Arlington Heights mayor jumps with Army Golden Knights

The last time Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes jumped out of an airplane was almost 40 years ago as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point jump academy.

On Wednesday, Hayes, a retired lieutenant colonel, took the plunge again.

This time he was strapped to a member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, but the feeling was just the same.

"It was exhilarating certainly, a great adrenaline rush," Hayes said of the jump he was invited to participate in advance of this weekend's Chicago Air and Water Show.

Greg Padovani, chairman of the village's veterans memorial committee, and the 85th Support Command Reserve Base in Arlington Heights helped arrange for Hayes' jump.

"Being an Army veteran myself I thought it would not just be fun, but a great honor to jump with the world-famous Golden Knights. No pun intended, but I jumped at the chance," he said.

Hayes said there wasn't much training before making the tandem jump, just the signing of a lot of waivers. But he felt comfortable because he had jumped out of an airplane before - although only from about 1,300 feet, not 13,500 feet as he did Wednesday.

"I wasn't scared at all. I was very comfortable jumping with them because of their expertise and professionalism," he said.

After leaping from the plane, Hayes and his Golden Knights partner had about one minute of free fall before the parachute opened and glided them slowly to the ground.

"It was a lot of fun and an honor," he said. "I would do it again, especially with the Golden Knights." Hayes is no stranger to outdoor adventures. He is also an avid marathon runner who completed his 11th Boston Marathon in April at age 58.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti also completed a tandem jump Wednesday from Skydive Chicago in Ottawa with the Golden Knights.