I was a paratrooper, when you hit another person’s canopy you can sort of run off of it. If you get tangled in suspension lines you are supposed to try to get out or climb to the other trooper. It’s all really fast though. In 4 years of jumping on Ft Bragg there was never a parachute failure on a jump I was on.
When the Russians first attacked that airport in Ukraine, Two of their huge transports full of paratroopers, like the ones in the picture of UIS paratroopers, were shot down by Ukraine soldiers as they were trying to drop troops, there was a phone video of one as it nose-dived into the ground , full of troops !!!
My father was at ft Bragg. I grew up there and later was roommates with the sgt mager who was in charge of the jump tower from Vietnam all the way to dessert storm. I miss that old guy and his stories.
I was part of this operation, although I didn't actually get out of the aircraft. This was part of a "Joint Operational Access Demonstration" that was being done for All-American Week at (then) Ft Bragg, NC. It wasn't just 4 C-17s, there were 11 of them IIRC, and at least a few C-130s as well. The overall planned drop was around 1500 paratroopers in one pass. To answer your questions: yes, the T-11 parachute does fail sometimes, which is why we have reserve chutes (the big red handle on our front is for the reserve); the failure rate is somewhat dependent on that jumper's actual actions (a more technically correct exit from the aircraft yields better results) but by this point in time, there had been approximately 250k jumps made with the T-11 with the number of deaths at most in the teens. I've got 61 jumps of my own (with a fair number of, shall we say, exciting rides), and I've personally watched probably around 10-15k jumpers over my 20 years in the Army. I can count the number of times a jumper had to deploy a reserve on both hands. The jumpers look close together, but that is a trick of the camera. Unless two jumpers exit from both sides at the exact same time, the chance of hitting another jumper is low. There's usually about a 50-100 foot separation between jumpers (within shouting distance). If you do hit another jumper or their parachute, you try to bounce off of them the best you can. If you get entangled, the higher jumper moves down to be even with the lower jumper and they're gonna finish that jump and landing together. The T-11 parachute is rated up to 800 pounds of suspended weight, so one chute can easily lower 2 jumpers if needed.
The injury ratio with the T-10D was roughly 9/1000 jumps, and with the T-11 it is roughly 5/1000 jumps. Most injuries are due to the ground (so, landing poorly or surface, obstacle, etc) but as you said, it's not often due to the parachute that a failure may occur. How you jump, flight speed, the jumpmasters, etc. When the guys in my unit who jumped into Panama talked about their 400 ft jump, they didn't even take a reserve - they brought a claymore.
Thanks for the insights. The first and last jump for me the chute twisted. I never complained again about the repetitive training in the military for a supposed situation or jumped again
50-100 seems a bit too close. I couldn't find the airspeed of the C-17 when you psychopaths (using it lovingly :) ) jump out. Using a generously low speed of 200 knots equates to about 337 feet per second. The shortest time between jumpers seemed to be about 3/4th of a second so my guess would be probably around double that spacing distance. Whatever the case is, I'm glad you guys and girls are safe when protecting freedom. I'll just enjoy the show from my nice and safe ground :)
i served in the USAF and i was a parachute rigger for these guys. the fact that you said you were impressed with 100% success of parachutes makes me proud. that was my job.
I was in the US Navy when PR's, Parachute Riggers, still had to pack a chute from scratch and then jump it. My first jump was the morning after a heavy snowstorm. The air was crystal clear and freezing cold. We jumped our stick based on the size of the jumper. As I was the biggest man, I went first. I won't deny it, when I was standing in the door, I froze. Was no way I was going to leave that airplane. Our Jumpmaster at the time was a Marine Gunny Sargent, he told me that it was OK, just let go of the door and step back. Me being a trusting young 18 year old and innocent young man, did as I was told. No sooner had I let go of the door that grizzled old Veteran kicked me square in the ass and out the door. Next thing I knew I was under the canopy and drifting on the breeze. I was swearing at the Gunny the whole time. I missed the DZ by about 500 feet and landed in a 6 foot snowdrift. We did not have steerable canopies and I totally forgot about pulling on the risers to steer. I spent the next few years jumping both static and freefall chutes. I even got to do a HALO jump with a group of NAVY SEALS in training once.
That needed a "Love" button! I was an AMS so of course the PR's were in the same division. I remember watching them pack the chutes for the seats. That was crazy! But I had mad respect for them knowing the responsibility they held. Yeah, If I screwed up a repair it could lead to loss of the aircraft but an AME or PR could cost a life. Thanks for serving Brother!
The Navy had a group called the "Shooting Stars" back in the day. Similar to the Army's "Golden Knights". Also, PR's used to have to jump a rig they packed. Gave them confidence. This was back in the 70's.
My dad was in the 82nd('50s). He passed in 2013, and when he was actively dying, this is what he was 'seeing'... the aircraft, the equipment, and old Airborne friends. ❤
my dad also in WW2- he of course has passed, and only talked to my brother about anything from the war. I do know that he entered one of the smaller con. camps (started with a B)
My partner was a Para. He came down with a twisted chute and failed reserve (not sure of the exact details ) He had some severe injuries but survived and ran a marathon one year later and continued his career in the Paras!
some times the main chute failure can stop the reserve from deploying correctly. if there is a partial deployment of the main the reserve can deploy into the tangled mess and fail to deploy. it happens sometimes when the jumper doesnt try to force the main to finish deploying (by pulling the risers apart and scissoring their feet) and just pulls the reserve.@@henoch44
I used to be one of the guys that packed those parachutes. Everything is done by the numbers with an inspection point at multiple stages in the packing process. The jumpers take all their parachutes with them, They carry a large kit bag folded up that the chute fits in. They walk off the drop zone with it. They wouldn`t do this in an actual invasion jump, of course. The reserve parachute is the small kit on front above the " ruck sack " hanging in front of the legs. In an invasion they may forego that to carry a little extra equipment given that the jump will be done too low for the reserve to open if the main fails. Cheers!
Are the kit bags from Walmart? If you buy a tent you will never get it to fit in the original container again! The manufacturer must have a machine that folds it under 10k of pressure.
Had to return a chute once...was back when the coke epidemic was running through the Bragg Riggers...someone signed their packing log as Mickey Mouse...was like no thank you.
@@gdheib0430 Maybe...All I can say was that story was going around when I was in back in the 90`s. You`d think they would have thought of a different name by now.
My husband was in the 101st at Fort Campbell, KY. We used to see the troops jumping from planes often. My stepmom calls the planes “Trooper Poopers”. My husband wasn’t airborne qualified, but my Dad was in his day. Both are now veterans. To all soldiers past and present I thank you for serving your country and sustaining our freedom. God bless you all!❤️
That's a thing? I get how air currents and displacement work but another chute going under you can do that? Is it like a dip or like 10 foot drop all the sudden?
This a day jump! Night jumps are a totally different animal! Stepping off in total darkness is a total rush not to mention how much can go wrong! I am an 82nd Airborne veteran.
Exactly.. I was hurt on my 19th jump at night. Someone fell into my chute and collapsed it. I hit very hard two days later I could not walk. spent 28 day in traction. all that was 40 years ago I have to take it easy but I can walk with no help .
I was an Instructor "Black hat" at the Airborne School 1984-1985. At that time the students made 4 day jumps and 1 night jump to qualify for their jump wings. I used to joke at them and tell them that every one of their jumps would be a night jump because they would close their eyes when they jump. lol. For most people, that was true. I served with the 82nd Airborne Division and later I was with the 5th and 10th Special Forces Groups. I made 1 combat jump into Panama for Operation Just Cause December 1989.
@davidlittle8180 hey Dave, I think you mean 7th SFGA, I was in group in Panama before the conflict at Battery Pratt (where they run Jungle Expert school), we transition to war from our training mission, along with 3rd Bn, 7th SFGA, who was our sister unit that was stationed in Panama. Delta took over most of missions we were training for months, which sucked. But we did execute the others, each ODA had a specific mission, Pacora bridge, the NCOIC academy, the base near Ft. Sherman and the airport. The funny thing was, when we hit Panama, on the Colon side, the city was lockdown and they couldn't really feed themselves, most bought food everyday vs how we use refrigerators. We got back in Jan 90, got off the plane and they had a ceremony right on Green Ramp, combat patch and CIBs.
@@davidlittle8180 In 1968 we called that first jump a night water landing, both eyes closed, pissing all over yourself. Also, that first jump is easy, the second is harder to make. The first you don't know what to expect but the second you are wide awake. You make that third jump you are hooked. I stayed hooked for 8 years. 68-70 airborne Cav 8th Division, 78-84 82 ABN.
@@blkted2945 Love itgreatdetailed event from the war. I was there 73-83 Co B, "Bandidos" 3/5, , 193rd Inf Bde. We we holed up at Ft. Kobbe / Howard AFB. I attende Ft. Sherman for PNCOC, pretty good training, lots of class room , some practical hands on. For graduation we had to do a 3 day exercise, chopper insertion, last day was three events , rappell down a waterfall, make 2 man poncho rafts, swim the Chagress, reconstruct our gear and then a pass through friendly lines at night. Not to be bragging, but I graduated the "Distinguished Honor Graduate" from the course. Pulled three 3 day passes from that. Loved Panama, when you left that after 2 years humping the jungle you were a tight cat, nothing you could not do, totally physically fit... Best duty station ever in my 09 years in Uncle Sam's Jam, Airborne!!
The little bundle on their belly is their reserve chute. The guys who pack the chutes are “riggers”. They have to jump with their own chutes. It encourages perfection. 😂 The “bits” missing from the chutes are cut outs and they are designed that way. It helps with steering. After landing, each soldier is responsible for packing up his own shit and getting it to the pick up point. I was a 5 jump chump so I never saw people colliding midair. Hope this helps! I enjoy your channel and this video really brought back some memories. Thanks!
For all of you legs a 5 jump chump is someone passes airborne school gets thier jump wings but is not a member of an airborne unit. I had 35 drops. A 2 504 late 80s
It's partially steering, but also so that they can descend as fast as possible as safe as possible. It's not like paragliding where you want all the control and stay in the air as long as you can. They want to get out of the air and onto the ground as fast and as controlled as they can. The holes in the chute basically optimize that for the average.
