US Paratrooper - The Jump Phase

This video was originally compiled to include the 4 minutes inside the C47 aircraft from the initial command of 'get ready' through equipment checks prior to the jump. That having been somewhat of a longer video, the first part was deleted in this version to get right to the actual exits. Jump altitude is 1500 feet AGL in routine training, and anywhere from 600 to 1000 feet in demonstrations. The aircraft is a vintage C47 built during World War Two. This team is the most proficient civilian military airborne unit in the world and jumps at many airshows around the country and in events in Europe. It consists of a cadre who are largely retired veterans, former members of the Special Forces and other combat and combat support MOS qualifications. Half the team is either a veteran soldier or still on active duty or in the reserves. This level of jumping is nothing like square rig skydiving. Besides the fact that it is exclusively low altitude static line deployment, we do carry the same uniform, equipment and weapons of the World War Two Paratrooper. Many of us actually jump with real weapons to include the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, 45 ACP, M1 Thompson, etc. These weapons are mostly the real authentic weapons of the time and were made during World War Two. The combined weight of what a jumper carries can reach over 80 pounds when LBE gear, helmet, weapon, main parachute and reserve parachute are tallied. This level of jumping is not for someone who is mildly out of shape. Once you are on board with all that gear, you have to exit through the door into 120 MPH propwash which can wreak havoc on you and your rig if you are not competent in door exits and sufficiently able to maintain proper body position with the weight of what is on your back when in the brief freefall. And unlike skydiving, the jumpers here have to execute a PLF (parachute landing fall) to avoid injury on landing. This is something most skydivers do not do, nor even know about.

Very few of us have ever skydived and most have no interest in skydiving. Once you jump with this team - sticks consisting of 12 fully geared jumpers where you exit en masse as seen in this video, you really do not want to do anything else for the rest of your life. It is not because of its unique nature that we possess that perspective. It is for the brotherhood we have among us and with the real legacy soldier paratroopers of World War Two who actually did this in 1944 on combat jumps and who are a part of our organization. Our mission is simply to honor, serve and remember the Paratroopers of World War Two, and all who fought in that war and gave thier lives for freedom.

If you wish to rise to the challenge of joining this team or support it, contact info is:

Headquarters Telephone
1-580-335-3344

1SG Richard Wolf
1-918-424-4673

WWII Airborne Demonstration Team Foundation
3200 Paul Tibbets Ave. PO Box 67
Frederick Army Airfield
Frederick, OK 73542
USA

http://www.wwiiadt.com

Video credits:

Tom Boyle: Qualified parachutist, helmet cameraman.

World War Two Airborne Demonstration Team: Fuselage camera, aircraft, crew, training, and team jumpers.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• world
• war
• two
• airborne
• demostration
• team
• army
• paratrooper
• static
• line
• skydiving
• free
• fall
• evanescence
• whisper
• operation
• market
• garden
• 101st
• 82nd
• holland
• france
• d-day

[tmallow2004]

Think of it this way.... when everyone else is sitting home dreaming of something they are afraid to do, you'd be doing what they regret they had never done. And you would not merely dream of it any longer. This is good for the soul. This is really good for the soul! Trust me on that.

[NewJerseyian]

Damn, 5/5! I had no idea the fall would last that long. Assuming the OP is a paratrooper-I wish I had the guts to do what you do.

[tmallow2004]

It pushes out to 4-5 seconds. Right hand is on the reserve all the time ready to pop it in a malfunction. Been close to doing that a couple times. But mostly the delay is due to the type of pilot chute main extraction configuration we have. That system is safer than the d-bag.

[Sarge5k]

Makes me want to be a paratrooper!

[tmallow2004]

Then maybe you need to come out to Oklahoma and go through our jump school.

[dokkenfan45]

yea it looks fun til you hit the ground and them you remember why your there

[EddieTheFishReturns]

@tmallow2004: When you were gliding up there after pulling the chute, you must have felt great. Like paragliding, but being in control.

[Bandanabandito1]

The closest thing i can see to what my grandfather actually saw nearly 60 years ago while jumping into D-Day, i would GIVE ANYTHING to have the chance to jump with him 60 years on that faithful day...

[LloydBrad360]

@tmallow2004 i wish i could but i live in england

[JohnFrenken]

I jump MC1-1C's from time to time. Seeing this video I'm wondered: it looks like this jumper has his left and right risers tied together on purpose? Why? (at 1:08 minutes in the video)

[123highman321]

well at least somethin glorious to look at before you drop back into the grind

[0oTheGhilliedGhosto0]

Why are there holes in the parachutes?

[abady131]

many of the comments suggest that this is fun. it might look like that ,but in fact beside all the dangers involve in the process of jumping and landing the material from what the parachute strings are made out is so fine that it is capable of cutting the body as knife.

[SgtMcCullin]

i love the first person jump it's looks awesome.

[TheCivilwarguy]

amazing