Canadian Forces Parachute Team (CFPT), The Sky Hawks, Women team members

Women who have served with the Sky Hawks:

1978, Gay Toupin is recorded as the first female Sky Hawk, with one team demo jump at Thunder Bay. She is shown here with Don O'Connor.

1978, Cpl Gay Toupin, Cpl Michel Clairoux, WO Gerry Vida. She shown here wearing the cutaway rig.

1978, Rick Guthrie, Gay Toupin, Wayne Johnson standing, Alain Dore, Gerry Vida.

Joanne Vallee, a Rigger at CABC, applied, in 1978, but broke both legs on a civilian demo jump in Edmonton. She is shown here being presented with her Rigger's wings.

1985, Joanne Keays a Rigger at the Canadian Forces Parachute Maintenance Depot (CFPMD), attended training camp in Yuma, not as a try out for the team but for the CT3 parachute trials. She did however make many jumps using the Sky Hawk gear. Allison Folk also a Rigger at CFPMD, was qualified MFP, but never applied to the team.

(CF Photos)

The first female Para Riggers at CFPMD were Joyce Paquet and Johanne Vallée in the late 70s. (Allison? with glasses)

(CF Photo)

Eileen Vaughn on her basic para course.

Lt Eileen Vaughan, ca 1986-1987.

(Capt Doug Hubs Photo)

1986, Eileen Vaughan and Larry Hartenberger hookup over Yumn, Arizona.

1986, 1987, 1989, Eileen Vaughan. She was also the first woman at CISM Parachuting for 4 years (part-time) with the CISM Team aka Sky Hawks Competition Team between 1996 and 2004. She is one of only two Sky Hawks in the CF Sports Hall of Fame for parachuting. The other is Simon Fairfax Wykham-Martin, one of the Sky Hawks "Founding Fathers" who was also on the National Team. Michel Denis was another Sky Hawk on the Canadian National Team.

1998, Cpl Michelle LaFramboise.

2000, 2001, Capt Julie Brazeau.

2002, Cpl Victoria Lanthier (Walsh).

2003, Lt(N) Dawn Herniman.

2007, Pte Marie-Lou Fredette.

2009, the team had 4 women, 3 out of the 4 were demonstrators, Cpl Leigh (Widdowson) Pinard, Cpl Christina (Villeneuve) Mercer, and Cpl Annie Thibodeau (Snak Tibodo) were jumpers, all Medical Technicians. MCpl Tammy Greening was the team clerk. Cpl Annie Thibodeau was promoted in freefall over Iqualuit in 2009.

(Photos courtesy of LS Jen Mackinnon.

2018, Leading Seaman Jen Mackinnon.

2019, MS Bree Bent (Wild).

Female narrators and public affairs officers also served with the team, but they did not jump as demonstrators (please correct me if I am wrong).

There were three women who tried out for the 2000 CISM team, Eileen Vaughan, Anastasia and Rebecca. We made a good number of jumps from a Bell CH-147 Griffon helicopter at CFB Borden, but I don't recall if Anastasia and Rebecca applied to join the Sky Hawks.