I went through Airborne (paratrooper) school at Ft. Benning many, many years ago. In fact, when people ask me why I'd jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I advise them that my first two jumps were out of a C-123 Provider, a 1950's era twin-piston engine cargo airplane and not what I would call a "perfectly good airplane." In fact, as I sat in the troop seats getting ready to jump, I had bolts falling into my lap. Mr. "OriginalHuman" is correct with respect to the gear, the "day sack" is in front between the paratrooper's legs and the weapons case along their left side. And yes, the compartment in front at chest level is a secondary chute in case the main chute fails or malfunctions. You're only at 1,250 feet (about 380 meters), so when you exit the aircraft you count to three, look up, and if you don't have a good chute above you, you pull the cord on your reserve because you don't have enough time to do anything else. Bottom line, if you get from the aircraft to the ground and can get up and fight, whether you had a chute or not, it's a good jump. Cheers.
Did a skytrain 141 once, but yeah no thanks on the 123 got bigger balls of steel than myself. Still love the 130s though always an amazing jumping platform.
I went to Airborne School in 1979, with two or three jumps from a C-123. The wings were flexing, something like a bird flapping its wings, although not as much. I trusted my parachute, and I couldn't wait to get out of that airplane.
division jump I believe at 500 AGL (500 feet), once you count to 4, you jettison your equipment. They rarely jumped at 1250 feet from what I remember, they don't want sky sharks and they want you to get to the ground the fastest way possible, less injuries. We jumped most at 1250 feet and sometimes higher, we had some cocky pilots.
@0130wallace yep, 500ft sometimes and 1250 AGL but went higher, I remember running jumps and we started at 0600hrs and was in the office by 0900hrs. My last jump, they used toilet rolls as chalk markers, thought that was funny. Before I retired, we got a new Air guy and scheduled my last jump for a combat equipment night jump. The shop said, man, Ted ain't going to make that his last jump, i cussed that guy out and of course, Hollywood UH60 at St. Mere Eglise.
Way back in the mid 1980's I lived in North Carolina, home state of the 82nd. These guys are BAD ASSES!!!! This method puts many people on the ground in very little time!!!!! They are highly motivated!!!! Warriors...
This method will get you killed if it's ever used in a modern war. You simply can't drop large numbers of troops in contested space without losing a good number of them. They are practicing something the US - and in particular the US, given how casualty averse the US military is - will never do again. The Russians tried it with their invasion of Ukraine. They attempted para drops in 2 locations with 6 aircraft. Of the 6, 4 were shot down, killing over 500 paratroopers before they even got into combat. The helicopter forces fared better, with over 120 transport helicopters involved in attacks on 6 locations. Of those, fewer than 5 were shot down on the way to their drop zones. Another 11 were shot down *at* the drop zones, half a dozen were shot down while *exiting* and on RTB. In every instance the para & heli-borne troops were defeated within 24 hours.
The 82nd Airborne Division trains to conduct airfield seizures. These paratroopers will parachute into an occupied airfield and take over control so that troops and equipment can land and deploy from the seized airfield. The 82nd Also has the ability to carry out the same mission with sea ports. The equipment they use are as follows: the T-11 Main Parachute equipped with a T-11 reserve parachute (mounted front), MOLLE (Molly) Ruck Sack, M-1950 Weapons Case.
Rucksack or assault pack is hung upside down from rings on pelvis. Reserve parachute is above that. Notice all soldiers left hand placement: they are covering the reserve pull handle. Weapons go in the long pouch attached to left side. I loved jumping! The gear was less then comfortable though. Being the first jumper in a chaulk is frickin awesome. You get to enjoy the view then throw yourself into it. Graduated US airborne school on 10Aug2001. Served with 2/75 in OEF. RLTW!
*** In your RUclips, you mentioned parachutes might touch on the way down. But MORE than that can take place . . . *** In November 1969 at Ft. Benning, GA, I attended the Basic Airborne Course. I was making one of the 5 required parachute jumps during the final "Jump Week"-- this one from a Lockheed C-141 (powered by a turbofan jet engine). While coming down, I found myself being "drafted" into the wake of a neighboring soldier's parachute below me. You can maneuver your parachute's descent somewhat by reaching up, grabbing the chute's risers (the lines attaching you to the parachute fabric), and pulling down. Air spills out, and the parachute drifts in the direction you are pulling. So I did that, trying to move away horizontally from the approaching parachute. But, it wouldn't work! No matter how much I pulled, I found myself heading down into that upcoming parachute. I ended up LANDING on top of that chute! My feet started sinking into it under me as air started leaving my own parachute -- mine was deflating! At the same time, the tension eased in my risers. This gave me some maneuverability, and I found I could "walk" on the fluffy parachute, like a big pillow. But, my steps were sinking lower on it, and I knew it would eventually collapse. I also eyed a hole located in the center of the chute's fabric, designed to stabilize its descent. If I stepped into it, I could do nothing. Both the soldier under me and I could end up in a horrible accident. He yelled up at me to "Get off," and I yelled back "I'm trying. in a matter of seconds, all I did was make a right turn and walk off the parachute, thus making TWO actual jumps during what should have been only ONE!
Sweet, you sick bastard, sneaking in another jump to get it logged into your jump book, can't trust a paratrooper on thisngs like this... Great story, I got lucky and never had to be in that position. Mass attack we all had the 10's, songle aircraft we had the _1B's with the Apex and try to steer to our TIP. Always a blast, even certain Sat's. they held Hollywood jumps for pay hurts, we could go and get in 2 or 3 that counted to our total. Tailgating 123's
It is literally like he has never seen any military stuff in his life, did he get hit on the head during his royal marine training?? Ive got to start a video session of me reacting to people not knowing anything and me getting angry lol.@Kenneth_James
@@natgoodwin539 Biggest part of me prays the reaction is to relate to someone who has never seen a few war movies or played a war video game. Much less have the access to research a topic on a platform jovially referred to as the internet for 30 seconds. On the landings though, that one guy that hit forward. You don't feel it now buddy.
My dad was on maneuvers to Turkey with 101st in 1963. They lost two engines over the Mediterranean and he said not one paratrooper had his chute. The “Upper Mgmt” had sent the chutes on a separate flight with the jeeps! They landed safely by the Grace of God!
@@jeffhall2411 you keep original chute. It's ingrained into you all jump career that if you hit past the number 4 while counting during fall you deploy reserve. If the chute's damaged or rolled up "cigarette roll" then deploy reserve. And yeah, not much time to do it, but any reduction in decent is better than becoming a dirt dart.
@@jeffhall2411 you don’t have much time and you have to decide real quick. If you want to use it if you have a partial malfunction and you use the reserve, it can collapse the main.
@@jeffhall2411The reserve is not supposed to make the landing smooth, it makes the landing "less deadly", usually no broken bones, but no promises. Can be deployed very late and still save you. ruclips.net/user/shortsWDW-uWrCgzE this is a newer example. Happens all the time. Lots of videos of reserve parachute out there. There are two ways of doing it, like the US keep the old schute and just throw out the reserve, or quick release the old one and throw the reserve. Keeping the old one makes it simpler to do and gives you more time, releasing the old one makes the reserve less prone to fail, also. With quick release ruclips.net/video/wk0pZ-hpS9A/видео.html
In jump school we were trained to not rush the “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi” count so we wouldn’t freak out and pull the reserve too soon. However, there were jumpers that did and it won’t disrupt the functionality of the main chute. You’ll just look like a mook and be the butt of some jokes afterwards.🤣
I was actually a paratrooper in the 173rd during OIF/OEF. If you bump into each other, they teach you to "slip away" by grabbing any combination of 2 risers to ride the air away from each other. You can also shark the air from above somebody and make them fall a lil faster as a bit of a troll.
@@richardlucas7184 They got a mustard star (combat jump) in Iraq jumping into the Kurdish Northern Alliance area. Herd it was like Market Garden...pretty much an easy jump as a show of force.
The bag in front against the legs is that Alice Pack, the pack with the red tab is the reserve chute and the pack on the side is the weapon. Chute has a static line which has a (in my time) 4 second count after exit of aircraft for opening shock of your chute. We try to keep one arm interval with the trooper in front of you to maintain a one second spacing upon exiting the bird. The material you see on some of the chutes dangling is a deployed reserve chute. Either it deployed or the trooper got tangled and deployed it. It is the individual troopers responsibility to check their space below them and ensure no other troopers are below you because it will shark your air and your chute could deflate, so to speak.800 ft is normal altitude for ops and mostly done at night. Chutes fail, you run across chutes, you get tangled all that is Murphy's Law. The H harness is deployed 100 ft off the ground that is the Alice Pack dangling prior to hitting the ground. I always got butterflies and it was adrenaline. I hope this was useful, AIRBORNE All The Way!
I had to go to army airborne school during a period where the Army took the SEAL’s authority to run our own jump training away (the Army controls all military jumping while the Navy controls all military diving). I did ~60 static line jumps before going to free fall school. Never static-lined again after that.
don't forget, we used to drop with commo gear and mortars and they don't count, we had one guy jump the base plate, another with the tube and separate the radios from the batteries. We didn't use I think the 1950 weapons case, always thought that was stupid. I jumped with division when I needed a night combat equipment jump and they issued me that, I had to ask for help to rig it, we just didn't use that, it's something about lowering your weapon I never understood. On that jump, the JM missed the jumper not attaching it to the D-ring and I literally watched that ruck and weapon barrel to the ground. I ran over to the guy after the jump and the barrel was bent when he took the weapon out. All I was thinking, man you could have killed someone.
Especially when guys carry extra ammo for 240’s, Javelin rockets, pick axe heads, handles, all kinds of equipment that make you easily 100lbs over your body weight.
Was on SF special operations team alpha, my ruck averaged 120-125 pounds. Radio, battery, antenna bag, burst device and what ever rations I could cram in the ruck. We were to carry rations for 7 days, which you could stretch out to 2 if you rationed yourself and they would try to get re=supply drop to you. After that you started eating tree bark or something. Regardless of weight I always carried my bottle of Tobasco Sauce. Always!
Yes, there is a back-up chute on the front by the waist. The parachutes are not damaged, they openings to allow the trooper to steer them as they glide. They are not that close together. Their equipment such as packs are carried on a strap that dangles below them as they glide so that the weight of the pack hits the ground before the trooper. That way his body doesn't bear the weight of the pack when he lands on the ground. They are at a relatively low altitude to prevent the troops from getting scattered and to lessen the time they are exposed to the enemy but to allow enough time for them to release a bad chute and open the reserve chute. Step one is to leave the plane step two is to look up and make sure you have a "good canopy". If the canopy is not properly deployed, you release yourself from it and pull the ripcord on the reserve chute, grab the straps and pull yourself to the upright position putting the straps behind your arms.
