Special Forces: Making the Cut - Parachute Training

Listen to the stories of Special Forces veterans as they reveal some of the hard, sometimes gruesome, truths about the challenges of their training.
Find out more by visiting our Special Forces: In the Shadows exhibition:
www.nam.ac.uk/...
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[@simonsignolet5632]

"Controlled crash" - a very apt description. The balloon was "the first and worst". You can tumble out of the thing if the wind jerks it too hard.
They LIED to me at Brize, saying that after the first jump, I'd NEVER have to make a balloon jump ever again. I did at least 3 more and almost began to enjoy it.
They should never have retired the balloon, it was a true test of nerve.

[@jamesyelton11]

what makes it a crash as opposed to normal parachuting. Could you explain? I always thought you would cut enough speed by landing even in halo jumps. I just dont know what the details are.

[@clarissamcpigeon7857]

My uncle was in the Paras circa mid-1970s and he said jumping out of a balloon was genuinely terrifying. He said you were basically jumping from nothing and into nothing - at least in a plane you had the engine noise and the slipstream from the engines and aircraft movement.
According to him a balloon jump was basically just a silent fall. He could jump out of planes like it was nothing, but out of a balloon? Yikes.

[@richardduplessis1090]

@@clarissamcpigeon7857 You're steppping off what looks like a VERY real height and not a couple of thousand feet. I HATE looking at videos of base jumping for instance. Gives you some idea.

[@johnrobertson6412]

I did my para course 50 years ago at Weston on the Green,3 times out of the balloon, shit myself,but after that f all scared me

[@east9915]

Tim Collins is Bang On about lobbing …. !

[@dominicharvey1590]

Spot on ….remember not releasing the Bergan properly and having to land with it attached. Someone who observed my landing said if I had not landed properly,like I did, I could of easily broken my leg. Also agree on the balloon jump, did not like the dropping feeling. Much preferred jumping out of a Hercules

[@johnlowdon6269]

I thought the ballon jumps were FANTASTIC I enjoyed every one

[@richardbrown4378]

In the 80's and 90's i was 'lucky enough' to do more than several balloon jumps . I agree , it's a necessary evil and quite a bit more mentally demanding than leaving an aircraft but the feeling of relief once you hit the DZ in one piece is much the same , in my opinion anyway . The eery silence when you're ascending to jump height is quite spooky but when the metal bar on the gondola is lifted for you to exit you are at the point of 'shit or bust' . An adrenaline rush to say the least

[@coomr419]

Everyone says their knees take a toll afterwards.

[@lloydellis5570]

Excellent stuff

[@turbogigwoof2321]

So that’s what happened to curly watts from Corrie. Rovers for the regiment

[@jimbob7370]

Hahaha

[@Hughenn]

Did one balloon jump. Never again.

[@therighthonsirdoug]

Would love to try a balloon jump although I understand why it's much harder to do that even a tail exit from an aircraft.

[@richardduplessis1090]

The hardest part about parachuting is believing you haven't got a malfunctioning chute.

[@GilbertdeClare0704]

I truly never worried about that. I knew I had a reserve, and if THAT failed, I'd only have a few seconds left to worry about anything🤣🤣🤣
An uncle of mine had been a German Paratrooper, who jumped from 450FT and had NO reserve, so mine was a luxury in comparison

[@richardduplessis1090]

@@GilbertdeClare0704 Not everyone likes that uncertanty on their first jump.

[@GilbertdeClare0704]

@@richardduplessis1090 Yeah, totally get that, and was not in any way criticising where others are at, my friend ? I said "I" because I was only speaking for myself ! I loved all that build up, and the apprehension in the plane, then that FLIP the second you leave the plane into sheer frigging exhilaration. I LOVED every jump

[@michellegordon456]

I'm a total snowflake, these guys are amazing

[@permatahatipermata19]

All my life i will never forget you,,,, Tim I love you so much..

[@1e0s]

Fascinating stuff. Where are these men today?!?! 😕

[@frosty_soda]

That guy Tim Collins is my best friends Uncle.

[@williamcarrington61]

Surely there's more than one of us living in Milton Keynes ?

[@milkncheese1]

Old skool cool...
Jumping out of a balloon..
Awesome..

[@1anre]

The second chap didn’t even try and mask or hide his displeasure with parachuting. I wonder how then the Parachute regiment and other airborne units motivate their men to keep jumping out of perfectly working airplanes. Same goes for the 101st Airborne & 75th Ranger Regiment KD the US. I just wonder.

[@trident1314]

Col Tim colins, a very no nonsense straight to the point type of person

[@FHIPrincePeter]

Each time you do a jump. An Officer or SNCO will read out a warning that if you refuse to jump you will be court martialled. The reality is that when your all in the Plane together , you would be too embarrassed to refuse. I have seen it twice, once when mate of mine who did P Company refused to do the Jumps course and once when up in the air.

[@1anre]

@@FHIPrincePeter was your buddy Courtmartialed?

[@FHIPrincePeter]

@@1anre No because it's only once you have passed your Jumps course and are fully qualified Military Parachutist do they read out those Warning Orders. He refused to go to Brize Norton ( the Jumps Course). Still he remained in the Regiment and was well respected. He had the Kudos of passing P Company 1st Time.