Smoke Jumping

[cdanner1 0]

I was curious about stories and what it is like I was thinking about going into the profession

[JohnMitchell 16]

You have to be in really, really, really good shape. You have to be very determined. It's not easy in the least.

[eightate8at8 0]

Did you just recently watch the movie smoke jumper? Haha, me and my gf picked it up the other night cause there was nothing better at the Redbox. Didn't really care for it, a little too corny..

Oh, and I'm fine with landing in a cornfield, but not a raging fire..

[riggerrob 613]

Try reading the book "Jumping Fire" by Murry A. Taylor.

You should have sat in on the seminar on "Rough Country Parachuting" during the 2009 PIA Symposium. Fortunately, the Power Point graphics are available on the 2009 PIA CD.

Remember that forest fire fighting services are looking for fire fighters first and parachutists second. There for, most forest services require forestry experience and two or three seasons experience fighting fires on the ground before they will consider you for smoke jumper training. The training is competitive and demanding, sort of like army paratrooper training.

[skybill 22]

Hi dan,
One thing ya' gotta' take into consideration is that the "parachuting" in "Smokejumping" and also "Airborne Soldier" is a "delivery system to the 'job site!'" It's like riding the bus to "Work!!" What would you rather do, "Ride the Bus," or "Work??"

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[JohnMitchell 16]

Jumping round parachutes into rocky, mountainous DZ's at high altitude? One of those jumps would put me in the orthopedic ward for a month.

[regulator 0]

So smoke jumpers exclusively jump rounds? That seems rather dangerous. I would want the control of a ram air canopy rather than having little control over where I land.

[JohnMitchell 16]

It's divided now. I think it's the Feds that jump squares and the state guys that jump rounds still. A round is great for landing in trees and very small DZ's. A round canopy smoke jumper said they can land closer to the fires. He also said the square guys have to usually land farther away because of their DZ requirements. The round jumpers get out low, the square guys need like 4K.

Any smoke jumpers out there care to elaborate?

[grimmie 179]

There are BLM and USFS jumpers. Go to Missoula and check out the base there. They will help you with the application and interview process. They will also answer whatever questions you have regarding the job. Most are seasonal employees.

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

Jumping round parachutes into rocky, mountainous DZ's at high altitude? One of those jumps would put me in the orthopedic ward for a month.

At your age? I would think so. I might have tried it when I was 25. Not now!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[billvon 2,772]

>You should have sat in on the seminar on "Rough Country Parachuting" during
> the 2009 PIA Symposium. Fortunately, the Power Point graphics are available
>on the 2009 PIA CD.

That was an excellent seminar.

Eerie moments during that seminar - twice during his spiel he talked about basic safety stuff (water landings, object fixation) and it was word for word what I teach in my FJC. Word for word for three or four sentences, not just the same general idea. I never checked to see if he went through my FJC.

[cdanner1 0]

Quote

Try reading the book "Jumping Fire" by Murry A. Taylor.

You should have sat in on the seminar on "Rough Country Parachuting" during the 2009 PIA Symposium. Fortunately, the Power Point graphics are available on the 2009 PIA CD.

Remember that forest fire fighting services are looking for fire fighters first and parachutists second. There for, most forest services require forestry experience and two or three seasons experience fighting fires on the ground before they will consider you for smoke jumper training. The training is competitive and demanding, sort of like army paratrooper training.

my dad worked in the forest service as a fire fighter; wile I got educated I would work a season or two before I even tried to apply to be a smoke jumper

[piratemike 0]

Quote

So smoke jumpers exclusively jump rounds? That seems rather dangerous. I would want the control of a ram air canopy rather than having little control over where I land.

I've had the same thought.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thing the rational behind having round parachutes in smoke jumping is all about being able to sink strait down into a small clearing, or hole in the tree cover.

I'm not affirming or denying that rational, I'm just telling you want I was told.

I've observed that there are very few smoke jumpers that are in the skydiving community.

[billvon 2,772]

>So smoke jumpers exclusively jump rounds? That seems rather dangerous.

No. They choose their canopy based on the area they want to land in. They do use squares, but sometimes rounds work better.

[skybill 22]

Hi JM,
Jumped my "Last" Round at Scare-us-Valley on 09SEP79, a 26'NAVCON with a Waters' 4-line release sys. Not any more man, my bones don't bend like they usedta'!!!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[SStewart 13]

Quote

>So smoke jumpers exclusively jump rounds? That seems rather dangerous.

No. They choose their canopy based on the area they want to land in. They do use squares, but sometimes rounds work better.

Incorrect, the US Forest Service (USFS) jump round canopies. The Bureau of Land management (BLM)jump squares. It does not matter where they are landing, they do not get to "choose" which canopy they want to jump.
During a busy fire season it is not uncommon to have mixed loads of rounds and squares with employees of the different agencies on the same load. The gear you jump depends entirely on which agency you work for.

The BLM jumpers exit at around 3500 feet and the FS jumpers between 1200-1800 feet. Of course it is pretty difficult to determine exact altitude over mountainous terrain. Sometimes it is in tall timber, sometimes it is in open range land. They do not get to choose where the fire is.

