Originally Posted by
Pontius Navigator
The Red Devils bought their own aircraft, a Dragon Rapids. Then Islanders, Cessna etc so using non-military assets has a precedent.
My info may be out of date but back in the naughties I was instrumental in developing the regulatory process and documentation. Red Freds operated under BPA (British Parachute Association) rules. Their kit was all non military. I am not sure if they ever jumped "legally" from a service aircraft. Had they had an accident I am not sure if they ever addressed the "duty" issues. I am not saying that they were unprofessional.
All the Falcons equipment including their accessories were governed by the Airborne Equipnent Release Certificate which was referenced in the RTS and accepted by the appropriate Duty Holder. Appendices described the particular aircraft conditions. Efforts were made to introduce a catch all to allow other aircraft to be used. Certainly Boscombe Down Q2 and JATDTU would be involved in evaluation and trials making recommendations that it was safe to jump from any platform.