Parachute HUPRA Use
Just for interest the concept of rescuing a hung up para by attaching another parachute (ie HUPRA) rather than winching him back in (or just cutting him away
)dates back to 1944. Remember, this was a time when Britain's Airborne Forces didn't use reserve parachutes (they only came in in 1956).
)dates back to 1944. Remember, this was a time when Britain's Airborne Forces didn't use reserve parachutes (they only came in in 1956).
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I remember a Spry article about a DC-3 doing a para drop in India or burma just after WW2 and they had a hang up. The loadie called the single pilot who engaged the auto-pilot and came back to have a look. The pilot strapped on a harness and jumped out the side to cut the hang up free, then the loadie hauled him back in. The pilit got a "Well Done" if I remember the story correctly.
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I'm sorry chaps but that isn't side/para doors exit from a C-130 unless things have really changed. Arms and legs apart would be a reasonable exit position from a tailgate but not from the side door. You'd end up in so many twists you'd still be kicking out of them today. A door exit from a C-130 is done with feet and knees tight together and your arms crossed over your reserve.
Additionally the camera zooms out just enough to show the fuselage on both sides of the frames just after he's released.
Edited for a confusing typo...
Additionally the camera zooms out just enough to show the fuselage on both sides of the frames just after he's released.
Edited for a confusing typo...
Last edited by Airborne Aircrew; 23rd Feb 2012 at 20:54.
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Well, would you believe it. I've still got my orange HUPRA bag which I now use for toting around tools to make fixing houses easier - it of course unzips completely and lays flat.
I had to wait on a list with the Squippers at Lyneham - luckily I was on 30 Sqn at the time and Safety Equipment was virtually bolted onto the same building.
I'd rather have my experience with the HUPRA than that poor soul . . .
I had to wait on a list with the Squippers at Lyneham - luckily I was on 30 Sqn at the time and Safety Equipment was virtually bolted onto the same building.
I'd rather have my experience with the HUPRA than that poor soul . . .
The Video is from a Skyvan and its nice to see the SLES doing its job of absorbing the shock of the hang up.
The SLES (Static Line Extension Strop) came into being following the inital HUPRA trial on the Skyvan. Before any live static line jumps are carried out a HUPRA dummy drop is carried out. This requires a crash test dummy to be despatched and towed about the sky until over the DZ and HUPRA deployed.
Unfortunately, on the Skyvan when the first dummy was despatched the shock on the static line as it came to a halt snapped the aircraft's anchor cable and the dummy fell away deploying the HUPRA canopy, the pack of which was only being held by the trials PJI rather than being anchored to the floor. Redesigning the Skyvan anchor cable would have been hughly expensive so the SLES solution using the ply tear webbing from the HSP was devised.
The SLES (Static Line Extension Strop) came into being following the inital HUPRA trial on the Skyvan. Before any live static line jumps are carried out a HUPRA dummy drop is carried out. This requires a crash test dummy to be despatched and towed about the sky until over the DZ and HUPRA deployed.
Unfortunately, on the Skyvan when the first dummy was despatched the shock on the static line as it came to a halt snapped the aircraft's anchor cable and the dummy fell away deploying the HUPRA canopy, the pack of which was only being held by the trials PJI rather than being anchored to the floor. Redesigning the Skyvan anchor cable would have been hughly expensive so the SLES solution using the ply tear webbing from the HSP was devised.
Hi Dutch,
nice to know you are still out there.
This was a view I only had once, luckily, plus one from a balloon of course.
Why the "crucifixion" position, what about "hands across the reserve" exit we were taught?
TTFN
lsh
nice to know you are still out there.
This was a view I only had once, luckily, plus one from a balloon of course.
Why the "crucifixion" position, what about "hands across the reserve" exit we were taught?
TTFN
lsh
Trim Stab:
I did my course in 1979 and we were taught it there at Brize. When did you do your course.
I did my course in 1979 and we were taught it there at Brize. When did you do your course.
