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patmac
Guest
Does the RAf still employ parachute packers? I used to do that in the old days. Safety Equipment Workers they called us then. Always resented the 'workers', I preferred to call myself a technishun!
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We still have Survival Equipment Fitters, or "Squippers" as we call them, I'm guessing parachute packing merged into the SE trade. Squippers pack the chutes and drogues into ejection seats and the like.
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gemarriott
Guest
when did they get to pack the drogues Monty? On real aeroplanes the plumbers did that
DT_Xtremez_31:
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when did they get to pack the drogues Monty? On real aeroplanes the plumbers did that
I'm talking about the seat drogues Gem, I can only speak about Harrier but it's all the same unit, inside the headbox. Are you talking about brake chutes?
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They've just LEANed the squipper trade and as a result there is no longer a need for parachutes as they are hardly ever used and don't contribute a significant value to the process. The space left will now be used to carry a laptop, projector and brainstorming board (Brown paper and post its) these will be used in case of an emergency to give the pilot the tools he requires to devise an efficient and safe way to survive.
The nav's parachute has been replaced with an accident reporting book and day glow jacket and hard hat as laid down in European H+S rule 15554 this is due to the fact that there are a number of accidents involving parachutes every year and they are on the increase.
As for the term "workers" I have to agree it is totally incorrect as I've not seen a squipper work in ages..DT_Xtremez_15:
Back on topic don't they have a couple of big packing bays at Brize for the para's.
The nav's parachute has been replaced with an accident reporting book and day glow jacket and hard hat as laid down in European H+S rule 15554 this is due to the fact that there are a number of accidents involving parachutes every year and they are on the increase.
As for the term "workers" I have to agree it is totally incorrect as I've not seen a squipper work in ages..
DT_Xtremez_15: Back on topic don't they have a couple of big packing bays at Brize for the para's.
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gemarriott
Guest
I am talking seat drogues. The jockeys chute was packed by the squippers but the seat drogues were always plumber domain as were the vitals on the squippers work on the chute.
All the Martin Baker seat's from the Mark 8 (designed for the TSR2) have had the drogue and main chute in the head box. Mark 1 and 2 seat's the growbag sat on it. For the Mk 3 to Mk 7 the main chute was part of the back rest.
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Harrier seats are a bit different mate. The headbox comes from the bay as a unit, we fit it to the seat (sometimes in situ). The Parachute Deployment unit deploys both the controller drogue and the main parachute from the headbox on ejection.
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gemarriott
Guest
supersquip
SAC
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the whole thing is done by us squippers the armorers service the seat the leg restraint lines and all the other bits that go bang. we pack the parachute ,drouge and service the harnesse as it is all one assy, the lineys are resposible for one tie on the head box and for fitting and removal.
As for brake chutes squippers pack them completly whilst the lineys fitt them to the aircraft.
yes we still service and pack parachutes including emergency escape and brake,s at least until it all goes civvy !!!
As for brake chutes squippers pack them completly whilst the lineys fitt them to the aircraft.
yes we still service and pack parachutes including emergency escape and brake,s at least until it all goes civvy !!!
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Not actually true MJ, the Mk 9 ejection seat had the parachute moved to the backrest, but it was moved to the headbox once again in the Mk 10!
DT_Xtremez_14:Jag Fags will confirm.
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That will be a sad day, we've got a good relationship with our Squippers, they're good eggs.
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patmac
Guest
I only arsked, as they used to say! thanks for all the info. In my day ( I may use that phrase again, and again, and again! ) we were lumped in with the painters as Safety and Surface, and that was a hangover from the old wood and canvas days when we used to build our own aeroplanes, cover them in canvas, paint them in pretty colours, and then send them into action! Now I believe the modern airman doesn't even polish his own boots, lives of camp in a luxury pad in town, and works Mon' to Fri' 9 to 5, and has every weekend off. All true, I believe!
DT_Xtremez_14:
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JetLaverick
Guest
True Mk 7 seats on tooms and jag seats the seat drouge were packed by us in the seat bay, but hung and serviced by squippers, but not " the single tie on head box on new seats is not done by lineys but by plumbers" ( still needs vital and independant checks by NCO plumbers I hope)
Not actually true MJ, the Mk 9 ejection seat had the parachute moved to the backrest, but it was moved to the headbox once again in the Mk 10!
Jag Fags will confirm.
The Mark 9's used by the Jaguar on retirement had the parachute in the head box, It may have been in the backrest on the early versions of the seat, but I cannot find any drawings of it on the net, (I've got an old Martin Baker book that shows the layout of the early mark 9, but I can't be assed to dig it out of the loft).