Imagine dropping out of the sky, free-falling and accelerating up to 180 miles per hour. As the Earth zooms closer, you release a parachute while beautifully-colored smoke grenades trail behind you.
It's awesome: a mesmerizing air show suddenly fills the sky.
That's what the Leap Frogs do. And as the U.S. Navy parachute team, they are incredible.
Based in San Diego, the team is made up of fifteen elite men — either Navy SEALs or certain Special Warfare commandos (SWCC). The Navy says each member joins the team for a three-year tour and then returns to his operational unit, so the team's talent is continually refreshed.
Their mission is to demonstrate Navy excellence throughout the U.S. and they do that by performing aerial parachute demonstrations across the country. Attracting a ton of attention, their shows are characterized by intricate and thrilling formations. But they make it look so effortless.
So what actually happens?
See for yourself and check out America's naval parachute team in action — with them — thousands of feet in the air.
At 12,500 feet in the air, Navy SEALs hold onto the ramp of a C-130 cargo aircraft...
They jump, like leaping frogs — they can reach up to 120 mph in a free-fall, or up to 180 mph by pulling in their limbs like human bullets
After deploying their chutes at 5000 ft, they build dramatic formations with their blue-and-gold canopies
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