I've heard the phrase: "FEET-***-HEAD" for some of the not so smooth landings.
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ANY PARATROOPERS?
- Thread starter crazyphil
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I've heard the phrase: "FEET-***-HEAD" for some of the not so smooth landings.
RobertJ.
Member
Something my wife has always held over me is that she's jumped out of a plane, and I haven't!
ChuckS1
US Veteran
I went to jump school after ROTC summer camp back in 1976. Couple of things I still remember. First, no matter how well I spit shined my leg combat boots, I still failed boot inspection every single morning until I listened to one of the black hats and took my boots to the barber shop to get the Glo-Coat/liquid black shoe polish done. Even though it looked like **** and ruined my boots, I passed every boot inspection from then on. I always suspected the black hats were getting kickbacks 
. I had one particular black hat who got on my case constantly. As cadets, we weren't required to get all our hair cut off like the enlisted soldiers, but as he put it, "Cadet, I can't make you get your hair cut, but I can make you wish you did". After the boot shine lesson, didn't take me a minute to get my hair cut. He was also the black hat who made me give him 50 push-ups every hour during jump week because he didn't like the way I did my PLF on my first jump.
. I had one particular black hat who got on my case constantly. As cadets, we weren't required to get all our hair cut off like the enlisted soldiers, but as he put it, "Cadet, I can't make you get your hair cut, but I can make you wish you did". After the boot shine lesson, didn't take me a minute to get my hair cut. He was also the black hat who made me give him 50 push-ups every hour during jump week because he didn't like the way I did my PLF on my first jump.
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When I was in the Army in the 60's:
Non-airborne soldiers were referred to as "legs" by the airborne soldiers.
Airborne soldiers were referred to as "a dope on a rope" by the HALO (free-fall) qualified jumpers.
Non-airborne soldiers were referred to as "legs" by the airborne soldiers.
Airborne soldiers were referred to as "a dope on a rope" by the HALO (free-fall) qualified jumpers.
TomkinsSP
Member
If you do take a suitcase of cash, and jump into a really rugged area where you can hide the parachute.
Never saw a perfectly good airplane.
My two close calls on jumps were both IN the plane.
Never rode in a Chinook that wasn't dripping hydraulic fluid in several places, or that didn't have a constantly changing vibration pattern.
...if you walked off, you were one cool cucumber!
jlrhiner
US Veteran
Never rode in a Chinook that wasn't dripping hydraulic fluid in several places, or that didn't have a constantly changing vibration pattern.
I was always told the only time to worry was when they weren't leaking, it meant they were out of fluid
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
This became a point of contention a few years later in my unit. Apparently higher command thought it was too degrading and henceforth "legs" were to be referred to as Non Airborne Personnel. We shortened it to "naps".
The lower chute creates a low pressure area above it, so I settled onto his canopy and had to walk off it before my chute collapsed.
My son told me he did this once at Ft. Benning. Except I think he said he RAN. Thankfully, he waited quite some time afterwards before telling me. Yet to tell his mother. And never will.
VaTom
Member
Never a paratrooper but have the utmost respect for them. Have been to Normandy and Bastogne and visited the sites there where 82nd and 101st fought. Unbelievable airborne museum in Ste Mereglise. The bridge and causeway over the Meredet River in Normandy is where the 82nd held off repeated German attacks for a couple of days. Great story of heroism. Many paratroopers drowned on D-Day when they landed in the flooded fields seen in the background of my pictures. Monument to paratroopers looking out over the bridge and causeway where they made their stand.
When I was a LEO in the 1970's we didn't have all the high tech fancy boots they make now. My brother who is in the Army in Germany at that time sent me a pair of Corcoran Jump Boots for Christmas one year. They were approved uniform to wear. Walked many miles on the beat with them and wore them in the winter.
When I was a LEO in the 1970's we didn't have all the high tech fancy boots they make now. My brother who is in the Army in Germany at that time sent me a pair of Corcoran Jump Boots for Christmas one year. They were approved uniform to wear. Walked many miles on the beat with them and wore them in the winter.
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BLACKHAWKNJ
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One of the forbidden things-which everybody tried to do-was a standing landing. You pull your chute's risers as far down as you can, then just before you touch ground release them-quickly. Creates enough of an updraft that you can avoid a PLF-Parachute Landing Fall.
When I went through Jump School at Fort Benning one unlucky soul had both his main AND reserve chute malfunction. Fortunately he didn't break anything.
When I went through Jump School at Fort Benning one unlucky soul had both his main AND reserve chute malfunction. Fortunately he didn't break anything.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
I never heard anybody yell Geronimo.
I did hear lots of expletives, particularly on the jump that put me directly and closely above another jumper as our chutes deployed. The lower chute creates a low pressure area above it, so I settled onto his canopy and had to walk off it before my chute collapsed.
Happens more frequently than some folks might imagine. I recall one incident when a trooper's helmeted head became entangled at the apex of the chute beneath him and, being unable to extricate himself, both troopers were seriously injured. Combat jumps are usually done at lower altitudes and with a strong emphasis on getting all personnel out of the aircraft very quickly. Each soldier out the door has his parachute deployed by a static line (attached to the aircraft interior), so things happen pretty quickly; any emergency situation leaves very limited time for corrective action (beneath 550 feet or so it is highly unlikely that the reserve chute can be deployed).
