101st Airborne Division Pathfinder Company conducts Fast Rope from a UH-60 Blackhawk

4-101 Pathfinder Company, 101st Airborne Division conducting fast rope insertion from UH-60 Blackhawk at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Fast rope
• Pathfinders
• 101st Airborne
• UH60
• UH-60
• Blackhawk
• fast
• rope
• 4-101
• aviation

[spiderfreak81401]

It's pretty cool that your first time looking over the skid you flew down the rope and couldn't stop before hitting your head a few times on the ground. This is from an instruction class, not regular training drills. Comments shouldn't be made unless you've had some experience with Air Assault.

[IdidURmom2]

thats badass

[FTroop37F]

The UH-60 is an outstanding Helo. Heavy lift (relatively), fast, high altitude. If insertion time isn't a factor, rappelling is safer and a hoist insertion is safer still.

If uneven terrain (mountains) is the issue, a one skid landing is an option. You can't fast rope with a 60 lb ruck though. These are fast & light ops.

LACoFD flies the H-60 Firehawk, it's a Blackhawk without all the stuff that will kill you. Igor Sikorsky was an aviation genius and the Screaming Eagles make this look easy.

[makreis]

Grime'sy!

No fear!

[williejenkins666]

@spiderfreak81401 I know this comment is old, but I'd like to add that unless things have changed over the last 6 years, fast roping out of a UH-60 Blackhawk wasn't part of the air assault course. We did fast rope, but from within one of those towers. I got yelled at for going too fast. :)

This appears to be specialized instructional class. It looks fun.

[nixymagoo]

54 seconds WOW thats guna cause some problems

[martykhodge]

I hadn't seen the Air Assault School since 2003 when I had sent a couple of my soldiers to the course while we were waiting to be deployed to Iraq. Just an old PSG reflecting and thanks for posting the vid!

[CarbineDioxide]

101st Airborne, 3-187 Iron Rakkasan. Sabalauski Air Assault School class 25-11. Graduated a couple weeks ago and I absolutely LOVED air assault school. I was really lucky to get into the school being as new as I am to the unit. Anyone who gets a chance should jump on it.

[thirdtuck]

this is my old unit! very cool to see this and it brings back the memories. they are definitely training. we used to do this with equipment on our backs which made it even more treacherous and difficult. i remember several times landing like a sack of shit and having to scramble out of the way b/c five or six other dudes are racing down 100mph after you. plus the slower you go the more you are exposing your birds to danger. more you sweat in training less you bleed in battle!

[stephenmegos]

These are the guys that most people want be, but aren't nearly good enough to make it.

[icychillgrill3]

When I was taught to fast rope we were taught to go down much faster. I'm not intending to be a smart ass or insult anyone but why do they go slower? Does it have to do with balancing the helo or something?