WEBVTT 00:00.329 --> 00:04.079 (inspiring background music) 00:09.050 --> 00:11.050 - [Narrator] For over four decades, members 00:11.050 --> 00:12.415 at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve 00:12.415 --> 00:14.998 Station have packed parachutes. 00:15.462 --> 00:18.146 In fact, thousands of parachutes have been repacked 00:18.146 --> 00:21.646 across the Aircrew Flight Equipment table. 00:22.138 --> 00:24.942 Master Sergeant John Wendelin takes us 00:24.942 --> 00:26.942 through the last repack. 00:29.318 --> 00:31.612 - Well this will be the last personnel parachute 00:31.612 --> 00:35.411 ^that we pack before we go into the new mission. 00:35.411 --> 00:39.468 ^So, this will be the last time we ever do a chute like this. 00:39.468 --> 00:42.801 This is a BA22 back automatic parachute. 00:44.837 --> 00:46.420 Local number is F5. 00:48.022 --> 00:52.022 It's a very old design, but it's a proven design 00:52.413 --> 00:56.026 and it didn't, they improved on it over the years. 00:56.026 --> 01:00.193 - [Narrator] Tucked into every chute is an AFTO 391. 01:01.954 --> 01:04.530 And these books are a timekeeper that go back 01:04.530 --> 01:08.613 into the life of the parachute you're working on. 01:09.299 --> 01:13.030 - Everybody that worked on the chute has to sign it. 01:13.030 --> 01:16.770 Anybody that inspects it in between the repack signs it. 01:16.770 --> 01:18.603 You recognize the handwriting of somebody 01:18.603 --> 01:21.270 that put a harness in to service 01:22.214 --> 01:24.261 or put a canopy into service or put 01:24.261 --> 01:25.447 the risers into service. 01:25.447 --> 01:28.079 You'd recognize that handwriting and you know who it was. 01:28.079 --> 01:31.449 You recognize the signatures from before you, 01:31.449 --> 01:34.020 and you recognize the signatures after yours. 01:34.020 --> 01:37.412 And you think, this is our big family working 01:37.412 --> 01:41.579 on these chutes to get 'em to be in serviceable condition. 01:43.062 --> 01:44.836 - [Narrator] Wendelin has been working with parachutes 01:44.836 --> 01:46.336 for over 20 years. 01:46.591 --> 01:50.694 And it takes a certain type of person to handle a repack. 01:50.694 --> 01:52.444 - Well, it takes patience. 01:52.444 --> 01:54.027 It takes knowledge. 01:54.778 --> 01:58.695 It takes a sense of pride in what you're doing, 01:59.320 --> 02:01.430 because it is a life-saving appliance 02:01.430 --> 02:04.097 and somebody may have to use it. 02:04.254 --> 02:07.952 We have the 328 do live air drops in personnel. 02:07.952 --> 02:11.276 And the jumpmasters will put on these chutes 02:11.276 --> 02:12.928 as they're standing in the door. 02:12.928 --> 02:15.366 So it's very possible one of those guys could get sucked 02:15.366 --> 02:17.518 out the door and have to use one of the chutes 02:17.518 --> 02:19.018 that we worked on. 02:20.510 --> 02:21.850 - [Narrator] It's going to take some getting used 02:21.850 --> 02:24.410 to for airmen and aircrew flight equipment 02:24.410 --> 02:26.530 to no longer have parachutes. 02:26.530 --> 02:29.738 And the exit is going to be one that only matches 02:29.738 --> 02:31.821 the noise of a parachute. 02:32.530 --> 02:35.947 - It's gonna be a strange way to operate, 02:36.750 --> 02:40.013 because it's been such a big part of my career 02:40.013 --> 02:43.930 and many of the other of my coworkers' careers. 02:44.152 --> 02:47.105 So we won't dragging 'em down the table to inspect 'em. 02:47.105 --> 02:50.465 We won't be doing time change items anymore. 02:50.465 --> 02:53.187 We won't be signing the book anymore. 02:53.187 --> 02:56.770 It's really kinda gonna go silent in a way. 02:56.908 --> 02:59.573 - [Narrator] Reporting for the 914th Airlift Wing, 02:59.573 --> 03:02.406 I'm Senior Airman Joshua Williams.