PARACHUTE TRAINING, PROCEDURES, AND EQUIPMENT IN THE POLISH AIR FORCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A046300750001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 13, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains Information affecting the Netiooal Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.8.0. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which In any manner to an unauthorised person Is prohibited by law.
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT Parachute Training, Procedures, and
Equipment in the Polish Air Force
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
REPORT
DATE DISTR. Jp -NI -
12
NO. PAGES 1
REFERENCES RD
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE
report containing information on
u e r , procedure., and equipment in the Polish Air Force -
C-O-N F-I D E-1-T-I A-L
1TE 0XIARMY NAVY X lAI R
oI AEC
lea Weshieptoe dhtribv ,oe ledkated by "X"j Field d(shibetiss by ?#.,,
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CONFIDENTIAL
COUNTRY Poland DATE DISTR. k4 OW. 1958
SUBIECT Parachute Training, Procedures, and NO. OF PAGES 10
Equipment in the Polish Air Force
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In 1955, a new regulation was implemented in the Polish Air
perform
Force (FAF) to the effect that all rated personnel must a minimum of one parachute jump per year. Prior to this date,
jumping had been on a voluntary basis only. Besides rated pev-
sonnel, there were two additional categories of individuals In
the PAF who were compelled to perform parachute jumps: jump in-
who normally were
parachute
officers and in a unit carried the title of "chief of 10 jumps per year. Riggers were compelled to jump twice a year.
As for voluntary parachute jumping, all air force personnel were
authorized and encouraged to .. so. Of all non-rated enlisted
personnel, guards (wartownicy) had priorit~ in attending para-
chute courses and in executing jumps. This was attributed to
the fact that, of all the air force personnel, their duty was
considered the least glamorous. Consequently, if allowed to
jump, It was felt that their morale would be raised. It was
also believed that since guards received infantry-type basic
training, they could be converted into paratroops essil,y if
w
2. There was no official x~nrachute jump school in the PAF. However,
the Air Force Office-a School in Deblin possessed a parachute
branch where future chiefs of parachute duty were trained. The
course lasted about six months, during which time they performed
training 10 jumps utilizing both free-fall and static-line parachutes.
Students at the school's parachute branch were generally Infantry
officers who volunteered for such duty. One jump school did
exist In Poland, but it was used exclusively to train army para-
troo era. The school was located in the vicinity of Kolobrzeg
(N U-11, E 15-35). Air force personnel received their basic
jump training either in their own particular units or while
attending specialized schools. Be'ore 1955, jump the Deblin Pilot School consisted strictly of ground exercises,
unless certain individuals volunteered to perform actual jumps.
The training's
phase ? ? ? exits from mock-ups,
chute landing falls from a platform, and theoretical studies.
After the new regulation was implemented, cadets were required
to performone jump before graduation. The same prevailed for all
other rated personnel. However, the parachute jump training
conducted in these schools was relatively minor In comparison
with that given in units. Furthermore, regardless of an indivi-
dual's jumping accomplishments in school, he was compelled to
complete the unit's basic Jump training before being permitted
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to jump. In addition,nated personnel were subsequently required
to have about two hours of ground training each month.
3. Basic jump training conducted In units lasted approximately 14
days at the rate of two hours per .;
In-
cluded both statIc-line jumping for proficiency purposes, and
free-fall technique during emergencies. Only rated personnel
proficiency received free-fall Instructions. Training for jumps
parachutes was conducted by the unit chief in charge of parachute duty. It
included lectures, ground practice, and actual jumps. During the
lectures the various charact-
eriatics, d e s c r i b e d , to
covered parachuting, such as wind velocities, rates of descent, and
oscillation were also, from mock-up8; parachute landing falls from a two-and-one-hal
meter high ? platformS riser manipulation suspended ai,lj
and parachute rigging. All jumpers in the PAF had to be able to
pack their ? ? for the parachute there was no special normal PT and gymna3tics given in the unit were considered ouffi-
? t : .
partially by the chief of par,!,chute duty, who described the
various parachutes used for this purpose,
commander for pilotage, who described the actual jump procedures
as well as the seat ? principle if the particular unit
was equipped with jet aircraft.
There were three basic procedures used for parachute Jumping in
the PAF: static-line, free-fall, and free-fall along with seat-
ejection. A detailed description of each procedure Is as
follows:
a. Static-Line Parachute Jumping. As stated previously, this
type of jumping was used for proficiency purposes, These
jumps were normally accomplished throughout the rAF from
?0-2 type aircraft with PD-6 type parachutes. The entire
ground practice given in a unit was geared to jurr.ping from
PO-2s only, unless the unit was equipped with some other
type of jump airplane. In this case, which was rares the
training was extended to include t~.e other type of aircraft.
