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Matt0304
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Please explain to me how standards are lowered for cadets...
BTW, all of our instructors were EX-CAR.
BTW, all of our instructors were EX-CAR.
Parachutist wings from cadets on my PRes or RegF uniform
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Jason Jarvis
Guest
Speaking of reserves, I really gotta hand it to all you guys out there with your para wings. I only had to jump a round once, and that‘s because my main malfunctioned (my fault). I got to land a 26‘ Pioneer into a freshly plowed potato field. But you know what? Feet and knees together, turn to the side, hit and roll. Piece of cake.
I can‘t imagine doing that at night, in the rain (or the snow), with a 20 mph wind, loaded down with 100+ lbs of kit and weapons. And then be expected to fight like h*ll until relieved.
All I did was stand up, brush the dirt off, throw the canopy over my shoulder and walk back across the road to the airfield -- and then take orders for all the beer I owed that night.
No wonder army cadets want to take BPara -- there‘s nothing else out there that will test them any more than it will.
I can‘t imagine doing that at night, in the rain (or the snow), with a 20 mph wind, loaded down with 100+ lbs of kit and weapons. And then be expected to fight like h*ll until relieved.
All I did was stand up, brush the dirt off, throw the canopy over my shoulder and walk back across the road to the airfield -- and then take orders for all the beer I owed that night.
No wonder army cadets want to take BPara -- there‘s nothing else out there that will test them any more than it will.
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Back when i was in Petawawa the Cadet core i was in used to jump out of the mock tower (i rember my last jump on it the jumpmaster came up to me and told me that was the best jab he has seen by a cadet) that was awsome! one year we had a jumpmaster teach us the skills of jumping, Flight procedures, and Landings.
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Jason, just out of curiousity, how was a malfunctioning main your fault. Turns and tangles are the only problems that you can really be responsible for...the rest is up to the riggers...how did it malfunction? (I‘m not being skeptical, just curious)
And the standards arent lowered officer aircadet and anyone else who thinks they are (you may know somone, but you weren‘t there), we did have to push ourselves as hard as he‘s said (just as hard as the regs, that trained right beside us. Please also note that they were mainly 3rd R22nd, who are now deploying to Astan).
Think for a second, no reservist or reg force person will admit that our course was just as hard because they think it makes them look weak. Well, it was.
And the standards arent lowered officer aircadet and anyone else who thinks they are (you may know somone, but you weren‘t there), we did have to push ourselves as hard as he‘s said (just as hard as the regs, that trained right beside us. Please also note that they were mainly 3rd R22nd, who are now deploying to Astan).
Think for a second, no reservist or reg force person will admit that our course was just as hard because they think it makes them look weak. Well, it was.
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Jason Jarvis
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It was a chilly day in May so I decided to jump with a nylon jacket on. The jacket had a drawstring bottom that I tied tight and tucked up inside the jacket. I had about 25 freefalls under my belt but was still jumping student gear, so my pilot chute was mounted my waist. The jump was fine, although my spot was a tad long; at 3000‘ I waved off and pulled. Things seemed to go into slow-motion a split-second later when I realized nothing had happened. I looked under my right arm to see my pilot chute flapping in the slipstream -- courtesy of a bright blue string wrapped around the toggle. Instead of trying to free it -- blasting through 2000‘ at the moment -- I looked for my reserve handle, grabbed it with both hands -- now going through 1500‘ -- and pulled. Whammo, beautiful 26‘ red reserve. It was kind of cool watching it mushroom, as I‘d never seen that before. I cleared the toggles, realized I wasn‘t going to make it over the road, and landed in a potato field.
The moral of the story? Don‘t take any chances and listen to your elders! If I tried to clear the pilot chute I might‘ve avoided the embarrassment of a reserve ride -- or I might‘ve had the AAD pop the reserve for me while I screwed around at 120 mph. Or the stupid AAD might‘ve mal‘d itself and I would‘ve been a human lawn dart. Before the jump someone asked me about the drawstring, and I told them I wasn‘t worried about it because I‘d jumped that way a half-dozen times with no problems. Skydivers being the happy go lucky types they are, he figured I knew enough with my "A" license to stay safe and he let it slide.
