Any skydiver drivers out there?

[Onan the Clumsy]

Just thought I'd start a thread for us all.

Nine loads last Saturday and only one of them tried to grab the controls :ok:

[Onan the Clumsy]

I'll take that as a no then.

[wondering]

Perhaps many of us can´t see the point of jumping out of a perfectly working airplane ;)

[celtflyer]

Hey onan, Yep I Diver driver. Scary but fun, did I mention scary.
Tell me are you pushed to operate in IMC, Id be interested to hear your personal limits for operations.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Perhaps many of us can´t see the point of jumping out of a perfectly working airplane Have you seen the insides of a jump plane? :ooh:

Celtflyer I (may or may not ;) ) have done it in IMC, but if I did, I would have learned quickly how stupid it was, to even punch through a layer in an a/c that wasn't really equipped for it. Sometimes we're allowed to learn from our actions. In any event, Wx is not often a problem here in Texas.

Nothing forced though as I'm flying for a mate (and mentor) really so it's all good fun. It really is. Plus I had 500 jumps before I started flying jumpers anyway, so I have a different perspective there too.

My personal minimums revolve more around what the wife will say when I eventually return home :ouch: :}

[ATP_Al]

I'm a jump pilot on the mighty piston islander;)

Perhaps many of us can´t see the point of jumping out of a perfectly working airplane

I've heard this so many times! I usually say "what makes you think you've ever been in one?" If they're clever they say "ok, why jump out of an adequately serviceable aeroplane?" and then I say "sorry, we're all out of those too!"

[specialbrew]

Did many happy (and a few unhappy ...) hours in Skyvan and Islander, and varoius knackered cessnas. I also did 2,000 jumps and various ratings before I started jump flying.... Happy (but skint) days.:D

Would like to get back to do some more if I was closer to a DZ.....

So what "perks of the job" did you have?

[Onan the Clumsy]

Perks? I rarely even get paid. :}


:{

[silverhawk]

Quite a few ex jump pilots where I am. All now on the 737. Even an ex CCI. I'd love to start our own airline sponsored display team.

With all our past experience we have the know-how. Maybe not the image the airline would like to portray.

I feel sorry for all those people who spend their working lives thinking they can fly when they have the assisstance of a machine all the time. Give them one minute of freefall and they will forget 10,000 hours of P1.

Blue skies

[specialbrew]

SILVERHALK

The Ex CCI you are refering to isn't L.G. by any chance is it? Havn't seen him for many years.....

[fokkerking!]

I'm also flying skydivers in the caravan and the 182 and the 206! Especially the van is really nice to fly.

[redbar1]

Hi,
Never tried the 'van, would have loved to 20 yrs ago when I did my jumper flying. Love the 206, though. On a summer saturday, after the 12th MTOM lift to FL110, the climbout performance finally got so lousy I stopped. Turned out we had 2 cracked cylinders - but the thing would still be able to climb ! :\
Cheers,
RedBar1

[fokkerking!]

The 206 is certainly a lot more relaxing, especially when you take it up to fl 110 on a hot summer day, so why are you all doing the paradropping, just to get some hours to move on with your carreer, or is it really what you would like to do till in the end of days?
And I have another question for the guys already flying for an airline, what do the airlines think of para-pilots?
Because everybody always thinks about it as rough flying for cowboys.
My experience however, is that it is quite a challenge everytime again with different winds and different altitudes to arrive on the exitpoint on the desired altitude exactly at the right time.
It is way more demanding than just flying from a to b with an ils at the end. What´s your opinion on that?

[KERDUNKER]

I moved from leaving aircraft for a living to driving them, now who can find the Percival EP9 in there log book.....you would have been happy to exit that one

[Super Cecil]

KERDUNKER, was it a Lycoming or a Cheetah?

[redbar1]

Fokkerking,

it is quite a challenge ... to arrive on the exitpoint on the desired altitude exactly at the right time Well said! A pilot good at this will be the favourite of the jumpers paying for the show! And always changing wx/wind/clouds/traffic - quite a challenge! Wouldn't go back, but I still have nice memories of those days.
Cheers, Redbar1

[ABO944]

What are the requirements to be a drop pilot?

Is there anywhere in southern England where I can learn to do this?

ABO:ok:

[Onan the Clumsy]

In the US, you'll need a commercial license as people are being carried for hire. Some places try to get around this by saying we sell them the jump not the airplane ride, but it's stretching it a bit.

Still not as much as one guy I heard of who did it on a student pilot certificate :p He had several hundred hours mind and could fly ok. He'd just never got around to taking the tests.

