Swimmers Deploying from Gannets, no 'chute?
Not quite a Gannet over the ogin but in the early 80's I did see some chaps jumping from a low (very low) flying Islander without parachutes at RAF Henlow. At the time we thought it was stuntmen practicing for a film, using an aeroplane instead of a train because that's what it looked like, a leap and tumble followed by standing up and walking away.
As I said we thought they were stuntmen but I suppose they could have been from Hereford.
As I said we thought they were stuntmen but I suppose they could have been from Hereford.
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Didn't the Russians bimble about at lowspeed and altitude looking for fluffy snowdrifts - you wouldn't be happy would you? The film from about the 3'00" onwards is quite funny - I can't believe those 1920s jumpers were allowed to sit on the fuselage and wings without dayglo bibs.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KknxKhq...%3DKknxKhqRC_U
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KknxKhq...%3DKknxKhqRC_U
I don't see the problem, you could fit a dozen crack North Korean troops in one of those pods, and they'd be sitting cross legged cooking their noodles awaiting orders from Kim..
Originally Posted by TBM-Legend
Russian troops jumped off aircraft without chutes during WW2....
But that's a different story.
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Wasn't there a Russian air stewardess who survived falling from 33,000 feet? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesna_Vulović
Made of hard stuff these Russians.
I once met a para who reckons he did a jump and his chutes failed to deploy properly, he claimed he survived as he hit a peat bog at an angle and ricochet off like one of those bouncing bombs that 617 keep on harping on about 70 years later. I took what he said with a pinch of salt (and the para too).
Made of hard stuff these Russians.
I once met a para who reckons he did a jump and his chutes failed to deploy properly, he claimed he survived as he hit a peat bog at an angle and ricochet off like one of those bouncing bombs that 617 keep on harping on about 70 years later. I took what he said with a pinch of salt (and the para too).
Last edited by gr4techie; 22nd Oct 2013 at 10:10.
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A Lancaster rear gunner was reputed to have jumped from his burning plane minus a 'chute. He landed in a snow drift relatively unharmed. His German captors, at first didn't believe him but eventually verified his claim.
Goudie - that was Sgt Alkemade - link Nicholas Alkemade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gentleman Aviator
Was there not also a Russian hostie who survived a midair breakup by landing in snow??
[Edited to add: Memory still sometimes works! She was Vesna Vulović, a Serb not a Roosian. Pretty close 'though ....
It's an interesting read anyway - originally thought to have been a "terrorist" bomb that went off at 30 000 ft, now thoughts are it may have been a low(er) level blue-on-blue (orange-on-orange??) by AAA.
And Wiki mentions others which have their own articles - including Alkemade:
[Edited to add: Memory still sometimes works! She was Vesna Vulović, a Serb not a Roosian. Pretty close 'though ....
It's an interesting read anyway - originally thought to have been a "terrorist" bomb that went off at 30 000 ft, now thoughts are it may have been a low(er) level blue-on-blue (orange-on-orange??) by AAA.
And Wiki mentions others which have their own articles - including Alkemade:
Fall survivors
Ivan Chisov, Soviet Airforce lieutenant who fell from his aircraft in 1942
Alan Magee, American, World War II airman who survived a 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 in 1943
Nicholas Alkemade, British Lancaster crewman who fell from his burning aircraft in 1944
Juliane Koepcke, sole survivor of LANSA Flight 508 who fell for two miles into the Amazon rainforest
Ivan Chisov, Soviet Airforce lieutenant who fell from his aircraft in 1942
Alan Magee, American, World War II airman who survived a 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 in 1943
Nicholas Alkemade, British Lancaster crewman who fell from his burning aircraft in 1944
Juliane Koepcke, sole survivor of LANSA Flight 508 who fell for two miles into the Amazon rainforest
Last edited by teeteringhead; 22nd Oct 2013 at 10:55.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I did a free fall parachute course in Dhekalia in Cyprus in 1977. The drop aircraft was flown by the instructor from the Larnaka Flying Club, an old Romanian who had flown Me-109s for the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front in the Ukraine.
He claimed that they didn't give him a parachute and one one occasion, with a short up aircraft he survived by trimming straight and level just over a plain of wheat, climbing onto the wing holding the stick then rolling off the back in a ball. He said the wheat slowed his forward speed and he got away with just bad bruising and skin burns.
He claimed that they didn't give him a parachute and one one occasion, with a short up aircraft he survived by trimming straight and level just over a plain of wheat, climbing onto the wing holding the stick then rolling off the back in a ball. He said the wheat slowed his forward speed and he got away with just bad bruising and skin burns.
On a similar subject, I don't suppose anyone can shed any light on the following ? The Schedule of Work for Larkhill Range, 1961 has an RAE Mech Eng Dept task entitled: "Live man drops from high level at night. Canberra aircraft". I know the Dept used a bomb-bay container to carry and release dummy men, but live ones ... ?
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In the late 1960s I knew an ex-Para Reg who claimed to have made 'descents' from all 3 types of V bomber and from the Canberra over the Irish Sea. He certainly had photographs of himself wearing parachutes on the ground with these types. His name was Michael Pearce from Marazion.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I think one took holy orders not sure about the nav. Circa 1987.
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Yes, the nav would have been SW. He was rebranched to Fighter Control and was a controller at Staxton Wold in the early '90s when I was an EngO there. Thoroughly nice chap who had made an amazing recovery from appalling injuries.
I recall a tale of 2 Saudis jumping from the back of a Herc after GW1, 'chuteless.
Last edited by MAINJAFAD; 22nd Oct 2013 at 22:40.