Who's Made Civilian Jumps from Military Aircraft?

[wartload 0]

Just curious about this ... my own were Black Horse UH1s and a CH-53 (I think that was the designation of the Navy's minesweeper config) in 1976.

[wmw999 2,123]

Made a couple of demo jumps out of a B-17 at the Confederate Air Show in 1977 or so. Not sure if it still qualified as military by then, but it was way cool.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[skyhpp 0]

I've been lucky enough to jump the following military aircraft, courtesy of the South African Defence Force:

Piston and Turbine Dakotas Hercules C130
Transall C160 Puma helicopter
Most of these jumps were at airshows where the military provided the aircraft + some jumpers and civilian skydivers supplemented the numbers. Slots were free! Nice to get something back from the taxman!

[freefalle 0]

I dont know how to spell it but I jumped for a skorsky helo in Japan and a Sky truck in Lebelle

[darkwing 4]

I jumped South African military aircraft, C-47 and Kudu, but not any here in the US. Early in my skydiving career it was done, but not by me. I think one year, circa 1974, the NW regional competiton was out of UH-1 helicopters at Ft. Lewis, WA. I missed that one. I jumped a former US military aircraft, an AT-11, which most people called a twin beech, but don't confuse it with a D-18.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

All the military clubs in the USA used to let dependants jump from whatever plane or helo was available that weekend. That regularly meant UH-1's, UH-60's, CH-47's. In Alabama it meant UH-1's and CH-54 SkyCranes. I have made a lot of "skydives" with sport gear out of C-130's and a few out of C-141's. I have a lot of sport jumps out of a Guatemalan Airforce DC-3 and an Arava. I have one sport gear jump out of a C-17 and one out of a C-5. I have a lot of MFF jumps out of C-130's, C-141's, CASA's, and all the other aircraft I listed.

Chuck

[slug 1]

Hey skymonkey

Forgot one

DOD civies
Ft lewis:

Chinooks aka Shithooks, "The only aircraft known to man that can have a mid air with its self" BTW Don't know if it's true

But they leaked hydraulic fluid on the ramp and sitting up of the front of the bird required all the hearing protection you could find

Huey's: skids for kids
Blackhawks: Pilot had a Fun Meter sticker on the back of his helmet, needle was pegged to the red zone "max".

Nice aircraft, fun people, safe ops, good price

R.I.P.

[NickDG 23]

The usual bunch of CH-46s, CH-53s, and Hueys, a
B-25, and a Boieing Kadet (Stearman).

And this one, a Russian Ilyushin-76

Length: 152ft 10.25in (46.59m)
Wingspan: 165ft 8in (50.5m)
Height: 48ft 5in (14.76m)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 374,780lb (170000kg)

One hundred and fifty of us did a mass jump for a demo in New Zealand. A crewman told me the A/C could probably carry up to 300 skydivers. However, it took over a minute just to launch 150.

We flew a few hundred miles from Auckland to the site of the Demo and we even brought a few cars with us.

This is the largest transport A/C in the world and as an A/P mechanic I was amazed how it was built. It was held together with rivets the size you'd normally see on a locomotive.

I believe this particular A/C filled with 40 tons of cargo and a crew of ten crashed on takeoff near Moscow a few years later . . .

NickD BASE 194

[wartload 0]

Quote

But they leaked hydraulic fluid on the ramp and sitting up of the front of the bird required all the hearing protection you could find

Huey's: skids for kids

First, if a military rotorcraft isn't leaking hydraulic fluid, that usually means that it's OUT of fluid.

As for "skids for kids" after jumping mostly little cramped planes, sitting in the open doorway with feet on the skids and watching the world fall away was quite a treat!

[wartload 0]

Nick ... that's absolutely spectacular!

[slug 1]

Hi wartload

Thanks for setting me straight.

I wasn't complaining about jumping out of choppers for $1 a pop. just recalling some of the jokes we heard from the army people .

Blackhawk people to huey people "skid for kids"

Forget the comeback about the blackhawk wheels vs skids. We were also recieved a daily safety brief not to hang our legs on the skids during T.O. skids would collapse during a crash.

Hydraulic leaks The CH-47 leaked bad right over the ramp. That was the only chopper that we jumped that where we saw hydraulic fluid on the floor and dripping on your rig. No fun taking baby steps onto the bird or when exiting.

A couple years later we jumped a newer model chinook No leaks over the ramp or fluid on floor

Crew chief told us newer chinook models were designed with 30% fewer hydraulic fittings which eliminated the leaks over the Ramp.

Don't worry be happy
R.I.P.
SCR 2719
B-7881

[SkydiveJack 1]

In the mid-80's eight of us, all civilian, did a demo at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Fl. One of the eight was an eye doctor who was involved with some local business/military community organization and set it up.

It was on the beach on the base and was for the Special Ops. Command that is there. We signed waivers they let us jump a US Army UH-1 Huey from around 8000ft. We were all seatbealted to the floor by the doors, four on each side, with our legs hanging out. The really cool thing was that the crew was doing some training and shot a bunch of assault landings with us on board before they took us up for the jump.

The jump went well and we joined their picnic, the usual barbecue and beer thing. Next thing I knew a four star general walked up to us, Gen. Lindsey, and thanked us for doing the jump!!! Blew me away big time. To top it all off, we all received in the mail a formal Thank You card from a two star general about a week later. I still have that card. It was a class act by the US Army that I have always been thankful for.

Jack

[dragon2 0]

C130, G222, Dakota, F60.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[howardwhite 5]

Civilian jumps out of military a/c used to be common before mid-summer 1976. I ran a Northeast Conference meet at the West Point DZ in Walkill, NY, and Hueys were provided for all. Also a warrant officer Huey pilot at Ft. Devens, MA used to bring a Huey into Pepperell, MA for jumps by all.

Then a northeast DZO advertised widely that jumps at some event would be made out of military A/C. The local congressman read about it, and that was that....

HW

[ps5601 0]

Every other year in Sweeden the very nice Sweedish air force lend skydvers one of their Hercs for a week, If it's anything like last year the jumps (load organised with camera) are still about half of the regular UK jump price. Bonus.

Blue skies

Paul

[CDRINF 1]

UH1, UH60, and CH47. In fact my first 70 odd jumps were out of Army A/C with the Fort Campbell Sport Parachute Activity before I ever jumped a Cessna or King Air. This was one of the last "great deals" in the Army and is in fact still authorized by Army Regs. Unfortunately all of the Army sport parachute clubs have closed with the exception of Bragg, and they operate off post.

Since the doors were always open, you were exposed to the elements. The "hell hole" of the Huey really sucked in the winter. On a Blackhawk the students sat on the rear firewall which was very breezy. I remember once during winter at Campbell seeing all 10 experienced jumpers on a Blackhawk load cram themselves into the small protected space between the pilots to stay warm.

Best/stupidest was when one jumper climbed onto the roof of a Huey between the fuselage and rotor and looked down into the windscreen to wave at the pilots before rolling off the top.

CDR

[riggerrob 558]

CC-115 Buffalo, also know as DeHavilland Dash 5.
A couple of years back, Canadian Search and Rescue Technicians were running late (due to bad weather) on a (CSPA standards) coach course, so they brought a Buffalo over to Pitt Meadows so they could complete their jumps with civilian coaches.
We assembled 8 civilian Coach 2s, most of whom were also PFF Instructors. We did 6 loads that day, all from 10,000'.
Don't know if that counts as "civilian jumps from military aircraft" as we were coaching military jumpers.
While serving, I jumped from: C-130, Twin Otter, Chinook, Dakota and Huey.
At civilian DZs I jumped military-surplus: Allouette 2, C-47, DC-3, DeHavilland Cariboo, Dornier 27, Beechcraft Expediter, Pilatus Porter, etc.

