Team Sergeant
04-24-2004, 11:04
Okinawa; A story I heard while I was there….
SF Jumpmaster school. They are using a MC-130 for a jump platform. Plane is full of Jump Master candidates from 1st Group. They were sitting on the runway, engines running about to depart when the Aircraft Emergency Bells start sounding!! Someone yells the plane is on fire, GET OUT GET OUT!
Most jumpers have undone their seat belts and are making for the front of the A/C to exit out the front exit door with stairs, easier to “walk out” with a parachute on. For those that have never dawned a parachute, they are NOT designed to run in! If I were to describe it to you I would describe it as “waddle run” and about one tenth the speed of what a person can truly run.
One of the jumpmaster instructors was an Air Force “Combat Weather Man” (I’ll not disclose his name) and was on the plane and sleeping soundly near the rear doors while the plane did the preflight check list, taxied to the active runway and gained clearance for takeoff. This sometime takes a while, enough time to fall asleep while waiting.
Shit hits the fan. Air Force Combat Weatherman Jumpmaster instructor wakes to all hell breaking loose around him and does the smart play. He stands up, hooks up, runs to the now open rear exit door and JUMPS! (This was witnessed by a few of the JM candidates and the one telling me the story.) He lands on the runway after a beautiful exit, in total confusion, again someone yells to him, “Get away the aircraft is burning.” He gets up evaluates his situation and proceeds to “haul ass” away from the burning airplane. (did I mention he was a little guy, about 5’6 and maybe 140 lbs. and hard as nails) In about 3 seconds he is once again sitting on his ass, on the runway about 15 feet from the still burning airplane. You see as he ran the static line deployed and being a little “light in the ass” he did not run fast enough to break the 80lb safety loop connecting the parachute to the deployment bag.
(by this time the guy telling me the story and myself have to take a break to wipe the tears streaming down our eyes)
By this time help had arrived. He was quickly snatched up and moved to a safe distance, the fire was quickly dealt with, the plane was saved and his antics will never be forgotten.
I can only hope to one day lure him on here to re-tell the story from his point of view. He was a great Combat Weatherman, we were lucky to have him in 1st SFG(A).
Team Sergeant
SF Jumpmaster school. They are using a MC-130 for a jump platform. Plane is full of Jump Master candidates from 1st Group. They were sitting on the runway, engines running about to depart when the Aircraft Emergency Bells start sounding!! Someone yells the plane is on fire, GET OUT GET OUT!
Most jumpers have undone their seat belts and are making for the front of the A/C to exit out the front exit door with stairs, easier to “walk out” with a parachute on. For those that have never dawned a parachute, they are NOT designed to run in! If I were to describe it to you I would describe it as “waddle run” and about one tenth the speed of what a person can truly run.
One of the jumpmaster instructors was an Air Force “Combat Weather Man” (I’ll not disclose his name) and was on the plane and sleeping soundly near the rear doors while the plane did the preflight check list, taxied to the active runway and gained clearance for takeoff. This sometime takes a while, enough time to fall asleep while waiting.
Shit hits the fan. Air Force Combat Weatherman Jumpmaster instructor wakes to all hell breaking loose around him and does the smart play. He stands up, hooks up, runs to the now open rear exit door and JUMPS! (This was witnessed by a few of the JM candidates and the one telling me the story.) He lands on the runway after a beautiful exit, in total confusion, again someone yells to him, “Get away the aircraft is burning.” He gets up evaluates his situation and proceeds to “haul ass” away from the burning airplane. (did I mention he was a little guy, about 5’6 and maybe 140 lbs. and hard as nails) In about 3 seconds he is once again sitting on his ass, on the runway about 15 feet from the still burning airplane. You see as he ran the static line deployed and being a little “light in the ass” he did not run fast enough to break the 80lb safety loop connecting the parachute to the deployment bag.
(by this time the guy telling me the story and myself have to take a break to wipe the tears streaming down our eyes)
By this time help had arrived. He was quickly snatched up and moved to a safe distance, the fire was quickly dealt with, the plane was saved and his antics will never be forgotten.
I can only hope to one day lure him on here to re-tell the story from his point of view. He was a great Combat Weatherman, we were lucky to have him in 1st SFG(A).
Team Sergeant