Leap Frogs Soar Into Chicago Air & Water Show

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (PJ) Michelle Turner

CHICAGO (NNS) -- More than two million air-show enthusiasts watched the U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, the Leap Frogs, perform during the 53rd Chicago Air and Water Show, Aug. 20-21.

The air show also included segments by the U.S. Army parachute team, the Golden Knights, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" and several civilian aerobatic teams.

A member of the Leap Frogs and the Golden Knights opened the show each day with a bi-plane formation - a maneuver in which two jumpers stack their parachutes one above the other. Pilots of four civilian, aerobatic aircraft circled the jumpers during the jump, spiraling white smoke around the jumpers. Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 1st Class Thomas Kinn flew an American Flag both days during the national anthem.

"On behalf of the City of Chicago we are so pleased to have the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs parachute team as part of our Chicago Air and Water Show," said David Kennedy, deputy director of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. "Seeing the team flying in with the American flag to open our show is a thrill beyond belief."

The Leap Frogs conducted four precision, freefall jumps over the two-day aerial review despite heavy rain that paused the show for almost three hours Saturday. The team worked in a joint-service environment jumping along side the Golden Knights from both the Golden Knights' Fokker C-31A Troopship aircraft and a Missouri Air National Guard C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.

The crowd cheered and shouted "Hoo-Yah" as the Leap Frogs jumped out of the aircraft for their final performance of the weekend. The jumpers screamed across the sky above Chicago's downtown area in a track formation at 180 miles per hour, trailing smoke behind them. The crowd watched in awe as the Leap Frogs maneuvered their canopies into different formations including a drag plane. During the drag plane maneuver, the lowest jumper of three turned his parachute upside down as the formation plummeted toward the ground at 60 miles per hour.

"You cannot pick a better thing to do on a summer day along Chicago's lakefront," said spectator Alyssa Graver, a native of Chicago. "It's a great day to remember our men and women who serve and protect our country everyday - the amazing things they do and the sacrifices they make. The adrenaline at the show is contagious. The Leap Frogs are a truly amazing sight in action."

The Leap Frogs are based in San Diego and perform aerial parachute demonstrations across America in support of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) and Navy Recruiting as a global force for good. The team is composed of parachuting experts from Naval Special Warfare including Navy SEALs, special warfare combatant-craft crewmen, a Navy diver, and an NSW parachute rigger, in addition to support personnel.