All units possessed one or more ku-2s; they were economical
to operate and besides beingtransport aircraft, they were
the most adaptable for static-line jumping. The majority of
? jumps were generally executed from PO-2s
altitudes of from 800 to 1200 meters, and at air speeds of
about 80 kilometers per hour. The maximum wind velocity
permitted was unrecalled. Since the FO-2 was a two-seater,
exit procedures were rather complicated. The jumper had to
step out from the front cockpit (the pilot sat In the rear)
onto the left lower wing, after having fastened his static-
line in the cockpit to a steel bar normally gripped by pilots
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to steady themselves during acrobatic maneuvers, Stand'.-,
on the wing, the jumper remained near the cockpit, fac4~,-,
the wing tip, and holding th- wing i-1: uts to steady hii:-
Upon reaching the drop zonr,, he performed a left face t1-._-c
facing th~? tail of the plai-e, On a hand signal given by ~~'je
pilot, the jurper straightened his body; brought him left
arm down along his side; grabued with the right hand hie re-
serve parachute ripcord located b, his left breast; and
leaned forward until swept away b~ the wind blast, In this
manner, when his feet left the aircraft, he was practically
in a horizontal position,, Moments later he pitched downward
head-first, and thus braced himself for the onening ahnnk.
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b. Free-Fall Parachute Jumping, Except for instructors,
parachute riggers, and eperienced parachutists, this method
of jumping was strictly limited to times of emergency, and
was largely executed b.,, the crew members of conventional
type aircraft, Passengers in military transport aircraft
were seldom equipped with parachutes. Ground training for
free-fall parachuting was identical to that given for static-
line proficiency jumps, except that additional lectures were
given for their use. At these lectures, the chief of para-
chute duty described the characteristics of manually activated
parachutes and theprocedures to be followed in successfully
clearing the aircraft and opening the chute.
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??:- ? ? is
00144:1.1 fit &OPIMM-PO OK-jRWRio
The aircraft used for the demonstration was not In
jer, DUz a TU-2 equipped with a MIG ejection seat in the
gunner's upper turret. The chute utilized for this demon-
stration was a regular 'g instead of the "Raketa" type
worn in jet aircraft. The ? was successful2y
ribbon
eyeauted from an altitude of 1200 meters. The jumper was
presumably stationed at Deblin/Irena Airfield and was making
the rounds of all the airfields in the country to demonstrate
the ejection-jumps.
5. There were four basic types of personnel parachutes in the PAP.
They were designated as ?D-6, PD,PX, and Rnketa. All were of
Soviet design and until two or three years ago, when their pro-
duction was started in Poland, they had been of Soviet manu-
facture. All were white in color. A detailed (3scription of
each type is as follows:
a. Parachute ?
canopy square canopy, utilized in the PAP for proficiency jumps,
although actually designed for army paratroop use. The
of percale ?
had a surface of 48
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square meterb; and ~,raa vent frct,_. The static line (length
unrecalled) was of cotton fabric and was fastened to the
apex of the canopy with a loop which would undo itself dur-
ing the activation process. The parachute was equipppd with
24 suspension lines, each line having a tensile strength
of 150 kilograms, The risers, pack, and harness were of
cotton fabric. The straps were secured with a quick-release
box. The chute ' which had a total weight of 12 kilograms,
was conventionally deployed, The static line ripped open
the pack; pulled out the canony and the shro!,O.-W i-4-
50X1-HUM
903 1
Jill
owever, during paratroop drops from Douglas
aircrarr. tu-4(), a minimum air speed of about 145 k1lo.meters
per hour was utilized. It was the prevailing general
opinion that the PD-6 was a good parachute with a safe d
ployment system and slow rate of descent, However, it was
bulky and heavy, measuring about 70 x 35 x 25 centimeters,
and it had a tendency to oscillate quite heavily.
b. Parachute PD. A chest-type, manually activated chute, used
exclusively as a reserve parachute for jumps performed with
the PD-6.
emergency jumps had to be e7ecuted with both the main and
r!serve parachutes. The PD was lighter and smaller than the
Fd-6. Its pack was rectanglilar in shape and was worn with
the length in a vertical position. It was attached to the
harness or the FB-b with two snap fasteners which were
hooked to two D-rings. As one faced the Jumper, his r
cord was located on his pack's upper rightocorner. ~s ri
c. Parachute P;,, A manually activated free-fall type chute,
with a flat circular canopy. It was used in the PAF pr.,-
marily for emergency jumps from conventianal type aircraet,
The canopy was made of percale (perkal); consisted of se,en
panels; and had a surface of 36 square meters. It was
equipped with a vent at the apey. Although it was available
with both back and seat packs, the latter model was the
more common. The chute was equipped with 28 suspension
lines (fabric, length, and tensile strength unknown), a cotton
harness, and risers. The pack was of cotton fabric; the chest
and leg straps were also made of cotton and were secured to
a chest quick-release box. The total weight of the chute was
10 kilograms. The pack of a seat-type measured approximately
55 x 40 x 25 centimeters. It had an average rate of descent
of seven meters per second, and it needed about three seconds
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to open. It had a conventional type deployment. When the
ripcord was pulled bmai4ng the pack open, the pilot chute
sprang and pulled out the canopy followed by the suspension
lines,, Neither the Pg nor the PD-6 were equipped with
quick riser release devices.
