Parachute Training for Aircrew
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The Abingdon course was presumably for those that might jump as opposed to abandon their aircraft.
I am just surprised that no one has admitted hangar training at South Cerney or other aircrew training establishments.
I am just surprised that no one has admitted hangar training at South Cerney or other aircrew training establishments.
Abingdon 1973 - as a young fledgling paratrooper all I can remember about RAF Abingdon was the 101 Club which had a never ending supply of females and a very pretty young WRAF bus driver called Dilys. Happy landings indeed.
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Parachute training for dummies
Singapore 1962-64. Every once in a while a Beverley from Seletar would fill up with casual customers like me for an early morning drop into the warm sea off Changi. The usual load was 96 and the aircraft would only be at 800 ft.
On my Canberra squadron there seemed to be no aircraft escape training. It just happened that, because the Beverley trip promised to be amusing, I had let myself in for a two day course with the jump instructors. I was always clumsy at the jumping-and-falling-and-rolling exercises, which everyone agreed did not matter because we were only going to jump into water.
On the actual trip I was at the end of the stick, sitting next to the Major General General Staff newly arrived in theatre. He was quite amiable but, while the aircraft droned round and round, he wanted to read the office work he had brought with him. I never saw what it was he did to save all his paperwork from getting soaked.
Being clumsy, on the drop I got my parachute lines tightly coiled under the parachute, spent most of the drop sorting them out and therefore missed the lovely view.
On my Canberra squadron there seemed to be no aircraft escape training. It just happened that, because the Beverley trip promised to be amusing, I had let myself in for a two day course with the jump instructors. I was always clumsy at the jumping-and-falling-and-rolling exercises, which everyone agreed did not matter because we were only going to jump into water.
On the actual trip I was at the end of the stick, sitting next to the Major General General Staff newly arrived in theatre. He was quite amiable but, while the aircraft droned round and round, he wanted to read the office work he had brought with him. I never saw what it was he did to save all his paperwork from getting soaked.
Being clumsy, on the drop I got my parachute lines tightly coiled under the parachute, spent most of the drop sorting them out and therefore missed the lovely view.
How did the Herc crews navigate to the DZ before GPS?
My jumps were all done in the days before GPS and I have since always wondered how the crews managed to take off from the UK and find a DZ (sometimes several DZs on the same trip) in the depths of the Danish or German countryside in the middle of the night. Presumably they used TACANs to get close - but how was the final run onto the DZ navigated?
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Having spent years dispatching paras from the safety of a serviceable C130, it was after a number of tequila based libations in Southern California that I was coerced into participating in an "Assisted Free Fall". The day dawned and I went through the drills with my PJI like a robot with a thick head. "Just look at me" he said before throwing himself backwards off the ramp at 12000ft , still holding on to my harness! All briefings vanished. The 55 seconds of free fall were a nightmare of uncontrolled flailing, terminated by the barometric release opening the chute at 3000ft. Lack of coordination, chute handling, and hyperventilation landed me miles off the DZ. A helpful DZSO took a pic of me on the long walk back. I think that it would be a bad idea to make aircrew parachute for real, although it does sort out any constipation problems.
During the early part of my time instructing on the Bulldog, it was normal to leave the parachute in the aircraft after landing, which meant routinely undoing the seat harness, then the chute QRB, before climbing out.
We were required to carry out an abandonment drill once a month, when we practiced climbing out taking the chute with us. After a fatal accident involving another QFI who fell out of his parachute harness after abandoning his spinning Bulldog, I decided that every time I climbed out of my aircraft, I would take my chute with me and then put it back in the aircraft for the next occupant. It was likely that he inadvertently unlocked his chute harness as well as the seat harness, so force of habit rather than emergency training took over.
We were required to carry out an abandonment drill once a month, when we practiced climbing out taking the chute with us. After a fatal accident involving another QFI who fell out of his parachute harness after abandoning his spinning Bulldog, I decided that every time I climbed out of my aircraft, I would take my chute with me and then put it back in the aircraft for the next occupant. It was likely that he inadvertently unlocked his chute harness as well as the seat harness, so force of habit rather than emergency training took over.
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All I ever did was Dinghy drill, jumping into the pool in full gear, never did swim very well, but managed to travel a few yards and climb in the dinghy.
If one had to exit a Varsity by the rear door, the tailplane looked awful close.
Sat in a "hot seat" a few times, but fortunately never had to pull the handle
If one had to exit a Varsity by the rear door, the tailplane looked awful close.
Sat in a "hot seat" a few times, but fortunately never had to pull the handle
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Loadies were the last aircrew trade to complete parachute training as an integral part of their flying course.
I got recoursed from the last course that had to do it back onto the first course that did not.
...... Which made me the happiest chopped student on the planet. Circa 1985.
I got recoursed from the last course that had to do it back onto the first course that did not.
...... Which made me the happiest chopped student on the planet. Circa 1985.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
As the thread seems to be focussed on actual jumps, our plotter in the V-Force, a bit of an adventure nut, applied for one of the water jump courses.
Permission was refused by some Go Capt at Bomber "in case this would encourage you to jump in the event of an operational scramble."
He got round the refusal and added parachuting to scuba diving and mountain climbing.
Permission was refused by some Go Capt at Bomber "in case this would encourage you to jump in the event of an operational scramble."
He got round the refusal and added parachuting to scuba diving and mountain climbing.
I ask as at my tender age I put my para roll training in to good use possibly twice a week.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
Whopity, or more.
One time it didn't work I went on to sheet ice. Upright one moment, flat on my back the next and no recollection of the transition. Apart from the thump on my head, no pain. I tan through the checklist, pain - no, feel toes moving - yes, breathing stable - yes. Eyes - open -OK.
