WESTFIELD—Residents will have a chance to watch the International Air Show kick off with a group of parachutists dropping into Stanley Park this Friday.
The Black Dagger U.S. Army Special Operations Parachute Team is scheduled to parachute into Stanley Park Friday, Aug. 11, between 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., barring suitable weather. The event is being dubbed as the beginning of activities for the International Air Show and will include meet-and-greet and photography event with the team.
“We were asked to host,” Bob McKean, director of Stanley Park, said. “We are part of the community and honored to do so and we like to give back to the community.”
The team will jump from an airplane and land in Stanley Park, with an expected landing zone to be in the large open field across from the Horace Mann Center at Westfield State University. However, a final landing spot will be determined Friday morning, McKean said.
The area where the Black Dagger US Army Parachute Team is expected to land on Friday, according to Bob McKean
According to McKean, residents are urged to attend the event and can find plenty of seating or standing area. Those who are interested in attending can find parking in and around Stanley Park at gates one and two, as well as at the aforementioned Horace Mann Center, where McKean said parking would be allowed thanks to permission from the university. In addition, McKean said that a meet-and-greet and photography session is expected to take place at the veteran’s memorial in Stanley Park following the jump and landing.
The veteran’s memorial at Stanley Park
The Black Dagger U.S. Army Special Operations Parachute Team is composed of volunteers from the US Army’s Special Operations community, according to a press release about the event, and the members have a variety of military backgrounds and specialties.
The International Air Show is taking place this weekend, Aug. 12 and 13. As covered previously by The Westfield News, parking will open at 6:30 a.m. on both days, with gates opening at 8 a.m. Performances are expected to start around 10:30 a.m. and will run until 4:30 p.m. on both days, as well.
