Ranger Pic 2

[Jesse 0]

static line mass tactical jump

[freeflir29 0]

MAKE THE BAD MAN STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[SkyDekker 1,465]

That's a pretty cool picture actually....
"We cannot do great things, only small things with great love" Mother Theresa

[freeflir29 0]

"That's a pretty cool picture actually...."
Try it sometime....you might have differen't feelings on that.....
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[skygeek 0]

I didnt know they could fit that many dummies in a plane..Poor guys :(

[freeflir29 0]

"I didnt know they could fit that many dummies in a plane"
Yes they can..........
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[Jabeln79 0]

I know nothing about military static lines but arent the chances of a mid air collision pretty good with every one so close and not the best steering capabilities.

[AggieDave 6]

From what I understand, it happens all the time, although it usually doesn't result in anything serious. I'm probably wrong though, since I've never been through it @ Ft. Bragg...
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.-General George Patton-

[freeflir29 0]

"arent the chances of a mid air collision pretty good with every one so close and not the best steering capabilities."
Only if people aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. IE bum rushing the door, not slipping away from other jumpers, being a dumbass....etc......If you do as you are trained all should go well....
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[freeflir29 0]

"it happens all the time"
Yep...it does...cause people are stupid. Most of the time it won't kill you but you may wish you were dead after your chute collapses at 60 ft up.
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[harro 0]

Cruel and unusual punishment!!!
Freemind, freesky, freebeer, freefly, freesex

[Jesse 0]

True - "entanglements and collisions" as they are referred to are pretty common. Usually you just bounce off. We teach the boys not to slip (turn) during a mass tac if at all possible, unless they are deep trouble. That way everybody just flows in the same direction with the wind and we minimize problems. When the young Rangers start pulling radical slips because they're not happy with landing on the tarmac and try to make it to the infield, that's when the problems develop. I have seen some and been in some entanglements. Usually no big deal. My wife (not in the Rangers - another airborne unit, no women allowed in the Rangers or infantry) was involved in a scary collision about 50 feet up that resulted a collapsed canopy and a severe hard landing - she blacked out for a minute. But was ok after a few minutes, thankfully.

[freeflir29 0]

"But was ok after a few minutes"
Much better than one of the guys in my unit that fell about 40-60 Ft and pretty much made mush out of his legs from the knee down. He was still walking with a cane last time I saw him. Sad...he's only 21 or so and now crippled. What makes it worse is they kicked him out on a medical but didn't even give him disability. I'm sure some of that is his fault for not pursuing the paper work but he definately should have been taken care of better than that.
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[steve1 5]

Round canopies are much different than a square. They are very difficult to collapse. I've made several mass tactical jumps in the army. I've never had a collision but have talked to a lot of people who have. Sometimes you can actually walk off the top of another person's canopy and it's not unusual to bounce off another person's lines. It's usually not that dangerous because the canopies are moving so slowly. The object is not to become entangled with each other. Probably the most dangerous part of a mass tactical jump is walking off the dropzone. Sometimes gear can become unstowed and come whistling down on the people below. It's possible to jump with about everything but the kitchen sink tied onto you. I remember once jumping with a PAE bag with an ammo box inside filled with gravel. It was all I could do to walk to the door and fall out. Before any soldier jumps his equipment is checked by a jumpmaster but things sometimes happen. I once rigger checked a soldier whose rucksack came loose when his canopy openned. He was angry and blamed me. On further investigation we found that the quick release buckles were too large for that size of nylon straps. Paratroopers are also trained to wait at least one second before jumping after the jumper ahead of him leaves. This also helps to avoid collisions. We used to jump C-119's. The trouble with these is that the two side doors were very close together. This increased the likelyhood of being too close to another jumper. I also had a friend who was afraid to jump, but he had the guts to do it every time. I would go first and then he would have the courage to follow me out. The only trouble was that he would be right on my tail whether we were jumping planes or helicopters. As soon as I got canopy there would be Bruce almost entangled in my canopy.