Like everything else, what you need is to be in the right place at the right time :ok:

[BNflyer]

I saw that one of you here were flying the Islander, so do I. Any of you here who know if there is any place in Austrailia that are flying jumpers with this a/c?? ..or any other nice places in the southern hemisphere?

[silverhawk]

Specialbrew, sent you a pm

[celtflyer]

one more here on the islander, I love flying this a/c. only complaint is the weird gull wing type control yoke but otherwise its a joy.
And in relation to my previous query about ops in IMC, I dont have the luxury of the texan weather unfortunately, and a few guys here who fly with me one on a turbine and the other twin and the other on 206's consistently battle with the non flying office staff who have no problem pointing out the CV Pile or the constant new fresh face every single week standing outside inquiring about a position. This is the only downer I encounter in this otherwise fine past time.

[specialbrew]

SILVERHAWK

PM returned

[haughtney1]

Another meatbomber here................the day job is now a 757...but I get to pole about in a Crand Caravan when I get a chance!...it beats the hell out of golf, I get to do steep turns, fly formations..and best of all cycle the boots on a regular basis!(this is the UK after all)
:rolleyes:

Oh and theres a queue of captains I fly with who all want to have a go!

*had to get the spelling right!

[spip]

Hello diverdrivers!!

I started with a C206 and now flying the best of the best: the Pilatus turbo Porter! 14 min to FL140 and 3 min later, you are refuelling while looking your "passengers" landing.

My experience however, is that it is quite a challenge everytime again with different winds and different altitudes to arrive on the exitpoint on the desired altitude exactly at the right time.
This is exactly what I think. Especially when you have a group of 9 jumpers or 9 groups of 1 jumper!

When the skydiver lands on the target, that is because he is good. When he doesn't touch the target, it's the pilot's fault!!

[Contract Con]

Gday all,

Young Diver Drivers,
keep to your own personal "minimums" re wx, loads etc and you will be fine.

Remember, most jumpers are easily fightened in a clapped out 182 or other and your career at the local DZ will be short lived if you get out of your depth and give 'em a fright.

Keep at it, stay safe and you will learn a lot and have a great time!

Some of the best fun I have ever had in the industry.

Myself and most others I flew with in the Skydiving scene made it to airlines of varying sizes, types and levels of renumeration, but all agree, It was f#@&ing good fun!

Cheers,

Contract Con

DH82a,C182,C206,C208 and PA31 jump pilot:ok:

(now B737)

[BoeingMEL]

Before my 737 and Jest Ranger days I ratteld in a couple of hundred jumps (Shobdon, Shotteswell, Bidford, Sibson and USA)

Hung up my Para-Commander in '74 though after making a big hole in the ground at Sibson. (The plates and pins in my right leg and ankle still set off airport security scanners...)

Holy Heavens we got up to some bluddy sill pranks in those days!

Cheers, bm

[Datsun180B]

Spent a fair amount of time flying jumpers, 182's & 206's, Fun times. Planes were in OK condition, cant say the same for some of those dodgy old pilot rigs .

Does anyone know of a pilot rig being jumped? Cant say I'd want to land one of those roundies!!

[Doodlebug]

Hey Onan!

Used to fly meatbombs back when I lived on an airport and got called whenever the regular guy didn't show - on one particularily memorable day I was on final having turfed the lot of them when the gear wouldn't work - bunch of ****s had pulled my gear CB!
Sheesh!
:rolleyes:

Bug

[Onan the Clumsy]

I don't know how I feel about that sort of thing (I do really :( ). I know it's a bit of an outlaw passtime, but taking the keys with you on exit, or otherwise screwing with the aircraft, just seems a little bit too stupid to me. Fortunately I haven't had to contend with that.

I did hear of a similar situation where revenge was exacted by packing a brick into the guy's main. I suppose that's equally stupid eally.

[Ingo1]

I flew the Islander for a couple of seasons and I have also flown the Skyvan but now we have a PAC750XL.

It would be nice to go to a warmer place during winter to drop some meat.

[Son of a Beech]

fokkerking! = AHP ??

[fokkerking!]

thats a negative! Maar ik ken m wel!

[Onan the Clumsy]

Does anyone know of a pilot rig being jumped? we throw one out from time to time, but with a large stuffed animal attached to it.

[Son of a Beech]

thats a negative! Maar ik ken m wel!

Wie ben jij dan,

SOAB (MAB)

[STOL]

Another Ex jump pilot here. Mainly Cessna 206/7 and BN2 Islanders. It seems these days it is inevitable that in northern Europe you will be expected to fly in IMC but my advice is don't be bullied and know your limitations. Flying IMC with a changing C of G can be challenging.

