Kirkegard makes a one-time jump with the Golden Knights
Some days, you bring dozens of jobs to your community, serve on the governing board of one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and then serve as the chairperson of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.
Some other days, you just have to jump out of an airplane.
Belinda Kirkegard, the City of Kissimmee’s Economic Development Director, also a Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board member and the immediate past chairperson of the Hispanic Chamber, did recently make that jump as a guest of the U.S. Army Golden Knights.
Her invitation to skydive with the Golden Knights came through the Hispanic Chamber while she was the chairperson for 2020, but the jump got delayed due to the pandemic. She finally made the jump on Nov. 3, at Skydive City at the Zephyrhills Airport. When asked why, as the mother of two young children, did she decide to make the jump, she said, “If it were anyone except the Golden Knights, I would not have even considered it. They are literally, the ‘best of the best’ plus they have a terrific safety record.”
So, did she pick up a new hobby?
“This was my first and last skydiving experience,” Kirkegard said — emphatically.
Kirkegard, who is also a University of Central Florida “Golden Knight” alumni, exited the aircraft at over 13,000 feet in a tandem harness with instructor Sergeant First Class Chris “Ace” Acevedo and videographer Sergeant First Class James Hackett. Both sergeants have made over 10,000 parachute jumps each during their Army careers. She was understandably ecstatic about her experience.
“The first 30-40 seconds of the jump are a free fall which was my least favorite part because we were going over 120 mph. That’s a lot of wind to get hit in the face with,” she said. “Once the parachute deployed, the view and ride was spectacular. ‘Ace’ taught me some of the basics of maneuvering the canopy -turns and accelerating and reducing the speed of the decline. There was a little cloud that we navigated around, which I still think is cool to say. How many times in life can you say you physically went around a cloud? I also thought the landing would be rough, but it was super smooth.”
The Golden Knights are one of only three Department of Defense-sanctioned aerial demonstration teams, along with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The team is considered a key Army recruiting asset.
The team is composed of approximately 95 men and women and has conducted more than 16,000 shows in 50 states and 48 countries since it was formed in 1959. The tandem section is known for taking Soldiers, celebrities, and heads of state on jumps, and the competition section focuses on winning national and international skydiving events.
For more information, see: https://recruiting.army.mil/golden_knights/
