STUART, Fla. -- The Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, performed a double-header in Florida Nov. 9-11, jumping not only at the Underwater Demolition Team/SEa, Air, Land commando (UDT/SEAL) Muster at the UDT/SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, but also appearing at the Stuart Air Show in Stuart.
The five-man jump team made five performances over the weekend, including practice jumps and one night jump at the air show.
The performance at the Muster was done in conjunction with a capabilities exercise held by local SEAL team members.
After they demonstrated insertion, firefight, and extraction techniques, the Leap Frogs wrapped up the show with a demonstration of aerial capabilities as the team's four SEALs and one Special Warfare parachute rigger dropped in from 5,000 feet.
"It was awesome," said 10-year-old Ethan Thorn. "I'm definitely going to be a Navy SEAL."
The air show performances began Friday night with a rare night jump involving jumper-mounted pyrotechnics streaking through the nighttime sky, only the fifth such performance in the 2012 schedule.
"I never imagined such a thing," said first-time Leap Frogs audience member Sue O'Dea, "especially at night."
"Jumping at night uses completely different senses as a day jump," said Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 1st Class Thomas Kinn, a three-year veteran of the team. "It's very peaceful and surreal."
While the Stuart Air Show was the last air show on the 2012 schedule, the team still has two more stadium jumps this year, with the next performance being the Army-Navy game Dec. 8 in Philadelphia.
The Leap Frogs perform aerial parachute demonstrations in support of Naval Special Warfare and Navy recruiting.