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"Trim Stab:
Maybe they dropped it... Defence cuts and all that... Let's face it, if you need HUPRA there's bugger all you can do but accept it..."
If the Para school already owns HUPRA, how would defence cuts affect it
and why would they drop it if it's already in use (assuming it can be repacked) ?
A small price to pay for saving someone from a hang up.
Does that mean that all faulty Ejector seats are left as is because defence cuts don't allow for servicing or replacement ?
Maybe they dropped it... Defence cuts and all that... Let's face it, if you need HUPRA there's bugger all you can do but accept it..."
If the Para school already owns HUPRA, how would defence cuts affect it
and why would they drop it if it's already in use (assuming it can be repacked) ?
A small price to pay for saving someone from a hang up.
Does that mean that all faulty Ejector seats are left as is because defence cuts don't allow for servicing or replacement ?
Thanks, AA. I wasn't sure how it worked either and appreciate the explanation. 
As a pilot and afraid of heights, parachuting to me is either an emergency procedure or sport for the amazingly brave! Although I do have a idea about facing my deamon. Maybe one day.
As a pilot and afraid of heights, parachuting to me is either an emergency procedure or sport for the amazingly brave! Although I do have a idea about facing my deamon. Maybe one day.
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500N:
Sorry, I was being a tad sarcastic. The "dropping it" bit referred to the briefing not HUPRA itself. Big savings to be had by not doing a 30 minute minute briefing...
That's sarcasm again...
Sorry, I was being a tad sarcastic. The "dropping it" bit referred to the briefing not HUPRA itself. Big savings to be had by not doing a 30 minute minute briefing...
That's sarcasm again...
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Sorry AA, my bad, I've misread a few on here lately !
Re briefing, what briefing ?????
My first jump was on an SF selection course, they wanted to see if everyone was made of the right stuff. We were taken into a gym, given 30 mins of being shown how to put on the main chute, reserve and then strung up once by the risers.
Then we were taken straight out to the 'bou, sat down, flown over the lake, hooked up and thrown out.
I believe it was the last year they did it as I think OH&S rules curtailed these sorts of things which was a pity.
Anyway, good fun.
Courtney
You are not the only one. I am scared of heights so parachuting, climbing, rappelling et al, all of which I had to do was always suck it up time.
Re briefing, what briefing ?????
My first jump was on an SF selection course, they wanted to see if everyone was made of the right stuff. We were taken into a gym, given 30 mins of being shown how to put on the main chute, reserve and then strung up once by the risers.
Then we were taken straight out to the 'bou, sat down, flown over the lake, hooked up and thrown out.
I believe it was the last year they did it as I think OH&S rules curtailed these sorts of things which was a pity.
Anyway, good fun.
Courtney
You are not the only one. I am scared of heights so parachuting, climbing, rappelling et al, all of which I had to do was always suck it up time.
Parachuting - Yes or No?
As a Squipper engineer, occasional parachutist and sometime pilot, I can honestly say parachuting is great fun - However...the stop at the end is not ...My solution was to do it into water resulting in much more acceptable `termination`...
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Oldmansquipper:
One of my favorite jumps was a clean fatigue, 1200' jump into Bridlington Bay followed by fish and chips bought on the seafront and several beers in the lifeboat house's bar afterwards... A darned fine day by any standards...
One of my favorite jumps was a clean fatigue, 1200' jump into Bridlington Bay followed by fish and chips bought on the seafront and several beers in the lifeboat house's bar afterwards... A darned fine day by any standards...
We once jumped into Bodensee (Lake Constance). Due to pressure from local umweltschutz groups, we were instructed by German army that in no circumstances were we allowed to pee in the lake while waiting to be picked up by the safety boat. Guess what we all did!
FAO: AA
Yes - my first was from a whirlwind (Remember them?) into Akrotiri bay.Lurvley! .No beers waiting on the MCU pinnace (remember them?) - but the Kokkinelli bowser was waiting down at Arifs Magic Bar in the evening.
Great times...
Great times...