Had a few moments in my 1000+ hrs of dropping. The one that springs to mind is when a reasonably experienced jumper decided to sit up to watch the first group exit in a Cessna 206. When he momentarily sat down again he managed to hook some part of his rig over the P2 yolk and then tried to exit. I ended up with the column in my lap with full aileron deflection! I managed to disentangle him and recover with a height loss of about 4000 feet still IMC! Hysterically on landing another jumper/ Cameraman who was rear floating marched over and challenged me about the run in speed. Needless to say I was not a happy bunny. Other incidents include a first time jumper retracting the flaps on rotation and another opening the P2 door whilst trying to lift himself up to see out. I turned the handle round after that.

Datsun180B: There was an incident in your neck of the woods where a skydiver struck the tail of Cessna 208 Caravan and hung up on it after a premature opening in the door. The pilot bailed out, at I believe less than 1000 feet. He survived but unfortunately the skydiver didn’t. Can’t find the official report but found this at http://www.maximonline.com/grit/articles/article_5170.html

1. 14,000 ft. The Cessna Caravan, carrying 11 skydivers and piloted by Barry Dawson, reaches its drop altitude and levels off. As a four-member formation team exits, a skydiver’s chute opens prematurely, sucking him out of the plane.

2. 13,900 ft. The diver strikes the tail of the plane. His parachute becomes entangled around the horizontal stabilizer, causing the tail to twist 45 degrees to the right and the Cessna to pitch 20 degrees downward. The pilot figures out what has happened and instructs all the remaining passengers on board to exit the doomed aircraft immediately.

3. 9,000 ft. The tail of the plane snaps off seconds after the last diver exits. The pilot transmits a Mayday, shuts down the engine, and prepares to bail. But as he releases the controls, the plane heads into a steep nosedive.

4. 9,000–3,000 ft. Massive acceleration and G-forces pin the pilot against the plane’s floor. Using seat belts as leverage, he manages to climb from the cockpit back to the cabin. Once there he discovers that the plane’s only exit, the roller door, has slammed shut.

5. 3,000–1,000 ft. The pilot manages to wedge the door open. He slips through and, with a final heave, escapes. Seconds later the Cessna fireballs into the ground.

ABO944: Headcorn parachute club operate an Islander in Southern England but only use it for students and Demo’s I believe. Their main aircraft are a Let 410 (foreign crewed) in the summer and a Turbine beaver in the winter. You could try Netheravon in Wiltshire where they have an impressive fleet of Jump planes and plenty of flying.
Full list of UK DZ’s at www.bpa.org.uk/

Some other useful links: www.diverdriver.com/ http://www.dropzone.com/

Happy day’s but always broke!

STOL

[chandlers dad]

Have flown and skydived for around 30 years now. Regarding the comment about jumping out of a "good airplane," I am an A&P and can show you places on most airplanes you would not want to see.

Was at the Krakow (Poland) boogie in 1989 and jumped out of Russian military planes. That really made me want to get away from them as landing did not look to be very safe.

Flew a Soloy 206 out of Meissendorf Germany for many years. 900 meter grass strip with 30 meter trees at one end. Very nice airplane for the job and fun to boot.

Been flying only jets for the last 15 years and kinda miss parachute flying as well as jumping. Just no time lately.

CD

[BN2A]

200 hours piston Islander, 100+ and counting PAC 750XL.

Not sure which I prefer....

:\

[Will964]

I’ll be starting as a drop pilot next year on the BN2T Turbine Islander. I’m looking forward to it, but some experienced diver drivers have recommended wearing a pilot rig. Do many drop pilots flying turbines wear an emergency parachute/ pilot rig?

[FlightIdle]

Will964...

Some simple advice which should not be taken lightly...wear a pilot rig!!!

You need to appreciate the consequences, and just how many things could go wrong on any one sortie...even on a turbine.

Read the article at the link provided by STOL a few posts back.

C182/C206/C208/PAC750XL

[chandlers dad]

DO NOT every fly parachutists without having a pilot rig on yourself! If someone goes out the door and gets hung up on the horiz stab, you are either going to jump out of the plane or go down with it.

Personally I feel that all DZ pilots should have a few jumps under their belt. Makes them understand it a lot better.

All in all its very fun flying. Flying jets is just not the same.

CD

[STOL]

On the subject of premature deployments this video sends a chill down my spine.
http://www.break.com/articles/canopydeploy.html
Not sure of the outcome but the twotter seems to be coping well.

Blue Skies

STOL

[gijoe]

What's the drill for that one?

I thought towing gliders was scarey enough but...

[hooligan88b]

I dunno, boot full of left foot maybe?