Yes, that is their "Bergen" rucksack...and that is the weapon's case under the left arm...reserve chute is on the chest. The "bergen" is released 100ft from the ground...it is attached by a line. Also, you will notice that some of them have unit a patch (AA = 82nd Airborne) on one shoulder, while other have a unit patch on both. Those who have one on their right shoulder deployed in combat...it is their "combat patch". Finaly, standing in the door is the best position in the stick...back in my day (40 odd years ago) it was considered a position of honor.
I was scared (still am) of heights. I was number two man once. When I looked out the door my mind went blank. Brain just said "Fuck that." So, for the next four years I was a stick pusher. I had no problem looking out the door if I wasn't going out the door. 😂
On our first jump I was right after our class leader. They told us to look directly out into the horizon, don’t look down because it will creep you out. Being right after the first jumper I decided to test the theory and yeah, they were right. I never looked down from the door after that.
The "AA" patch of the 82nd Airborne stands for "All American". I was stationed with the 82nd for a good number of years. Airborne! I retired with a single "A" (ARCENT) within a circle patch on my right shoulder.
Looks like a full Company training jump to me. You never realize how enormous the C17 is until you walk up into one. They look like they shouldn't be able to fly lol.
No LBE in one of the clips, if i had to guess it was a Hollywood Jump, usually to keep REMPs jump qualified. Or it may have been a demonstration jump during some publicity event.
My six years in the 82nd was great. Cherry blast was ch-47 tailgate in the pouring rain in January while TDY to Ft Hood. Have ch-47, uh-60, c-141, c-130, and c-17 on jump log.
My daughter was in the 82d AD in the 1990s. I teased her for stepping out of a perfectly good airplane before it lands and she teased me for climbing over the side of a landing ship on a net and riding a Mike Boat to the beach. I told her, "If the boat sinks I know how to swim, but what can you do if the parachute fails?"
There is no "perfectly good airplane" especially in the Air Force. The reserve chute strapped in the front is the backup in case of failure, after that you could always try flapping your arms......
I think from the 70's all the way until the 2010's the parachute was the round T-10 main with the T-10-1 being the steerable one with toggles and cutouts. and then they changed over to the T-11. it's square with cutouts and in the corners and steerable also. its apparently a pain in the ass to pack but totally worth it when they jump.it used to be that the t-10 quota for a rigger in the light pack platoon was 25 a day. and now the T-11s is 20 a day.
I was old school Airborne from back in the 80s, when there was the T-10 nonsteerable and the MC1-1B steerable parachute. I was in 1st Bat 509th Airborne, the unit that made the first Combat jump for the United States military in 1942 into Algiers, North Africa, 2 years before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.
The guy who is the first person out is called the "Door Man." You *DO* want to be the Door Man, because you get a great view out the door for a short period before you jump.
If, during the descent, you "land" on the chute below you, you literally "run" to the edge of that chute (like running in a vat of Jello) and drop off. Your chute, having been in the lower guy's wind shadow, will be partially collapsed: you will fall faster than him, and end up below him, with a full chute again. There is a very good chance that HIS chute will then be sucked into YOUR wind shadow and the whole thing will repeat, with him on top. You can "leapfrog" all the way to the ground like this, and both guys will probably be OK. If you collide with another trooper, you're taught to hug each other and you descend to the ground like that. Again, both guys will probably be OK. "Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die, and he ain't gonna jump no more!" AIRBORNE!!
I used to be a medic doing DZ cover for drops, we'd see guys "Daisy chaining" like that, sometimes takimg bets on which one got the harder landing - while running ready to assist if needed.
I was in the Ranger Battalion and yes we have a reserve shoot. Combat jump is 800 feet . However after many jumps you get a feel for how high you are and I'd swear there many that were under 800 by at least 100 feet...they'd never tell you though. Most of our jump were at night....now that brings an element of excitement to the game! It actually is a pretty cool way to infill. We really liked Chinook and Blackhawks more exact and the ability to lay down cover fire should never be taken for granted.
Yes everyone has a back up, it’s on the stomach above the ruck sack, jumping that low you may not have time to use it if needed. 82/325. If you land on another chute, run off of it……….
Having 15 jumps personally, the pack on the front of the chest is a reserve parachute in case the primary T-11 ( which is the one on the back ) fails for whatever reason. Typically, the static line is designed to open the T-11 automatically after 6 seconds, if it doesn't deploy after 6 seconds you immediately go for the reserve. The bag on the side is the MAW-C which can carry an M4, a SAW, or in some cases an M240L. But the jumps are a lot of fun, and quite exciting!
@@amazinggrace5692 It was named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg. They are renaming bases named after Confederate Generals and any thing else related to the Confederate states They are bound and determined to erase anything to do with the South and the brave southern men who fought for the cause they believed in. They even removing statues of Confederate Soldiers that were put up to honor the soldiers. They have even removed a Confederate Monument in Arlington Cemetery. It was surrounded by Confederate Soldiers graves.Confederate soldiers are recognized as veterans by an act passed by Congress.
@@amazinggrace5692 Because Fort Bragg was named after a Confederate General - Braxton Bragg. General Bragg was very unpopular with his troops and fellow officers. The only reason they named it after him was because he was from North Carolina, where Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty) is located. Nine army bases had their names changed because they were named after Confederate Generals. It cost over 6 million dollars for the transition of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty.
I went to the yalls Army jumping school in February of 1980. My neighbor Gunny went to British Royal Marine Commando school back in the 60s he was in Recon back then.
That is full battle rattle. None of those guys are from the 101st - some are wearing combat patches from the 101st, but they are in the 82nd now. They have their chute on their back, their reserve on their belly, their ruck between their legs, and rifle on their right side. The phone is allowed. They get some good air shots with their phones. It’s all guys in the kind companies. Line company is 120 doopers, and one company per bird. 400 doopers is the equivalent of 1000 regular soldiers.
Imagine if you’re the enemy defender you see 1500 parachutes drifting down from the sky. To make it even worse, they are landing behind your line of defense.
@@timothydixon2545 Well there are two types of jumps, there is the Combat Equipment jump that was in the video and then there is the "Hollywood" jump where the trooper wears their main and reserve parachutes.
My LRS unit did a C-130 tailgate jump that sent 7 out of 21 jumpers to the ER. We hypothesized that the plane was carrying too much airspeed when the green light came on. The opening shock was brutal. The DZ was likely too windy for a drop, but guy running it was a little prick and made us do it anyway.
The reason you store your gear low is mainly just physics. When landing you want to minimize risk to injuries on your legs and back from shock. Because if these injuries occur you have gone from being an asset to a liability. So before you land your pack is dropped and tethered by a line (which can be cut, or break away if snagged) and that means the weight of that gear is not going to be placed on your body.
The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is one of the Air Force's main long-range, heavy transport aircraft. It can deploy 102 paratroopers from two troop doors in a single pass. Airborne forces execute parachute assaults to destroy enemy forces and seize and hold key objectives until linkup with follow-on forces.
I had 37 static line jumps in the 1990s. I've never jumped from anything larger than a C141 and certainly never used a parachute as nice as those. Everything else is pretty much the same. Thanks for the video.
Jump school at Benning first 2 jumps were from C119 also known as the flying box car the other 3 jumps were from C131 Hercules . Secondly the new chutes looks a lot better than the old one from my day's
I loved hanging my knees in the breeze. But that was decades ago. In the US, we have riggers who rig parachutes all day, every day. But whenever one of the chutes they rig is randomly selected, they have to wear it for a jump. That's one reason the chutes all work. But, yes, there is a reserve chute. It was the package you saw worn high on their chest.
From the family of Col. John Ripley USMC (deseased) Navy Cross, Quad Body, which includes wearing the insignia of your British Royal Marines, only U.S. Marine inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall Of Fame, and much more----we love your site!
My Father was Airborne in 1960-1964. During the Indo-China conflict. He said he was okay with the takeoff and landing, it was getting out in the middle he didn't like. lol
I actually did some joint stuff with you guys back in Helmand in 2009. Good stuff...have some good stories about jumps in division. My last jump at Fort Bragg had a chute failure wild enough.
Dad’s airborne and suffered a midair collision during a training jump, chute didn’t deploy correctly, the cord wrapped around his leg causing a fair bit of damage to his leg. Fortunately the chute was deployed enough that he was able to get down safely though his leg later swelled up to the size of a watermelon. It was not a good time for him, but at least he lived. The other trooper was completely fine, not a scratch. Dad told me about another trooper who was doing the tower drop and got blown into the tower and broke his back. Anyway yeah this stuff has gone through loads of trial and error, but shit still happens.
I reenlisted on a C-17 (was still testing) in 1997, such an amazing aircraft, and change from the C-130 and C-141 that I was used to Jumping out of hahaha AIRBORNE!!!! And yeah, your Ruck is always hanging from your waste below the reserve...
My son is a 101st Airborne SCREAMIN EAGLE!! He is based in FT Campbell Kentucky and is a BEAST. It can deploy 102 in a single pass from 2 doors. Can also carry 134 troops in seats with a payload of 170,900 lbs
Sorry, but the 101Worst are Dopes on a rope to us who actually use a chute... Tell him to transfer to Eighty Deuce at Bragg and get into a more professional unit...
I was a member of the 82nd, and I had over 60 jumps not including sport jumps on the weekends. Yes we had both a main and reserve parachute every time. If we descend on top of another's canopy we would first attempt to run off to avoid entanglement. If we were entangled we would try to join up and land together, this was in the event one of our parachutes failed.
This was most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life. Did 8yrs in the army stationed at Fort Bragg N.C. ~ 11b weapons squad 1st 325 pir fighting falcons circa 92
1985, first day of Jump School. Col. Scott gave a big welcome speech: "It don't get no better than this!!" We all roared in agreement! Later, though we found out what he really meant. And, he said, "told you it doesn't get any better."
It is 4 am and I have insomnia..... When you were checking out the guys "day sacks". I was positive that you first said that is their "nut sacks". I choked on my water, laughing so hard. I need sleep LOL
I was first on one of my jumps, it was amazing and the most memorable of my jumps. Standing in the door, checking for obstructions, the wind pounding your face, it's such a rush.
