No More Redneck Parasailing?!?

[snake020]

In 1998, they were still doing the water parasailing. Great time for all.

Wouldn't that be a bit more realistic anyway?

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

Is this how parachute training is performed?

Why don't they just send everyone to jump school?

 

[nittany03]

Is this how parachute training is performed?

Why don't they just send everyone to jump school?

Because ejection seats don't have static lines . . .

 

[Brunes]

Is this how parachute training is performed?

Why don't they just send everyone to jump school?

Schedule (Roughly)-
Starts out in the classroom- Nomenclature and procedures lectures. Next is practicing PLFs from a 2-3 foot platform. They also do a VR paracute malfunction trainer. The day in the field is susposse dto go something like one pull attached to the truck with a slow decent....one pull where the release you. They also pull you along the ground to practice getting out of a dragging chute.

As to jump school- I've never been- but my guess is:
Jump school would be $ not well spent. MOST aviators DON'T want to use this training- Guys going thru jump school more or elss expect to jump out of several planes at some point along the way. It would also needlessly increase SNA/SNFO training times.

 

[NozeMan]

Ok, so its obvious some people made some crappy landings during the redneck parasailing. Lets put it in perspective: if you couldn't perform a proper PLF the DAY AFTER you practiced it....why the hell is it gonna matter months/years down the road if/when you punch for real and happened to be over dry land?

Here's another reason why it wasn't a good idea: my API class didn't get passed the demo from the people running the event. They hauled up one of the instructors and the freaking rope securing the rig to the truck broke! Event canceled!

I'm afraid of heights anyways, good riddance. Glad no one else has to risk their bones.

 

[SemperGumbi]

I'm sad it is gone. But I am not fragile and the red-neck parasailing is in all reality less dangerous than many sports I do/have done and I am still around.

What are the chances of having to swim a mile in gear? Probably pretty low. Lets get rid of that, too. I am saying this somewhat tongue in cheek, but there is a LOT of training we do that can/has cause/caused injury (SERE, anyone?) with little possibility of reward. It just sucks that they actually pull out something that many of us looked forward to.

Maybe there should have been a disclaimer: If you haven't done much falling in your life this might not be smart for you to do.

But in the big picture it is a pretty small thing to lose. Flying planes is still more fun than falling in parachutes, and they haven't nixed the former just yet...

 

[puck_11]

Thats too bad, that was one of the more fun days. I hope they don't replace it with a full day of PLF practices, that would suck. Here's a pic for those who haven't done it.

 

[MasterBates]

What they don't show is how FAST the guys like me and Smasher come down. Small people float. I plummet.

 

[BACONATOR]

What they don't show is how FAST the guys like me and Smasher come down. Small people float. I plummet.

Maybe so, but even at a buck seventy, I wasn't exactly "floating". I made quite the dull thud as the "five checkpoints" of body hit dirt.

 

[insanebikerboy]

What they don't show is how FAST the guys like me and Smasher come down. Small people float. I plummet.

They told me when I did it that if you're over 240, they usually only tow you down because you fall too fast. I told the Chief that if I had to bail out I wouldn't be able to be towed down then. I fell fast but it wasn't bad at all.

 

[redmidgrl]

Floating down was nice... the PR's were able to take a coffee break while they were waiting for me to finally touch down