If you are into adventure sports and tactical training, you must have come across the words HALO and HAHO. Armed forces around the world often use these two types of high-altitude military parachuting for tactical reasons as well as for rescue. However, it is not limited to armed forces only, especially HALO, which is now a very popular adventure sport. But before you start looking for the best man drop and HAPPS parachute supplier in India, here is some more information on these two types of military free fall.
HALO
HALO stands for High Altitude – low opening. This military free fall, or MFF, has been used since the 1960s. In this technique, the person or parachutist free falls for some time after jumping from the aircraft and opens the parachute only after reaching a low altitude. The development of the technique goes back to the US air force. The first use of this technique was during the Vietnam war, and almost all military forces worldwide trained their soldiers to perform HALO. The HALO jumps typically happens at an altitude of 15,000 to 35,000 feet, and the parachute can be opened as low as 3000 feet! In the military, this jump is used for personnel and supplies. In non-military use, this is used for adventures skydiving. One of the most famous HALO jumps was done by actor Tom Cruise in 2018, who became the first to do so on camera for the movie Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
HAHO
HAHO stands for high altitude—high opening. In this kind of jump, the parachutist opens the parachute within minutes of jumping from an aircraft. The altitude they jump from is similar to HALO and is used mainly for military purposed. Unlike HALO, HAHO is done only by personnel, and they are trained specifically for this jump. HAHO jump allows the parachutist to travel a longer distance and use GPS or compass to guide their direction.
So, these are the two types of jumps for which you will need to find the best man drop and HAPPS parachute supplier in India. For HALO, a non-military person can buy a parachute if they are trained in skydiving. HAHO is meant for the military; at present, all wings of the Indian armed forces have a unit specifically trained for this kind of jump.