Thank you John.....but you ruined my evening! Mere sight of the "Ladder" sends shivers down my spine yet today!
They were one of those grand ideas that Engineers come up with that should never make it past the pipe smoke!
By the time you found a clearing big enough to safely use the things.....you could land the Chinook to the ground instead of using the ladders.
Drop the darn things off the Ramp and stick them down into a hole in the Jungle....usually one that had been made by some sort of Explosive device....with all the attendant broken Tree Limbs sticking out in all directions....and odds were you would leave them there as you left.....having cut them away with Bolt Cutters.
The Ladders looked so festive decorating the Trees around the LZ.
Also....imagine the Troops climbing up the darn things...hot, tired, scared, and some rather anti-social locals shooting at them as they clamber up the thing.
All the while....there we were....looking at sure signs we were disturbing folks in the area.
Then for real kicks....do that at night!
People wonder why I drink!
Dropping Para's was always fun.....for us.
Slow right down....just above ETL....with all that rotor down flow pouring down behind the Chinook....very interesting parachute openings to be seen! I am sure I have converted some Heathens to Religion doing that!
Advice to you Para's....always make sure the Pilot knows you mean AGL.....not MSL!