jumping out of helicopter a crime????

[Clintonb]

So i keep seeing on tv, youtube etc of people jumping out of helicopters whether it be base jumping, diving, hanging on the skids etc but how illegal is it? how can they be allowed to do it i thought if you do anything of this sort the pilot will loose his license or is it pretty much do it at your own risk the FAA,CAA,CASA etc wont be responsible for any bodily harm or death?. i thought only coast guard have permission to do this jump out of helicopters.people seem to broadcast it not worrying about the consequence if there are any.

Can anybody give some insight to this....

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[pohm1]

how can they be allowed to do it i thought if you do anything of this sort the pilot will loose his license

What makes you think that?:confused:

It's perfectly legal with the right approvals in place.

P1

[Senior Pilot]

It's only a crime when I'm a Celebrity (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/252057-australia-im-celebrity-get-me-out-here-now-incl-pictures.html) is involved :p

[Aesir]

the FAA,CAA,CASA etc wont be responsible for any bodily harm or death?
Haha :) They will never take responsibilty anyway.

But like said above, perfectly legal but in most countries a prior approval is needed.

[misterbonkers]

Bear Grylls recently jumped out of a PDG Twin Squirrel into the sea somewhere off the cost of Scotland. It was legal but permissions and various safety provisions we're needed.

[fijdor]

In Canada if it is on your Operating Certificate you can do it, just did that 1 month ago 9 jumpers at a time up to 5,000 ft with a B205.

JD

[Pilot DAR]

In Canada, the rule says...

Entering or Leaving an Aircraft in Flight
602.25 (1) No person shall enter or leave an aircraft in flight except with the permission of the pilot-in-command of the aircraft.
(2) No pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall permit a person to enter or leave the aircraft during flight unless
(a) the person leaves for the purpose of making a parachute descent;
(amended 2006/06/30; previous version (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part6-version-602019-2955.htm))
(b) the entering or leaving is permitted under section 702.19 (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part7-702-408.htm#702_19); or
(amended 2006/06/30; previous version (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part6-version-602019-2955.htm))
(c) the flight is conducted in accordance with
(amended 2006/06/30; no previous version)
(i) a special flight operations certificate - special aviation event issued under section 603.02 (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part6-603-2437.htm#603_02), or
(amended 2006/06/30; no previous version)
(ii) a special flight operations certificate issued under section 603.67 (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part6-603-2437.htm#603_67).
(amended 2006/06/30; no previous version)

I t looks to me like if it is for a parachute descent in Canada, no special permission is required, The pilot in command can authorize it. (just my opinion).

[Helinut]

It will depend on the national aviation authority. Sounds like in Canada they wrote it into the law. In the UK, it goes through the following stages:

They write the rules to ban it; (see the ANO)
They then employ a number of admin wallahs to receive all the requests for exemption. The operator/pilot have to engage in paperwork to get the aircraft and pilot approved, as well as writing an SOP that gets attached to the ops manual.

Once the weight of paper created exceeds the mass of those leaving the aircraft it is all OK.

[Captain-Random]

Coming from a FW pilot....

Why does the chopper sway so much when he jumps out, is one mans weight really that effective?

[Whirlygig]

is one mans weight really that effective?Yup! In an R22, just having a passenger shifting bum cheeks can alter the CoG :}

Cheers

Whirls

[Winnie]

Pilot DAR:

You can, HOWEVER, if you have a 702/703 you need to have it on your AOC. We tried for Red Bull air races in Windsor, but the ywould not let us do the dropping, only the camera work. So they got some yanks from a parachute center in Michigan to do the drops. (pretty funny to watch them try to taxi out for departure with the chocks on...)

Soo anyway, IF your AOC has the exemption and the crew has training, you CAN drop parachuteists.

Cheers
H.

[Aucky]

I believe that if you want to do it privately in the UK and don't hold an AOC (my friends have asked me to drop them from a 44), then you need to do a check ride of sorts with someone from the BPA, and presumably submit some paperwork to the CAA with some $$$$ :yuk:

Apparently the CofG shift can be pretty uncomfortable in the 44 along with the feeling of loneliness when your suddenly one pob, doors off at 10,000'. One point that was raised was that the jumpers should be thoroughly briefed on the exit procedure, preferably exiting in a pair, and stepping off the skid in a synchronised manner (as opposed to jumping off) to reduce the CofG fluctuations.

