History
The School was raised in 1964 and initially named as Parachute Training Wing. It was redesignated as Parachute Training School (Special Services Group) on 22 March 1981. In March 1964 the first static line jump was conducted. The first free fall jump (High Altitude Low Opening) was conducted in October 1983 and the first High Altitude Opening jump was conducted in December 1983. Since its inception, the school has so far conducted over 2,60,000 static lines and 30,000 freefall jumps. The school has the singular honor to conduct static and free-fall jumps on Deosai Plains, the highest plains in the world. Parachute Training School takes care of all parachute training. It runs various courses, which deal with parachute operations.
Parachute Training School Location
The school is located at Jamrud Road Peshawar. The weather of Peshawar is hot between May to August, however, during the rest of the year, the weather is moderate, with extremely pleasant evenings. Peshawar being the provincial capital is accessible by all three modes of transportation which include road, rail, and air. It is three and a half hours drive from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Educational Philosophy
To organise basic and advance airborne training for all ranks of Special Services Group, with a view to providing nucleus staff to the commando units for further training in operational employment. Towards this end, the following objectives have been laid to train & provide:
- Officers and men in basic airborne skills prior to their induction in Special Services Group (SSG), which is mandatory for all Special Services Group personnel
- Special Services Group (SSG) personnel in parachute packing and maintenance
- Pathfinders so as to provide a nucleus to the commando units.
- Train personnel of commando battalion in Jumpmaster operations
- Officers and men of Special Services Group(SSG) in High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and High Opening (HAHO) parachute skills
- Assistance to the army in running adventure courses for Pakistan Military Academy Cadets, personnel from Army, Navy, and Air Force
Parachute Training School Faculty
The faculty staff comprises extremely qualified, dedicated, and motivated instructors. They possess rich experience and have conducted numerous courses. The instructor staff ensures the safety and security of the trainees.
Parachute Training School Campus
The school has a training block that includes classrooms. The school has a vast training area, which is equipped with all the necessary equipment required for imparting parachute training, starting from the basic training to advanced training. There are sheds for the packing and storage of Parachute equipment. The school has its own mess with adjacent Bachelor Officers Quarters for housing the trainee officers. Soldiers are accommodated in barracks.
Conclusion
This school has been imparting training to different personnel and institutions since 1964. So far this school has trained 24388 persons. Over the years the school has matured into a very well recognized, well-reputed Parachute Training Institution in the world. The standard of the school is no less than any other institution in the world, and also has one of the best safety records in the world today.