Drop Zone

US Army Drop Zone team launching a red balloon to help gauge wind direction and velocity – SEA 1973. In right of photo a jeep equipped with radios is used to communicate with a C-130 overhead carrying airborne troops ready to make jumps into the DZ. The wind information coupled with aircraft altitude, direction, and airspeed would allow the C-130 to follow the appropriate track over the DZ for the jumps. In addition the calculations would determine when to go “Green Light”.  Prominent RED-GREEN lights were next to both paratroop doors on either side of the C-130 … in the cargo area aft of the wings … RED light was on approaching drop point. The Jumpmaster would be stationed at the door with the jumpers queued up toward front of plane. A switch in the cockpit (which also had small red-green lights) would be toggled over from RED to GREEN signaling time to jump ... definitely something not to screw up. Yellow smoke grenades were sometimes deployed at the DZ during the jump to clearly mark the target, and give paratroopers an indication of current wind conditions.