[freeflir29 0]

"C-119's"
Did you escape from the rest home again? "I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[steve1 5]

Clay,
I guess C-119's do date a person. My wife does keep threatening to leave me at our local "home" if I don't start shaping up. She is also threatening to start nocking the hell out of me once I get a little weaker. And she says she will refuse to change my diapers once I can't control my bowels any more...... I just feel lucky there is a sport I can still do, and one that is as fun as sky diving. I went through jump school back in 1970 and C-119's were still in use then. They were fun to jump, but take-offs were a little scary.

[freeflir29 0]

"I went through jump school back in 1970"
SHNIIKEES...I wasn't even born until Nov 71...Here I was thinking I was old cause I hit 30!!! The funny thing is.....I went through jump school in 96 and we may very well have jumped the same parachutes....I don't mean the same kind....I mean the Same damn serial numbers...LOL
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[Iflyme 0]

Quote

I know nothing about military static lines but arent the chances of a mid air collision pretty good with every one so close and not the best steering capabilities.

Can you say "acceptable level of casualties"

[riggerrob 643]

Collsions between round canopies are kind of fun. My first CReW was when I docked my C-8 on top of a T-10. My world turned green and I walked/swam - or was it swamp walked - to the edge.

[Jesse 0]

Yeah - I've been there, too. Especially if you're working a mass tac with a fairly short DZ (20-30 seconds) - you just have to get everybody out. On one of those I found myself directly above another Ranger's canopy, stole his air, dropped like a stone, and found myself competely engulfed in the center of his canopy trying to swim my way out, managed to pull a hand-over-hand over-hand one-riser slip and get out about 5 seconds before slamming into the tarmac of the runway at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Very scary, especially with no moon and zero illum.

[freeflir29 0]

"slamming into the tarmac of the runway at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida"
Aux Field 6 maybe? Last jump I did there the only person that landed on the tarmac was the guy JMing...LOL. Plus it was right at dusk and there were a bunch of Ranger students in formation as we exited the tail gate on an MC-130. We then got picked up in the Montero rentals and it's off to stow the gear and then head to Kangaroo Jacks!!! I sure felt sorry for those students......NOT!!!! "I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[steve1 5]

Jesse,
I remember a couple of night jumps that I never did see the ground. It was that black out. I rode my equipment right into the ground. This is a little off the subject but I was wondering how you felt about the new dress code in the army. You are an airborne ranger (One of the most elite troops in the armed services) and you have earned the right to wear a black beret. I understand that anyone who joins up can wear one now. I was in the airport the other day and I thought I was looking at some really elite troops. Come to find out they were all legs. Years ago the only troops who wore a beret were either rangers or green berets. Now all you have to do to earn one is join the army. I was in S.F. in the early 70's and it felt good to know you earned the right to wear a beret. I don't know what politician decided to let everyone wear the beret, but I think it's wrong. I'll get off my soap box for now. Steve

[freeflir29 0]

"I don't know what politician decided to let everyone wear the beret"
Nope...try an Army General!!!! Pogue!!! They gave the Rangers Tan berets.....What a bunch of shit...My beret was black but at least I was in the Air Force........
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[Jesse 0]

In regard to berets, we switched to the tan beret from the black this last July during the Regimental Change of Command ceremony at Ft. Benning. This was due to GEN Shinseki's decision to make the black beret the standard headgear for all soldiers in the US Army. Our Regimental CDR wanted to ensure that we maintained a distinctive, unique appearance - so changed us to tan. Lot's of emotions by many in the Regiment, don't want to discuss here, bottom line is we're professional soldiers, we received an order, and we obeyed, as was our duty - that's the most important issue - maintaining the good order and discipline of the unit. As everyone who has served knows, "You don't have to like it - you just have to do it." End of story.

[freeflir29 0]

"You don't have to like it - you just have to do it."
One of the 432,167 reasons I said F.U. after 10 years......Something like what you wear as a uniform is silly in the larger context but when it was stupid decisions that might cost me my life that's where I had to draw the line. I'm happy to be a civilian!!! "I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay