History 1995-6

The second course was approximately six months later and for the first group, a continuation of their jump training. A few of the new guys were first timers but because of the mix of experience there were no hesitations and all completed the course. This is a formula that Pathfinder uses to this day. We were joined by 50 members of the I.A.A.V. The International Association of Airborne Veterans. Lead by Col Mike Epstein of the Legion of Frontiersmen this group ,based in the USA had jumped around the world with foreign Airborne units and we thought this a good way to see the world and jump it. These parachutist jumped round military style which appealed to the retired and serving paratroopers amongst us. Although most of the course was completed jumping from the Cessna Caravan we were invited by Texel to jump onto the town of Den Burg as part of the VE day anniversary celebrations. The aircraft was the last surviving IL2, a wartime DC3 built under licence by the Russians. Now owned by a Hungarian insurance firm, it was about to start a tour of the European airshows. Due to its underpowered Russian engines it could only drop 16 jumpers at a time. .The British were the last stick to jump. Brord van Der Matt one of the young Dutch instructors was jumping last man and wearing a camera mount. He agreed to carry our mascot out with him. H Bear (Hairborn to his friends) was a Teddy bear complete with para smock and beret. Joe, one of the Dutch riggers, had made him his own parachute. All jumpers leapt cleanly over the door sill into an open blue sky beyond. The conditions were perfect. At 1000 ft Brord released the mascot which floated down perfectly to land at the feet of a Kindergarten school from the mixed services organisation in Belgium. H bear had a ready made fan club and Ron and Brord took an hour to get off the DZ as they were signing autographs in the name of our Teddy. Our wings parade took place in the town square. Our guard was made up of us and the Canadian contingent as we did the same type of drill. Speeches were made by the senior officers present in front of the guests of honour ,members of the Dutch resistance.

Our names were called out and one by one we marched up to get our Dutch B wing and a certificate. The Mayor of Den Burg presented the British contingent with a town plaque and we in turn presented him with a Red Beret and Parachute regiment cap badge. As we went to fall out RSM Ron Kurelo RCMP and Captain Glen Blumburg of the Canadian contingent ask us all to stand fast. The Canadians had all put their hands in their pockets and had purchased a Commemorative Arnhem medal for each of the British group. Everyone was stunned. It was completely unexpected. It was some very happy and slightly inebriated British parachutist that staggered from the coach to the camp site to continue the celebrations. I spoke at length to Col Epstein and Dutch Holland from the American Branch of the IAAV, picking their brains on how to form a British organisation along similar lines. I had it at the back of my mind that the regular British Paras would think we were cowboys or wannabes and not appreciate our reasons for wanting to continue jumping the way we had been taught in the mob. The truth was we enjoyed it. Without a weapons container stuck on your leg and a three hour ,low level flight, Military parachuting becomes fun. Ron Ball encouraged me but it did not take much pushing and so we formed our own group as yet without a name..

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Vintage Russian warplane crashes 26/June/2004

The plane broke up as it clipped the house

A vintage Russian warplane crashed into a house near Moscow on Saturday, killing three crew members and injuring two others, Russian reports said.

No-one on the ground was hurt when the plane, a twin-engine Lisunov Li-2 dating from the 1940s, crashed near Zaozerye, 45km (30 miles) south of the capital.

Russian Channel One TV quoted an interior ministry official as saying the plane - possibly the last of its kind - was flying to Kaluga when it started losing altitude for unknown reasons.

The pilot tried to divert the plane from the built-up area, but at the last moment its wing clipped the roof of a house.

There was no fire or explosion and the television showed pictures of the wrecked plane and a damaged building.

The navigator and flight engineer died in the crash and a third person on board died en route to hospital, Itar-Tass news agency quoted the city emergencies department as saying. There were two survivors from the plane.

Troop carrier

The Li-2 was owned by an association of enthusiasts based at the nearby Myachikovo airfield and was often flown at air shows in Russia and abroad. It was very possibly the last airworthy Li-2 flying in Russia.

During World War II the Soviet air force was supplied with thousands of the type - a licensed-built American Douglas DC-3 Dakota. It was used as a troop transporter or as a medium bomber.

A commission has been set up to investigate

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