A ROYAL Air Force serviceman from Corsham successfully commenced his first display as part of the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team on Friday April 29.

Former Wiltshire College pupil, Corporal Paul Smith, began his second year with the team, based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, late last October.

After training in California and the UK in preparation for the 2016 display season, the 33-year-old began his team's launch day at Brize Norton, as the first in what will be 70 displays throughout Europe and the UK over the summer months.

“I am thrilled to announce that this year I will be resuming my normal duties and displaying the high calibre parachuting skills that the Royal Air Force is famous for," said Mr Smith.

"I joined the Team in 2014, however, I was unable to jump alongside the team for the 2015 season due to an injury."

Mr Smith can expect to serve with the RAF Falcons for a three year period, where he will gain his Military Accelerated Free Fall Instructor qualification , enabling him to take his career to the next level by providing specialist parachuting training to Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.

For over 50 years, the UK Military’s Parachute Display Team, the RAF Falcons, have delivered fast paced, high profile displays from up to 12,000ft across the UK and abroad.

They also undertake training to prepare them for advanced Parachute Jumping Instructor roles, where they will be responsible for the delivery of operationally focused parachute training for the entire UK Military.

Mr Smith joined the RAF back in September 2004 and after starting out as a physical training instructor, he went onto RAF Leuchars, then a parachute jumping instructor and now to his current role for the RAF Falcons in 2014 Due to his highly skilled parachuting ability.