years . At the end of their tenure , soldiers will then either rotate back to Army line units or they may request to stay with the team for an additional period in one of several specialty positions . These positions are usually reserved for tandem parachute instructors , videographers , team leaders and competition parachutists . The demonstration teams perform several types of shows ; each is performed to exacting standards of practice but can also be tailored to the specific venue . These shows range from jumpers exiting the aircraft and landing in a major - league stadium , to more involved 20 or 30 minute aerial displays . The Mass Exit show consists of multiple jumpers exiting the aircraft and forming a geometric shape , often with smoke canisters employed for additional crowd effect . The 30 minute Full Show consists of several aircraft passes or " jump runs " ; with each pass consisting of one or more jumpers exiting and then performing exciting and somewhat unusual parachuting maneuvers . Once safely on the ground , the jumpers traditionally perform a ground line - up , in which each jumper is introduced and then the team will usually present a team memento to a distinguished selectee from the show audience . Each maneuver the Knights perform is executed with the enjoyment and safety of the audience being the paramount concern . As a testament to their professionalism and skill , the Golden Knights enjoy an unparalleled safety record in the professional parachuting arena . For those wishing to become one of the few , the Golden Knights hold an annual tryout and selection program by which " qualified " Army men and women are invited to attend a grueling and mentally challenging 6 - week course , while temporarily assigned to the team at Ft . Bragg , NC . During this event , applicants will typically make 150 - 200 freefall parachute jumps and will lose an average of 5 - 10 lbs of body weight due to the highly challenging regimen of jumping , technical classes , and physical training . When they are not jumping , these nascent Golden Knights learn the team ' s history , memorize over 13 pages of show narration " verbatim " , and also receive public affairs and public speaking orientations . At the culmination of this process , the remaining applicants who are not released from the program are " knighted " during an induction ceremony and are then put on a probationary status for a one - year period . Those soldiers who successfully complete their probationary period are then officially deemed Golden Knights and will then serve their remaining three seasons as full - fledged members of the team . Competition Teams . Two teams participate in national and international parachute competitions . These teams compete in Four - way Formation , Eight Way Formation , Style & Accuracy , and Canopy piloting competitions . They have won an impressive array of medals from national and international competitions each year , and hold the current Military World Record in both male and female four way freefall formation and the World Record in Canopy piloting speed . Tandem Team . The Golden Knights Tandem section provides the team with the unique ability to provide tandem parachute jumps to approved local and national celebrities , media personnel and VIPs . This allows the team to jump with these celebrities into venues which have local and national flavor , interest and appeal . This program was designed to allow celebrities and VIP ' s the opportunity to experience the thrill of freefall with the Knights , while in a safe , carefully controlled setting and to showcase the skills and qualities of Army soldiers to these special individuals . This element consists of 6 soldiers who were selected from the ranks of the demonstration teams and all are specially trained in Tandem Parachuting and Accelerated Freefall parachuting techniques as well as freefall photography . The Golden Knights have had the distinct honor of jumping with numerous celebrities and heads of state , most notably President George H . W . Bush , in 2007 and 2012 . Headquarters . The Golden Knights headquarters section consists of the team ' s leadership and administrative , operational planning , safety , and parachute maintenance personnel . The team is commanded by an Army Lt . Colonel ( O - 5 ) and run by an Army Sergeant Major ( E - 9 ) Additionally , there are only a total of 4 commissioned officer positions on the team , which makes the team somewhat unique in that it is mostly composed of and run by enlisted personnel . The team performs tandem jumps at the Laurinburg - Maxton Airport in North Carolina . Aviation Section . The team ' s Aviation Section , affectionately known as " Team Six " , is commanded by an Army Major ( O4 ) . This section is composed of approximately 10 Army and DAC pilots , and six Enlisted Soldiers . The Army pilots ( with the exception of the Team 6 Commander ) are all Chief Warrant Officers in the ranks of CW3 to CW5 and most have an average of 4 , 000 - 5 , 000 flight hours in fixed - wing aircraft . The enlisted personnel ( with the exception of the Operations NCO ) are all UH - 60 " Blackhawk " Helicopter Crewchief in the ranks of SGT to SFC and most have an average of 500 - 2 , 000 flight hours . Team Aircraft . The Golden Knights use two Fokker C - 31A Troopship and two De Havilland Canada UV - 18A Twin Otter as their jump aircraft . The C - 31A is used by the demonstration teams as a mode of conveyance to over 50 show locations annually , as well as a jump platform while performing at those locations . The UV - 18 ' s are most frequently used by the tandem and competition teams and for local jumps near Ft . Bragg due to their shorter range . All of the Knights ' aircraft have a unique Golden Knights livery , which is black and white with a gold stripe down the middle of the fuselage . The bottom and tail are painted black ( on the C - 31A ) . The tail has the familiar " Army " brand symbol upon it ( ex . Twin Otter ) . Two of three new Twin Otter DHC - 6 - 400 aircraft have been delivered to the team . The final aircraft delivery is scheduled for late June 2013 .