Jump Ground Training 2nd Group Spring 2022
The Ground Training Facility for the 98th Flying Training Squadron was busy this past Saturday getting the new class of Jump 490 students through the final phase before jumps this week. This training is known as SH4 and all students must pass before they can do their first aerial jump.
***Note: There was one element (group of students) that completed SH4 early and WebGuy was unable to capture them doing their testing.
One of the more challenging programs provided by USAFA, Airmanship 490 or AM-490 is a Basic Freefall Parachuting Program that the Academy offers, and it is the core mission of the Wings of Blue and the 98th Training Squadron, all the Cadets on the Wings of Blue team are certified AM-490 Instructors and Jumpmasters. Its purpose is to develop leadership traits through overcoming their own fears. They will be given instruction in basic free fall parachuting and familiarization with emergency parachuting. The successful completion of 5 Jumps results in award of the Air Force basic parachutist badge "Jump Wings", which they can wear on their uniform for the rest of their Air Force career and completion during summer before sophomore year fills one of the few military training requirements that Cadets at USAFA have. Several hundred Cadets over the course of year will have to "STAND IN THE DOOR."
AM-490 is the only program in the entire Air Force where the first jump is an unassisted freefall. Because of this unique difference all students, cadet or staff who go through this program will have roughly 40 hours of ground training before their first jump.
The final training for the day is called SH4 and it is where they are tested on their emergency procedures while under pressure and distraction. Instructors try to distract them by playing loud music, talking loudly to them, jumping on them, blaring a loud horn, using a leaf blower to simulate wind, and covering them with a parachute. They get swung and spun in mulitple directions as well which is designed to help the student learn how to think clearly under stressful and distracting situations. All of this will help prepare them to jump out of an airplane for the first time as a solo jumper.
And just for fun and added distraction, they will also take off the students boots or patches and put them in the middle of the floor on the squadron patch. Once they are out of the harness they are not allowed to touch or step on the squadron patch, otherwise they have to do push-ups. ***And sometimes you get a treat on fun socks being worn when the boots come off!
To view this session of Ground Training go to GALLERIES> Airmanship > Jump. Set photo order OLDEST to NEWEST. Then select your start page(709 - 737). Or click on the link below.
***Photo order must be set OLDEST to NEWEST for the link to take you to the correct start page.
Spring 2022 2nd Session Jump 490 Ground Training pgs. 709 (bottom of page, last two photos) - 737 Jump Ground SH4 Training