Have you ever wondered what it is like inside a Hercules in the moments before paratroopers jump? Or how hard the fall is when a heavy load hits the ground?
This video shows the process by which cargo planes are loaded, how paratroopers are prepared, and the tasks they and the crew go through before everything tumbles out. The planes used are a US Airforce McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III and a Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
How does a parachute drop a Humvee? This is how it works:
Dropping from a C-130 type aircraft it will be traveling at 140 knots, 750 feet above the ground when ready to dislodge the Humvee. The extraction chute pulls it out of the bay at 0.93g.
If the plane is dropping a single Humvee and not a lot of them, it will be rigged to three 100 foot diameter G-11B chutes weighing 275 lbs each dropping at 24 to 25 feet per second. The Humvee is on top of 11 layers of honeycomb to absorb the shock of the fall. Honeycomb and other protection are also sandwiched between the axles, frame and the platform itself.
This video shows six flats of three Humvees each being loaded into the bay and then how they are jettisoned from it. A shot from a camera attached to one flat shows what happens when the Hummers hit the ground.
Next in the lineup are shots of paratrooper preparation and jumps. The video also captures what the flight crew and CCT instructors do to ensure the safety of the paratroopers.
Featured are members of the USAF Special Operations Weather Technician tactical group. These soldiers collect meteorological data both on the ground and in the air. Once gathered, they communicate the intelligence to air and ground force commanders.
SWOT is not an easy division to get into. To be considered, a recruit has to be fit enough to swim 500 meters in under 12 minutes, do 10 pull-ups in 60 seconds, run a mile and a half in under 10 minutes; the list of tough requirements goes on. Once recruited, their training lasts for approximately three years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHBGKmXp5U8