The Royal Thai Air Force has a long and colorful history in support of international skydiving events. In addition to the many skydiving festivals that have taken place at RTAF bases over the years, the RTAF was the significant force in developing and supporting the first Royal Sky Celebration in 1999 – both on the ground and in the air.

The RTAF, especially its air crews, are vital members of  World Team.  Without their precise skills of flying C-130 Hercules in tight formation at high altitudes, it would not be possible for World Team to make large formation world record skydives. In preparation for the Royal Sky Celebration ’99, RTAF’s pilots flew for more than 100 hours rehearsing their formation flying skills.

During the first Royal Sky Celebration, the RTAF air crews flew in excess of 100 sorties at 22,000 feet – becoming the world’s first pilots to drop skydivers while flying four C-130 Hercules in tight formation at high altitudes. Throughout those record attempts, the RTAF air crews were always on their mark – flying relative to each other during their 4-ship formation flights, and dropping the World Team skydivers over their target at the Ubon Ratchathani Air Base. The result of this close collaboration was a new FAI world record 282-person skydiving formation.

Five years after the first Royal Sky Celebration, the RTAF pilots again pushed the envelope with the World Team skydivers.  Flying more than 20 4-ship formation flights over Nakorn Ratchasima (Korat) in 2004, RTAF’s senior C-130 pilots dropped hundreds of skydivers from an altitude of 24,000 feet, again flying in tight formation. On the final day of the event, the weather in Korat was non-jumpable, so on a 15 minute notice, the RTAF moved its fleet of five Hercs (including a support aircraft) 200 km west to Wing 4 at Takhli.   On their first jump in five days, World Team set a new world record by successfully linking 357 skydivers in freefall. This record still stands today in the FAI and Guinness record books. .

Joining forces for a final Royal Sky Celebration, World Team and the Royal Thai Air Force are meeting again in 2006 to raise the bar on their joint aerial exploits. The RTAF will become the first air crews in the world to drop skydivers while flying five C-130s in tight formation at high altitude.  World Team requires five C-130s to be able to launch 400 skydivers quickly enough so they can all link together in freefall to build the world’s largest freefall formation.

Under the leadership of Chief Pilot Airbool, the RTAF air crews renewed their rehearsal formation flights in October 2005. Group Captain Airbool is not only a great pilot and veteran from the 1999 and 2004 Royal Sky Celebrations, he instills tremendous pride among the air crews who are flying the RTAF C-130 Hercules. In return, the air crews have enormous respect for their leader “Airboon,” who inspires them to perform at their peak skill level. World Team has the best possible collaborators and teammates flying the C-130s for the Royal Sky Celebration 2006.

Flight Profile for C-130 Formations Flights for Royal Sky Celebration 2006

On multiple-ship formation flights, the RTAF C-130s climb in loose formation, taking approximately 25 minutes to reach exit altitude. On jump run, the C-130s slow their air speed to 130 knots, and move into exit position – with the aircraft aligned in a V-formation. The #2 and #3 aircraft are positioned 45° to the side, 75 meters behind, and 20 meters below the lead aircraft. The #4 and #5 aircraft fly in a similar configuration off the outboard wings of the #2 and #3 aircraft.

Two minutes before dropping, the Aircraft Controller / Crew Chief in each aircraft signal for all skydivers to stand-up and make final preparations to jump. One minute before dropping, the skydivers move en masse toward the exit ramp. 10 seconds prior to exiting, the skydivers unhook their on-board oxygen, position themselves on the edge of the tailgate, and exit four-abreast as quickly as possible. After the mass exits, the ramps are closed, and the C-130’s descend toward the runway in loose formation.

BT-67

In addition to the C-130 aircraft support in Udon Thani, RTAF pilots from Squadron 461 will fly a BT-67 to lift the Alpha Team to exit altitude in this highly modified turbo-charged C-47. The BT-67 carries 44 skydivers, and climbs to exit altitude in only 15 minutes.