To The Pilot Dropping Meat Bombs at Lilydale on Sunday 4th May

[ABX]

I sat at the end of the field and watched you take off then sat in Yarra Glen enjoying lunch and watching you.

I was catching up with my Dad, who is a pilot, and we both reckoned that you were enjoying yourself quite a bit. It was good to watch you in the tight descending turn bringing her down pretty quickly, although I don't think you ever managed to beat the bombs to the ground like the meat bomber pilot at Corowa has done.

Enjoyed watching you, thanks for giving us something to look at and talk about. The old bloke and I enjoy a good chat about planes/flying/pilots/whatever.

ABX:ok:

[AerocatS2A]

I was waiting for the sarcasm to come through, but it seems that you honestly enjoyed watching someone having fun with their flying. Good for you! Too many kill-joys around these parts.

[Omega471]

Hi ABX,

I wasn't flying on Sunday but I'm one of the meatbombers at YLIL. I've recently returned to flying after 10 years and it's an absolute blast. I don't know why others view it with such distain.

We generally fly a C182, DIJ, up to 10,000ft and back in .5 to .6hrs. From that height you can't beat the bombers back, even if you make a straight in approach. 6,000ft is a different story and we'll generally do that in 0.3hrs and I've beatne them back of several occasions.

Contrary to popualr belief it does get quite busy up their and we are constantly dealing with jet traffic into Mel. The descents are a heap of fun, and you need to keep a good eye out. Were coming down at 130 - 150kts and decending between 2000 - 3000 ft per minute. On arrival in the circuit area, we're dealing with Jabiru's so again, you need to keep s good eye out.

I haven't had this much fun in ages. On a busy day we'll make 13 runs and by the end of the day you are completely shagged. When your at YLIL next keep an eye out for the PA31. I hope to get some twin time in the coming months, need to keep working on my total time.

Glad you a good time with your dad. Pop in and say hi, we're always up for a chat.

Cheers

Omega

[rwy01]

Yoyr right yoo many kill joys. Aviation is a pation and we all enjoy the freedom of the big blue sky, some of these guys/girls need to take a step back and realise how lucky we are to do the job/hobby that we do.

keep up the good spirit stop trying to out do each other.:):):):):)

I was waiting for the sarcasm to come through, but it seems that you honestly enjoyed watching someone having fun with their flying. Good for you! Too many kill-joys around these parts. Today 04:37

[Capt Fathom]

We generally fly a C182, DIJ, up to 10,000ft and back in .5 to .6hrs. From that height you can't beat the bombers back

Glad I'm not paying for that engine!

[Islander Jock]

Capt Fathom,
When I was flying meatbombs I regularly did 0.6 up and back to 10,000.
Don't know that it ever caused any wear on the engine over and above what other jump ships were experiencing but then again, I was one of the more conservative pilots.:E

[Ref + 10]

Don't the cowl flaps act like speed brakes on the PA-31 anyway?

Nice to hear people enjoying doing what they do and others enjoying watching them do it!!

[ABX]

Nope, no sarcasm. We enjoyed watching the action.

It was the PA31 - first time I've seen one used for meat bombing. It really looked good in a tight descending turn.

[theinsider]

Hope you don't catch Barwon Heads disease LOL :)

[Walrus 7]

I did my jump training at both LIL and TDN but haven't actually flown any sorties since. Whereas is it brilliant fun, I am only available on weekends, and there appears to be no shortage of jump pilots on the weekends. What they really need are people who can fly Mon-Fri.

.5-.6 is pretty respectable, Omega. That should keep the man very happy indeed.

Walrus

[sms777]

I agree!

I used to know a guy in Caloundra doing meatbombing out of a Queenair with geared, supercharged IGSO 480 engines! Can you imagine how long those engines lasted?
Not very long:(

[cjam]

Can't see any problem with a .6 as far as the engines go.
I experimented with all types of descent in a 182 from 10,000ft and found that the quickest way wasn't in a decending turn but straight out and then straight back in. The times were about the same but less stress on the a/c going straight out then straight back in. We had no restrictions with airspace though so were pretty lucky. Some of the most fun flying I ever did, good to hear people still enjoying it. Great fun.

[knox]

.5 - .6 to 10k sounds like heaps of time to me. Where i'm at we are doing 12k in that time and the engines here are fine. Its all in the way you handle them. I also agree that a nice out and back descent works well if you don't have any airspace restrictions.

Good to finally hear from some fellow jump pilots on these forums.

Keep it up.

Knox.

[toolowtoofast]

up and back to 10k in .5 isn't hard even in a 206 with 7/8 pax (incl. pilot).

think about it - 5-600fpm (under 20 mins in the climb) all the way up, a minute s&l on the jump run, then 1000-1200fpm descent at 2200rpm/18"/140kts, reducing MAP 1"/1000 from 5000' to idle on short finals, joining base @ 130kts :) .

