To date there are eight full time members serving on the team. They are all regular serving soldiers on loan from one of the 15 Regiments within the Royal Regiment of Artillery and most have served on active operations from Afghanistan to Northern Ireland. The team also have a number of part time members (both Regular and TA) who continue with Regimental duties within their parent units, and are called upon on a regular basis to take part in the teams' displays.
Before being posted to the team, each team member spends a year working and jumping at one of three Joint Services Parachute Centres, so that they have the required parachuting experience to perform on a public display. As laid down by both the British Parachute Association and Army Parachute Association any person taking part in display parachuting must have completed a minimum of 200 parachute descents.
During the winter months team members maintain their parachuting skills by attending an intensive training camp in preparation for the forthcoming season. These training camps allow the selection of new team members, and the re-qualification of current members. They also allow non parachutists from throughout the Royal Artillery to be trained in order to provide team members for the future.
As well as operating as a full time display team the team also run courses for both Military personnel and civilians both here in the United Kingdom and across Europe and America. The team also organises Tandem Skydives for the Ultimate Introduction to the world of Skydiving.
Name: Staff Sergeant Richard Green
Age: 37
Regiment: 32 Regt Royal Artillery
Deployments: Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Iraq
Jumps: 4800
Started Skydiving: 1991
Qualifications: BPA Advanced instructor, BPA AFF instructor, BPA Tandem instructor, BPA Category system instructor, BPA Parachute rigger, BPA Formation skydiving coach, BPA Canopy formation coach, BPA Canopy handling coach, USPA AFF instructor, USPA Tandem instructor, USPA Coach
Hometown: Taunton, Somerset
Hobbies: Skiing, Windsurfing, Motorcycle racing
Quote: 'Your not Reg Green yet!!!'
Name: Bombardier Justin Everitt
Age: 34
Regiment: 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Deployments: Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo
Jumps: 950
Started Skydiving: 2006
Qualifications: BPA Category system instructor, BPA Canopy handling coach
Hometown: Dartmouth, Devon
Hobbies: Motorcross, Snowboarding, Motorsport, Quadbiking
Quote: 'wish i was on my bike'
Name: Bombardier Steve Bailey
Age: 25
Regiment: 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
Deployments: Iraq, Afghanistan
Jumps: 227
Started Skydiving: 2008
Qualifications: BPA Formation Skydiving Grade 1
Hometown: Telford, Shropshire
Hobbies: Skydiving, Motorcyling, Snowboarding
Quote: 'Steve Bailey, IT solutions'
Name: Lance Bombardier Phil Van Dyk
Age: 23
Regiment: 5th Regiment Royal Artillery
Deployments: Afghanistan
Jumps: 205
Started Skydiving: 2009
Qualifications: BPA Formation Skydiver Grade 1
Hometown: Tzaneen, South africa
Hobbies: Scuba diving, Rock climbing, Abseiling, Skydiving
Quote: 'Work hard, Play Hard!!'
Name: Gunner Louis Saunders
Age: 25
Regiment: 32 Regiment Royal Artillery
Deployments: Iraq
Jumps: 800
Started Skydiving: 2006
Qualifications: BPA Parachute Category system basic instructor, BPA Parachute Rigger
Hometown: Picketburg, South Africa
Hobbies: Skydiving, Kite surfing, Motorcross, Hunting
Quote: 'Its part of the 24 things in life!!'
Name: Gunner Rebecca Bull
Age: 22
Regiment: The Kings Troop RHA
Deployments: n/a
Jumps: 450
Started Skydiving: 2009
Qualifications: BPA Formation Skydiving Grade 1/ BPA Canopy Handling Coach
Hometown: Peterborough
Hobbies: Horse Riding/ Skydiving
Quote: Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.
Name: Gunner Geoffrey Lewis
Age: 30
Regiment: 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Deployments: Iraq
Jumps: 350
Started Skydiving: 2009
Qualifications: BPA Formation Skydiving Grade 1
Hometown: Worthing
Hobbies: Bikes, Fishing, skydiving
Quote: I Dont Know!!!!!!!!!
2010 So far
The Royal Artillery Parachute Display team
(The Blackknights) have had a fast and furious start to 2010.............
19-04-2010
Black Knights take gold at the Armed Forces Championships
The Black Knights recently entered the Armed Forces championships and won two gold medals.
28-08-2009
Help For Heroes Tandems
The Black Knights ran a tandem fundraising day in memory of two Royal Artillery Officers killed in Afghanistan.
08-08-2009
