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Airmales

Daring deeds over 6,000 metres:


Major General Shavendra Silva Director General Operations Sri Lanka Army waiting for the free fall

Can you imagine jumping out of an aircraft from a height of 6,000 to 10,000 meters and be in the air keeping faith solely in a parachute to take you safely to the ground? Certainly, to more than 99 percent of us, such a feat would be beyond comprehension. Even for those with guts who think it is within their capability, one slip and they would be goners if they try to do it without proper training.


Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya performing as a free faller. Pictures by Rukmal Gamage

Becoming a paratrooper is not easy. To become one, you must be an outstanding personality even among the hardest of men who had guts to wage the fiercest battles during their career in the Armed Forces. So having a badge 'airborne' in their uniform would definitely put them among the most daring in the Armed Forces and can be considered most confident men.

Becoming a paratrooper means keeping confidence in yourself. If you really want to become a paratrooper you need to master the art of skydiving. To do it you should build up your confidence to take up this challenge without making a single mistake for even of split seconds until you feel safe with your parachute in the skies.

So it is a life risking challenge you are going to take if you ever decide to become a paratrooper since it is not an art which can be mastered keeping your trainer by your side, like any other sport such as swimming, athletics,diving or even gymnastic which can be trained keeping safety nets to save your life, if you ever make a mistake.


Major Shiranjeewa, Senior Chief Instructor of the Parachute Training Wing of the Commando Training School.

But, a very few men from the Armed Forces are getting this very rare opportunity of becoming paratroopers, or free fallers annually at the Parachute Training Wing of the Commando Regiment Training School.

"To become a paratrooper you need to be physically and mentally fit and should pass physical fitness tests to be selected for the parachute training course," says Major M.N.P.S. Shiranjeewa, who is the Senior Chief Instructor of the Parachute Training Wing of the Commando Training School.


Ready to be airborne for the free fall

The Parachute Training Wing of the Commando Regiment Training School in Uva Kuda Oya provides the unique opportunity for the officers and other rankers of the Sri Lanka Army and also from other Forces to undergo this rare training course.

Major Shiranjeewa who had recorded the highest number of para jumps in Sri Lanka Army has undertaken this task of training paratroopers locally as he had mastered the art of para jumping through life long experience after undergoing training abroad.

Therefore, the passing out of the 50th parachute training course and the 4 th free fall parachute training course was a proud moment for him as the trainer and also for Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya, the Commandant of the Commando Regiment Training School Uva Kuda Oya.

Six officers and 29 other rankers who have been selected from various Regiments and Supporting arms of the Sri Lanka Army followed this training course at Ampara with the help of the aircraft made available by the Sri Lanka Air Force, in Uhana, Ampara.

"Training a paratrooper means helping to build confidence and to assist to control fear to take up this challenge and educate him about the parachute and the way it has to be handled in the air and on the ground. The basic training is focused on these matters", explaining the way of training people for para jumps from more than 1250 meters high in the sky to safely land into the ground with the help of a parachute, Major Shiranjeewa says. To avoid, unfit men undergoing this training, those selected have to jump into a pool from a height of 27 feet in a static line. "We judge them from their eyes which have to be open when they jump and from their body movements, whether they are fit to undergo this training or not. Those who panic when they jump into the pool and close their eyes will not be selected for the training", describing how they select people for the training Major Shiranjeewa says.


Major General Shavendra Silva Director General Operations Sri Lanka Army along with Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya, Commandant of the Commando Training School pinning the para badge.

It is the first test to identify the people with height phobia and those who pass this test are qualified for the course.

One needs to learn about the basics about parachutes, its history, air borne operations and the way parachutes should be handled during the first session of the course before they are trained for para jumping.

At the next stage they should undergo practical training sessions to prepare for their final goal. At this stage they are trained to jump from two feet, four feet height, from the running ram, lateral lift to practise for the jump. It is after this two weeks training they sit for a written and practical test which is a compulsory test they have to pass to reach the next stage.

"Throughout this session trainees are mastering fear controlling methods and parachute maneuvering methods".

Although the basic parachuting or sky diving training methods have improved with the introduction of state-of-the-art parachute with increased maneuverability, in Sri Lanka the Security Forces have to adopt preliminary training methods at the basic level when training. The only help the instructor can provide for the para jumper is to provide proper instructions and inspect them when they are making their jumps.

Only after mastering these basics the parachute trainees are given their first jump which is basically from a height of 1000 to 1250 meters with a round canopy. The basic requirement for their jump is to have 10 to 12 miles per hour wind speed for a safe landing without being affected by the wind. "For a paratrooper each jump is a new experience. But each jump increases his or her confidence for the next leap", Major Shiranjeewa adds.

For the safety of the paratroopers there are certain safety measures in the round canopy when used by amateurs.

To earn a parachuting badge he or she should complete six jumps including a night jump with a round canopy parachute. To qualify to become a free faller, a para jumper must complete 25 jumps with the round canopy.

Free falling is another art that should be mastered with an advanced type of parachute with increased maneuverability, most of the time with a square canopy. In the free fall the paratrooper opens his parachute when he reaches some 4,000 to 3,000 meters closer to the land after diving from a 6,000 to 8,000 height or even from a 12,000 to 15,000 meter height.

So it was a proud moment for the Commando Parachute Training Wing as they have completed 50 parachute training courses so far without facing any adverse situations.

"We have even trained the Air Force personnel who had made the highest number of para jumps in Sri Lanka", Major Shiranjeewa recalls.

After completing the parachute and free faller course they are ready to display their prowess on the final day, where large crowds gathered at the Sri Lanka Air Force, Ampara Uhana for their passing out parade. As their loved ones anxiously waited to see their performance, they got into a MI-17 helicopter to be airborne for their para jumps.

The occasion was graced by the presence of Major General Shavendra Silva, the Director General Operations of the Sri Lanka Army.

Then it was time for the free fallers and the MI 17 helicopter appeared once again to carry the free fallers to the skies for their free fall jump. Even the Commandant of the Commando Training School, Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya joined those who had undergone free faller course at the final display of their prowess.

"I feel it is better to join these trainees to have a free fall para jump after ten years", Lt. Colonel Balasuriya says.

It was on April 17, 1999 Lt. Colonel Balasuriya got his pelvic bone dislocated in a para jump at the Diyatalawa Military Academy and after from this mishap went to join his fellow men in the Commando Regiment and later commanded the 2 Commando Regiment at the peak of the Wanni Liberation operation.

"Even today I feel like making my first para jump," Lt. Colonel Balasuriya added.

As the MI 17 helicopter was airborne until it was a small dot in the sky they jumped in batches making a colourful display of parachuting with their multi- coloured parachutes and descending to the ground like huge birds amidst the applause of the crowd.

Finally the proud moment of pinning the parachute badge on those who passed out from Parachute Training School was carried out adding another set of paratroopers and free fallers to the Sri Lankan Security Forces especially to the Commando Regiment.

The entire nation, one day will witness the feats of these paratroopers at national level festivals although the Security Forces were able to defeat the LTTE even without touching a powerful asset such as its paratroopers.

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