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Airman
Joseph Walck-
Welcome to my Navy Page....
Nov 67- Boot Camp, San Diego CA
Jan 68- PR"A" Schoo,l Lakehurst NJ
June 68 -Test Jumper, El Centro CA
Sep 69- HC-1, Imperial Beach, CA
Nov 69 -HS-8, Imperial Beach CA
Oct 71- VP-31, Moffett Field CA
Sep 75- PR"C" School, Lakehurst NJ
Nov 75- VA-95, Whidbey Island WA
Dec 78- Paraloft, Lemoore CA
Jun 83- VA-22, Lemoore CA
Jul 86 -VA-122, Lemoore CA
Aug 87 -VAQ-130, Whidbey Island WA
Feb 90- VA-145, Whidbey Island WA
Jul 91- VA-128, Whidbey Island
NOV. 1993 RETIRED
Senior Test Parachutist
---June 1968 - August 1969---
100 Jumps
To qualify as a Test Parachutist at the Parachute Test Range,
El Centro, Calif. we had to jump with every parachute system
in the Navy’s inventory. That way we're familiar with their
characteristics and can provide feedback for possible improvements.
It took 15 to 20 jumps to qualify as a Test Parachutist,
50 to 75 as a Senior Test Parachutist.
The sun is shining clear and hot on the desert floor,
but at 12,500 feet over the El Centro Valley, it's freezing cold
in the aircraft because the door is open.
The jumpmaster is about to give the signal to go.
When we jump with a system, we carry a full load of whatever the
aircrew would carry, so we can put the rig under the same stresses
it would have to endure in an operational situation. This may include
anything from full body armor to a space suit. We also carry a reserve
parachute, an option an aircrewman wouldn’t have.
With a tap on the shoulder we jump, falling into the open sky.
The drop zone quickly begins to grow larger, as we fall at up to
120 miles per hour. Cutting through the air at hurricane speed,
we note our altimeter and our stopwatch, waiting for our
predetermined pull altitude of 4,000 feet, 60 seconds of free-fall away.
With a violent jerk, our chute is ripped from the pack and we’re sent
instantly into a fast, gliding swoop over the drop zone, if all goes right
and it usually does.
Sure, it's dangerous work, and we normally pushed the envelope.
But, if something did go wrong during a jump, we hoped we’d be
good enough...but if not...it’s a beautiful day to die.
While we may be prone to the same dark humor typical of sailors in
dangerous jobs, survival equipment testing for our aircrewmen will
always be a profession taken deadly serious.