Policy

Skyhawks Accepting Team Nominations for 2025 Team

Mishall Rehman July 28, 2024

0 1 minute read

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) elite team that dazzles crowds in the skies is once again looking for new members.

The Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team (CAFPT), more commonly known as the Skyhawks, is accepting nominations for the 2025 team.

The Skyhawks not only put on spectacular shows for Canadian crowds all over but the team members are thought of as ambassadors between the military and the people it serves.

“As CAF ambassadors, team members perform a vital outreach role while connecting with audiences,” stated CANFORGEN 070/24, which announced the new recruitment.

According to the CANFORGEN, the Skyhawks perform in front of more than two million people across Canada and the world each year.

Sergeant Antoine Collette of the SkyHawks (the Canadian Armed Forces parachute team) performs a parachute demonstration at North Peace Regional Airport during the Fort St. John International Airshow in Fort St. John, British Columbia, on 29 July 2022.
Photo by: Corporal Jessey Gagné, Canadian Army Trials and Evaluation Unit (CATEU), Gagetown, Canadian Armed Forces Photo.

Extensive training

Joining the Skyhawks is no easy task. Members looking to join must be qualified for military freewill parachute or hold a certificate of proficiency. They must have completed a parachutist fitness test and have a minimum of 50 free-fall jumps under their belt.

After selection for the team, potential Skyhawks must undergo extensive training to master complex parachute jumps. Initial training will occur in Trenton, with the main training camp scheduled for the spring.

Those chosen will be a part of the team until the season ends in September 2025.

Corporal Ugo Smith, Corporal Kienan Shortt, Captain Pierre-Alexandre Dufour, Team Captain, and Master Corporal Trevor Neelin, Team Rigger of the SkyHawks (the Canadian Armed Forces parachute team) practise canopy relative work during the Main Camp in Perris Valley, California, in the United States, on 26 April 2022. Photo by: Private Jessey Gagné, Canadian Army Trials and Evaluation Unit (CATEU), Gagetown, Canadian Armed Forces Photo.

Who can apply?

The Skyhawks accept members from both the Regular and Reserved forces from all elements, trades and classifications.

All members who meet the physical test and requirements can be recommended by their commanding officer, who “must be satisfied that the member’s character and personal conduct are of the standard required to be an outstanding representative of the CAF,” according to the CANFORGEN.

The Skyhawks perform for spectators at the 2017 Barksdale Air Force Base Airshow in Louisiana, U.S. on May 7, 2017. Photo by:U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Raughton.

Physical Requirements

Upon arriving at the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre, candidates must complete a fitness test in accordance with the below criteria:

7 chin ups
31 consecutive sit-ups and a
1.6 km run in seven minutes and 30 seconds.
After Chain of Command approval, the unit must send the member’s below information by Nov. 22, 2024:
resume of experience,
a copy of their logbook,
a copy of their civilian skydiving license and
a letter of recommendation.

Submissions must be sent here. Questions regarding the program can also be directed to the above email.