Airborne! Jump School in Oklahoma

[threoh8]

A group in Oklahoma does WWII-style parachute demonstrations, and is offering an Airborne jump school. This weekend, they're having an open house ... err ... hangar.

"... the World War II Airborne Demonstration Team will be having an Open Hangar Day Saturday from 8am to 3pm at the Frederick Army Airfield."

http://www.texomashomepage.com/news/loc ... ump-school

http://www.wwiiadt.org/FAAF.htm

It's been 36 years since I went through Jump School at Fort Benning. Glad I did it then. Won't do it again.

[Daddio-on-patio]

My uncle flew one of the C-47's for them last year. My aunt showed pics and videos from her phone. Really cool stuff. If the pics were black and white it would have looked of the period. Can't speak for all of their operations but this particular one they bunked in some old style barracks and were transported to the aircraft in the back of a deuce-and-a-half. They static lined over fresh plowed fields. If I remember correctly they had 3 C-47's in formation during the drop.

[E.Marquez]

Nice find, thanks for sharing.

28 years of hanging under T-10 and MC1-B's I'll not be doing that anymore..
I'll jump a sport parachute still anyday, but no more "period" correct ones.

[ELB]

That's great, had no idea they existed.

I graduated from The Airborne School at Fort Benning GA in July 1981. Jumped from C-130s and C-141, they still had C123s then, but didn't get to jump from one of those. A C-47 would be cool, tho. And the gear looks pretty much to be the same. :)

AIRBORNE!

[jmorris]

That's great, had no idea they existed.

I graduated from The Airborne School at Fort Benning GA in July 1981. Jumped from C-130s and C-141, they still had C123s then, but didn't get to jump from one of those. A C-47 would be cool, tho. And the gear looks pretty much to be the same. :)

AIRBORNE!

Summer of 77 for me. We had some get to jump from a NG C123 but I didn't get picked. Would have liked that. Was first in the door twice though.

Cherry jumper though, punching my ticket, although I would have taken an Airborne assignment in a heartbeat.

[threoh8]

That's great, had no idea they existed.

I graduated from The Airborne School at Fort Benning GA in July 1981. Jumped from C-130s and C-141, they still had C123s then, but didn't get to jump from one of those. A C-47 would be cool, tho. And the gear looks pretty much to be the same. :)

AIRBORNE!

I've only jumped out of a C-123, C-130, and C-141. I've still never landed in any of those aircraft.
I'm glad people are keeping the history alive.

FWIW, another aspect of US Army Airborne history is represented at the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock. It tells the story of the "Glider Riders" and the glider pilots, many of whom were trained at South Plains Army Airfield near Lubbock.

The third component of the early Airborne program was intended to be troops who landed in the planes and were to rush out of them to attack. Hey, it worked later at Entebbe!

[RogueUSMC]

I never did jump school...never cared to...lol. I am NOT going to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. If it is going down, I ask that you hit whatever you hit hard so I don't have to be carried away from it...lol. But have much respect for the folks that will dangle from a 'chute while folks be shootin' at 'em...past, present and future.

I did do air assault school (helocasting and spierigging)...that was a lot of fun!

[TresHuevos]

As a proud alumnus of UCLA (University of Columbus 'Longside the Airfield) this looks like a lot of fun but I've had enough feet-butt-head PLFs to last me a lifetime.

[Pawpaw]

I always wanted to skydive... then I developed good sense.

[rotor]

My hats off to you. I have flown almost every type of aircraft that there is but I have a fear of heights. Go figure. I could never jump out of an aircraft unless it was a helicopter 2 feet off the ground. But I would fly it down to the safest landing possible.

[Rhino1]

Only one I jumped out of was via ejection seat, shortly before it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

[oljames3]

Last time I was at Benning was 1976 for OCS. They offered jump school, but said I could not jump with my M109. I said "no thanks."

[ELB]

I never did jump school...never cared to...lol. I am NOT going to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. ...!

Heh. With all the tender loving care administered during Ground Week and Tower Week, plus all the people puking on each other on the C-130, I could not wait to get out that airplane. And once the plane sailed off, I got the first peace and quiet I had had in three weeks. Until some Black Hat on the ground with megaphone started shouting "PUT YOUR FEET AND KNEES TOGETHER OR YOU'RE GOING TO BUST YOUR ____!!"

[threoh8]

I am NOT going to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

There is no such thing.

[mojo84]

Only one I jumped out of was via ejection seat, shortly before it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

I'd like to hear the rest of this story someday.