And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
He's checking to make sure there are no problems with the skin of the aircraft that would hang up or injure jumpers. Been a LONG time since I was a paratrooper, so he's probably checking other things, too, that I just can't recall now. Depending on how close to the drop zone they are, he may checking to see if he can see any problems that might be on the drop zone itself.
If there are multiple airframes in tow he is making sure that they an even or slightly elevated. I was at Ft Bragg when the 82nd was conducting a mass tactical and one of the trail C-130’s dropped to low and several jumpers had their chutes shredded. All deployed reserves but one who hit the nose of the C-130 and died. The rest had injuries varying from minor to critical. I too was airborne and have been awarded my master parachutist wings. It’s been thirty years and I could still perform a JMPI to standard.
Enroute terrain features to gauge distance to the drop zone, Visual ID of the code letter on the drop zone enslaved by Army Pathfinders, Air Force Combat Control Teams, or the Drop Zone Safety Officer. Been there, done that.
The above are good (and some funny), but reason #1) - He is making sure that there are no aircraft below & behind with which his jumpers might collide. At least that is what they taught us at the Fort Bragg Jumpmaster school 50 years ago. Airborne, Mike Fox.
Drift
ReplyDeleteHe's checking to make sure there are no problems with the skin of the aircraft that would hang up or injure jumpers. Been a LONG time since I was a paratrooper, so he's probably checking other things, too, that I just can't recall now. Depending on how close to the drop zone they are, he may checking to see if he can see any problems that might be on the drop zone itself.
ReplyDeleteIf there are multiple airframes in tow he is making sure that they an even or slightly elevated. I was at Ft Bragg when the 82nd was conducting a mass tactical and one of the trail C-130’s dropped to low and several jumpers had their chutes shredded. All deployed reserves but one who hit the nose of the C-130 and died. The rest had injuries varying from minor to critical. I too was airborne and have been awarded my master parachutist wings. It’s been thirty years and I could still perform a JMPI to standard.
DeleteOut! He's checking out :)
ReplyDelete"Are we there yet?"
ReplyDelete"I can see your house from here!"
Enroute terrain features to gauge distance to the drop zone, Visual ID of the code letter on the drop zone enslaved by Army Pathfinders, Air Force Combat Control Teams, or the Drop Zone Safety Officer. Been there, done that.
ReplyDeleteHe’s launching…. His lunch…
ReplyDelete"Sorry I forgot to connect your static line!"
ReplyDeleteDid that last guy have a chute on?
ReplyDeleteThe above are good (and some funny), but reason #1) - He is making sure that there are no aircraft below & behind with which his jumpers might collide. At least that is what they taught us at the Fort Bragg Jumpmaster school 50 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAirborne, Mike Fox.
c130 going down the strip...
ReplyDeleteairborne daddy gonna take a little trip
Delete