2:52 this image really tells you how massive this plane is, I mean compare this to a C-47. 12 guy fit in that plane! and the not exactly small, this thing could carry a house!
A C-17 like that is designed to carry 102 paratroops. That is their rucksack between their legs, their main chute on their back, and, their reserve in the smaller pack on the chest.
Still here at Bragg/liberty. about to retire in Jan. I did 25 jumps last year. Big difference between us and the U.K. paras is we try to get every trooper at least 4 jumps a year and currently U.K. is having issues getting close to the level of airborne proficiency. after that airfield seizure attacking and objective is standard. There is a reserve attached to the front of the harness and we jump 1000 ft agl with the t11-and used to jump 800 with the older t10.
The reserve chute is on the front. On Purple Star back in 96 we had 5000 troops in the air, 29 Hercules aircraft it was amazing. 1 guy was unlucky enough to have a Roman Candle for a parachute. American kit is actually quite badly maintained, we went to Florida in 97 the first 2x chits they pulled out had rips in them. The rest were ok😅. Training jumps are usually from 1000-1200ft, exercise jumps are from 600ft. With an expectation of up to 10% casualties.
One of my uncles was in 17the Airborne in WW2. Did 4 jump in combat including Operation Market Garden. I was in the Coast Guard myself so didn't do any stuff like this. When I was younger I might have tried it but not anymore. I'm really a "feet on the ground" kind of guy. Hats off to all who did it though. Carry on, Lads!
The long focal length of some of those shots compresses apparent distance so they look closer than they are. Though they are still pretty close, it is what they train for. The whole point is to fly as low as possible so the people aren't in the air any longer than absolutely necessary. Which is why a static line is used. Rather than relying on the soldier to pull the rip-cord, the hook is the rip cord. As you jump out your chute is already deploying, you don't worry about anything.The guy by the door is keeping the previous hooks out of the way of the next jumpers.
I was an engineer on the C-17. I designed the lighting that you are seeing in the cargo area here. It had a lot of problems but turned out great for the warfighter and taxpayer.
@@toddmonroe6168 Yes. It turned out great. I watched some of the early dummy tests on video. Before we put the air dam on the side jump door. We were all laughing at the dummies banging against the side of the aircraft. I did the lighting installation designs in the cargo area. Did you do any night jumps with the red lights?
Ah, the wind deflectors. If I remember correctly, they were still tweaking them as we did the jumps. No night jumps for me. We did all daylight jumps while we were there.
I was a paratrooper in the 80's. This brought back many memories. I've run across another troopers chute, bounced down the side of a c130, and landed through trees. I miss those days. My kids and grandkids are fascinated by my recollections of my past.
There is a framed front page newspaper article hanging on a wall in the rigging shop at Hunter Army Airfield. The article is about an air show that happened during an open house where the 75th Ranger Battalion participated and the upper half of the page was a photo showing hundreds of Rangers falling out of the sky after jumping from C141's right onto the airfield. Right in the center of the photo was a may west among hundreds of inflated chutes. Though the article made no mention of it, that chute malfunctioned badly and his reserve wasn't deployed. The SgMaj of the rigger shop walked over and asked me if I noticed anything odd and I said yeah, and asked did he make it? She said oh yeah. He hit hard and everybody thought he was dead. Ambulance and medics went out but he sat up. Then got on his feet, peeled his chute off and dug the book out of the pocket. Gathered up the chute and started walking to the rigging shop while waving medics off. He wanted to speak to the individual who packed that chute. She said nobody got hurt but the rigger was transferred though. I was thinking that was a close call, if the Army realized Rangers can jump without chutes they wouldn't need riggers.
This brings back memories. I can still remember all of verbal commands more than twenty years later. My class at Airborne school was the first to jump out of the C-17, but I never got the chance. I did all of my jumps out of the C-130 and C-141.
I watched a similar exercise over Camp Roberts California in the late 80's. It was the middle of the night when they did it. They dropped Hummers as well.
That is full kit . The weapon bag is tucked either under arm the bag dragging is the ruck they carry, the folded bag just under the emergency chute which is at the waistq. They are shot gunning both doors any misstep and you get collisions. Once down we pick up our chutes and bag them. Yes the main and then the emergency chute is directly at the waist. I have 19 years jumping in special ops. Spent more than 3 years of that in Ranger battalion. Collision do happen. I have had 2 partial malfunctions my last one I woke up in the hospital.
I was an 82nd Airborne Infantryman from January 1981 to November 1983 A Co 2/504. Just so you know, the first person out the door is the most relaxed and safest position. Something about staring out the door at the ground/horizon relaxes the mind and as a result you get smaller butterflies and less pucker factor! Also, as long as nobodies shooting at you from the ground, it is by far the safest position to be in because the sky around you isn't full of parachutes. You can easily pull away from the Soldiers jumping behind you. Out of over 30 jumps I only had the honor three times. Once in jump school, once in my unit during a field problem and sort of once off the skid of a Huey helicopter in a weekend fun jump aka the generals jump. Also, if you happen to find yourself standing on someones parachute while floating to the ground, all you do is simply walk off. You don't want to hesitate because your parachute starts to deflate and you could wind up in a real mess. It only happened to me once during a night time mass tactical jump while I was in jump school and I just walked off. It worked perfectly! In my experience, the most danger comes from wind speed. Example, in 1982 I participated in what we eventually called the California death jump. We lost over a dozen Soldiers on that jump because of wind speeds exceeding 25 knots. Some died from their risers choking them to death on the ground and some died by crashing into heavy drop equipment. It's extremely difficult to control a T10 parachute when the winds are unsafely fast and when you hit the ground (PLF) and you're being dragged at over 20 MPH, it's almost impossible to release a riser to deflate the chute unless the wind lets up. Anyway, my experiences were over 40 years ago and "safety" wasn't paramount back then. Losing Soldiers in training was unfortunate, but not as important as it is now. I can't even remember the word "safety" being used and "risk assessments" did not exist.
nah man, chucking yerself out of a plane is just fun. first plane i ever jumped out of, i was worried the plane would break before i got the door open. by the time we got clearance to jump, i was like let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out etc
I was a paratrooper, when you hit another person’s canopy you can sort of run off of it.
If you get tangled in suspension lines you are supposed to try to get out or climb to the other trooper.
It’s all really fast though.
In 4 years of jumping on Ft Bragg there was never a parachute failure on a jump I was on.
...fellow 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg...brother in arms........
Hooah! Fayettnam ft. Bragg
You forgot the incessant screaming, "YOU SLIP AWAY YOU PIECE OF...." Good times but never jumped the T-11s...was always a T-10C or Dash 1 kind of guy.
When the Russians first attacked that airport in Ukraine, Two of their huge transports full of paratroopers, like the ones in the picture of UIS paratroopers, were shot down by Ukraine soldiers as they were trying to drop troops, there was a phone video of one as it nose-dived into the ground , full of troops !!!
My father was at ft Bragg. I grew up there and later was roommates with the sgt mager who was in charge of the jump tower from Vietnam all the way to dessert storm. I miss that old guy and his stories.
I was part of this operation, although I didn't actually get out of the aircraft. This was part of a "Joint Operational Access Demonstration" that was being done for All-American Week at (then) Ft Bragg, NC. It wasn't just 4 C-17s, there were 11 of them IIRC, and at least a few C-130s as well. The overall planned drop was around 1500 paratroopers in one pass.
To answer your questions: yes, the T-11 parachute does fail sometimes, which is why we have reserve chutes (the big red handle on our front is for the reserve); the failure rate is somewhat dependent on that jumper's actual actions (a more technically correct exit from the aircraft yields better results) but by this point in time, there had been approximately 250k jumps made with the T-11 with the number of deaths at most in the teens. I've got 61 jumps of my own (with a fair number of, shall we say, exciting rides), and I've personally watched probably around 10-15k jumpers over my 20 years in the Army. I can count the number of times a jumper had to deploy a reserve on both hands.
The jumpers look close together, but that is a trick of the camera. Unless two jumpers exit from both sides at the exact same time, the chance of hitting another jumper is low. There's usually about a 50-100 foot separation between jumpers (within shouting distance). If you do hit another jumper or their parachute, you try to bounce off of them the best you can. If you get entangled, the higher jumper moves down to be even with the lower jumper and they're gonna finish that jump and landing together. The T-11 parachute is rated up to 800 pounds of suspended weight, so one chute can easily lower 2 jumpers if needed.
The injury ratio with the T-10D was roughly 9/1000 jumps, and with the T-11 it is roughly 5/1000 jumps. Most injuries are due to the ground (so, landing poorly or surface, obstacle, etc) but as you said, it's not often due to the parachute that a failure may occur. How you jump, flight speed, the jumpmasters, etc. When the guys in my unit who jumped into Panama talked about their 400 ft jump, they didn't even take a reserve - they brought a claymore.
Thanks for the insights. The first and last jump for me the chute twisted. I never complained again about the repetitive training in the military for a supposed situation or jumped again
@@montyhinton4971Was that in the Army? Did you move to another military occupation?
I was already on the ground looking up at the second pas. Someone hit an up draft and stayed in place at least 10 seconds
50-100 seems a bit too close. I couldn't find the airspeed of the C-17 when you psychopaths (using it lovingly :) ) jump out. Using a generously low speed of 200 knots equates to about 337 feet per second. The shortest time between jumpers seemed to be about 3/4th of a second so my guess would be probably around double that spacing distance.
Whatever the case is, I'm glad you guys and girls are safe when protecting freedom. I'll just enjoy the show from my nice and safe ground :)
i served in the USAF and i was a parachute rigger for these guys. the fact that you said you were impressed with 100% success of parachutes makes me proud. that was my job.
I thought the army has its own riggers
@user-ej8ew2ib9n they do, I heard rumors about the Army riggers. Basically they run up and down the table all day. We walked lol 😆
Thank you!
Also, it's difficult to explain you loose 5% of the para's every training jump, right?
@@Aperazzo_Salsa_Pics no
I was in the US Navy when PR's, Parachute Riggers, still had to pack a chute from scratch and then jump it.
My first jump was the morning after a heavy snowstorm. The air was crystal clear and freezing cold. We jumped our stick based on the size of the jumper. As I was the biggest man, I went first.
