View Full Version : near misses
deano14
22nd Oct 2004, 00:00
Apologies if this has been asked before but has anyone had a near miss with a skydiver - either in free fall or beneath their chute? Only ask cause operating into or out of an airfield within an active drop zone scares the crap out of me...
Don't worry about it...
It's much easier to avoid in a heli. A (good) drop pilot will (should) give timely advice wrt time, place and number of canopies several times coming up to the drop.
You will have previously familiarised yourself with the local area, (call the local aero club or meat bombers) and because you don't have to do any of those nasty circuit things you can successfully avoid sharing airspace with them.
What happens with errant canopies? Well....can't control that anymore than you can pilots of any other aircraft.
More dangerous in my view are winch cables, tug planes and non radio equipped gliders in CTAFs or such.
Steve76
22nd Oct 2004, 05:42
Let me guess... you are flying in Taupo :)
goaround7
22nd Oct 2004, 06:07
Several ! We often operate out of a controlled airfield with parachute and helicopter operations either simultaneously on opposite sides of the second runway or in a new 'safety orientated' slot system, which is also causing problems. However in about 30 years of operations there's never been an actual heli/skydiver collision.
On several occasions when the drop pilot screwed up, usually with wind, the parachutists landed all over the airfield and on one occasion two helis, three 172s and an aerobatic aircraft on base had all sorts of fun avoiding them. Thankfully no solo students out there.
Depends on your aircraft but the main danger is when they are coming from above. Then you get ATC screaming whether you have them in sight unless it's one of the experienced guys who just tell you which way to turn and quickly ! Otherwise could be really dodgy. I was at a field in UK when a novice descended into a heli that was starting up - not nice.
I've dropped skydivers from helis on numerous occasions. Then it's your responsibility entirely. It is possible, if you bank your auto enough, and achieve say 3,000 ft per minute or more descent, to land well before the sky divers do and you must take special care to locate all the chutes before you get to their level, especially if they are inexperienced and open their chutes quite high. I usually do this two crew to make absolutely sure.
There's a funny period when you carry skydivers between about 30 feet and 500 feet agl. This is the only time that they are quiet - over the thrill of the take off but too low to open their chutes. You can tell when you are high enough because they start shouting and carrying on again !
The worst possible place I've seen is the finish line at the USA Glider Senior Championships, 60 super-high-performance gliders arriving at one lonely airfield over about 10 minutes, all expert pilots determined to beat each other across the finish line and THEN figure out how to get on the ground. Knowing there could be no go-arounds.
It's amazing the FAA didn't come by to supervise and suspend certificates by the dozens!
deano14
30th Oct 2004, 07:05
Steve76 - No, not Taupo - Auckland actually. I just get a bit jittery when, having not been exposed to PDZ's during my training, I have to go somewhere where the meatbombs are falling.
The worst I have to contend with up here is inaccurate (or non-existant) position reports given by our fixed wing brothers. Maybe they just operate on another 'special' frequency cause they don't want us to know where they are and what they're doing...
Ardmore, because of it's high number of students, would have to be the worst. The helicopter 'circuit' is on the so-called 'non-traffic' side (which in itself is a load of bollocks - how can it possibly be a non-traffic side?) and although the max. chopper circuit height is 300ft lower than the minimum fixed wing let-down altitude during an overhead join, you might be surprised how often that separation is violated.
Also, given that there are so many international students cavorting about in the atmosphere, even if they do make a position report the chances of you actually understanding what they said are about as good as the chance that a fresh cowpat won't emit steam on a cold and frosty morning.