At Sea Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Thinking about civil avaiation, brought on by reviewing the ship's life saving appliances (LSA) manual, aircraft passengers get a life jacket but no parachute. So, on military aircraft, other than those chaps sat on a Ejector seat, who else gets a parachute? I would have imagined Hercules crews get one each, and the Shackleton crews maybe, but what about VC-10's, or their modern replacments? Just curious really. Thanks in advance. :-D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The original Kit Builder Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 In the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, everyone or no-one, except in a Hercules carrying paras. I'm pretty sure the same is true of the Russians. In the transport fleet, no-one gets a parachute unless it is their job to jump out. They were also not carried in the maritime fleet, or in helicopters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Crikey! Genuinely surprised. Would have thought they would. Like the everyone or no-one rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B (Sc) Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I expect Ascoteer will give you a definitive answer; my understanding is that transport crews in the RAF don't normally carry parachutes, nor did our maritime patrol aircraft crews. I'm not quite sure why - no doubt in many cases they operate far too low for parachutes to be of use, but if operating (say) into the Falklands some years back, parachutes on transport freight flights would have been reassuring. Though that would involve having dinghies etc. too. I remember being very impressed at the descriptions of the Nimrod flights off the coast of Argentina during the Falklands war, conducted in daylight, using radar to search for Argentinain Navy ships - and I believe no parachutes were carried. John B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 I remember being very impressed at the descriptions of the Nimrod flights off the coast of Argentina during the Falklands war, conducted in daylight, using radar to search for Argentinain Navy ships - and I believe no parachutes were carried. John B Would have needed double size ones to carry the weight of their balls I should imagine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) Only seen 'chutes on a Herc,Andovers,Argosy's on the Para's backs. Belfast VC10s,Comets,Brits, no, imagine 139 PAX on a VC10 watching the front end boys and coffee jockey's waving goodbye shouting 1000,2000 etc. I wouldn't fancy their chances if they had .There was a charged/explosive emegency exit on the FWD PAX door on the VC10 K 2s & 3s,not the K4 (I don't think anyway) with extending chute tunnel to slide out and clear the aircraft. I think the system was decommisioned but could be wrong.Heath Robinson thing.Originally the K2&3 fleet were designed to use them Edited February 6, 2016 by bzn20 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The original Kit Builder Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I've spent many a happy hour in the dubious luxury of Hercs and Nimrods, doing all manner of stuff without once feeling the need of a parachute, even whilst operating well to the east of the north cape of Norway doing the same sort of stuff the Russians do around our airspace. The thing is, there's seen to be a much lower risk of direct enemy action in most multi-crewed types, which are usually support aircraft, or operate against targets well out of range of a credible air defence. Typically, on such missions, any enemy contact will be at such operating limits that abondoning the aircraft is pretty much out of the question anyway, either due to lack of altitude, or the sheer difficulty of making an escape from the type in question. Nimrods, VC10's, Tristars and most similar aircraft are based on civil designs and it simply isn't possible to open the doors or remove the escape hatches, which tend to be designed for use on the ground, while airbourne. Helicopters, because of their very nature, are not a practical proposition to bail out of. Other types are generally well outside the envelope of successful escapes, when it would be most likely to need to jump. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Only seen 'chutes on a Herc,Andovers,Argosy's on the Para's backs. Belfast VC10s,Comets,Brits, no, imagine 139 PAX on a VC10 watching the front end boys and coffee jockey's waving goodbye shouting 1000,2000 etc. I wouldn't fancy their chances if they had .There was a charged/explosive emegency exit on the FWD PAX door on the VC10 K 2s & 3s,not the K4 (I don't think anyway) with extending chute tunnel to slide out and clear the aircraft. I think the system was decommisioned but could be wrong.Heath Robinson thing.Originally the K2&3 fleet were designed to use them I was thinking tankers when I said VC-10, forgot about the transport types; but yes that would be awfully bad form to jump out of an aircraft full of passengers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeronut Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Parachutes can and have (EH101 rotor brake fire) been used for escape from helicopters. Escape hatches were opened in flight on Nimrods for photography and the only thing stopping you from doing it on most other aircraft is the pressurisation of the cabin. Of course if you depressurise at altitude you'll also need an oxygen system to stay alive (something a lot better than that fitted to airliners). The big reason parachutes aren't carried (or used) on the larger aircraft is cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Foster60 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I always find it funny when the folks who are not know about aircraft ask why helo's do not have ejection seats ( i know there are a very few exceptions) Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brown Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Parachutes issued to Aircrew?! We were cheaper than the chutes! Rick, Happy to say I landed in every aircraft I took off in, and always intended to... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Happy to say I landed in every aircraft I took off in, and always intended to... I didn`t!!! Tony 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I have several thousand hours as a Multi-Engined pilot on several types. I've never worn a parachute (save for in the early days on the Bulldog). The Hercules seats were (apparently) designed to cater for parachutes worn on the back but ours had padding instead. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyverns4 Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I didn`t!!! Tony Nor did I! Christian, exiled to africa, where it is 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 The Hercules seats were (apparently) designed to cater for parachutes worn on the back but ours had padding instead. The padding could help break your fall I suppose if you held onto it and prayed for a very deep snow drift inside a pine forest!! What did the old buffoon`s say in WW1,.....`It would only encourage pilots to abandon their aircraft anyway' or words to that effect. Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelh Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 I think parachutes were issued to AC-130 crews in Vietnam. I'm not certain of that. But in any case the likelihood of getting out is slim even if you can get to a parachute in time. Then you have to be high enough for it to open. Having said that there are modern emergency chutes which are quite light and open almost instantly. Designed mainly for aerobatic and skydive pilots it could be used by other aircrew. One saved a friend of mine after a midair at about 300 feet. But you still have to get out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairystick Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 You'll find that most loadies have a harness and a monkey-tail, attaching them to the aircraft. Pilots like to stay with their aircraft and are happier crash landing. The only exception is when bits that they think are "quite nice to have" (wings, engines, etc) are missing. As for commercial aviation. I'd prefer to be allowed to wear my rig on the aircraft, rather than relying on "the seat cushion" as a flotation device - which is filled with other people's farts. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelh Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 (edited) You'll find that most loadies have a harness and a monkey-tail, attaching them to the aircraft. Pilots like to stay with their aircraft and are happier crash landing. The only exception is when bits that they think are "quite nice to have" (wings, engines, etc) are missing. As for commercial aviation. I'd prefer to be allowed to wear my rig on the aircraft, rather than relying on "the seat cushion" as a flotation device - which is filled with other people's farts. I remember reading about an Air America loadie who kept 'falling out'. They wore parachutes rather than harness. Turned out he liked skydiving. Also as a pilot I agree I do prefer to stay on board unless bits are missing. I have worn a bailout rig but on my only real emergency I had none but interestingly I had difficulty in convincing skydivers to get out. I had to resort to telling them to get the eff out NOW! Remaining calm and stiff upper lip didn't get the message across. You have to shout! Edited February 17, 2016 by noelh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairystick Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I remember reading about an Air America loadie who kept 'falling out'. They wore parachutes rather than harness. Turned out he liked skydiving. A certain military Air Force... had a series of aircraft with rear ramps. A lovely wire ran all the way down the inside onto which the loadies would clip onto when dispatching pallets and self-loading freight. A few of these chaps became bored and just decided to run all the way down the aircraft and follow the others out. "Boiiiiinnggg!" as the monkey-tail arrested their fall and towed them along behind. Then they just climbed back inside. I doubt that would happen nowadays, simply due to the abundance of cameras! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlasticSoldier Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Thinking about civil avaiation, brought on by reviewing the ship's life saving appliances (LSA) manual, aircraft passengers get a life jacket but no parachute. So, on military aircraft, other than those chaps sat on a Ejector seat, who else gets a parachute? I would have imagined Hercules crews get one each, and the Shackleton crews maybe, but what about VC-10's, or their modern replacments? Just curious really. Thanks in advance. The British Hercules pilots don't carry paras, however as far as I know, the americans do. I'm not sure about the Globemasters, I think not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 On a related note -- I presume Nimrods, VC-10s and Hercules carry/ied dinghies in case of ditching? Or not even that? best, M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Hercules CMk1 and WMk2 had 4x MS26 dinghies mounted in the upper surface of the wing trailing edge inboard of the inboard engines (2 per side), which could be released either by internal release handles (both on the flight deck and down the back) or opened manually. The CMk3 had a similar fit but with MS33 dinghies. Nimrod MR2 carried a pair of MS26 in the lower inboard wing roots as well as a pair of MS14 dinghies internally (one either side) under the over-wing escape hatches. I would assume MR1 was the same. Both Dominie and Jetstream carried a single MS10 under the starboard overwing esape hatch. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Escape hatches were opened in flight on Nimrods for photography That's not strictly true. Photography was routinely done via opening the port beam 'blister' window (rarely the starboard beam 'blister'). While you could use these as an emergency exit I wouldn't wish to owing to the proximity of the engine intakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 (edited) They all carry LSJs,dinghy and survival gear, ration packs. VC10 carries six MS26 (26 persons) dinghy in the roof at the front and rear. Belfast had a big fibreglass "Barrel"could have been two or more on 4 castors ,can't remember the MS Number, that housed a dinghy, extras can be loaded on like Arctic Packs what ever is required for the flight and places overflown, time of year (Canada Arctic Packs in winter) All the Transports I worked on ( above) plus Hercs, Argosy,Brits, Andovers had dinghys .No idea about Nimrods but pretty sure they'd have dinghys . Best of luck getting the VC10's MS26s out! Edited August 24, 2016 by bzn20 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Hercules CMk1 and WMk2 had 4x MS26 dinghies mounted in the upper surface of the wing trailing edge inboard of the inboard engines (2 per side), which could be released either by internal release handles (both on the flight deck and down the back) or opened manually. The CMk3 had a similar fit but with MS33 dinghies. Nimrod carried a pair of MS26 in the lower inboard wing roots as well as a pair of MS14 dinghies internally (one either side) under the over-wing escape hatches. Both Dominie and Jetstream carried a single MS10 under the starboard overwing esape hatch. The internal dinghies on the Nimrod R1 were in slightly differing places than their MR cousins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now