I won't deny it, when I was standing in the door, I froze. Was no way I was going to leave that airplane. Our Jumpmaster at the time was a Marine Gunny Sargent, he told me that it was OK, just let go of the door and step back. Me being a trusting young 18 year old and innocent young man, did as I was told. No sooner had I let go of the door that grizzled old Veteran kicked me square in the ass and out the door.
Next thing I knew I was under the canopy and drifting on the breeze. I was swearing at the Gunny the whole time. I missed the DZ by about 500 feet and landed in a 6 foot snowdrift. We did not have steerable canopies and I totally forgot about pulling on the risers to steer.
I spent the next few years jumping both static and freefall chutes. I even got to do a HALO jump with a group of NAVY SEALS in training once.
That needed a "Love" button! I was an AMS so of course the PR's were in the same division. I remember watching them pack the chutes for the seats. That was crazy! But I had mad respect for them knowing the responsibility they held. Yeah, If I screwed up a repair it could lead to loss of the aircraft but an AME or PR could cost a life.
Thanks for serving Brother!
dave - You're a good writer. Consider some longer works.
What Navy units do jumps besides the SEALs or an unfortunate Aircrew that has to exit the plane?
The Navy had a group called the "Shooting Stars" back in the day. Similar to the Army's "Golden Knights". Also, PR's used to have to jump a rig they packed. Gave them confidence. This was back in the 70's.
😃
My dad was in the 82nd('50s). He passed in 2013, and when he was actively dying, this is what he was 'seeing'... the aircraft, the equipment, and old Airborne friends. ❤
My grandfather was 82nd (WWII).
my dad also in WW2- he of course has passed, and only talked to my brother about anything from the war. I do know that he entered one of the smaller con. camps (started with a B)
Bet your dad jumped the same aircraft as I did....The C119 flying boxcar
To your Pops, I'd merely like to sound off with a Loud + Thunderous:
AIRBORNE!
My partner was a Para. He came down with a twisted chute and failed reserve (not sure of the exact details ) He had some severe injuries but survived and ran a marathon one year later and continued his career in the Paras!
Some rigger was probably prosecuted for that, especially for failed reserve.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. 💪
some times the main chute failure can stop the reserve from deploying correctly. if there is a partial deployment of the main the reserve can deploy into the tangled mess and fail to deploy. it happens sometimes when the jumper doesnt try to force the main to finish deploying (by pulling the risers apart and scissoring their feet) and just pulls the reserve.@@henoch44
Hard as!
He kept his feet and knees together and tucked his chin in and rolled. Airborne!
I used to be one of the guys that packed those parachutes. Everything is done by the numbers with an inspection point at multiple stages in the packing process. The jumpers take all their parachutes with them, They carry a large kit bag folded up that the chute fits in. They walk off the drop zone with it. They wouldn`t do this in an actual invasion jump, of course. The reserve parachute is the small kit on front above the " ruck sack " hanging in front of the legs. In an invasion they may forego that to carry a little extra equipment given that the jump will be done too low for the reserve to open if the main fails. Cheers!
God Bless the Riggers! Thank you!
Are the kit bags from Walmart? If you buy a tent you will never get it to fit in the original container again! The manufacturer must have a machine that folds it under 10k of pressure.
Had to return a chute once...was back when the coke epidemic was running through the Bragg Riggers...someone signed their packing log as Mickey Mouse...was like no thank you.
BALLS
@@gdheib0430 Maybe...All I can say was that story was going around when I was in back in the 90`s. You`d think they would have thought of a different name by now.
My husband was in the 101st at Fort Campbell, KY. We used to see the troops jumping from planes often. My stepmom calls the planes “Trooper Poopers”. My husband wasn’t airborne qualified, but my Dad was in his day. Both are now veterans. To all soldiers past and present I thank you for serving your country and sustaining our freedom. God bless you all!❤️
Scariest part is when someone sharks your air. That’s when someone goes under you and steals your air and you take a sudden drop
That's a thing? I get how air currents and displacement work but another chute going under you can do that? Is it like a dip or like 10 foot drop all the sudden?
@@Whiteknight-xg2pq you hope it’s only a 10ft drop. Your canopy can totally collapse when another chute goes under you.
@kurthafner1141 wow. That's a very scary, terrifying thought. I didn't know that could happen. 😮
SLIP AWAAAAY!!!! LOL
@@jacquelinejohnson9447 high winds is worse. We jump from lower altitudes the compensate for the shift.
This a day jump! Night jumps are a totally different animal! Stepping off in total darkness is a total rush not to mention how much can go wrong! I am an 82nd Airborne veteran.
Exactly.. I was hurt on my 19th jump at night. Someone fell into my chute and collapsed it. I hit very hard two days later I could not walk. spent 28 day in traction. all that was 40 years ago I have to take it easy but I can walk with no help .
I was an Instructor "Black hat" at the Airborne School 1984-1985. At that time the students made 4 day jumps and 1 night jump to qualify for their jump wings. I used to joke at them and tell them that every one of their jumps would be a night jump because they would close their eyes when they jump. lol. For most people, that was true. I served with the 82nd Airborne Division and later I was with the 5th and 10th Special Forces Groups. I made 1 combat jump into Panama for Operation Just Cause December 1989.
@davidlittle8180 hey Dave, I think you mean 7th SFGA, I was in group in Panama before the conflict at Battery Pratt (where they run Jungle Expert school), we transition to war from our training mission, along with 3rd Bn, 7th SFGA, who was our sister unit that was stationed in Panama. Delta took over most of missions we were training for months, which sucked. But we did execute the others, each ODA had a specific mission, Pacora bridge, the NCOIC academy, the base near Ft. Sherman and the airport. The funny thing was, when we hit Panama, on the Colon side, the city was lockdown and they couldn't really feed themselves, most bought food everyday vs how we use refrigerators. We got back in Jan 90, got off the plane and they had a ceremony right on Green Ramp, combat patch and CIBs.
@@davidlittle8180 In 1968 we called that first jump a night water landing, both eyes closed, pissing all over yourself.
Also, that first jump is easy, the second is harder to make. The first you don't know what to expect but the second you are wide awake. You make that third jump you are hooked. I stayed hooked for 8 years. 68-70 airborne Cav 8th Division, 78-84 82 ABN.
@@blkted2945 Love itgreatdetailed event from the war. I was there 73-83 Co B, "Bandidos" 3/5, , 193rd Inf Bde. We we holed up at Ft. Kobbe / Howard AFB. I attende Ft. Sherman for PNCOC, pretty good training, lots of class room , some practical hands on. For graduation we had to do a 3 day exercise, chopper insertion, last day was three events , rappell down a waterfall, make 2 man poncho rafts, swim the Chagress, reconstruct our gear and then a pass through friendly lines at night. Not to be bragging, but I graduated the "Distinguished Honor Graduate" from the course. Pulled three 3 day passes from that. Loved Panama, when you left that after 2 years humping the jungle you were a tight cat, nothing you could not do, totally physically fit... Best duty station ever in my 09 years in Uncle Sam's Jam, Airborne!!
The little bundle on their belly is their reserve chute.
The guys who pack the chutes are “riggers”. They have to jump with their own chutes. It encourages perfection. 😂
The “bits” missing from the chutes are cut outs and they are designed that way. It helps with steering.
After landing, each soldier is responsible for packing up his own shit and getting it to the pick up point.
I was a 5 jump chump so I never saw people colliding midair.
Hope this helps! I enjoy your channel and this video really brought back some memories. Thanks!
"RIGGGEEEERRR"
For all of you legs a 5 jump chump is someone passes airborne school gets thier jump wings but is not a member of an airborne unit. I had 35 drops. A 2 504 late 80s
@@GrantWaller.-hf6jn Gotta be able to spell "Supadupaparatroopa" in jumps before you're offical lol
I've been on parachute detail since I was a leg in my unit.
It's partially steering, but also so that they can descend as fast as possible as safe as possible. It's not like paragliding where you want all the control and stay in the air as long as you can. They want to get out of the air and onto the ground as fast and as controlled as they can. The holes in the chute basically optimize that for the average.
I went through Airborne (paratrooper) school at Ft. Benning many, many years ago. In fact, when people ask me why I'd jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I advise them that my first two jumps were out of a C-123 Provider, a 1950's era twin-piston engine cargo airplane and not what I would call a "perfectly good airplane." In fact, as I sat in the troop seats getting ready to jump, I had bolts falling into my lap. Mr. "OriginalHuman" is correct with respect to the gear, the "day sack" is in front between the paratrooper's legs and the weapons case along their left side. And yes, the compartment in front at chest level is a secondary chute in case the main chute fails or malfunctions. You're only at 1,250 feet (about 380 meters), so when you exit the aircraft you count to three, look up, and if you don't have a good chute above you, you pull the cord on your reserve because you don't have enough time to do anything else. Bottom line, if you get from the aircraft to the ground and can get up and fight, whether you had a chute or not, it's a good jump. Cheers.
Did a skytrain 141 once, but yeah no thanks on the 123 got bigger balls of steel than myself. Still love the 130s though always an amazing jumping platform.
I went to Airborne School in 1979, with two or three jumps from a C-123. The wings were flexing, something like a bird flapping its wings, although not as much. I trusted my parachute, and I couldn't wait to get out of that airplane.
division jump I believe at 500 AGL (500 feet), once you count to 4, you jettison your equipment. They rarely jumped at 1250 feet from what I remember, they don't want sky sharks and they want you to get to the ground the fastest way possible, less injuries. We jumped most at 1250 feet and sometimes higher, we had some cocky pilots.
@@blkted2945 800 feet for fixed wing aircraft, 1200 for rotary wing.
@0130wallace yep, 500ft sometimes and 1250 AGL but went higher, I remember running jumps and we started at 0600hrs and was in the office by 0900hrs. My last jump, they used toilet rolls as chalk markers, thought that was funny. Before I retired, we got a new Air guy and scheduled my last jump for a combat equipment night jump. The shop said, man, Ted ain't going to make that his last jump, i cussed that guy out and of course, Hollywood UH60 at St. Mere Eglise.
My Grandfather was a Paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War.
Way back in the mid 1980's I lived in North Carolina, home state of the 82nd. These guys are BAD ASSES!!!! This method puts many people on the ground in very little time!!!!! They are highly motivated!!!! Warriors...
