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Old 10th Aug 2005, 07:43
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N380UA
 
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Bomber Harris


Jumping from 30'000 feet is not unknown, infect its something the militaries are regularly practicing. Called "HALO" or "HAHO" these forces include Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Marine Corps Force Recon, KSK, SAS etc.

"HALO" for High Altitude Low Opening (exit at 30'000 feet and chute opening at or below 1000 feet), the military term for skydiving, is freefalling in "tactical grouping" (sport skydivers call this no-contact RW). There is also "HAHO" for High Altitude High Opening where the jumpers open at a high altitude like 25,000 feet, and glide long distances to the landing area (sport skydivers call this cross country).

Military skydiving rigs are known as HAPPS (High Altitude Precision Parachute System) or "stealth parachutes" because they cannot easily be seen from the ground. These rigs are very similar to sport skydiving rigs. All the handles are in the same place but there are a number of attachment points for additional equipment and a harness for the O2 equipment. The typical canopy size is 360 sq ft on both the main and reserve.
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