PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - South Africa - Aircraft Stalls as Skydivers Prepare to Jump
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 17:58
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Pilot DAR
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Age: 63
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The next day the jump team made adjustments to their exit procedure following discussion with the pilot
Yeah! It's only fair to tell the pilot when what you're about to do to the plane he's flying will probably put it out of C of G limits, dramatically increase drag, obstruct some airflow over the tail, and cause a sudden unexpected weight change, all while he's flying as slowly as you have asked him to! I had four jumpers do this to me, while I was flying a C 185, resulting in my entering a spin. I remember being very fearful that I would hit them, as I rotated down, but I did not. I had swift words with them afterward, along with a talk with the boss! I extend (for now) the possibility that the pilot was a victim of an unexpected event, which a really good preflight discussion could have prevented. It is noteworthy that jump planes are often stripped down for weight saving. In the case of a King Air, what is stripped out (air conditioning and avionics) is usually in the nose, moving the C of G back already! If the pilot intended to allow that many people to cling outside the plane that far back, I hope he had some authority to permit flight so misloaded!
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