Here is a typical day at work for Scot Spooner, one of the owners of Labyrinth Guides Consulting and Invictus Alliance Group.
Archive for the ‘Parachuting’ Category
Scot Spooner at Work
Sunday, January 15th, 2012S&S Precision NavBoards
Friday, January 13th, 2012
NavBoards are very specialized pieces of kit designed for use by Military Freefall Parachutists to aid in navigation while under canopy. Since releasing their Standard NavBoard, S&S Precision has developed several new models based on customer requirements. Each differs slightly based on the equipment used by the parachutist.
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HEL-STAR in Action
Monday, November 28th, 2011
Remember the HEL-STAR 5 strobe from Core Survival we wrote about back in June? Here is some video of it in action, attached to a Gentex Parachutist Helmet during a military free fall jump at Eloy, AZ. It is designed for use by parachutists while in freefall and under canopy to identify one another.
Now THAT’S a Heavy Drop
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011This isn’t the first airborne operation for the BMD-2. It was successfully dropped in 2003. The story here is that the BMD-2 airborne infantry combat vehicle was manned during this airborne operation conducted 25 March, 2010 in the Pskov Region. The troops are members of the Russian VDV, assigned to the 76th Guards Airborne Division.
Death From Above…
Saturday, October 15th, 2011US Replacing MC-4 Free Fall Parachute
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011Airborne Systems, a subsidiary of HDT Global (“HDTâ€), has been awarded a $27 million firm fixed-price IDIQ contract by the US Army’s Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) for the production and delivery of an estimated 3,600 Military Free Fall Advanced Ram Air Parachute Systems (MFF ARAPS) utilizing Airborne System’s Intruder parachute system. The contract includes an 18-month base ordering period and a 42-month optional ordering period.
ARAPS consists of the Intruder 360 main parachute, the Intruder 360 reserve parachute, and the Raider 2 harness/container. The system is also available from Airborne Systems with a smaller Intruder main and reserve canopy of 300 ft². This move will affect all US forces currently using the MC-4. In addition to replacing the MC-4, SOCOM funding will also replace all unit funded free fall parachutes currently in service.
On an interesting note, for the US military at least, all major military personnel parachute systems currently in use have been designed by Airborne Systems, including the T-11, MC-6, Hi-Glide, MC-4, MC-5 and now the Intruder. Airborne Systems is also responsible for the FireFly and DragonFly precision guided aerial delivery systems which are part of the Joint Precision Air Drop System (JPADS) program.
In a press release earlier today, Brad Pedersen, President, Airborne Systems had this to say, “We are honored the U.S. Army has selected Airborne Systems to support our warfighters with the best parachute technology available.†He went on, “Our solution is the best value for soldiers, offering increased safety and cutting edge technology. The Intruder system has been exclusively designed for the military jumper and is not an adaptation. Its versatility allows day or night and high or low altitude capabilities in a range of challenging environments to fully meet mission requirements.â€
“Airborne Systems has made major historical contributions to military ram-air parachute systems development,†added JC Berland, Chief Technology Officer, Airborne Systems, in the same press release. “These include the invention of the ram-air reserve parachute and the first military ram air parachute system, the MT-1. Airborne Systems also designed and produced the MC-4 and MC-5 parachute systems, the most popular military parachute systems in the world. The T-11 is also an excellent example of our technology lead in the parachute world.â€
3RAR Loses Para Role
Thursday, September 1st, 2011Yesterday was a sad day for paratroopers everywhere. Our brothers in Australia’s 3RAR officially lost their parachute role and will be a Mechanized Infantry unit from here on out. To add insult to injury they are scheduled to move in December from Sydney to Townsville. When you see an Australian Soldier wearing the distinctive wings of 3RAR know that he was a part of something special. Buy that man a beer.
Today Is National Airborne Day
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011Just thought all of the legs should know.
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