|
The Royal Thai Army
The Royal
Thai Army balloon jump is a training system adopted from
the Royal Air force (RAF) in the United Kingdom. However,
The RAF retired the balloon system and discontinued this
training aide in 1995. Now only the Belgians and the
Thais use the balloon jump system and only the Thais
have ever offered special balloon wings for those who
qualify with the balloon.
The training
benefit of the balloon jump is similar to that of the
250-foot tower at the US Army Airborne School in Ft.
Benning, Georgia. After stepping out of the balloon and
the parachute deploys, the skills that the paratrooper
has to employ are the same as if he jumped from a
forward motion fixed aircraft. The main difference
between exiting a jump balloon and an aircraft in flight
is that one must simply take one step forward, assume a
tight body position, and drop into silence. There is no
prop-blast and it takes a surprising 6,000 count before
the parachute fully deploys at around 400 to 500 feet
from the ground after exiting at around 800 to 900 feet
up. In 1993, The Friendship Airborne Paratroopers exited
at 700 feet as the upper winds were very strong that day.
The Royal
Thai Army Special Forces adopted the balloon system in
1981. And since then many thousands of paratroopers have
jumped it with no reported malfunctions upon exiting.
However, once the parachute is fully deployed, the
paratrooper must perform all of the standard parachute
control and proper PLFs or risk back and leg injuries.
The Thai paratrooper trainees make their first two
qualifying jumps from the balloon and remaining three
jumps from either a helicopters or fixed wing aircraft.
The Royal
Thai Army balloon is from the United Kingdom and the
huge winch that raises and lowers the balloon is Belgian
made. The cable between the truck bearing winch and the
raised barrage balloon is one thousand feet. The basket,
or gondola, holds six paratroopers, including the
dispatcher (Jump Master).
The Royal
Thai Army balloon jump is a training system adopted from
the Royal Air force (RAF) in the United Kingdom. However,
The RAF retired the balloon system and discontinued this
training aide in 1995. Now only the Belgians and the
Thais use the balloon jump system and only the Thais
have ever offered special balloon wings for those who
qualify with the balloon.
The training
benefit of the balloon jump is similar to that of the
250-foot tower at the US Army Airborne School in Ft.
Benning, Georgia. After stepping out of the balloon and
the parachute deploys, the skills that the paratrooper
has to employ are the same as if he jumped from a
forward motion fixed aircraft. The main difference
between exiting a jump balloon and an aircraft in flight
is that one must simply take one step forward, assume a
tight body position, and drop into silence. There is no
prop-blast and it takes a surprising 6,000 count before
the parachute fully deploys at around 400 to 500 feet
from the ground after exiting at around 800 to 900 feet
up. In 1993, The Friendship Airborne Paratroopers exited
at 700 feet as the upper winds were very strong that day.
The Royal
Thai Army Special Forces adopted the balloon system in
1981. And since then many thousands of paratroopers have
jumped it with no reported malfunctions upon exiting.
However, once the parachute is fully deployed, the
paratrooper must perform all of the standard parachute
control and proper PLFs or risk back and leg injuries.
The Thai paratrooper trainees make their first two
qualifying jumps from the balloon and remaining three
jumps from either a helicopters or fixed wing aircraft.
The Royal
Thai Army balloon is from the United Kingdom and the
huge winch that raises and lowers the balloon is Belgian
made. The cable between the truck bearing winch and the
raised barrage balloon is one thousand feet. The basket,
or gondola, holds six paratroopers, including the
dispatcher (Jump Master).
(Bron :
internet, artikel gepubliceerd in
de
Airborne Quarterly van de American Airborne Association,
en op de pagina van de Friendship Airborne).
--
-
Klik
hier om terug te gaan naar TrgC Para |