[wartload 0]

Quote

Next thing I knew a four star general walked up to us, Gen. Lindsey, and thanked us for doing the jump!!! Blew me away big time. To top it all off, we all received in the mail a formal Thank You card from a two star general about a week later.

That's the sort of attitude and performance that helped them earn those stars!

[bivar 0]

I have got 3-4 jumps from a Norwegian Airforce Bell 412, and 3 jumps fom a P3-Orion.
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3

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[docjohn 0]

Fort Hood Sport Parachute Club, Ft Hood Texas. Late 1970's. We had a Huey UH-1 helicopter that the Army let us have 360 flying hours per year. Cost us $4 per month (not per jump, per MONTH) apiece. Those were the days. We couldn't fly worth a damn and didn't care.
.

Doc
http://www.manifestmaster.com/video

[hottamaly 1]

C-130 in Uruguay 2005. It was from Brazil.

Skydiving gave me a reason to live
I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live

[skymedic 0]

Quote

And this one, a Russian Ilyushin-76

that is not the largest transport aircraft, the Ukranian built the Antonov AN-225....I am a russian aviation buff...also gross take off weight on the thing is well over a 1,000,000 pounds. That is the largest airplane in the world. originaly designed to carry the USSR's version of the space shuttle, the Buran. Happens that they are now used to make money off of carrying LARGE objects around the world.

imary Function: Cargo
Contractor: Antonov
Crew: Six
Unit Cost: N/A
Powerplant
Six Lotarev turbofans D-18T engines at 51,590 lb (23,370 kg) each
Dimensions
Length: 275 feet, 7 in (84.0m)
Wingspan: 290 feet (88.4m)
Height: 59 feet, 5 in (18.2m)
Weights
Empty: 250,5 tons
Maximum Takeoff: 1,322,750 lb (600,000kg)
Performance
Speed: 528 mph (850km/h)
Ceiling: N/A
Range: 8,310 nm (15,400km) -- with maximum fuel
Armament
N/A


THAT's a big plane...


by the way...I'm very jealous that you got to jump from the Antonov...that had to be an awesome blast!!!

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[jimp 1]

The military organizations of various countries have been very good to me over the past four decades, although I've never served in any of them. An instinctive ability to whine and snivel has helped out a lot too:

Britain:
Westland Scout ( Alan Skennerton, member of the Hard Ass Star
Team was the pilot.)

South Africa:
C 47
Cessna 185
Alouette 3
Super Frelon

Argentina:
Max Holste Broussard

Bolivia:
UH1H Huey
Cessna i85

USA:
Ch 47 Chinook (at Mannheim, W. Germany)

W. Germany:
UH1H Huey

Spain:
Casa C 212

Indonesia:
L 100-30 Hercules
Casa C 212

Poland:
Mil Mi 17
Mil Mi 6
Antonov An 26

USSR:
Antonov An 2
Mil Mi 8
Mil Mi 8MT (Domestic version of Mi 17)
Mil Mi 2

Dominican Republic:
Casa C 212
UH1H Huey

Jordan:
Casa C 212
C 130 Hercules

Switzerland:
Pilatus Porter

All aircraft had military markings and were flown by regular force or reserve pilots. Former military aircraft on civil registry round out the list, such as PBY Catalina, Il 76, An 12, Transal C 160, and the wonderful Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. Notably absent are military aircraft from my own country. No amount of whining and sniveling has got me on a load, despite paying many many dollars in taxes as my share of keeping them airborne. However, it has been a very, very good run, and it ain't over yet!

[DBCOOPER 1]

Got to jump the Knights aircraft.Never saw a panel like that in any of the otters I normally jump.Porter was neat too.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[jurgencamps 0]

MI-6, MI 8 and MI 17 helicopters, AN-2 and AN-26 at the first Poland Boogy in 1988 or 89

Jurgen