The Australian Defence Force Parachuting School is an

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

unit part of the Defence Special Operations Training and Education Centre (DSOTEC) that provides training in parachuting techniques, develops parachute doctrine and techniques and conducts trial-evaluations of parachute systems and associated equipment. The school is based adjacent to HMAS ''Albatross'',

Nowra, New South Wales Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in th ...

History

The first parachute training unit was formed in 1942 the Paratroop Training Unit (PTU) and at the end of the war was disbanded. On 12 August 1951, the Parachute Training Wing was formed as a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) unit at

RAAF Base Williamtown RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located north of the coastal city of Newcastle ( by road) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The unit's first Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor was Squadron Leader C.A.V. Bourne. The instructors on the staff were both Army and RAAF personnel. The first course of trainees commenced in September 1951. In 1958, the wing was renamed the Parachute Training Flight. In 1961, the first Military Free Fall (MFF) Paratroop Course was conducted. The Army assumed responsibility for parachute training on 14 May 1974 and the school was renamed the Parachute Training School, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith. The school relocated to Naval Air Station HMAS ''Albatross'' in 1986 and has continued its role there until the present. On 1 October 2011, the school transferred from Forces Command (FORCOMD) to Special Operations Command (SOCOMD). On 19 November 2019, the SOCOMD training units were reorganised with the school renamed the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School and placed under the command of the newly raised Defence Special Operations Training and Education Centre.

Red Berets

In May 1974, the Parachute Training School established a Army Parachute Display Team the "Red Berets" renaming the Air Force's Parachute Display Team the "Dominoes". The team is composed of instructors and staff from the parachuting school. The team provides displays around Australia including jumps with flags, smoke and in formation. The Red Berets conduct 15 to 20 displays each year.

Structure

The school is believed to be organised as follows: *Headquarters – co-ordinates the functions of the School. *Training Wing – conducts all parachute training activities of the School. *Development Wing (DEV WING) – conducts evaluation and testing of personnel parachute systems and associated equipment. *Parachute Maintenance Wing (PMW) – stores repairs and repacks all personnel parachutes. *Logistic Support Wing – stores, transport, medical and catering. The school provides

static line A static line is a fixed cord attached to a large, stable object. It is used to open parachutes automatically for paratroopers and novice parachutists. Design and use A static line is a cord attached at one end to the aircraft and at the othe ...

training with the T-11 non-steerable parachute and the MC-6 steerable parachute at altitudes between and on land and water. Military Free Fall training is provided from aircraft up to . High Altitude Parachute Operations (HAPO) is provided from aircraft up to descending with oxygen.

Aircraft

In 1951, the school used the

Douglas C-47 Dakota The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

aircraft for training. The

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...

entered service in 1962 followed by the

de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou) is a Canadian specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 ...

in 1964 with the Dakota retired. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter was used for training from 1973 to 1986 and the

Bell UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered hel ...

helicopter was used from 1974 to 1990 for freefall only training. The school also used Army

Pilatus Porter The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined STOL utility aircraft designed by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 was produced at Pilatus Flugzeugwerke in Stans, Switzerland. It has been built in both piston engine- a ...

GAF Nomad The GAF Nomad is a utility aircraft produced by the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) of Australia in Melbourne. Supported by the Australian Government, design work began in the mid-1960s, and it made its maiden flight on 23 July 1971. De ...

and

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then rest ...

light transport aircraft for freefall only training. In 2007, the school entered into a service a parachute training dedicated aircraft the

CASA C-212 Aviocar The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators. The C-212 w ...

with two civilian C-212-200 aircraft provided by Military Support Services to replace the Caribou. Since 2013, two civilian C-212-400 aircraft have been provided by Skytraders. File:VH-MQD CASA C-212-CC Aviocar Military Support Services (9061747694).jpg, Military Support Services CASA C-212-200 File:Parachute-Rigger-Dakota-Exit.jpg, A Red Berets parachute rigger during a jump from a Dakota

References

External links

PTS (archived Australian Army website 2001)
{{Aust SF Military education and training in Australia

Airborne units and formations of Australia Training School Special forces of Australia Military units and formations established in 1951 1951 establishments in Australia Parachute display teams