[quote=@Foster]
I'm more a fan of [url=http://www.projectdelta.net/mcguire_rig.htm]the McGuire rig[/url], myself... at least for emergency through-canopy extractions of entire fireteams.

[url=http://www.projectdelta.net/carpenter_story2.htm]It's not the safest way to lift a person[/url], but sometimes it's better than waiting for something perfect to show up in the form of a box.
[/quote]

Can't say I've ever seen the McGuire rig before. We had this nylon webbed harness that went over the shoulders and between the legs with a belted piece around the mid section with a chest harness. Two D-rings were mounted on the shoulder portion. The 100' length of rope dangling off the Blackhawk was split as a Y at the bottom. Each end of that Y-shaped portion had a snap hook, which was then tied into the D-rings on our shoulders. Additionally we had a length of rope that tied all four of us together. In case one man's rope was cut, the other three would pick up his weight. Since it happened about 30 years ago, I have no idea what the name of the harness. The only suggestion we were given was to stuff a towel inside our trousers between our legs because the weight of the world rests on your nuts. It was true and even though with the towel between our legs it was not comfortable, but I'm sure it was better than having just the nylon webbing down there.

I read your second link about the LRRSD NCO going on an Aerial recon with the Bird Dog pilot. That was a good read. Best line in that article is right here, "I squeezed my testicles out of my boots and back into place as he came around for a landing." I laughed when I read that.

I'm sure the SF community still uses the STABO rig I used 30 years ago, but they tend to use the fast rope more often than the ladder as described in that article. If you have watched, "Blackhawk Down", that was the technique the Rangers used to insert at their Cordon points. PFC Blackburn exited his Helo without touching the rope. Hard to believe he survived that op.

In the video below, a detachment of green beanies execute a fast rope insertion from the back of a CH-47 "Shit Hook" at an elevation of 10' during the daytime (3:45) and at night (5:50) then again from a UH-60 at night (7:00)


[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMmeeOcBxw0[/youtube][/center]

I have never done fast roping from a helicopter.