What was your first airborne landing like?

Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 22:31:18 -0500

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Jan 3 at 2018 10:47 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 22:47:38 -0500

Wow! Still remember it over 40 years later... my PLF sucked but i remember jumping up & yelling “i LOVE it”

Nearby Blackhat chewed my ass & told me to get the fuck off his drop zone...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 4 at 2018 1:47 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:47:33 -0500

My first jump, I was the chalk leader in a C-17 Globemaster. The view was incredible as I stood at the paratrooper door waiting for the green light. The exit was smooth and accelerating. The fall was faster than I could ever imagine, It took a whole 20 some seconds before I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, there was no PLF, just a cloud of dust and a Blackhat with a megaphone telling me to get out of the drop zone. It was a good day, any day that you get to walk out of the DZ is a good jump in my opinion.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 4 at 2018 5:19 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 05:19:36 -0500

My first landing in airborne school was the best. Felt like I could have stayed on my feet. Although every land after that got worst and worst.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jan 4 at 2018 7:26 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 07:26:54 -0500

I remember thinking “don’t break your legs” and then I hit pretty hard but things were fine. Then it was a rush to realize what happened and I wanted to do it again.

Response by SGT Bleddyn Wilson made Jan 4 at 2018 7:46 AM

SGT Bleddyn Wilson — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 07:46:46 -0500

Muddy

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made Jan 4 at 2018 10:22 AM

SGT Jeremiah B. — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 10:22:17 -0500

Feet, Ass, Head. I didn't get to use the drop tower beforehand, so I hadn't the slightest clue just how hard I would actually hit the ground. Suddenly that cushion in the back of my k-pot wasn't so silly. heh

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2018 12:51 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 00:51:35 -0500

Feet, knees, back. Every time after that I made it a point to hit my head on the ground during my PLF haha. Last jump was night time and I landed on the softest sand so perfectly. Jumping in the 82nd though did not go as smoothly- the PLF concept did not exist for me haha.

Response by CW4 Angel C. made Jan 5 at 2018 11:30 AM

CW4 Angel C. — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:30:57 -0500

Pretty good I guess cause I was too pumped. Had door position in a C141 over 1k FT AGL and of course Hollywood daytime over Fryar DZ (Benning).

Response by SGT Aric Lier made Jan 5 at 2018 6:32 PM

SGT Aric Lier — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:32:55 -0500

landing was fine.... exit was like this.... last guy in the chalk in front of me light changed, he went out as JM tried to grab him. JM looked out the door....dude comes back into the door bloody. Jm reaches to grab him, his chute opens and he's gone. im next "stand in the door" ummm what the F am I seeing?... I went... landed and said ok your alive lets do it again.
found out later dude was hung up... then cigarette rolled with feet in his risers until under 500ft. St. Micheal righted him and opened his canopy .... he still broke both legs but lived. he told me later they said I can recycle, but I think God told me no...

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2018 7:01 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 19:01:26 -0500

I was laid down as gently as a baby in a tall bed of grass.. second jump hit like a sack of bricks on the hard packed path

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2018 10:20 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 22:20:45 -0500

I attended Airborne school in 2011. I dont know what happened during my first jump, but somehow I came out the bird backwards. As I was floating down i was facing the bird. Since this was my first jump, I was kind of nervous and forgot how to plf when floating backwards. I landed in a little “dirt gutter,” did a backwards summer sault, and hit my head on the ground. I immediately opened my eyes and laughed because I was excited about my first jump and that I was still alive. Haha

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Jan 6 at 2018 5:09 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 17:09:23 -0500

Ft Devins 10th SF Jump School: I landed in the trees (damn wind and T-10) then into three downed trees forming a perfect triangle with an opening in the middle where I landed. Laughing so hard I did not answer the black hat calling to see if I was all right. Got an ass chewing, but still enjoyed it.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2018 11:22 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 23:22:02 -0500

Before our first jump, they asked for volunteers to be the first one out and nobody raises their hand. I said "I'll do it" and this USMC black hat ran over to me and said "seriously?!". I squinted at him at responded "yes... should I not volunteer?" And he laughed and said "nah don't worry about it". I was thinking, 'huh, that's reassuring', I was already pretty nervous to jump, but with him laughing my anxiety went up.
In the plane, the jumpmaster yelled over to me to get up and come over. I was standing at the door watching the earth pass by below me. I thought about how many soldiers jump all of the time and is okay, I just have to do what they told me and should be fine.
GREEN LIGHT, GO! I jumped without thinking and it felt like I was shot out of a cannon. I landed on the ground, my PLF was perfect, it felt like I landed on a pillow. The only bad thing was that I landed in mud.
It was one of my best jumps.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2018 11:34 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 11:34:37 -0500

Got in a heat pocket and watched everyone else land and the plane come back around so I was excited when I started falling. Then I hit the ground and just like Sgt Airborne said I checked for broken bones then had to pee really bad.