I then admired the blue skies and a circle of faces peering down from on high, sat up, put my hat on, got in the car and drove off. Out of sight I went B*** H** that hurt.
One time it didn't work I went on to sheet ice. Upright one moment, flat on my back the next and no recollection of the transition. Apart from the thump on my head, no pain. I tan through the checklist, pain - no, feel toes moving - yes, breathing stable - yes. Eyes - open -OK.
I then admired the blue skies and a circle of faces peering down from on high, sat up, put my hat on, got in the car and drove off. Out of sight I went B*** H** that hurt.
Avoid imitations
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We had a chap demonstrating Bulldog in flight abandonment once to a local fire brigade in the hangar, when we're on detachment. He promptly undid harness and chute and jumped out.
Don't know about parachute training, but the helicopter "dunker" at HMS "Vernon" was interesting.
During the early part of my time instructing on the Bulldog, it was normal to leave the parachute in the aircraft after landing, which meant routinely undoing the seat harness, then the chute QRB, before climbing out.
We were required to carry out an abandonment drill once a month, when we practiced climbing out taking the chute with us. After a fatal accident involving another QFI who fell out of his parachute harness after abandoning his spinning Bulldog, I decided that every time I climbed out of my aircraft, I would take my chute with me and then put it back in the aircraft for the next occupant. It was likely that he inadvertently unlocked his chute harness as well as the seat harness, so force of habit rather than emergency training took over.
We were required to carry out an abandonment drill once a month, when we practiced climbing out taking the chute with us. After a fatal accident involving another QFI who fell out of his parachute harness after abandoning his spinning Bulldog, I decided that every time I climbed out of my aircraft, I would take my chute with me and then put it back in the aircraft for the next occupant. It was likely that he inadvertently unlocked his chute harness as well as the seat harness, so force of habit rather than emergency training took over.
Accident reports in those days were brief and vague compared to contemporary reports. The description "the instructor was seen to jerk in his harness and fall away to his death" leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Who was the witness? Possibly another Bulldog crew nearby? We always used to take advantage of observing spinning from another aircraft if nearby as it was very instructive. Possibly the student? Though unlikely as the first few seconds after jumping until the chute is stable are very disorientating, even when experienced, so a first time and completely unprepared jumper is unlikely to be very observant. If they were spinning, they would be too high for ground witnesses. Also, how long after chute opening did he "jerk in his harness"? When the chute opens the jolt is not particularly violent, and I never recall seeing anybody "jerk" with arms flailing around.
Also, odd that there was not a more thorough investigation into what caused the irrecoverable spin in the first place.
All in all, quite a strange incident and report.
Oh Avtur - it's the season of goodwill!!!!!!!!
Thread Drift is an 'occupational hazard' of posting anything on this forum - that's 'half the charm' of it.
Happy Christmas from soggy UK
Old Duffer (complicit in the dunker drift)
Thread Drift is an 'occupational hazard' of posting anything on this forum - that's 'half the charm' of it.
Happy Christmas from soggy UK
Old Duffer (complicit in the dunker drift)
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
My daughter did the dunker to and then the battle damage repair as well. She is neither RN nor aircrew, but RAF loggie.
Unlike RAF BDR, in rain at worst, she was underwater and had to be held down, but that's the Navy.
On one drill at Luffenham, after being dragged along on our backs across the grass, we were offered the same experience on our stomachs. It was not smooth grass but undulating with the hollows filled with snow. We demurred. The young fg off instructor demonstrated and said it was quite safe. We again declined. He said we would not pass the course if We didn't. To a man, from Paddy Hine down we refused knowing they could never chop an entire F4 course.Wimps all.
Unlike RAF BDR, in rain at worst, she was underwater and had to be held down, but that's the Navy.
On one drill at Luffenham, after being dragged along on our backs across the grass, we were offered the same experience on our stomachs. It was not smooth grass but undulating with the hollows filled with snow. We demurred. The young fg off instructor demonstrated and said it was quite safe. We again declined. He said we would not pass the course if We didn't. To a man, from Paddy Hine down we refused knowing they could never chop an entire F4 course.Wimps all
.
I must have had a rush of blood to the head - during my first tour (as a copilot) - I volunteered for the 4 jump static line course at Abingdon. After rolling around on the Hangar floor for a week we did the jumps. The first two were from a balloon basket at 800 ft. Weird because of the silence. Afterwards I asked the PTI how effective the reserve would have been, and he said that we trainees would never had time to realise that the main hadn't worked and to react correctly!
The remaining two were from a Herc in a very stately single stick, so that we didn't risk tangling from a twin stick exit.
The real paras, training alongside us, were not so lucky - two separate pairs got tangled and left the airfield in ambulances.
Never had to do it in anger, fortunately
The remaining two were from a Herc in a very stately single stick, so that we didn't risk tangling from a twin stick exit.
The real paras, training alongside us, were not so lucky - two separate pairs got tangled and left the airfield in ambulances.
Never had to do it in anger, fortunately
Regarding 800' balloon jumps:
On the day I did my balloon jump, I witnessed a para successfully deploy his reserve when his main played sily buggers. On reserves, a staff byline used over and over again was: "No-one is ever going to bollock you for deploying your reserve- you need it, you pull it!"
CG
PS, on the same day, I saw a para be pushed from the gondola (2 before me!) after stalling twice. It was common for the paras to invite the PJI to do that, rather than choke and fail.
Afterwards I asked the PTI how effective the reserve would have been, and he said that we trainees would never had time to realise that the main hadn't worked and to react correctly!
CG
PS, on the same day, I saw a para be pushed from the gondola (2 before me!) after stalling twice. It was common for the paras to invite the PJI to do that, rather than choke and fail.