Two Victoriavillois, Lance Corporal Maxime Dupont and Sergeant Kimbo Grondin, are part of the SkyHawks, that team of Canadian Armed Forces parachutists that has represented Canada since 1971 in demonstrations seen by more than 75 million viewers.

Spectacular: These skydivers perform daring maneuvers by bringing their parachutes closer to each other. This is what we in the skydiving community call contact sailing, a discipline that requires impeccable control and physical fitness.

The two soldiers from Victo have been practicing skydiving for several years.

“I started skydiving about eight years ago. “I told myself that the SkyHawks represented a great opportunity to develop my talents, my skills and my parachute skills while helping with recruitment by talking about my experiences with people,” confides Maxime, adding that the Demonstrations also enable him to travel.

Although he made his first jump in 2012, it was in 2017 that Kimbo Grondin joined the ranks of the SkyHawks. “My best friend joined the team in 2016. He motivated and encouraged me to apply. What I did,” he says in a telephone interview with his colleague.

Skydiving with SkyHawks is not a full-time job. Everyone has a job. Kimbo Grondin works in the infantry of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment at the Valcartier military base.

For his part, Maxime Dupont is an automotive technician, more precisely a mechanic. They generally play with the SkyHawks about seven months of the year.

Training

For the team of 14 demonstrators, the training camp begins at the end of March and lasts five weeks in California. “During this time,” says Maxime, “we jump almost every day, five to eight jumps a day with experienced trainers.” We really have the best in this field. »

But no matter how much experience the soldier has, Kimbo adds, it all starts with the basics. “Whether you have 50 jumps or 2,000 jumps under your belt, it’s the same for everyone. In the first week, and this applies to the first 20 jumps, he explains, we start with the basics, like getting out of the plane in a stable manner and trying to understand how to control the parachute. We get to know our car and it happens gradually and intelligently. We don’t skip any steps but go through all the techniques. »

In training, members of the SkyHawks exit the aircraft at an altitude of 8,000 feet. And when they perform at shows to amaze audiences, they jump from a height of 6,000 feet. “We need about 2,000 feet to train all together and do our demonstrations, our routines,” Sergeant Grondin points out. When the ceiling is cloudy

is lower, sometimes we have to jump to 4000 feet. However, this is the minimum height. This is the lowest value we can achieve. It reduces our error rate. We don’t have much space to display our stuff. »

The SkyHawks also have a ground team. A controller takes care of the landing zone, a public affairs officer oversees the show’s narrative, and a photographer is on duty from time to time for photo and video editing.

Outdo yourself

Depending on demand, the SkyHawks perform nearly thirty performances each year, between 20 and 30, mostly in Canada but sometimes in the United States, sometimes at larger events, sometimes at smaller festivals.

But each time the demonstration takes on a special character. “What I like,” argues Maxime Dupont, “is to surpass myself.” At each show it is a new landing zone, it is not a big open area like in a skydiving center. »

On the very morning of the interview, the team, which includes soldiers from the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, demonstrated their talent at a school in Laval. “In a fairly populated area with power lines all around, this is a kind of challenge that increases the difficulty, but it shows that we are well trained and can perform well despite the stress,” mentions Corporal Chief.

The SkyHawks bring together members of both the regular and reserve forces. And they have very different professional and cultural backgrounds.

By making themselves visible while demonstrating their capabilities, Kimbo Grondin says the SkyHawks want to help raise awareness of the Canadian Armed Forces and boost recruitment. “Like everywhere else, there is a shortage of people here. The army is a reflection of society. We are also experiencing a labor shortage. »

A world to discover

The two original residents of Victoriaville, both Kimbo and Maxime, didn’t know what to expect when they joined the ranks of the Canadian Army. They have never regretted their decision

“I took a risk when I joined the armed forces,” recalls Sergeant Grondin. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. At 18 I left school and enrolled. It’s the best choice I could have made. “I discovered a new family there,” he says. Every day is like a new challenge. In the infantry there are exercises in which we have to repeatedly push ourselves to the limit. That’s really what I like. »

Maxime Dupont also plunged into the unknown by joining the army at the age of 17 after graduating from high school. “But it’s a beautiful world.

A big advantage is that you are taught a craft, he emphasizes. I learned everything as a mechanic and then you can specialize. I became a diesel and hydraulic mechanic. The selection of options is immense. »

The corporal compares military life to that of a small village. “It really is a small world to explore,” he says. The possibilities are numerous. We can do anything. »

And look at the country, adds Kimbo Grondin. “We can travel a lot. I have practically traveled around the world and seen every continent. I saw a lot of the country and worked with other armies. That’s another advantage we have. »