Between Jumps: The Work Behind a 2-Hour Airborne Mission

Inside the King 98 - a call sign for an HC-130J Combat King II - loadmasters prepared for another group of jumpers while the aircrew set up the next approach.

A completed parachute drop meant finishing a checklist, rerigging the static-line retrieval system and checking it again. As the King 98 climbed, the crew gathered wind data to determine where the next jumpers should exit.

"The biggest change between each pass, especially the static-line jumps, is the rigging," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Gunia, a loadmaster assigned to the 211th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard. "We have to rerig our static-line retrieval system."

The crew put that preparation into practice during a Sept. 23 mission over Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. In less than two hours of flight time, the crew supported active-duty Army and Air National Guard parachutists at three altitudes, deployed free-fall parabundles and practiced visual and instrument landing system approaches at Elmendorf Field.

The jumpers included pararescuemen assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron and active-duty Army paratroopers assigned to the 4th Quartermaster Company, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division.

The two groups' parachute systems required different approaches. The Army's static-line systems offer limited steering, so the aircrew has to calculate a release point based on winds, aircraft speed and the time jumpers need to exit. The pararescuemen's more maneuverable parachutes gave them greater ability to steer toward the target.

"The stricter drop parameters for the Army jumps compared to the 212th highlight the importance of coordinating and planning carefully with two different users with different demands," said Air Force Capt. Tyler Dent, a 211th Rescue Squadron combat systems officer.

That coordination began the day before the flight. The aircrew and jumpers planned the mission. Once aboard, the loadmasters reviewed the aircraft's setup with the jumpmasters to resolve any remaining questions.

During the drops, Gunia and other loadmasters counted jumpers who were standing and connected to the static line, checking for any differences against the briefed plan. Between static-line passes, the loadmasters rerigged the cable and winch used to retrieve deployment bags after jumpers exited. Gunia said the system could also retrieve a jumper being towed behind the aircraft if the jumper could not be released.

"Experienced crews can complete this in under five minutes," Dent said, "and in that time the crew in the front end is evaluating winds and setting up for their next approach."

The mission called for Army static-line jumps at 1,000 feet, pararescuemen static-line jumps at 3,000 feet and military free-fall jumps at 10,000 feet. During climbs, the aircrew leveled off periodically to collect wind data. Lower-altitude winds closely matched the forecast, but the winds at higher altitudes differed enough for Dent to update his calculations.

Light winds at 10,000 feet presented another challenge. Releasing near the center of the launch acceptability region, the area where jumpers could exit and still reach their intended target, would place the free-fall jumpers almost directly above that point. During the run-in, Dent and the pararescuemen jumpmaster discussed moving the release farther north so the jumpers could see the target and steer toward it.

"We elected to release on the outer ring of the [launch acceptability region] to allow the jumpers to make good visual contact with the [intended landing point] and put them in a position to drive toward it rather than wheeling down from directly overhead," Dent said.

The adjustment demonstrated how coordination between the flight crew and jumpers shaped each pass.

"Everyone needs to be on the same page to make everything happen," Gunia said. "If there are issues or confusion, we pause the checklist and do not proceed until it is cleared up."