The Reputation, "Let This Rest"
Drop altitude 1500 feet AGL, time of drop approximately 0835
KFBG 211255Z 26007KT 230V290 7SM SKC 18/10 A2995 RMK SLP143
Conditions at: KFBG observed 1255 UTC 21 April 2005
Temperature: 18.0°C (64°F)
Dewpoint: 10.0°C (50°F) [RH = 59%]
Pressure (altimeter): 29.95 inches Hg (1014.3 mb)
[Sea-level pressure: 1014.3 mb]
Winds: from the W (260 degrees) at 8 MPH (7 knots; 3.6 m/s)
Visibility: 7 miles (11 km)
Ceiling: at least 12,000 feet AGL
Clouds: clear skies
Weather: no significant weather observed at this time
I showed up to the S3 air meeting hoping to troll a parachute in exchange for pulling a jumpmaster duty. As fortunes turned out, I got my duty...as the primary jumpmaster. In addition, there were so many pay hurts that showed up for manifest call that I could not in good conscience take a parachute from someone who was too much of a fucking pussy to jump during the winter because he didn't want to jump snivel gear on the far side of Fort Bragg from work. Nonetheless, there were other JMs on the jumpmaster team who gave up parachutes today for the same reason, and I don't need it for pay or currency. Every jump I do from here on out is purely gravy since there's no actual incentive to become a centurion (jumpmaster with over 100 jumps).
One thing about being the primary (or PJ or PJM, for short) is that you suddenly have the authority to deny manifesting to those who you feel are not deserving, or conversely, to allow someone who needed it to get on. The airborne commander today was the company XO, who is a pretty decent guy with a good common-sense attitude.
As the PJ, I has the prerogative of arbitrarily changing JM assignments, and I elected to do so for lift 1. This first lift had the command sergeant major, the chief of staff, and a handful of other full colonels onboard. No pressure.
I also had the responsibility for releasing the Wind Drift Indicator (WDI, or more commonly, the "streamer") before exiting any jumpers. The WDI is a length of crepe paper that has been taped and weighted so that it has the same flight characteristics as a jumper without steering capability. Ordinarily, the first pass exits a streamer (under our jumping rules) as a risk mitigation measure. If the panels have been properly set, and the aircraft is flying the correct pattern, then a correctly deployed streamer will land fairly close to the personnel point of impact (PPI). My safety, who is a very experienced JM, told me to let it out some before letting it go, under the rationale that the WDI has to unravel enough to get the correct flight characteristics, otherwise it won't accurately depict a jumper. In reality, I hadn't counted on what happens to a piece of crepe paper if you hang on to one end of it while leaning out of a plane going just over 100mph. The damn thing disintegrated out of my hand with not much more than an involuntary, albeit sotto voce, "fuck!" As we were passing over the PPI, I saw three pieces of streamer on its way to the ground.
In spite of that inauspicious start, I did have an accurate spot and got kudos from the Command Sergeant Major and Chief of Staff on the accuracy of my positioning. I was gratified to be finished with the pass; the rest of it was almost inauspicious.
Today's jump went very smoothly, and in spite of a late start, finished early with no injuries (although there were a few jumpers who landed in trees, which was probably attributable to jumper error), which is something I attribute to the professional excellence of the jumpmasters with whom I am privileged to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment