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Finleythefox here.

Finleythefox

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I finished with Castel and had my meeting with the Captain here in Aubagne. I'm doing medical tmrw then shipping to Corsica. :D Big thanks to Joe Cosgrove who gave me solid advice while I had the time to talk to him on the phone while going through Castel. Thanks Joe!
 

Rapace

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Humm... Corsica, Corsica... This is ringing a bell. Are you going to be jumping out of planes which are in perfect working condition? Hope you'll enjoy it.
 

Finleythefox

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God wills it. I'm damn excited. I sense sarcasm with the “perfectly working conditionâ€￾ statement... Wouldn't surprise me with how cheap the Legion can be sometimes. Haha.
 
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176607Mick

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Well done mate. Ok, head up and ears open. Get on with it.
 

Paraca

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By the way, how good/bad are the French parachutes? I have only tried the Spanish ones, American and Belgian. I mean, if I compare to them I could know if they are bigger/efficient than those ones.
Thanks.
(sorry if i had explained wrong sometimes)
 

Rapace

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God wills it. I'm damn excited. I sense sarcasm with the “perfectly working conditionâ€￾ statement... Wouldn't surprise me with how cheap the Legion can be sometimes. Haha.
Well... If you have any grievance re the planes condition, you'll need to address it to the Armée de l'Air (Air Force) nicknamed in French military slang “les gonfleurs d'hélicesâ€￾ (propellers inflators). The Legion is only responsible for the chutes...
Remember before landing: legs together, knees flexed, oriented upwind...


By the way, how good/bad are the French parachutes? I have only tried the Spanish ones, American and Belgian. I mean, if I compare to them I could know if they are bigger/efficient than those ones. (...)
Google “Ensemble Parachutable du Combattantâ€￾ and you'll have the characteristics of the new parachutes introduced about 5 years ago and associated equipment (e.g weapon sheath, etc.).
 

mark wake

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I finished with Castel and had my meeting with the Captain here in Aubagne. I'm doing medical tmrw then shipping to Corsica. :D Big thanks to Joe Cosgrove who gave me solid advice while I had the time to talk to him on the phone while going through Castel. Thanks Joe!
Well done lad. Now the training really begins! Just listen to your monitor du promo and you will be fine. Ignore Rapace, he's just trying to make you nervous. It's a para thing you'll get used it! You have some beer coming. So when you have your para brevet and are settled in with your new company private e-mail me. Best of luck... Mark.
 

dusaboss

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I finished with Castel and had my meeting with the Captain here in Aubagne. I'm doing medical tmrw then shipping to Corsica. :D Big thanks to Joe Cosgrove who gave me solid advice while I had the time to talk to him on the phone while going through Castel. Thanks Joe!

Wow man :) this is great! You are in, waiting for REP, wonderful. Really proud of you (for some reason :)). Honestly, I'm jealous little bit, but that would change soon, I hope. ;) Best wishes man! I'm really, really glad because you made it.
 

Nickfury

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Hey Fox,

If you have time tell us a bit more about your time in selection and in Castel. I know time is short but how was it? What were the ages and nationalities? Why did people get cut or leave and why did they get accepted or choose to stay? Any advice for the guys going to selection soon and what they should bear in mind for Castel/the Farm? :D
Good luck in Corsica.
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Well done the fox ! I'm sure that caringmum will be so proud. You can be proud of yourself too. Who'd have thought it, our hole digging fox from Florida - a REPman.

As Mark says that is when the training begins. The weather is hot in Corsica (a little too hot judging by all the fires) and the beaches are full of female tourists just waiting for a newly para badged legionnaire like yourslef.
You honestly made the right choice with the REP. Let us know how the promo goes and remember it's only a couple of more weeks before you get to your company.
 

Paraca

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Thank you Rapace, it was very helpful.

Les performances de l’EPC sont les suivantes :

Capacité d’emport (Masse totale maximale du parachutiste équipé, avec sa gaine d’arme) : 165kg,
Hauteur minimale de parachutage en entraînement : 200m,
Hauteur minimale de parachutage en opération : inférieure à 100m,
Vitesse verticale stabilisée de descente sous voile à masse maximale : inférieure à 6m/s,
Capacité à contrer l’effet du vent (vitesse propre) : supérieure à 2m/s
Capacité de rotation : demi-tour en moins de 10s
 
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Many congratulations. Now pass out top of your promo and you can add that to your champion digging certificate ! lol
Stay safe and enjoy life. You are joining a superb regiment.
Kind regards- Chas.
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Many congratulations. Now pass out top of your promo and you can add that to your champion digging certificate ! lol
Stay safe and enjoy life. You are joining a superb regiment.
Kind regards- Chas.

Chas I believe the fox had more than just a champion digging certificate, there was also the reputation/notoriety of the fastest shovel in Florida.
In one of our tel. conversations I asked Justin if he was going to ask to go civil. He basicaly said that it was tough, but he was loving it. And although he did not critisize the noble art of hole digging, he said he prefered what he was doing at the moment to going back to his old job.

Whether you are ex-RM, USMC, legion, Para or any other, no-one can take that away.
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Thank you Rapace, it was very helpful.

Les performances de l’EPC sont les suivantes :

Capacité d’emport (Masse totale maximale du parachutiste équipé, avec sa gaine d’arme) : 165kg,
Hauteur minimale de parachutage en entraînement : 200m,
Hauteur minimale de parachutage en opération : inférieure à 100m,
Vitesse verticale stabilisée de descente sous voile à masse maximale : inférieure à 6m/s,
Capacité à contrer l’effet du vent (vitesse propre) : supérieure à 2m/s
Capacité de rotation : demi-tour en moins de 10s
Paraca, the Legion is quite unique in that it folds and repairs its own parachutes on the camp. The parachutes are hung up to dry and then carefully inspected before being folded up. A team of legionnaires do a course to learn how to fold them. There are 3 major stages where a more qualified person has to check and sign a chit, which accompanies the chute to the zone d'embarquement. 4 signatures are quite common, but a minimum of three. If one is missing, no problem (on your part) you just take it back.

Any repairs are carried out by bérets rouges called PFAT - I don't know what it stands for. There are a group of ladies, all military, who resow or mend the chutes and gaines.

The REP is also unique in that the DZ is just behind and in front of the regiment. Behind for ground landings in front for sea landings. The kitting up zone is right next to Ste Catherine airport, five km from the camp. Not bad, eh. And if you want to get in a bit of mountain training, the REP also has a lodge up in the mountains.

The REP is also unique in that the DZ is just behind and in front of the regiment. Behind for ground landings in front for sea landings. The kitting up zone is right next to the Ste Catherine, five km from the camp. Not bad, eh. And if you want to get in a bit of mountain training, the REP also has a lodge up in the mountains.
 

Rapace

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(...) Any repairs are carried out by bérets rouges called PFAT - I don't know what it stands for. (...)
Personnel Féminin de l'Armée de Terre (Female Army Personnel).

(...) The REP is also unique in that the DZ is just behind and in front of the regiment. Behind for ground landings in front for sea landings. The kitting up zone is right next to the Ste Catherine, five km from the camp. (...)
Below a satellite view (click to enlarge) showing Ste-Catherine airport, from where planes carrying the légionnaires-parachutistes take off, the DZ (red rectangle with the arrow materializing the dropping axis) and the 2e REP barracks (camp Raffali).

View attachment 5939
 

Paraca

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Paraca, the Legion is quite unique in that it folds and repairs its own parachutes on the camp. The parachutes are hung up to dry and then carefully inspected before being folded up. A team of legionnaires do a course to learn how to fold them. There are 3 major stages where a more qualified person has to check and sign a chit, which accompanies the chute to the zone d'embarquement. 4 signatures are quite common, but a minimum of three. If one is missing, no problem (on your part) you just take it back.

Any repairs are carried out by bérets rouges called PFAT - I don't know what it stands for. There are a group of ladies, all military, who resow or mend the chutes and gaines.

The REP is also unique in that the DZ is just behind and in front of the regiment. Behind for ground landings in front for sea landings. The kitting up zone is right next to Ste Catherine airport, five km from the camp. Not bad, eh. And if you want to get in a bit of mountain training, the REP also has a lodge up in the mountains.

The REP is also unique in that the DZ is just behind and in front of the regiment. Behind for ground landings in front for sea landings. The kitting up zone is right next to the Ste Catherine, five km from the camp. Not bad, eh. And if you want to get in a bit of mountain training, the REP also has a lodge up in the mountains.
Thanks for your explanations, I remember one 2 REP video of some legionnaires landing on the roof of some buildings of their base.
Our DZ is located at the side of a cemetery (a bit of military logic :confused:).
One more question please: on the paper, the Spanish parachute has quite the same data about maximum weight and all that, but I often felt like a météorite. How fast do you fall with your parachutes? And I'm not talking about the “jumps with the rucksack with only the sleeping bag insideâ€￾, I'm asking about real jumps with weapon, ammo, food.
Thanks you all!
 
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