I think there was a line in BAND OF BROTHERS that went

"Only a true nutcase would jump out of a perfectly good aircraft"


Still, all the histories I read the airborne guys had guts...

Originally Posted by mmarsh

"Only a true nutcase would jump out of a perfectly good aircraft"

Yes, but only a fool would count on the pilot being able to land a plane built by the lowest bidder.

A few thousand jumps, and I still get jitters before exit.

Some fellas love it, and look for any opportunity, some of us just do it because it was the only way to get to work.

I enjoy free fall more than static.

Originally Posted by RnderSafe

Yes, but only a fool would count on the pilot being able to land a plane built by the lowest bidder.

Good point.

I took my Basic Airborne training just over 40 years ago, but I can remember that it was the best time of my life! The training was so superb that on my first jump I couldn't remember anything after the point when I sounded off for equipment check until I looked up to see my chute opened above me, everything was so automatic.
The rush you get each time you jump can't be duplicated in anything else.
Because weather conditions, I never got to go off the 100 foot tall free fall towers so we got extra time on the 34 foot towers doing PLFs (Parachute Landing Falls). I was in the best shape of my life after Airborne school. I will never regret my choice to go Airborne. I remember we had several sailors in our class who were going to be SEALs and had just finished UDT school, for them it was a picnic, physically speaking, while the air force types in the class were really hurting.

I have heard an airbourne mate say to me that military parrachutes fall approx. three times faster than the civilian ones. I thought jumping would be great fun, but he assured me you hit the ground fast, and your not in the air for long.... Anyone know if it is close to three times faster?

Now the reason you fall faster is due to the weight of your weapons pack that you carry. When your chute opens then you release the container which drops below you and is suspended on a rope. When you approach the ground the container will hit first taking the weight of the chute, this in turn gives you a bit of a lift so that you hit ground far softer

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Another shot of paratroopers with the containers hanging below them


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Originally Posted by mahon

I have heard an airbourne mate say to me that military parrachutes fall approx. three times faster than the civilian ones. I thought jumping would be great fun, but he assured me you hit the ground fast, and your not in the air for long.... Anyone know if it is close to three times faster?

The parachutes that are used in the Australian Military are the T10B-D (round chute) they have a rate of descent of 4.6 to 6.4 metres per second. Civies dont jump round chutes as much anymore. The military also use MC5 (FF) which are a Ramair square chute they have a rate of descent of 4.3 to 4.9 metres per second this is a big chute comming in at 370sq feet most civies jump smaller rigs as they are doing it for fun. I dont know the rate of descent for some of the civi chutes but it would be hard to make a comparison between the two as one has a purpose and the other is for fun.

I went to Airborne school down at Ft Benning this summer, I did not get my wings on the 3rd jump I fractured my right tibia and got med dropped from the course. I am currently healing and can't not wait to go back to that school. While I was there it was awesome and if you enjoy running like me you will have a awesome time.

Good luck for when you return Panzer and a speedy recovery