I still don't have all the accessories to this "sub-team," but I have all the helmets and the figures themselves, and I'm happy with that. I think it was late 2009 that I finally got Airborne up there, and I paid a pretty good amount for the figure. For some reason he seemed elusive, and for whatever reason I liked that figure the most out of all of them-even before I got it. I think I filled in most of the Sky Patrol figures at the GIJoe convention in 2005, but the first Sky Patrol figures I ever got (in the picture below in about 2004-early 2005) is when I got Static Line and Drop Zone.
I like 1990 as a product year quite a bit when it comes to GIJOE, and Sky Patrol really adds to that like. And it has nothing to do with the parachutes. I actually could care less about the parachutes.
With all the vehicles I've had over the years, I don't remember ever even seeing a Sky Patrol vehicle in person.
If you're reading this, you most likely know your Joe, and you most likely know that with the exception of new heads, these are all re-used bodies.
It's an interesting mix, too, in that it's former vehicle driver bodies that were re-used through-out. And that Sky Patrol figure got a removable helmet, which is really awesome.
On the ground, Backstop and Motor Viper donated to Static Line and Airwave. With the use of ground vehicle driver bodies, I really imagine these two Sky Patrol members being used in a ground role. Static line has a demolitions MOS, and the armor on top helps that guy feel that part, and the blue really feels like there's a sort of security (Like Law, Shockwave, etc.) flavor. And while Static Line might get his codename from that sort of airborne jumping method, it also makes me think of explosives for some reason.
Airwave is the "audible frequency specialist." That says communications specialist to me, and with his file card info, Airwave has become a part of my communications and technical specialists. With the riding armor a-la Motor Viper, Airwave feels like a figure that can field his expertise just about anywhere.Two of the Sky Patrol figures are from jet pilots bodies. In my current thought process of moving my collection forward with fewer figures and missions, jet pilots are looking like they may become very rare. I suppose the Sky Patrol guys could become HALO jumpers, as Altitude is a recon scout, and then Drop Zone is a "weapons specialist." "Weapons specialst" is kind of vague as far as strong fuel for the imagination... it could be anything.
When I had more jets, I had these two Sky Patrol guys as almost exclusive pilots. With no jets, well, I don't want to make the excuse of "they're cool," just to keep them. However, I may employ an imaginary transport plane that can get these two and others into airborne-inserted action.
Then there is the helicopter pilot based bodies. The "leader," Skydive really seems like an older special operations guy that is type of soldier that would be fast-roping out of a helicopter, too. As far as future use in my collection, I feel real good about having Skydive present. He's got a nice pistol and rifle, and his helmet really feels more like those lightweight helmets that a person might see in real life. Well, in a dark black as compared to the toys silver color.
Now Airborne was the guy I wanted the most out of all of them over the years. I think it was mostly since thought he looked the coolest.He's the "parachute assembler." That sounds boring, an important role for sure, but I don't think I'll have that play out in my imagination. On his secondary MOS, I just got reminded that he is a battlefield medic as I reference YOJOE.COM. In a team with potentially a lot less people, this imaginary point will add to the teams depth.
His overall color scheme is really nice, too. I think it would work in just about any place he's sent into, and his helmet is a little more "combat" feeling to me (as opposed to a jet-pilot face shield). Style-wise, the uniform doesn't feel like a jet-pilots G-suit feels out of the pilots seat, too.
It's interesting that both helicopter pilot-based bodies got the more "combat" style helmet. I wonder if the original design intent had more to it than us at the consumer end will ever know?
Airborne vs. Airborne
If you know your Joe, you know there's two Airbornes. For awhile, I was thinking of making Sky Patrol Airborne, "Rigger." An alternate codename so I can use all the figures. I've also considered using, "Six," as I've seen posts where this, or "Rigger," was used.
Going forward, since the original 1983 Airborne is so much more of a skinny figure and a swivel-head jointed one at that, I think the original is going to go away for sure.
Really, I have a lot of choices for paratrooper GIJOE figures across the board. And as I have been spending a lot of time lately contemplating my figure collection, I find I really prefer the figures from '85 and forward a lot more than the '82-'84. Don't get me wrong, but when it comes to just an issue of Airborne vs. Airborne on these two figures, the 1990 Sky Patrol figure is so much more interesting and detailed to me.
What do you think of Sky Patrol?
I have some parachutes I won't use if anyone wants to trade for them, too, just let me know.
Also, it's been asked before, but why do you think Freefall wasn't a member of Sky Patrol