 |
Military Jump Wings |
|
|
|
Military Jump Wings |
|
Introduction
So you wanna be airborne qualified, huh? Well, even if you're not in the military it is possible. But first off, what is the difference? Well, mainly it is in the parachute you use. In military jumps you use a round canopy which has a higher descent rate and is much less steerable than the modern square canopies. This means your landing is going to be quite a bit rougher. But for those who want the wings there is no way around it.
Earning wings if you are not airborne qualified
If you're not airborne qualified, the options of earning a set of jump wings is very limited. This is due to the fact that although numerous organizations offer the possibility of jumping with them to earn their wings, they require that you already be jump qualified. There are organizations however that do offer trips where you can receive your initial airborne qualification. Another, cheaper way to do it (at least if you're already in Europe) is to head to the Paracentrum Texel and sign up for their military static line course.
Earning additional wings
If you're already jump qualified, there are a couple of organizations which organize trips where you can jump with foreign military organizations to qualify for their jump wings.
Places and Organizations that offer military jump certifications
Paracentrum Texel, Netherlands. This is the place to go for initial jump qualification. They offer the Dutch military jump certification. The course costs € 345 (about $ 400).
Military Parachuting Tours International. They offer initial jump qualification trips to the Netherlands, as well as trips to other countries (e.g. Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Honduras, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Yugoslavia) where jump qualified individuals can earn additional wings. Trips run between $ 1200 and $ 3000 depending on the destination.
Friendship Airborne Tours. They organize trips where you can jump with Asian military organizations in Cambodia, China, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand and earn their wings. Trips are only open to jump qualified individuals.
International Airborne Society. They offer limited trips for initial jump qualification. To earn additional wings they organize trips to Argentina, Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey.
The European Paratrooper Organization. They offer initial jump qualification trips to Spa, Belgium. To earn additional wings, they offer trips to Poland and the Czech Republic. Trips cost about € 345 (about $ 400).
Additional points of interest:
