April 7, 2003
Ever been asked "Who's been packing your parachute?"
If you really need to know, you must check your DA Form 10-42. The location of this document varies depending on what type of military parachute you will be using. If you are using a T-10 military parachute, you need to look in the harness (nylon web) located directly behind your right shoulder blade. Look for a small pocket sewn in the web. Inside this pocket you will find a small booklet, DA Form 10-42." The booklet has a single fold and a cotton cord is used to secure the booklet to the inside of the pocket. To check a T-10 reserve, you must look in the canvas flap that covers the deployment D-ring's cables. If your main parachute and canopy is a steerable MCI-1B, the location is the same as in the T-10.
The information contained in DA Form 10-42 is straight forward. The number of repacks, the date of the last repack, and the Rigger's initials, who just happens to be the "PERSON WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE."
Proper Airborne etiquette requires that you trust the Rigger's expertise and you rarely need to check the information in the booklet. To check the booklet is considered bad luck by some, most don't really care one way of another. Of course, if the equipment fails and you manage to pick yourself up from the DZ, you may feel free to check the non-existent "warranty" information!
Now you know!
Take Care,
Sam |
