I want Door Position……….. An essay by William Marshall
If you are not on the Jumpmaster team, then the only other places to be were door position or stick pusher. Stick pusher meant that you were one of the last guys out the door. You sit in the front of the aircraft, walk a long way to the door, and also a long way from the leading edge of the drop zone. It could be quite a hump depending on where the assembly area was.
Door Position was the best place though. You received the command, “Stand in the Door!” Hand your static line to to safety. Put one foot out on the jump platform, place your hands firmly on the outside of the door. The violent wind currents buffeting your face.
You look down and see the drop zone approaching. You can observe the smoke blowing. You can hear the engines and smell the fumes from the aircraft. You can taste freedom and fear in the same breath.
Green light, Go. You leap from the door. Up 6 inches and out 36 inches. I always pretended that I was jumping to the moon. The prop blast buffets and twists you, the parachute deploys perfectly as you count to 4000.
As you check canopy you notice all your buddies right behind you, all the way to the stick pusher and the Jumpmaster. They are going to have to double time quite a long way.