The BLM has been sucsessfully jumping ram-airs for many years and are happy with their program.
The Forest Service experimented with ram airs but after a jumper was killed on a practice jump back in the 90's they banned the use of ram airs. That ban is still in effect although many USFS jumpers would like to see that changed.

Btw, I was a firefighter with the USFS for 23 years, 3 seasons as a Forest Service contractor. My wife is currently the assitant director of Fire and Aviation in the Great Basin which includes the McCall Idaho Smokejumper base. The base in Boise is managed by the BLM.

Onward and Upward!

[JohnMitchell 16]

McCall was where we visited the smoke jumper base and chatted a while. Great bunch of guys, lean and tough. Said I should tag along on one of their jumps. I said "No way."

Very cool what they do. It is a tough, tough job.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

So smoke jumpers exclusively jump rounds? That seems rather dangerous.

It's dangerous mostly to your ankles. You practically never get killed landing an open round canopy. That's not so true with squares anymore.

Rounds are very steerable. With a little practice, you can land on the obstacle of your choice.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

When I was (very briefly) a smoke jumper in Yukon we used to land in short trees on purpose; softer landings. That said, doing a PLF onto a snag was definitely not fun no matter how much protection you were wearing. We were using modified T-10s from 1200'. The Alaskans were using DC-5s and Delta Clouds from 3000'.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Thanks for the expert reply.

[Jakal1970 0]

I think the Rounds are 32 foot parabolics. Using the risers for steering is quite a pain, Much like the Military jump courses. Add to this your shoulder load and your drop ruck on your legs. Bush crash suit etc. its fairly cumbersome.

Also, I do have some videos around - so Im sure they are on the net someplace, - look online for Mann Gulch Mountain fires etc. Lots of info there.
or goto www.smokejumpers.com

hope this helps ya!
Cheers!

High Speed, Low Drag!

Adrenaline Junkie

[steve1 5]

My Dad flew co-pilot in tr-motors and travel-airs when he was a teen-ager. They dropped smoke-jumpers and cargo all over Western Montana and Northern Idaho.

Dad started out working for Johnson Flying Service in McCall, Idaho. He later moved to Missoula and lived with Bob Johson, and worked at Johnson's Flying Service there. He was a kid looking for a home, and Bob Johson and his wife Bubbles took him in. That is where he learned to fly.

I grew up in the Missoula area. I always wanted to Smoke Jump. It is very difficult to get on with them. I made the alternate list (to smoke-jump)one year. That is the closest I came to getting hired by them.

Fire experience is the main thing they look at. I had a few years of that, but I didn't rack up enough pts. to get on.

I hate to say it but being a minority of some sort is a big plus in their scheme of things. At least it used to be that way. You could really rack up the points (in their hiring system) if you were a disabled, black woman, who was also a veteran. We used to joke about that when I worked for the forest service as a fire fighter..... Fire experience is necessary, but these other things may be what gets you the job....

Smoke-jumping is demanding. I went through Special Forces training with a couple different Smoke-Jumpers. One of them said that S.F. training was easier than Smoke-Jumper training, but I don't know about that. I've talked to more than one smoke-jumper trainee who didn't make it through their training. You have to do a minimum number of pull-ups, and be a good runner. There are also some other demanding physical requirements.

Today there are women fire-fighters. I think they give them a break in doing pull-ups etc. There are some bad ass women fire-fighters though. Some of them are hard to keep up with when it comes to digging fire line or just plain physical stamina.

I was at a jump boogie once in Western Montana. Our jump plane flew up a rocky, tree covered canyon in the Selway Wilderness Area. I was sitting next to a smoke-jumper (Mark Wright). He said, "This reminds me of a fire jump."

I looked out the door, and wondered, where in the hell could you land safely. There were nothing but timber, and cliffs everywhere you looked.

Many Smoke Jumpers get hurt each year. Mark Wright has been medi-vacked out twice, making fire jumps. He's smoke-jumped for over 25 years.

Bill Newmiester is an old guy who is as tough as they come. He too smoke-jumped for around 25 years. He's ex-special forces. He was a mercenary in Africa. He now mans a look-out tower. He's been busted up too many times to continue Smoke Jumping......

[nshaver2 0]

I am a wildland firefighter in the summers and have looked into smoke jumping. Like a few people have mentioned you will need to be on a fire crew for awhile, probably at least 3 years if not more before they will even consider you. Experience on a hotshot crew would be best compared to a type II handcrew. Also, your chances of getting hired aren't improved by having previous parachute experience. Having said all that, good luck if you decide to go the smoke jumping route, I have talked to a few jumpers and they all love their jobs.

[cloudseeker2001 0]

I have taken the tour of the Smoke Jumpers base in McCall and what a great place that is! My guide was a great guy and did a great job of showing off more of the details when I told him I was a skydiver! He dressed me in a rig complete with fire fighting gear, and wow, it was a lot!!!! And then he said he sometimes had to pack it out for miles after they put out the fire! Great place! And I love the pics on the office wall of the jumpers jumping into trees that are on fire! And that was no 1200 ft jump either! He would not let me try out the cable ride in the training area though........

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[Broke 0]

They don't pound in so hard with those rounds the trees help slow them down more.

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Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192