This method will get you killed if it's ever used in a modern war. You simply can't drop large numbers of troops in contested space without losing a good number of them. They are practicing something the US - and in particular the US, given how casualty averse the US military is - will never do again.
The Russians tried it with their invasion of Ukraine. They attempted para drops in 2 locations with 6 aircraft. Of the 6, 4 were shot down, killing over 500 paratroopers before they even got into combat. The helicopter forces fared better, with over 120 transport helicopters involved in attacks on 6 locations. Of those, fewer than 5 were shot down on the way to their drop zones. Another 11 were shot down *at* the drop zones, half a dozen were shot down while *exiting* and on RTB. In every instance the para & heli-borne troops were defeated within 24 hours.
I went to basic and AIT with a bunch of draftees. Fights all the time with pussies. Got to jump school, everyone did 15 pull ups. Alotta respect there
I jumped Bragg back in the 60s and 70s.....you had 12 seconds to empty that plane or wind up in the trees
The 82nd Airborne Division trains to conduct airfield seizures. These paratroopers will parachute into an occupied airfield and take over control so that troops and equipment can land and deploy from the seized airfield. The 82nd Also has the ability to carry out the same mission with sea ports. The equipment they use are as follows: the T-11 Main Parachute equipped with a T-11 reserve parachute (mounted front), MOLLE (Molly) Ruck Sack, M-1950 Weapons Case.
They're also a Ready Deployment Force that could be anywhere in the world in 18 hrs.
Yeah, that’s the main purpose of the airborne. A HUGE or smaller fighting element can be deployed faster than what can be deployed by sea or land.
Hell, when I went to jump school back in the early 70's we still were jumping with T10 chutes.
Rucksack or assault pack is hung upside down from rings on pelvis. Reserve parachute is above that. Notice all soldiers left hand placement: they are covering the reserve pull handle. Weapons go in the long pouch attached to left side.
I loved jumping! The gear was less then comfortable though.
Being the first jumper in a chaulk is frickin awesome. You get to enjoy the view then throw yourself into it.
Graduated US airborne school on 10Aug2001. Served with 2/75 in OEF. RLTW!
Right hand covers the reserve pull handle, left is just placed on the side for body position.
to get the "door" (first out) was a reward for something
*** In your RUclips, you mentioned parachutes might touch on the way down. But MORE than that can take place . . . ***
In November 1969 at Ft. Benning, GA, I attended the Basic Airborne Course. I was making one of the 5 required parachute jumps during the final "Jump Week"-- this one from a Lockheed C-141 (powered by a turbofan jet engine). While coming down, I found myself being "drafted" into the wake of a neighboring soldier's parachute below me. You can maneuver your parachute's descent somewhat by reaching up, grabbing the chute's risers (the lines attaching you to the parachute fabric), and pulling down. Air spills out, and the parachute drifts in the direction you are pulling. So I did that, trying to move away horizontally from the approaching parachute. But, it wouldn't work! No matter how much I pulled, I found myself heading down into that upcoming parachute.
I ended up LANDING on top of that chute! My feet started sinking into it under me as air started leaving my own parachute -- mine was deflating! At the same time, the tension eased in my risers. This gave me some maneuverability, and I found I could "walk" on the fluffy parachute, like a big pillow. But, my steps were sinking lower on it, and I knew it would eventually collapse. I also eyed a hole located in the center of the chute's fabric, designed to stabilize its descent. If I stepped into it, I could do nothing. Both the soldier under me and I could end up in a horrible accident. He yelled up at me to "Get off," and I yelled back "I'm trying. in a matter of seconds, all I did was make a right turn and walk off the parachute, thus making TWO actual jumps during what should have been only ONE!
Sweet, you sick bastard, sneaking in another jump to get it logged into your jump book, can't trust a paratrooper on thisngs like this... Great story, I got lucky and never had to be in that position. Mass attack we all had the 10's, songle aircraft we had the _1B's with the Apex and try to steer to our TIP. Always a blast, even certain Sat's. they held Hollywood jumps for pay hurts, we could go and get in 2 or 3 that counted to our total. Tailgating 123's
Nothing dumber then a plumber but I hear you Royal Marines kick ass and take names later! Rigorous training I hear hats off to yah sir!
Could this man ever be a guest on the Unsubscribe podcast with the Fat Electrician and crew? Could be amazing.
Let either Eli, Donut, TFE or Brandon know (i.e, everyone that would like to see him on the Unsubscribe podcast).
he'd be a hit on there since he doesn't remember anything about military and repeats I'm an ex RMCommando every chance. They'd enjoy his company.
It is literally like he has never seen any military stuff in his life, did he get hit on the head during his royal marine training?? Ive got to start a video session of me reacting to people not knowing anything and me getting angry lol.@Kenneth_James
V.vppok j
@@natgoodwin539 Biggest part of me prays the reaction is to relate to someone who has never seen a few war movies or played a war video game. Much less have the access to research a topic on a platform jovially referred to as the internet for 30 seconds. On the landings though, that one guy that hit forward. You don't feel it now buddy.
My dad was on maneuvers to Turkey with 101st in 1963. They lost two engines over the Mediterranean and he said not one paratrooper had his chute. The “Upper Mgmt” had sent the chutes on a separate flight with the jeeps! They landed safely by the Grace of God!
The C-17 can airdrop 102 paratroopers and yes there is a back up chute if the main one fails to deploy
Wouldn't that drop be too low to the ground to be able to drop bad chute and deploy backup?
@@jeffhall2411 you keep original chute. It's ingrained into you all jump career that if you hit past the number 4 while counting during fall you deploy reserve. If the chute's damaged or rolled up "cigarette roll" then deploy reserve. And yeah, not much time to do it, but any reduction in decent is better than becoming a dirt dart.
@@jeffhall2411 you don’t have much time and you have to decide real quick. If you want to use it if you have a partial malfunction and you use the reserve, it can collapse the main.
@@jeffhall2411The reserve is not supposed to make the landing smooth, it makes the landing "less deadly", usually no broken bones, but no promises. Can be deployed very late and still save you. ruclips.net/user/shortsWDW-uWrCgzE this is a newer example. Happens all the time. Lots of videos of reserve parachute out there. There are two ways of doing it, like the US keep the old schute and just throw out the reserve, or quick release the old one and throw the reserve. Keeping the old one makes it simpler to do and gives you more time, releasing the old one makes the reserve less prone to fail, also. With quick release ruclips.net/video/wk0pZ-hpS9A/видео.html
In jump school we were trained to not rush the “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi” count so we wouldn’t freak out and pull the reserve too soon.
However, there were jumpers that did and it won’t disrupt the functionality of the main chute. You’ll just look like a mook and be the butt of some jokes afterwards.🤣
I was actually a paratrooper in the 173rd during OIF/OEF. If you bump into each other, they teach you to "slip away" by grabbing any combination of 2 risers to ride the air away from each other. You can also shark the air from above somebody and make them fall a lil faster as a bit of a troll.
I didn't see any "Herd" patches on any of them, just 101st, 82nd and a 4th div.
@@richardlucas7184 They got a mustard star (combat jump) in Iraq jumping into the Kurdish Northern Alliance area. Herd it was like Market Garden...pretty much an easy jump as a show of force.
That bag on their belly is a reserve chute. If they collide , it can lead to death. My father died that way. Was a paratrooper myself in the 80s.
sorry for your loose and thanks for his bravery !
Makes me proud to know we have young guys willing to do this for our country! 👍👍
The bag in front against the legs is that Alice Pack, the pack with the red tab is the reserve chute and the pack on the side is the weapon. Chute has a static line which has a (in my time) 4 second count after exit of aircraft for opening shock of your chute. We try to keep one arm interval with the trooper in front of you to maintain a one second spacing upon exiting the bird. The material you see on some of the chutes dangling is a deployed reserve chute. Either it deployed or the trooper got tangled and deployed it. It is the individual troopers responsibility to check their space below them and ensure no other troopers are below you because it will shark your air and your chute could deflate, so to speak.800 ft is normal altitude for ops and mostly done at night. Chutes fail, you run across chutes, you get tangled all that is Murphy's Law. The H harness is deployed 100 ft off the ground that is the Alice Pack dangling prior to hitting the ground. I always got butterflies and it was adrenaline. I hope this was useful, AIRBORNE All The Way!
I had to go to army airborne school during a period where the Army took the SEAL’s authority to run our own jump training away (the Army controls all military jumping while the Navy controls all military diving). I did ~60 static line jumps before going to free fall school. Never static-lined again after that.
That bag between the legs is a ruck. Packed for three days of operation. My heaviest was 75 pounds, but I have friends that have jumped 100 pounds.
THE BAG BETWEEN THEIR LEGS WAS THEIR RUCK , WHICH HELD THE HUGE BALLS OF PARATROOPERS
My rucksack averaged 84 pounds, LBE 25 lbs, m-60 30 lbs with a 100 rd belt attached. Anything added increased the weight.
don't forget, we used to drop with commo gear and mortars and they don't count, we had one guy jump the base plate, another with the tube and separate the radios from the batteries. We didn't use I think the 1950 weapons case, always thought that was stupid. I jumped with division when I needed a night combat equipment jump and they issued me that, I had to ask for help to rig it, we just didn't use that, it's something about lowering your weapon I never understood. On that jump, the JM missed the jumper not attaching it to the D-ring and I literally watched that ruck and weapon barrel to the ground. I ran over to the guy after the jump and the barrel was bent when he took the weapon out. All I was thinking, man you could have killed someone.
Especially when guys carry extra ammo for 240’s, Javelin rockets, pick axe heads, handles, all kinds of equipment that make you easily 100lbs over your body weight.
Was on SF special operations team alpha, my ruck averaged 120-125 pounds. Radio, battery, antenna bag, burst device and what ever rations I could cram in the ruck. We were to carry rations for 7 days, which you could stretch out to 2 if you rationed yourself and they would try to get re=supply drop to you. After that you started eating tree bark or something. Regardless of weight I always carried my bottle of Tobasco Sauce. Always!
