U.S. NAVY PARACHUTE & PARACHUTIST TRAINING NAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO CALIFORNIA 1960 81124

“The El Centro Story” is a circa 1960 US Navy film that tells the story of Naval Air Facility El Centro in Imperial County, California, near the Salton Sea, as a pilot recounts his first approach to the airfield at mark 01:45. After landing at mark 03:30, the pilot sees members of the parachute experimental unit - a unit he’d be joining. He takes to the sky with other jumpers and at mark 07:23 they begin their leaps from the aircraft to begin plummeting to the ground. Each man then gently floats to the desert below until it’s finally the narrator’s turn at mark 09:07. Safely on the soft sand less than a minute later the pilot continues his explanation of how El Centro is pivotal in the development and testing of parachute gear - much of it secretive - as men are shown carefully examine some material. Methods of how material is tested is shown at mark 11:25 and a radio-controlled Radioplane target drone plane, which are built and tested at El Centro, is demonstrated beginning at mark 11:35, before moving on to gunnery practice at mark 13:00 with a flood of related scenes. Pilots practice parachuting into nearby bodies of salt water at mark 14:55, before we’re reminded that even training exercises can be dangerous. At mark 18:00 a jumper’s chute fails to properly deploy, but through a re-enactment combined with flight footage we see how he’s able to release his faulty shoot and open a reserve parachute to save his life.
Some of the aircraft shown include the A-1D Skyraider, the Grumman F2H Banshee and the Grumman F-11 Tiger.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@sammyshires7232]

I was stationed here as an Airman just out of boot camp in 1960. I worked in Drop Test where every day we would drive a jeep to the drop zone in the desert to pick up jumpers or test dummies. After about a year of driving my jeep to the jump site, I put in a request chit to jump. I remember I was amazed when it was approved. I was told the morning of the jump to report to the loft. I had no training at all, and even more amazing the jump was a water jump in the Salton Sea. I didn't really know what to expect if things went well, but the Warrant Office in Charge told me things to do if things went bad. Open the reserve and all that. There were 4 sailors jumping that day and 6 or 7 Marines out of El Toro. The Marines couldn't believe I was to make my first jump without a static line and in the water too. All I ever remembered about the jump was following my buddy out the door and the violence of the chute opening. It was exhilarating until I landed in the water and the chute caught the breeze dragging me choking and gasping for air. I sort of panicked and alternated between trying to collapse the chute and inflate my life vest without much luck doing either. Lucky for me the recovery boat was on the scene quickly a swimmer jumped in the water to help me get things together. A great day that I have relived in my mind over and over.

[@kenowens9021]

My dad was stationed there from 1960-1962. We had moved from Quonset Point, Rhode Island to land in the middle of the desert. He became a founding member of the Chuting Stars parachute team that traveled with the Blue Angels in 1961. It became a special place because my little sister was born there in 1960, a few months after we had arrived.

[@reddevilparatrooper]

Better than going through Ft. Benning Airborne School.

[@oneblyatifulman9179]

first love your vids

[@cowboybob92708]

Hi