When another trooper's parachute deploys directly beneath you a couple of things happen: 1. your parachute cannot deploy or inflate properly, and 2. the added load placed on the chute beneath you does not permit that chute to function to full effect. With sufficient altitude the soldier who is capable of seeing what has happened can, in effect, "walk off" the other chute with a reasonable chance that his chute can then inflate in time to arrest his descent sufficiently. At lower altitudes (combat jumps may be made with as little as 500-550 feet elevation above ground level) neither of the troopers affected by the situation may have enough time to escape serious consequences.
ron_c
US Veteran
One of the things Legs, I mean Non Airborne Personnel, would do, when in a group and saw a Paratrooper, someone would say "What falls from the sky?" Someone else would say, "Bird S*** and Paratroopers" They would then laugh about it. I took this with pride, as I knew they didn't have what it took or had no interest to be a Paratrooper.
When in the Dominican Republic in 1966, when I was with the 82nd, on my first jump from a UH-1D Huey helicopter, after jumping out or I should say pushing out of the Huey, I saw that they had dropped us over a sugar cane field. There was no way to do a PLF in this stuff as it was 8 to 10 feel tall and very thick. Later that day, I found out this was the drop zone we would use.
On my 3rd jump from a Huey, about 3 months later,I saw that had cut the sugar cane but they had cut it about 8 to 12 inches above the ground and doing a PLF, some part of your body would land on these stubs.
Our last jump from a Huey, fog started approaching from my right while just after exiting the Huey and by the time we were to land, fog was everywhere and very thick. Thanks goodness, I had looked to see where the rally point was located as you couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of you.
Exciting times.
When in the Dominican Republic in 1966, when I was with the 82nd, on my first jump from a UH-1D Huey helicopter, after jumping out or I should say pushing out of the Huey, I saw that they had dropped us over a sugar cane field. There was no way to do a PLF in this stuff as it was 8 to 10 feel tall and very thick. Later that day, I found out this was the drop zone we would use.
On my 3rd jump from a Huey, about 3 months later,I saw that had cut the sugar cane but they had cut it about 8 to 12 inches above the ground and doing a PLF, some part of your body would land on these stubs.
Our last jump from a Huey, fog started approaching from my right while just after exiting the Huey and by the time we were to land, fog was everywhere and very thick. Thanks goodness, I had looked to see where the rally point was located as you couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of you.
Exciting times.
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Triggernosis
Member
Another airborne joke goes like this:
An new airborne trainee was was telling his best buddy back at home aboit his airborne training. "When I was getting ready to make my first jump I was absolutely terrified to go out the door of the plane." He continued "the jump master told me, "Boy, if you don't jump out of this cotdamned plane right now I'm going to butt-#$@%& you in the *** with my boot until this plane lands!" His friend asked, "So, did you jump?" To which he responded "A little at first".
An new airborne trainee was was telling his best buddy back at home aboit his airborne training. "When I was getting ready to make my first jump I was absolutely terrified to go out the door of the plane." He continued "the jump master told me, "Boy, if you don't jump out of this cotdamned plane right now I'm going to butt-#$@%& you in the *** with my boot until this plane lands!" His friend asked, "So, did you jump?" To which he responded "A little at first".
Always interesting when checking Canopy and seeing another guy's Cochran jump boot tangled in your anti inversion net at the top of the shroud lines. He got it untangled and swung away just before we hit, avoiding injury and the tedious 'entanglement' paperwork.
Fun also when a guy panics on a night jump, runs with the wind and forces you to dump air to get out of his way. The concussion resulting from not having enough altitude to get back into the wind was a bonus!
Still, a few close calls over 75 jumps was good odds.
And the perfectly good airplane? We had a Caribou for fun jumps one weekend. Crew had to stop after every lift and dump oil into the starboard engine to keep going.
Fun also when a guy panics on a night jump, runs with the wind and forces you to dump air to get out of his way. The concussion resulting from not having enough altitude to get back into the wind was a bonus!
Still, a few close calls over 75 jumps was good odds.
And the perfectly good airplane? We had a Caribou for fun jumps one weekend. Crew had to stop after every lift and dump oil into the starboard engine to keep going.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
The last 3 jumps my son made, he cracked his right heel lengthwise each time. In his first year he got wacked on the head so heard, he was wandering around like an idiot and they had to tackle him to get him evacuated. He really had fun with the guys and all but didn't enjoy getting hurt.
His jump class was 1/99 and graduated about now 19 years ago. He was assigned to A Co. 1/325. Same battalion his uncle was in in 1982 and his great uncle in 1943!
I texted him the joke about the fools jump the third week. He response was that that was a real knee slapper, but if he slapped his knee, he would limp for 3 weeks!
Ivan
His jump class was 1/99 and graduated about now 19 years ago. He was assigned to A Co. 1/325. Same battalion his uncle was in in 1982 and his great uncle in 1943!
I texted him the joke about the fools jump the third week. He response was that that was a real knee slapper, but if he slapped his knee, he would limp for 3 weeks!
Ivan
Here's my jump school photo from 1982. Ended up with just over 50 jumps. The best jump I ever made was into Key West, Florida for the Combat Divers Course. It was off the tailgate of a C-130 and landed in the bay.
I could have been a Paratrooper except there wasn't enough real men on the plane to break my death grip on the seat and drag my crying/begging/wimp body to the door and throw me out of a perfectly good airplane.