Yes, there is a back-up chute on the front by the waist. The parachutes are not damaged, they openings to allow the trooper to steer them as they glide. They are not that close together. Their equipment such as packs are carried on a strap that dangles below them as they glide so that the weight of the pack hits the ground before the trooper. That way his body doesn't bear the weight of the pack when he lands on the ground. They are at a relatively low altitude to prevent the troops from getting scattered and to lessen the time they are exposed to the enemy but to allow enough time for them to release a bad chute and open the reserve chute. Step one is to leave the plane step two is to look up and make sure you have a "good canopy". If the canopy is not properly deployed, you release yourself from it and pull the ripcord on the reserve chute, grab the straps and pull yourself to the upright position putting the straps behind your arms.
This is a recording of the literal cracking open of several cans of whoopass!
Yes, that is their "Bergen" rucksack...and that is the weapon's case under the left arm...reserve chute is on the chest. The "bergen" is released 100ft from the ground...it is attached by a line. Also, you will notice that some of them have unit a patch (AA = 82nd Airborne) on one shoulder, while other have a unit patch on both. Those who have one on their right shoulder deployed in combat...it is their "combat patch". Finaly, standing in the door is the best position in the stick...back in my day (40 odd years ago) it was considered a position of honor.
I was scared (still am) of heights. I was number two man once. When I looked out the door my mind went blank. Brain just said "Fuck that." So, for the next four years I was a stick pusher. I had no problem looking out the door if I wasn't going out the door. 😂
On our first jump I was right after our class leader. They told us to look directly out into the horizon, don’t look down because it will creep you out.
Being right after the first jumper I decided to test the theory and yeah, they were right. I never looked down from the door after that.
The "AA" patch of the 82nd Airborne stands for "All American". I was stationed with the 82nd for a good number of years. Airborne! I retired with a single "A" (ARCENT) within a circle patch on my right shoulder.
Looks like a full Company training jump to me. You never realize how enormous the C17 is until you walk up into one. They look like they shouldn't be able to fly lol.
No LBE in one of the clips, if i had to guess it was a Hollywood Jump, usually to keep REMPs jump qualified. Or it may have been a demonstration jump during some publicity event.
My six years in the 82nd was great. Cherry blast was ch-47 tailgate in the pouring rain in January while TDY to Ft Hood. Have ch-47, uh-60, c-141, c-130, and c-17 on jump log.
My daughter was in the 82d AD in the 1990s. I teased her for stepping out of a perfectly good airplane before it lands and she teased me for climbing over the side of a landing ship on a net and riding a Mike Boat to the beach. I told her, "If the boat sinks I know how to swim, but what can you do if the parachute fails?"
use your reserve chute. lol
First, there is no such thing as a perfectly good airplane.
Second, if your chute fails, you have a reserve,
As the saying goes "No one jumps out of a perfectly good airplane that's why the airforce built the C141
Duh. She performs a PLF and rushes off to the beach to save the marines.
There is no "perfectly good airplane" especially in the Air Force. The reserve chute strapped in the front is the backup in case of failure, after that you could always try flapping your arms......
The reason the parachutes look so quirky is so have somewhat more control on where can land verses older designs
I think from the 70's all the way until the 2010's the parachute was the round T-10 main with the T-10-1 being the steerable one with toggles and cutouts. and then they changed over to the T-11. it's square with cutouts and in the corners and steerable also. its apparently a pain in the ass to pack but totally worth it when they jump.it used to be that the t-10 quota for a rigger in the light pack platoon was 25 a day. and now the T-11s is 20 a day.
I was old school Airborne from back in the 80s, when there was the T-10 nonsteerable and the MC1-1B steerable parachute. I was in 1st Bat 509th Airborne, the unit that made the first Combat jump for the United States military in 1942 into Algiers, North Africa, 2 years before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.
The guy who is the first person out is called the "Door Man." You *DO* want to be the Door Man, because you get a great view out the door for a short period before you jump.
If, during the descent, you "land" on the chute below you, you literally "run" to the edge of that chute (like running in a vat of Jello) and drop off. Your chute, having been in the lower guy's wind shadow, will be partially collapsed: you will fall faster than him, and end up below him, with a full chute again. There is a very good chance that HIS chute will then be sucked into YOUR wind shadow and the whole thing will repeat, with him on top. You can "leapfrog" all the way to the ground like this, and both guys will probably be OK.
If you collide with another trooper, you're taught to hug each other and you descend to the ground like that. Again, both guys will probably be OK.
"Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die,
and he ain't gonna jump no more!"
AIRBORNE!!
That sounds like a freaking adrenalin junkies dream! If he was brave and honorable!
I used to be a medic doing DZ cover for drops, we'd see guys "Daisy chaining" like that, sometimes takimg bets on which one got the harder landing - while running ready to assist if needed.
I was in the Ranger Battalion and yes we have a reserve shoot. Combat jump is 800 feet . However after many jumps you get a feel for how high you are and I'd swear there many that were under 800 by at least 100 feet...they'd never tell you though. Most of our jump were at night....now that brings an element of excitement to the game! It actually is a pretty cool way to infill. We really liked Chinook and Blackhawks more exact and the ability to lay down cover fire should never be taken for granted.
We jump because somebody down there needs us.
Yes everyone has a back up, it’s on the stomach above the ruck sack, jumping that low you may not have time to use it if needed. 82/325. If you land on another chute, run off of it……….
I was in the 82nd way back in 1977 to 1983. There was nothing like putting the knees in the breeze.
I'll stick with the HALO
...and shakin it loose like a bucket full of juice! AIRBORNE !
Thank all of you men and women who serve in our military every man in my family served.
Having 15 jumps personally, the pack on the front of the chest is a reserve parachute in case the primary T-11 ( which is the one on the back ) fails for whatever reason. Typically, the static line is designed to open the T-11 automatically after 6 seconds, if it doesn't deploy after 6 seconds you immediately go for the reserve. The bag on the side is the MAW-C which can carry an M4, a SAW, or in some cases an M240L. But the jumps are a lot of fun, and quite exciting!
Between the sharks, the nut-bumps, the "simulated" hot drops, and everything else... it's still one hell of a time.
Yes a reserve chute on chest. Also can use it to climb out of a tree if you get stuck in 1.
They are all so calm, they look like they are just boarding a southwest flight.
The 82nd Airborne is based at Fort Liberty, formally called Fort Bragg, in Fayetteville, NC . Everyone around still calls it Fort Bragg.I do too.
It'll never be "Ft. Liberty."
I’m curious, why did they change the name at all?
@@amazinggrace5692 It was named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg. They are renaming bases named after Confederate Generals and any thing else related to the Confederate states They are bound and determined to erase anything to do with the South and the brave southern men who fought for the cause they believed in. They even removing statues of Confederate Soldiers that were put up to honor the soldiers. They have even removed a Confederate Monument in Arlington Cemetery. It was surrounded by Confederate Soldiers graves.Confederate soldiers are recognized as veterans by an act passed by Congress.
It's Ft Bragg liberty would be a good name for somewhere else
@@amazinggrace5692 Because Fort Bragg was named after a Confederate General - Braxton Bragg. General Bragg was very unpopular with his troops and fellow officers. The only reason they named it after him was because he was from North Carolina, where Fort Bragg (Fort Liberty) is located. Nine army bases had their names changed because they were named after Confederate Generals. It cost over 6 million dollars for the transition of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty.
I went to the yalls Army jumping school in February of 1980. My neighbor Gunny went to British Royal Marine Commando school back in the 60s he was in Recon back then.
That is full battle rattle. None of those guys are from the 101st - some are wearing combat patches from the 101st, but they are in the 82nd now. They have their chute on their back, their reserve on their belly, their ruck between their legs, and rifle on their right side. The phone is allowed. They get some good air shots with their phones. It’s all guys in the kind companies. Line company is 120 doopers, and one company per bird. 400 doopers is the equivalent of 1000 regular soldiers.
It seems to me the first thing they may want to do after landing is to take a pee! 😂
@@PanioloBeeYep
We always said if you are scared to jump the Marines will take you.
The 82nd? Cool, love our favorite AA, or Athletic Alcoholics.
You a one oh worst pukin chicken?
Imagine if you’re the enemy defender you see 1500 parachutes drifting down from the sky. To make it even worse, they are landing behind your line of defense.
The speed we get on the ground is amazing. By the time you would hear the plane, there would already be dozens of guys on the ground.
Let's go! Reserve is on the front.
Yep main on the back reserve in the front and I can’t believe he thinks that for training purposes that they wouldn’t just with their rifles
@@timothydixon2545 Well there are two types of jumps, there is the Combat Equipment jump that was in the video and then there is the "Hollywood" jump where the trooper wears their main and reserve parachutes.
Green Light GO GO GO!!
Bco 3rd Bn 325th infantry "Let's Go"
@@jackdaniel7465thanks brother strike hold
Malfunction rates are 1 in 10000 deployments. Then you have the reserve chute to take care of that….. LEG!
For you NAP’s out there:
A leg is a device used to hold up a chicken’s ass. It takes two of them!
Knees in the breeze!
Remember your 5 points of contact.
My LRS unit did a C-130 tailgate jump that sent 7 out of 21 jumpers to the ER. We hypothesized that the plane was carrying too much airspeed when the green light came on. The opening shock was brutal. The DZ was likely too windy for a drop, but guy running it was a little prick and made us do it anyway.
The reason you store your gear low is mainly just physics. When landing you want to minimize risk to injuries on your legs and back from shock. Because if these injuries occur you have gone from being an asset to a liability. So before you land your pack is dropped and tethered by a line (which can be cut, or break away if snagged) and that means the weight of that gear is not going to be placed on your body.
I was not in the Army but I can recognize a large can of whoop-ass when I see it. USMC Master Sergeant x 27 years,
The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is one of the Air Force's main long-range, heavy transport aircraft. It can deploy 102 paratroopers from two troop doors in a single pass. Airborne forces execute parachute assaults to destroy enemy forces and seize and hold key objectives until linkup with follow-on forces.
It can also yeet 45 LRASMs via Rapid Dragon. Either payload is a bad day for the enemy.
I had 37 static line jumps in the 1990s. I've never jumped from anything larger than a C141 and certainly never used a parachute as nice as those. Everything else is pretty much the same. Thanks for the video.
Jump school at Benning first 2 jumps were from C119 also known as the flying box car the other 3 jumps were from C131 Hercules . Secondly the new chutes looks a lot better than the old one from my day's
I loved hanging my knees in the breeze. But that was decades ago. In the US, we have riggers who rig parachutes all day, every day. But whenever one of the chutes they rig is randomly selected, they have to wear it for a jump. That's one reason the chutes all work. But, yes, there is a reserve chute. It was the package you saw worn high on their chest.
