Smokejumper, July 2015, Issue 89
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The National Smokejumper Quarterly Magazine Association JULy 2015 Smokejumper The List ...................................................................................page 5 Oral History Project ................................................................page 7 Klamath Fires of 2014 ...........................................................page 14 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President ....................................2 The Selected Few and “The List” .............................5 The List...................................................................6 the President Driscoll Smokejumper Oral History Project ............7 Southeast Asia 1967–71 and Roary Murchison ......9 • What is the time and cost Spotting: An Art? ...................................................10 Fire Call! Bringing in the Cheese ...........................11 required to maintain profi- Blast from the Past................................................13 ciency on each of the systems? The Klamath Fires of 2014 ....................................14 • Is there a difference in the Ram-Air Program Combines Best confi guration of aircraft for of the Old, New ..............................................16 the two systems? Higgins Ridge Fire Was Memorable • Are there safety consider- Due to Size, Intensity......................................17 ations unique to each of the As 75th Anniversary Approaches, We Should Remember These Smokejumping Trailblazers 18 parachute systems? A “Floyd-Or-Lloyd” Story .......................................19 • Are there differences in injury Sounding Off from the editor ................................22 rates between the two para- Dunton Award Winners .........................................24 chute systems? Jumper Returns to Fire Business After 30-Year by Jim Cherry • Are there differences in the Layoff .............................................................25 (Missoula ’57) cost of injuries/medical care Festival Honoring Maclean Slated for Seeley Lake...............................................26 President between the two parachute Book Reviews .......................................................27 systems (both initial care and Coming Soon—“A Few Jumper Stories” ...............28 hen I wrote the article long-term care)? Jokers; War, Love, and Helicopter Pilots— for the April 2015 • Will a change to a single para- What Could Go Wrong? ..................................29 issue of Smokejumper chute system for both the The View from Outside the Fence ..........................31 W magazine, I made mention that BLM and the USFS provide a An Oregon Visit – Wine, Beer and Museums! ........34 the NSA Board of Directors had demonstrable advantage over Evergreen Avation Museum ...................................34 Odds and Ends .....................................................35 submitted a list of eight questions the present two-system mode? Off the List ............................................................37 to the U.S. Forest Service, so we • If there are compelling reasons Total Funds Disbursed to Smokejumpers ..............38 might have a better understand- for eliminating “mixed” loads ing of the complicated issues of rounds and squares, what surrounding the decision-making are they? process related to the selection of future parachute systems. I had submitted additional I want to voice my thanks to questions to Mike Fritsen, all in SMOKEJUMPER, Issue No. 89, July 2015 Tim DeHaas, national smoke- an effort to gather information ISSN 1532-6160 jumper program manager, and that would help educate our NSA Smokejumper is published quarterly by: Mike Fritsen (MSO-95), Missou- membership as to the functioning The National Smokejumper Association c/o 10 Judy Lane la base manager, for their coop- of the two different systems cur- Chico, CA 95926 eration and assistance in getting rently being used. These include The opinions of the writers are their own and do answers to many of the questions the FS-14, which is a round not necessarily refl ect those of the NSA. Permis- and for additional information chute, and the ram-air chute, sion to reproduce Smokejumper in any manner must fi rst be obtained in writing. they were able to provide. sometimes called a “square.” NSA Web site: http://www.smokejumpers.com Here is the original list of Here are my questions and Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley questions submitted: Mike’s responses: Associate Editor: Ed Booth • What is the current cost for Cherry: To what degree do the Editing: K. G. Sheley each parachute system on a FS-14 and the ram-air have capa- Photo Editor: Johnny Kirkley per-jumper basis? bility for being sized to the weight Illustrators: Dan Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala • What is the length of time of the individual jumpers? Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com and the cost involved to train Fritsen: The FS-14 is made in Front cover photo: East Peak Lake Fire Nez a jumper to the point of initial three sizes – small, medium and Perce NF 1979. (Courtest Mark Corbet) profi ciency on each system? large – to accommodate jumpers National Reunion, Missoula, July 17–19, 2015 2 75th Anniversary of Smokejumping from 120 to 200 pounds. The current ram-air canopies conducted safely, the jump can progress. (DC-7 and CR-360) that are approved for smokejumper If you’re asking about the maximum safe airspeed that use are made in one size that accommodates jumpers a jumper can exit the aircraft, both systems are compliant from 120 to 200 pounds. with TSOs (technical standard orders) that ensure that they can safely deploy up to 150 KEAS (knots equivalent Cherry: What is the “dead-air” forward speed of each air speed). system? Fritsen: We use the term “air speed.” The FS-14 – 9 Cherry: What is the glide ratio for each system? mph at full-run. Seven-cell ram-air canopies – 20-25 Fritsen: FS-14 – 1:1, DC-7 or CR-360 – average of mph at full-run depending on wing loading. 2:1. Expressed as feet forward to feet vertical for both canopies, this would change when wind is introduced or Cherry: What is the maximum air speed allowed for different brake settings are used. For both canopies, the deploying jumpers with each system? jumper can reduce the glide ratio with toggle settings, Fritsen: I’m assuming you’re asking about maximum but not increase it. wind speed, or drift. FS-14 – 550 yards, 15-mph ground wind; DC-7 or CR360 – 1200 yards, 32 mph. These Cherry: Is there a minimum height above ground maximums are a “guide” as many considerations are where maneuvering (i.e., turns, etc.) should not be done? taken into account when spotting smokejumpers. When Fritsen: Yes, on either canopy (FS-14, DC-7, or all considerations are taken into account and mitigated, CR-360) a jumper should be on fi nal heading by 100 and both spotter/jumper concur that the jump can be feet AGL (above ground level) and making only subtle corrections from there. Cherry: Are there risks or dangers associated with NSA Members—Save making last-second maneuvers on either system? This Information Fritsen: Yes, jumpers have been seriously injured on both types of canopies when making drastic maneuvers Please contact the following persons directly if too close to the ground. you have business or questions: Smokejumper magazine Cherry: What is the minimum elevation above Articles, obits, change of address ground level (AGL) desired for jumping with each Chuck Sheley system? 530-893-0436 Fritsen: Round – 1,500 feet AGL, ram-air – 3,000 [email protected] feet AGL. 10 Judy Ln. Chico, CA 95926 Cherry: What components make up the equipment Membership John McDaniel for each system? (Main, reserve, etc. perhaps done with 785-404-2847 a photo showing each part but not the jump suit, hel- [email protected] met, etc.) 807 Eileen Ln. Fritsen: I will see if I can get someone to render pho- Salina, KS 67401-2878 tos of the equipment in the near future. We don’t have a All else photo to show you now, but the reunion will be a good NSA President opportunity to see the equipment for each system. Jim Cherry Description (step-by-step) of how each system is 641-927-4428 deployed on the jump (static line, self-deployed, etc.): [email protected] BLM ram-air – Drogue parachute is static-line 2335 300th St. deployed to orient and stabilize the jumper. At “pull- Ventura, IA 50482-8502 thousand” (approximately fi ve seconds into the jump), the jumper pulls the drogue release handle and the Smokejumper base abbreviations: drogue parachute is released. This action pulls the main Anchorage .......... ANC Grangeville ........ GAC Redding .............RDD Boise ................. NIFC Idaho City .......... IDC Redmond ............RAC parachute from the container on the jumper’s back. The Cave Junction ........ CJ La Grande .......... LGD West Yellowstone WYS lines deploy fi rst, then the parachute from the deploy- Fairbanks ............ FBX McCall ...............MYC Whitehorse Yukon YXY ment bag. Fort St. John ........ YXJ Missoula ............MSO Winthrop ......... NCSB For a video of the ram-air deployment sequence, type 75th Anniversary of Smokejumping 3 National Reunion, Missoula, July 17–19, 2015 this address into your web browser: www.youtube.com/ the ram-air, if there’s a serious malfunction, the jumper watch?v=3sv3n1tzTvE&feature=youtu.be would cut away from the main canopy and deploy the FS-14 round – Jumper exits the aircraft, the static line reserve (also a “square”). There is no system for cut- pulls the parachute deployment bag from the container,