a. Parachute "Raketa". Ananually acti-ated, free-fall type
ribbon parachute, officially designated "Raketa" (rock~Al,
and used in the PAF for emergency jumps from jet aircraft,
normally with seat ejection. However, the tall gunner of an
IL-28 wore such a chute but was not ejected. This parachute
was initially introduced in Poland when the PAF received its
-
-
-
-
ff
ra
E
J
ets from the Soviet Union. The canopy was flat-
circular in shape; was equipped with a vent; and consisted
of 10 centimeter-wide ribbons made of silk fabric and some
The harness,
pack, risers, and fastening straps were made of cotton
fabric. The straps were securtA by a quick release boy-type
mechanism. The chute's average rate of descent was 1'n
meters per second, To provide oxygen when jumping at high
altitudes, the parachute was equipped with eight small inter-
connected oxygen containers, each having a capacity of .05 of
a liter and an atmospheric pressure of 150. The containers
canopy were inserted in the i~:per section of the pack, "etween the
folded posterior. canopy. covered with a quilted cotton mat which protected them and
simultaneously provided comfort for the pilot. The "Raketa"
parachute had a sleeve-type deployment. The canopy was com-
pletely inserted in a n~-rrow, red silk sleeve, which had the
same length as the fully extended parachute. Instead, the extremity of the sleeve, where the
:apex of the canopy about ?
centimeters. The surface of the sleeve extension was covered
with a series of ruffles, which were sewed to the extension
and were made of the same red silk. The eytension remained
empty. In other words, the entire slee%e consisted of two
sections--a long one which contained the canopy and a short
ruffled one. When the ripcord was pulled, the .pack was ripped
open thus exposing the ruffled section of the sleeve, which
would begin to unfold when caught by the air stream. When
the slee.- was entirely out of the pack and fully exten(74d,
.-? ?
MEMO a
?
?
Aikgial~
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In 1953, a pilot ejected near S375'pakAirfield (N 54-290 -
E 17-06 from an altitude of 250 meters, and, although he
activated his chute immediately upon ejecting and It func-
tioned normally, he was killed upon striking the ground,
because he did not have a full canopy. The general opinion
In the FAF was that the "Raketa" was a poor parachute.
Besides its weight, its extremely fast rate of descent
practically eliminated all chances of landing free of in-
juries, As a consequence, a new policy was implemented in
the PAF In 1957 which authorized pilots to wear a P% type
parachute instead of the "Raketa". If their s,!heduled train-
Ing flights were to take place at lower altitudes. However,
the ribbon chute was still used for all simulated combat
Automatic farachute Opening Devices
6. No automatic parachute opening devices were used in the PAP.
All emergency type chutes had to be activated mAnm;ii,
Cargoand Miscellaneous Parachutes
to describe cargo parachutes except that they
diUMLM
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~Mnv aircraft-
brake or deceleration brake chutes they did
not exist. decelerailon brake chutes were to be
manufactured in the near futures but that they were to be used
only with gliders in civilian aerocluba.
Serviceability, Packing, and Assignment of Parachutes
8. All personnel parachutes in the PAF were serviceable for a
period of about five years. In the case of the PD-6 used for
proficiency jumps, serviceability was either for a five year
period or for a certain number
whichever came first. After a parachute exhausted its life span,
It was sent to a parachute manufacturing plant where the canopy
and deteriorated parts were exchanged. The chute was then
assigned a new serial number and was shipped back to a unit.
It was not necessarily sent back to the same unit, since upon
the turning-in of parachutes a unit received replacements
immediately.
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All personnel parachutes were repacked and inspected every six
weeks. There were no additional periodic inspections performed
during this six-week period. All rated personnel had one
emergency chute permanently assigned to them. This parachute
carried the man's name on a paper tag attached to the harness,
and It was his responsibility to care for it. Each crew member
was required to repack his own chute at the end of six weeks.
However, the repacking and logging was generally acc3mplished
by the unit parachute riggers under the supervision of the chief
of parachute duty. Nevertheless, rated personnel were required
to be present in the parachute shop to observe the repacking of
their personal parachute. As for the other chutes, such as the
PD-6 and PD, they were not assigned to any one indlvl'ual, but
Instead were cared for by the parachute shop personnel.
Jump Pay
10. The following monetary compensations applied to all service per-
who performed parachute jumps, regardless of their 50X1-H
rank or statust No extra pay was received for the initial 10
jumps. For the subsequent 20 jumps, a sum of 60 zlotys was paid
for each jump. After ? Jumps, the allowance wasalightly hiffha".
It was raised again after 50 JumDa.
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