From the family of Col. John Ripley USMC (deseased) Navy Cross, Quad Body, which includes wearing the insignia of your British Royal Marines, only U.S. Marine inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall Of Fame, and much more----we love your site!
My Father was Airborne in 1960-1964. During the Indo-China conflict. He said he was okay with the takeoff and landing, it was getting out in the middle he didn't like. lol
I actually did some joint stuff with you guys back in Helmand in 2009. Good stuff...have some good stories about jumps in division. My last jump at Fort Bragg had a chute failure wild enough.
My dad was in the 82nd and 101st and I couldn’t be more proud!
Wow! Never thought I would see you do a reaction to one of my jumps. I believe this is the one we had where someone broke their back.
Dad’s airborne and suffered a midair collision during a training jump, chute didn’t deploy correctly, the cord wrapped around his leg causing a fair bit of damage to his leg. Fortunately the chute was deployed enough that he was able to get down safely though his leg later swelled up to the size of a watermelon. It was not a good time for him, but at least he lived. The other trooper was completely fine, not a scratch. Dad told me about another trooper who was doing the tower drop and got blown into the tower and broke his back. Anyway yeah this stuff has gone through loads of trial and error, but shit still happens.
I did this for 12 years, at Bragg. Medic. Did many jumps, covered many more. Ive only had one chute squid, 2 tree landings, and hit a humvee.
My dad was a Screaming Eagle, 101st Airborne, Vietnam Era. Sooo proud!!!!!!!!
I reenlisted on a C-17 (was still testing) in 1997, such an amazing aircraft, and change from the C-130 and C-141 that I was used to Jumping out of hahaha AIRBORNE!!!! And yeah, your Ruck is always hanging from your waste below the reserve...
The first troop out the door is the commanding officer. That's called LEADING the way.
I was a paratrooper and Jumpmaster in the 82nd ABN Division. I love this video. AATW !
My son is a 101st Airborne SCREAMIN EAGLE!! He is based in FT Campbell Kentucky and is a BEAST. It can deploy 102 in a single pass from 2 doors. Can also carry 134 troops in seats with a payload of 170,900 lbs
Sorry, but the 101Worst are Dopes on a rope to us who actually use a chute... Tell him to transfer to Eighty Deuce at Bragg and get into a more professional unit...
This Is WHY The U.S Airborne Is
So Hard Core, We Get A Great Many
Of Troop's On Target, All At The Same Time...
I was a member of the 82nd, and I had over 60 jumps not including sport jumps on the weekends. Yes we had both a main and reserve parachute every time. If we descend on top of another's canopy we would first attempt to run off to avoid entanglement. If we were entangled we would try to join up and land together, this was in the event one of our parachutes failed.
This was most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life. Did 8yrs in the army stationed at Fort Bragg N.C. ~ 11b weapons squad 1st 325 pir fighting falcons circa 92
1985, first day of Jump School.
Col. Scott gave a big welcome speech: "It don't get no better than this!!"
We all roared in agreement!
Later, though we found out what he really meant.
And, he said, "told you it doesn't get any better."
Their backup or what we Americans call Reserve was on the chest above their rucksack (daypack)
It is 4 am and I have insomnia..... When you were checking out the guys "day sacks". I was positive that you first said that is their "nut sacks". I choked on my water, laughing so hard. I need sleep LOL
I was first on one of my jumps, it was amazing and the most memorable of my jumps. Standing in the door, checking for obstructions, the wind pounding your face, it's such a rush.
2:52 this image really tells you how massive this plane is, I mean compare this to a C-47. 12 guy fit in that plane! and the not exactly small, this thing could carry a house!
A C-17 like that is designed to carry 102 paratroops. That is their rucksack between their legs, their main chute on their back, and, their reserve in the smaller pack on the chest.
It’s the 82nd. The 101st is Air Assault.
Still here at Bragg/liberty. about to retire in Jan. I did 25 jumps last year. Big difference between us and the U.K. paras is we try to get every trooper at least 4 jumps a year and currently U.K. is having issues getting close to the level of airborne proficiency. after that airfield seizure attacking and objective is standard. There is a reserve attached to the front of the harness and we jump 1000 ft agl with the t11-and used to jump 800 with the older t10.
Congrats on retirement!
The reserve chute is on the front.
On Purple Star back in 96 we had 5000 troops in the air, 29 Hercules aircraft it was amazing. 1 guy was unlucky enough to have a Roman Candle for a parachute.
American kit is actually quite badly maintained, we went to Florida in 97 the first 2x chits they pulled out had rips in them. The rest were ok😅.
Training jumps are usually from 1000-1200ft, exercise jumps are from 600ft. With an expectation of up to 10% casualties.
One of my uncles was in 17the Airborne in WW2. Did 4 jump in combat including Operation Market Garden. I was in the Coast Guard myself so didn't do any stuff like this. When I was younger I might have tried it but not anymore. I'm really a "feet on the ground" kind of guy. Hats off to all who did it though. Carry on, Lads!
That c-17 is based about 90mins south of my house and only 6 mins from my wife's family home.
All I ever thought was ...get me out of this plane
Son, that is a full can of whoopass. Capacity is 102 jumpers.
My son startedbout in the 82nd All American in Ft. Bragg, NC. Transferred to the 101st Screaming Eagles in Ft. Reynolds, Kentucky.
The long focal length of some of those shots compresses apparent distance so they look closer than they are. Though they are still pretty close, it is what they train for. The whole point is to fly as low as possible so the people aren't in the air any longer than absolutely necessary. Which is why a static line is used. Rather than relying on the soldier to pull the rip-cord, the hook is the rip cord. As you jump out your chute is already deploying, you don't worry about anything.The guy by the door is keeping the previous hooks out of the way of the next jumpers.
I was an engineer on the C-17. I designed the lighting that you are seeing in the cargo area here. It had a lot of problems but turned out great for the warfighter and taxpayer.
God bless you!!!!!❤
I got to test jump the C17 in Yuma APG back in '95. Worlds difference from the 130 or 141. You guys did an amazing job.
@@toddmonroe6168 Yes. It turned out great. I watched some of the early dummy tests on video. Before we put the air dam on the side jump door. We were all laughing at the dummies banging against the side of the aircraft. I did the lighting installation designs in the cargo area. Did you do any night jumps with the red lights?
Ah, the wind deflectors. If I remember correctly, they were still tweaking them as we did the jumps. No night jumps for me. We did all daylight jumps while we were there.
C-17 was the first US cargo plane designed with the airborne/airdrop mission (personnel and cargo) capability from inception.
I was a paratrooper in the 80's. This brought back many memories. I've run across another troopers chute, bounced down the side of a c130, and landed through trees. I miss those days. My kids and grandkids are fascinated by my recollections of my past.
Looks like a Big Ol can of Whop A-
There is a framed front page newspaper article hanging on a wall in the rigging shop at Hunter Army Airfield. The article is about an air show that happened during an open house where the 75th Ranger Battalion participated and the upper half of the page was a photo showing hundreds of Rangers falling out of the sky after jumping from C141's right onto the airfield. Right in the center of the photo was a may west among hundreds of inflated chutes. Though the article made no mention of it, that chute malfunctioned badly and his reserve wasn't deployed. The SgMaj of the rigger shop walked over and asked me if I noticed anything odd and I said yeah, and asked did he make it? She said oh yeah. He hit hard and everybody thought he was dead. Ambulance and medics went out but he sat up. Then got on his feet, peeled his chute off and dug the book out of the pocket. Gathered up the chute and started walking to the rigging shop while waving medics off. He wanted to speak to the individual who packed that chute. She said nobody got hurt but the rigger was transferred though.
I was thinking that was a close call, if the Army realized Rangers can jump without chutes they wouldn't need riggers.
This brings back memories. I can still remember all of verbal commands more than twenty years later. My class at Airborne school was the first to jump out of the C-17, but I never got the chance. I did all of my jumps out of the C-130 and C-141.
I watched a similar exercise over Camp Roberts California in the late 80's. It was the middle of the night when they did it. They dropped Hummers as well.
That is full kit . The weapon bag is tucked either under arm the bag dragging is the ruck they carry, the folded bag just under the emergency chute which is at the waistq. They are shot gunning both doors any misstep and you get collisions. Once down we pick up our chutes and bag them. Yes the main and then the emergency chute is directly at the waist. I have 19 years jumping in special ops. Spent more than 3 years of that in Ranger battalion. Collision do happen. I have had 2 partial malfunctions my last one I woke up in the hospital.
I was an 82nd Airborne Infantryman from January 1981 to November 1983 A Co 2/504. Just so you know, the first person out the door is the most relaxed and safest position. Something about staring out the door at the ground/horizon relaxes the mind and as a result you get smaller butterflies and less pucker factor! Also, as long as nobodies shooting at you from the ground, it is by far the safest position to be in because the sky around you isn't full of parachutes. You can easily pull away from the Soldiers jumping behind you. Out of over 30 jumps I only had the honor three times. Once in jump school, once in my unit during a field problem and sort of once off the skid of a Huey helicopter in a weekend fun jump aka the generals jump. Also, if you happen to find yourself standing on someones parachute while floating to the ground, all you do is simply walk off. You don't want to hesitate because your parachute starts to deflate and you could wind up in a real mess. It only happened to me once during a night time mass tactical jump while I was in jump school and I just walked off. It worked perfectly! In my experience, the most danger comes from wind speed. Example, in 1982 I participated in what we eventually called the California death jump. We lost over a dozen Soldiers on that jump because of wind speeds exceeding 25 knots. Some died from their risers choking them to death on the ground and some died by crashing into heavy drop equipment. It's extremely difficult to control a T10 parachute when the winds are unsafely fast and when you hit the ground (PLF) and you're being dragged at over 20 MPH, it's almost impossible to release a riser to deflate the chute unless the wind lets up. Anyway, my experiences were over 40 years ago and "safety" wasn't paramount back then. Losing Soldiers in training was unfortunate, but not as important as it is now. I can't even remember the word "safety" being used and "risk assessments" did not exist.
nah man, chucking yerself out of a plane is just fun. first plane i ever jumped out of, i was worried the plane would break before i got the door open. by the time we got clearance to jump, i was like let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out etc