I got lucky in this case, and learned my lesson. Until I "retired" 200 jumps later, I never had any problems beyond the odd line twists. I made sure there was nothing loose on me or my kit, I was scrupulous when packing -- especially when stowing my lines -- and I always zeroed my altimeter. It must‘ve worked, because I was regularly asked to pack student parachutes later that summer and for several seasons after, and none of my pack jobs ever malfunctioned. The only time I saw my reserve on my own gear was when I helped repack it.
Skydivers have a saying, although I suppose it would equally apply to scuba divers, rock climbers and other extreme athletes: "There are old skydivers and there are bold skydivers. But there are no old, bold skydivers." Wise words to live by, IMHO. Blue skies!
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Jason Jarvis
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Yes it was, and I‘d be the first one to deck somebody who claimed it was even close to BPara in terms of challenge or sweat equity. I always tried to sit close to any jumper with his military jumpwings -- Canadian, American or British -- not because I was a paratrooper wannabe, but because they were usually the most switched-on types on the DZ. I tried to follow their example.
And the point I forgot to make in my last post is that it was my TRAINING that saved my bacon. I only had 30 jumps when I had my malfunction (5 IAD + 25 FF), but I religously practiced my emergency procedures. And when I needed them to work, they did. I distinctly remember thinking, "Well that‘s not gonna work like that. No time to clear. Go for reserve." It was my judgement that was flawed.
I was 19 and thought I was bullet-proof, and I took a lot of crap for screwing that one up, but I learned from it and moved on.
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Yes, Jason you are probably correct, you can spot them even if they are not wearing thier wings... they are the guys with the bad back and bad knees
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Matt0304
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lol...the guys with the bad back and knees...haha
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I was just wondering, if you have to be an army cadet to get para wings and if so what kind of things can you do to prepare yourself?
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You have to be an army cadet...better transfer (btw: All of the paperwork has already gone in for this year‘s course, so try to get on a course next year if you really want).
You also need to have your NSCE, which is an army cadet qualification. I don‘t think that your qualifications are transferable.
You also need to have your NSCE, which is an army cadet qualification. I don‘t think that your qualifications are transferable.
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cdhoult
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Depends on the region and your experience if NSCE will transfer. As a Sgt, not really....
Even if they offered it, I‘d do it anyway. You‘ll learn a lot.
CH
Even if they offered it, I‘d do it anyway. You‘ll learn a lot.
CH
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cdhoult
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Yes, BUT, the Region can grant equivilency.
CH
CH
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cdhoult
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all depends on experience and the corps being transferred into 
. For the sake of experience, I‘d recommend doing it ANYWAY, but if let‘s say a WO1 is transferring over, has been in cadets for 6 years, has staff behind them, etc, I‘d see not a large issue. Maybe make them just write the GKT.
CH
. For the sake of experience, I‘d recommend doing it ANYWAY, but if let‘s say a WO1 is transferring over, has been in cadets for 6 years, has staff behind them, etc, I‘d see not a large issue. Maybe make them just write the GKT.CH
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Doesn‘t matter 
, as far as I‘m concerned there are little spots as it is, its an army course, and we shouldn‘t be giving up any of our limited spots for other elements.
You don‘t see army cadets trying to do power or any sail exchanges, so the same applies to the other elements wanting to do para.
, as far as I‘m concerned there are little spots as it is, its an army course, and we shouldn‘t be giving up any of our limited spots for other elements.You don‘t see army cadets trying to do power or any sail exchanges, so the same applies to the other elements wanting to do para.
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cdhoult
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If he transferred, then he‘d be an army cadet, so it‘d be alright
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