Wow.... That sucks. I can't even imagine hanging there for that long wondering if you're gonna live. Why couldn't they pull him back in to the open door?

 

Why couldn't the camera man pull him back into the aircraft?

 

You've got to realize how difficult and dangerous that would be to pull 175lbs of dead weight while an aircraft is traveling 150+ mph. While this is not American military, it is standard for a jumpmaster to cut a towed jumper loose here too.


Here's another towed jumper, but he looks lucky enough to have his 'chute open.

 

You've got to realize how difficult and dangerous that would be to pull 175lbs of dead weight while an aircraft is traveling 150+ mph. While this is not American military, it is standard for a jumpmaster to cut a towed jumper loose here too.


Here's another towed jumper, but he looks lucky enough to have his 'chute open.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZbSjkNOtVQ

Did the jumpmaster do the cutaway or did the trooper?

 

The towed trooper has his hands on his helment and that is the signal that the paratrooper is conscious and for the Jump Master to cut him loose. Some planes have winches at the front of the cargo bay in the air craft for the Jump Master and the Cargo Master to retrieve a towed trooper by hooks paced in front of the static line hook and reeling the towed trooper back in. And then there's the biggy. The towed trooper is unconscious. If its possible, the Air Force will foam the run way and the pilot will land the plane, hoping for the best for the unconscious paratrooper.

All of my time in the Army, I was always in Airborne Units and all the jumps I made, I never saw a towed Paratrooper.

The closest I ever saw was when we were jumping C5As at Pope and when the jump dummies were thrown out the jump doors, we heard them bounce along the side of the air craft. We rode the plane back down and landed with it. $55.00 a month didn't mean you had to be foolish. Redesign of placement on the jump doors.

Of all the planes I jumped the C-141 was the easiest, stand in the door and a slight jump and the plane leaves you. The most fun was the C-47 and C-119s, they were a hoot.

Jungle Work

 

Yeah, the good old dollar-nineteen. That was the first plane from which I did my jumps at Ft. Benning. Those things were flown by the pilots of the Alabama Air National Guard and they were crates. I actually had a bolt from one of them bounce off of my helmet as we were headed to the drop zone. I felt it hit, looked down and there it was still spinning on the psp type floor of the plane. I nudged the guy next to me and pointed down to it. He looked at it and looked up at me with big eyes. He was a USAF para-rescue guy. He just shook his head real fast back and forth at me. I don't think that he had ever seen that happen like that. I guess he thought USAF planes were perfect or something.

 

Nah, the easiest one to jump from was my UH-1D model Nellie Belle. After my pathfinder buddy RG would jump out and live under a bush for the next three days I would fly back to the stagefield, get in my car, drive to the BOQ, shower, eat a steak and go pick up his woman.

Jody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Non Army types never mind.

 

....oh that's cruel......but good sportsmanship :



Best Regards......Eagle Six

 

I'm not sure who's worse, the crappy camera man or the JM who kept sending people out the door when the guy got hung. We are guessing he's dead right? That camera angle was crappy but I didn't see the reserve pop.

 

BB...Gotta clear the plane first, that's how it is...

"If I die on the old drop zone, box me up and ship me home.."

Airborne, all the way....

jus sayin...

ps..I served with a troop that was a tow jumper, tore his bicep..he was cut away, yanked his reserve and survived...

we all know the risks....

 

Is there really nothing you can do at this point other than cut the line and hope the shoot will open? I don't quite understand.

 

That's pretty much it. Someone else mentioned use of a winch system to pull a towed jumper back inside the aircraft, but I can't recall hearing of it when I was in. I got to talking to another old Paratrooper at work last night. Kind of nice to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about mid-air collisions, and painful PLFs (parachute landing fall). :thumb:

 

I was in the Army from 1967 to 1971. Winches were common place on C-130s and C-141 that were used for jumping at that time.

He's an incident that occurred after I left the service in which a winch was used to pull a towed trooper back into the plane.

http://www.army.mil/article/17679/A...cle/17679/A_jumpmaster__039_s_story_of_ultimate_courage__endless_determination/

Jungle Work

 

That was my understanding of how it's done. Continuing to send people off the ramp with a guy handing out there is incredibly dangerous. As for me, my last jump was almost a year ago and I'm still dealing with the repercussions of that one.

 

Now it does happen that your DZSO(ground crew) is not paying attention doesn't see the towed jumper AND your safety in the aircraft is busy with static lines to notice on a mass tac(everyone off at full speed) and they clear the aircraft before noticing, but it is not policy, it is highly dangerous not just for the towed jumper but the others coming out if they hit him and become entangled with him or kill him or themselves on impact. Hell I know guys that almost lost an eye and have broken bones just hitting the deployment bags coming out.

 

Obviously things have changed since 87.... :

Thanks for clarifying.....