Oh yeah, and watch out beneath :}

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[topendtorque]

Yup! In an R22, just having a passenger shifting bum cheeks can alter the CoG Prolly depends upon the size of the bum... in the case of Sarah Ferguson, probably could make the aircraft depart controlled flight... R22 weighing about as much as a bag of crisps.


brings me back to an uncomfortable memory of many moons ago, of flying the one and only Colleen McCullough around in a G5.

it was when she was doing the doco, "letter from america" i managed to feature for about two seconds, but not captured was the trepidation on my face as I lifted into the hover with no more left cyclic available.

back then she was carrying around half of the Californian (where she lived at the time) foodbowl as a surrogate passenger.

being young and inexperienced helped a lot but it brought home to me the secondary effects of controls i can sure say.

[Pandalet]

If you have people exiting from a Robinson, make sure they don't stand on the skids before hurling themselves Earth-wards - apparently, the skid cross-tubes don't take downward force very well!

[skidbiter2]

Really??

Hmmm... I have leaped off, swung onto & climbed onto R22 skids many a time but have never had a cross tube bend or depart on me! :rolleyes:

[topendtorque]

probably so have plenty others swung off or stepped onto R22 skids without an issue, however the good book says don't cos they are not designed to absorb downward pressure.

i have had two separate very reliable witnesses recently tell me of an incident they saw a couple of years ago, where a R22 was used to shoulder a bull around and came home with a broken for'd cross tube cluster.

yep they do break.

[toolowtoofast]

I'd watch with great interest someone jumping into one.

watch away....

YouTube - Plane to Plane Skydive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGphGbJool4&feature=related)

[RMK]

Since the conversation has turned to skydiving, you also don’t really need IFR or a flight plan to fly in Class A airspace: http://vimeo.com/15410574 (http://vimeo.com/15410574)

Regarding helicopter jumps, many dropzones have helicopters at regular intervals for normal jumping – it’s quite commonplace. I’ve seen anything from an R44 to an MI-8 used. However it's nearly always with some forward speed and translational lift. The high OGE hovers with big machines are generally special event jumps.

[wulfman76]

Bull....skydiver? not really in the same class here. I've seen a bull smash in the fender of a truck calmly walking by like it was a pepsi can.

Not saying the download on a skid is a good idea but you have to admit that Robinson is no fool and will cover his arse every chance he can get. That basically means anything and everything is "not approved" or "not recommended" according to robinson. This basically costs him nothing to say and if something happens, no matter how slim the chance, he can just say " its not our problem, it was a non-approved practice."

No download on the skid.
No avionics unless installed at the factory
No trailering of helicopter
I'm sure there are more


As far as a few small bolts holding the skids up...have you ever seen the number and size of the bolts holding a RR C-20B in a Jetranger or H-500? pretty minimal.

[PilotMikeTx]

Since the conversation has turned to skydiving, you also don’t really need IFR or a flight plan to fly in Class A airspace:

You can get a waiver for that. It's done for high altitude wave soaring. There is a 30K foot window for a week every year out in West Texas in the Spring.

[Clintonb]

Hey everyone thanks very much for all your responses all the posts have been very informative. So Im guessing just get in contact and try get the approval from the aviation authority. i have jumped out of a helicopter few times plus holding onto the skids but only done it with a R44 was bit sketchy even though a big machine like a helicopter still can be pushed around by someones body weight but we never got it on film. i plan on doing few stunts to get footage so just wanted to know if it was televised etc whether i or the pilot would have the authorities on our asses if they saw it but as you all say just ask and get the ok seems straight forward and hopefully not a long and costly process.

the stunts i plan on doing is 1. dive from a helicopter, 2 get towed behind a helicopter and if conditions provide i hope get towed into big waves, and lastly base jump which ive always wanted to do. if anyone has information on what type of helicopter would be good to use that is going to handle well with someone jumping out, cheap and obviously it depends on the climate weather etc but low level flying over water in coast area

I plan on doing this either in south africa or the united states.

Thanks again for your time in replying back and helping me with advice.

Safe flying

[RotaryWingB2]

Aircraft moves at a very slow forward speed when jumpers are being dispatched. Bodies tend to fall downwards quicker than the aircraft is flying forwards, and most tail rotors are higher than the door anyway. I've even jumped out of a couple in the hover, jolly good fun.:ok:

[Senior Pilot]

There are a number of threads relating to parachute operations in Rotorheads:

Skydivers - Flight Ops Manual (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/20152-skydivers-flight-ops-manual.html) has a lot of useful general information, and Jumping out of a Robinson (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/203078-jumping-out-robinson.html) is specifically about the perils of leaving one of Frank's machines in flight :ok: