Skydive Pilot

[flyinghigh456]

Hi guys

I think I'm posting this in the correct section, let me know if i am not.

Recently passed my PPL(A), and have a question about flying skydivers.

Is it possible for a PPL to fly skydivers in the UK, obviosuly if type rated on the aircraft and not getting paid for the service?

This may be a stupid question because if it is possible everyone would be doing it to get those hours built up. But i dunno.

Cheers

[Finals19]

In answer to your question, yes it is. Skydiving is exempt from being classed as a public transport flight under the ANO, and PPL's are allowed to act as PIC for skydiving purposes.

As you correctly assume, you cannot collect any kind of payment for your services, and would only be able to do so if you had a CPL.

A lot of Skydive ops insist you have an IMC rating too. Not just for the obvious, but if required to operate into controlled airspace to drop, the CAA will issue a letter of understanding that is predicated on the PIC holding at least this.

Skydive work is quite demanding and not to be under-estimated. Accurate flying is required with heavy loads, and the pitch changes as people hurl themselves out the back can be very significant. Certainly keeps you on your toes on the trim wheel!!!

[portsharbourflyer]

While you can fly jump planes on a ppl, alot of clubs may require a 100 hours p1 for insurance purposes, so you may still need to build some hours at your own expense prior to flying a jump plane.

[apruneuk]

Flyinghigh

Never say never but speaking as an ex-chief pilot at a UK parachute club I think that it is highly unlikely that any club would give you a chance with a newly-minted PPL.

My first club insisted on a minimum of 700 hours and an IMC/IR to fly a C206 and there was never a shortage of comercial pilots and flying instructors knocking on the door to do a bit of fun flying at the weekend.

You should also bear in mind that there is a big difference in the type of operation around the UK and the level of skills required. Several of the clubs in the South drop in Class A airspace from FL120 and use turboprop aircraft worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. One in particular does this from a 40' wide 600m long grass strip cut in the middle of a farmer's crop with a prevailing cross-wind. Do you feel lucky?

There are still a few clubs up North using the smaller piston aircraft in uncrowded skies (but see para 1 above) but these are becoming rarer as the big bucks are in bulk tandem drops from altitude where a TP is the ideal machine.

My best advice to you is to buy a share in a PA 28 or similar and do as much useful flying as you can such as cross-country with another group member to share some of the load. Plan and fly accurately, even if you don't have to and practice PFLs, stalls steep turns and slow flight regularly. When you have a few hundred hours of quality flying in your logbook, have a look at the BPA website and contact the clubs that use the small stuff. Pay them a visit and see if the CP will take you up on a light load and let you show him how you fly. Who knows, if he likes you and is short of a pilot, you might just get lucky.

Rgds
AP

[tropicalfridge]

As they have mentioned above, there are lots of unemployed CPL/IRs around who will be working in a non flying job and doing anything they can to fly for free at the weekends waiting for the economy to improve. So, will be difficult for you.

Another option is glider towing. Generally they want people who have done some gliding so you know where to take them. Best to join your local club and do some gliding for a couple of months so you are known to them. Then start fishing around the chief tug pilot to see if he'll give you a shot.

[Autothrust05]

Flying for skydivers is the most fun way to learn the "skills". Lots of take offs and landings, many times in poor weather, handling the A/C on the jump run (movement of CG); planning the climb; minding on noise abatement; searching for nice updrafts etc etc.
I do recommend to everyone interested in some real 9 hours/day flying with no autopilot, wearing a chute the entire day and seeing yourself weekly on youtube...

[hingey]

I have a CPL/IR and almost 300 hours, and 150 P1. I trekked around almost every Parachute School in the south of England and had no joy. As has been said, there are a few single pistons around but most are turbine, often twin engined, and insurance stipulates at least 700 hours. The single pistons even wanted 400.

portsharbourflyer, I'd be interested to hear of anyone with only a 100 hour P1 requirement. I don't doubt there are a few places, but I haven't encountered them in my travels so far. Good luck all the same, you never know what opportunities there are.

h

[Autothrust05]

I had 166 hours when I started dropping skydivers, in that time the markt for pilots wasn't that bad.
Great way of building hours and experience!:ok: and having a good time, of course!!!

[portsharbourflyer]

Hingey, 100 hours p1 is the absolute minimum requirement for as you say operating a sep (eg: C206) on para drops, so I was merely illustrating that a fresh ppl holder is well away from the minimum requirements (ie: the question on the original thread).


Hingey, don't make assumptions about someones background, I was stating a minimum requirement that exists, my own experience far exceeds this level.

I have well over 700 hours total time (infact my p1 time is close to 700 hours) with some turbine experience, so it does seem that I meet the requirements for most jump schools from your information.

[skydiver69]

We want the heating on full bore on the way up so we don't get cold then cos we are inconsiderate bar stewards (who are definitely born in barns) none of us ever shut the door behind us leaving you, the poor pilot, to freeze!

For some unknown reason skydivers also have some of the smelliest farts known to man kind, so maybe leaving the door open isn't such a bad idea. I know of one pilot at Langar who forced a load of skydivers to get out relatively low because one of them farted too much!

We also use your lovely, pristine plane as a jungle gym and find lots of fun in shifting the CofG around for no apparent reason before 7 or so of us all crowd together in and around the cargo door holding onto what ever hand holds, flaps, doors, wheels, struts etc we can find in order to give us the best chance of launching and leaving you wondering what you let yourself in for.

Still want to fly a jump plane?

[flightlevel1985]

Yep, where is the nearest vacancy :ok: ??