Thread: AC-130. One of the world's most dangerous aircraft.

Originally Posted by Kyt

Do you have any photos in jump gear, David?

Hero shot and picture of parachute just beginning its deployment sequence.

Great pictures David. I particularly like the one from 1968 (the year I was born!). I real poster-boy picture.

And like father like son.

I was posted to the Tactical Comms Wing of 38 group in 1982. We used the c130 aka Herc aka fat Albert a lot for exercises and tacevals. It got to such a point, that Loadmasters would ask if anyone had not flown in one before and if no hands were lifted used to turn away!

The scarest flight was part of Ex Handy Andy 7, which was out Taceval! Both Elvis Everington and myself was asked if we would like to stand in the cockpit. We both agreed and climbed up and made ourselves secure, or at least as secure as we could!

We flew from Brize to kevil airfield at 250 feet/250 knots! The pilot was throwing the plane all over the shop to avoid various things, including a set of traffic lights at red, I thought we would have stopped for them! Elvis and I hung on and just let our bodies go with the flow.

We had to go down as we were involved in releasing the cargo, the intention was to do a tactic landing and for the landrovers to drive out over the ramp as the aircraft was still moving. We exited the aircraft and moved out to the concentration area. We managed to get both landrovers and trailers out and on the runway before the pilot had closed down his engines! The UKMAMs team on the next kite, took fifteen minutes to get the landrovers off and they were the professional movers!

The best thing about C130 and why I prefer them to airliners, was the fact that once you were given the all clear to release seatbelts, we would crab our sleeping bags and find a comfy spot to sleep! Try doing that in a Boeing 737 series 800!

The only draw back was the hairy arsed loadmaster throwing the packed lunches at everyone! And they did not even smile when they did it!

But, I did a total of 17 jumps, not out of a C130 but 16 from a C47 Dakota and one from a Britton Norman Defender!

On the Dakota, we used D10 non-steerable parachutes as we were traing with the Rhodesian Army, there was just three of us from the RAF and a load of squaddies!

Because we were RAF, we were the first to jump! Quite an experience, into the hot and humid air and looking down could see the drop zone climbing up towards you!

The eighth and qualifying jump was made at night into a combat zone! As we approached, the inside of the kite was lit by the flashes of the flak as it exploded near the plane!

Standing in the doorway, I could see the tracer cris-crossing underneath with both red and green tracer coming towards me! As I drifted down, I was aware that the tracer seemed to be heading for me! I must admit that at one point I was aware of the fact that it seemed that I was drifting down faster, must have something to do with my trousers filling up with brown stuff!

On the ground we gathered together and made for the battalion HQ, which was formed behind some anthills. Having cross trained as a combat medic, I got involved with treating the light injuries caused by the landing!

Thank god it was only a exercise but they did get pretty close with the live ammo! That included mortars which landed close where I had set up the casualty station!

My last jump was the one from the Defender and that was in Belize, I jumped with the SAS and it was to drop close to a downed Puma. The funny thing was, the angle irons aka the Anglian regt thought I was a SAS man and treated me with the utmost respect!

Okay, time for you blokes with time in the services to perhaps start a thread in bios or somewhere and just add to it as you remember stuff!

There's just too much good stuff in your heads!

Please!

I've never been in the services, but I did 34 jumps with a club in the 1980's.
Which means I have even less excuse than the rest of you because no-one paid me to do it, in fact I was the one paying, not only to jump but to be verbally abused by ex-forces instructors (we had an ex-Para and an ex-Royal Marine, who of course hated each other).

I did 17 static line and then 17 free-fall jumps, mainly from a BN Islander, the last few from a Cessna 206. But I was pretty useless - I have always been crap at sports so I just didn't have the co-ordination to stay in the stable spread position, hence taking 17 jumps to get to free-fall in the first place. At least once I pulled on my back - not recommended. And to be honest, when I was in the right position I panicked when I saw the ground (i.e. as my body rotated from face forward as I left the aircraft to face down) and pulled too soon.

Salvation came when the club ran out of money and went bust; I gave it up at that point.

Originally Posted by Andy in West Oz

Okay, time for you blokes with time in the services to perhaps start a thread in bios or somewhere and just add to it as you remember stuff!

There's just too much good stuff in your heads!

Please!

We have such a thread, its called the line book - hence the expression "shooting a line"!