Parachute Training Balloons
For decades, airborne Parachute Training Balloons (PTBs) have provided an inexpensive and efficient way for training in static line jumping. Some users have recorded more than a quarter of a million safe jumps without incident over the life of their systems. The PTB gives the essential independence required to plan and execute training programmes without the restriction of aircraft availability, something that has been proving increasingly problematic over recent years.
System benefits include:
- Simple, reliable and cost effective system.
- Independence in planning and executing PTB programmes.
- Static line basic training and refresher courses.
The PTB is inflated inside the storage hangar and secured to a truck mounted winch by a steel cable.
The gondola is attached to the balloon and the unit is driven to an adjacent dropping zone for jumping. Up to seven parachutists and a dispatcher enter the gondola and connect their static lines to the anchor point.
The flying cable is paid out and the balloon rises to a typical jump height of 250 to 300 meters (800 – 1000 ft). When certain conditions are satisfied, the trainees are dispatched and make their parachute descent from the gondola. On completion of detail the balloon is winched down and the cycle is repeated. After completion of the training programme, the balloon system is secured inside a hangar until required for the next programme.’
Parachute Drop Test Footage
PTB Gallery