Response by Cadet SFC Rev. David Doellinger made Jan 8 at 2018 9:37 PM

Cadet SFC Rev. David Doellinger — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 21:37:08 -0500

My first landing went fine but I remember my first jump at night. The chem lights marrying the wind direction were wrong. I couldn't see the ground and all the sudden I heard my gear hit the ground. I knew it was coming but I couldn't get ready in time. I made a horrible PLF. A black hat had NVG and he came up and scared the crap out of me.

Response by SFC John Hatton made Jan 9 at 2018 11:23 AM

SFC John Hatton — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 11:23:06 -0500

I really had to take a piss. After releaseing my chute, just rolled over on my side and fertilized Fryar DZ.

Response by CPT John Sheridan made Jan 10 at 2018 11:31 AM

CPT John Sheridan — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 11:31:23 -0500

Mine was rather unusual. It was summertime and we jumped all five in C-141's. The day was very hot and the aircraft had to keep throttling up and down to maintain airspeed and relatively level flight. I had the door position. Ready to walk out the door as you did on the 141, waiting for the green light go, we were jostled. I don't know if it was turbulence or the pilot throttling up to maintain airspeed, but I fell out of the door. So, it was an unusual exit.

I think it was the chest strap that hit me it the lower lip, but once I was under canopy, I could feel that I was bleeding. I managed to get turned correctly, but was still a little flustered. I did a beautiful 1-4 PLF, stunning myself as my brain bucket hit the ground. Recovering a little, I noticed that I was separated from the others bu about 100 yards.

A Blackhat chewed me out for laying around. He told me to get of his drop zone. It was hot as hell out and the heat index was really high. I forgot that they told us to walk, not run off the drop zone that day, so I got chewed out for running. Then I got chewed out for bleeding and sent to the medics. They just gave me a bandage to wipe myself off and hold pressure for a little bit.

Back at the equipment shed, the black hats asked "who fell out of the aircraft?" I recognized that this wasn't a situation where the truth shall set me free, so i stayed silent and they never solved the mystery. The SSG who was my assistant stick leader and the Marine Sgt right behind him knew though. They didn't let me live it down. All week, they kept telling me "wait for the green light sir".

So in summary, my first landing was awesome!

Response by PVT William McCoy made Jan 12 at 2018 12:46 PM

PVT William McCoy — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 12:46:52 -0500

The ground rushed up at me I realized no matter what I was going to hit the ground and the the training took over i hit rolled over popped up packed my chute and ran off the dz It was the second biggest rush in my life and I would do it again it asked

Response by SPC Darren Kersey made Jan 14 at 2018 8:17 AM

SPC Darren Kersey — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 08:17:35 -0500

Feet-face. I was dragged about 50 yardsbefore I could pull a riser. My forearm looked like someone had took a cheese grater to it. When I got stopped, I rolled over and was about 3 feet from a desk one of the blackhats had set up on the DZ. He told me in a quiet voice that I had better not bleed on his drop zone.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Jan 14 at 2018 4:24 PM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 16:24:10 -0500

It was dark, it was raining, and a little breezy. I was about 134 pounds and kept swinging like a pendulum all the way to the ground. I fixed the swinging 3 times. Result = Feet, butt, head with bright white flash. Black hats saw me crash land and were looking for me. Good thing it was dark. I dropped my bag at the duce and a half truck and I stood in formation as if nothing happened. I remember the black hat yelling "Common Airborne, I know you are here in the formation!!!"

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 15 at 2018 1:12 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 01:12:31 -0500

It was shit and they are still shit. I think I've had one proper PLF. So far, I am in tact, bruises go away

Response by SPC Brian Aranda made Jan 15 at 2018 9:59 AM

SPC Brian Aranda — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 09:59:43 -0500

Never even felt my first landing.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 16 at 2018 6:21 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 18:21:04 -0500

Real windy on my first jump, PLF went well but huge gust of wind dragged me 40+feet on the ground and comically through the only puddle in a mile radius.
AIRBORNE!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2018 11:09 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 11:09:13 -0500

It was pretty awesome. Completely opposite of my worst fears.