[jetflite]

I've done runs in a C208 (caravan) up to FL14 and back in .3- to .4, you can even beat the the guys back to the LZ on a good day or normally your right on there heels. Good fun, best aircraft to do meat bombing in if your going to do it. Just keeps climbing thanx to the PT6 and carry's up to 17 jumpers.
Never done it in a 182 or 206.

[FullySickBro]

Cjam, can you explain your straight out and straight in method?? Curious to know that's all...

I found a gently banking from side to side gave some momentary increases on the good ol VSI which over the course of descent gave you an extra few hundred feet descent without any noticeble loads on the airframe.

Beer never tasted so good after 10+ runs in a Cessna during the middle of the summer :E

[ABX]

I'm guessing that a descending turn helps keep the airspeed down as opposed to a straight in and out method?

Or is it simply used when there are limitations on the available airspace?

[Bill Lear]

"Aviation is a pation"........?

I thought he was a General that liked tanks in WWII!:}:}:}:}

[Old Fella]

Sorry Bill, it was General Patton and none of the posts compare with a straight in from 10000', not commencing descent until the threshold passes out of view under the nose. Not in a puddle jumper, but a C130A at Flight Idle/100 Flap/Gear Down. No cylinders to crack or plugs to foul, and four 15' diameter speed brakes (i.e. Aeroproducts propellers) :ok:

[sms777]

I am sure there are many cracked floorboards around the country from jaws dropping reading your post.... I bet i can out do you in a Pilatus Porter from FL120....:ok:

[slackie]

Get the deck angle on this Porter!!!
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=t9PxJU3eIcA

[Ultralights]

so do they get a refund on the cost of their jump if the get into another aircraft before it lands? or do they have to pay double?

[Clear to drop]

A drogue parachute was used to achieve the descent angle in the Porter, more details here:

http://www.joejennings.com/planeto.htm

:)

[Omega471]

Hi thought flying the C182 was fun.

That youtube video is insane.

I'd love to fly the Porter in beta.

Cheers

Omega471

[Corkey McFuz]

ok for the ol porter but check out this twotter !!

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=-jbI_C4fTvI&feature=related

[Old Fella]

I have no doubt you could probably do better than the C130 on descent in your Porter sms777, however the Herc will do in one sortie what it would probably take you 10 or 12 sorties to achieve as far as numbers of jumpers go, so I guess I would get to the bar a lot sooner than you! :)

[sms777]

In that regards you are an outright winner no doubt.
But i yet to see a private operator paying the costs of a C130 for the fun of meatbombing.
Now.... where did i put my lottery ticket?

I love to team up with you if i ever win the big one:ok:

[Clear to drop]

If the RAAF were operating your C130, I think you'd find the sortie time to be higher than you think. Fast climb rate and slow crew.

*ducking for cover*

[Bill Lear]

Old fella,
Oh really was it Patton? I'm so dumb I didn't know. Der.
There I was in the Spruce Goose at 6 feet dropping millions of jumpers!
Time to get your hand off your namesake.

:}.

[Old Fella]

Well Bill, it seems you are one of that sad group who like to have a go at others but feel deeply offended if some of your own comes back your way. Your personal barb says more about you than it does about me. :ugh::ugh::ugh: sms777, would love to share a lottery ticket with you mate. BTW, Google up Cherry Aviation and have a look at the last C130A with Aeroproducts props still operating (ex RAAF A97-212 now N131EC) which, amongst other uses, has been used on a number of occasions during parachute competitions in the USA. :ok: Clear to Drop, I'm too slow to get the drift of your post so you had better spell it out for me. :confused:

Happy landings all! OF

[WynSock]

A guy I used to know who flew C130s for the UN said they can use a bit of reverse to steepen the descent. Sounds like it would drop like a grand piano.

[jimmmat]

Have spent a bit of time in my past dropping the bombs. Have to say our recent foray into using a Dornier 228 when it's available has been a lot of fun. If it wasn't for ATC we wouldv'e had a 12 minute load the other day. Not as good as watching the old porter down at lower light but good fun all the same.

[toolowtoofast]

Cjam, can you explain your straight out and straight in method?? Curious to know that's all...

I found a gently banking from side to side gave some momentary increases on the good ol VSI which over the course of descent gave you an extra few hundred feet descent without any noticeble loads on the airframe.

works best in uncontrolled area/with sympathetic atc - straight out and back is just that - descend into wind from TOD until about 5000ft, then turn back, join high downwind with power settled back, still fast-ish though - 135/140 in the 206, 1100fpm. i join about 2000' on early downwind, descend to 500agl just before base turn, then wash off speed to vfe on base turn, or convert speed to height, then flap as required.........

[Ref + 10]

I saw on the tele that the C7 Globemaster can go from 36k to the ground in 2 minutes. Apparently you can go into full reverse in flight..... I'd never want to be in that plane but would love to know if it's true. 18k fpm sheesh

I saw an article on it on 60 minutes after the RAAF got their first and the approach into the unsealed strip looked awesome.

[Monopole]

Heard the same Ref...

Wouldn't want to be doing that when you hit cct hieght though :ouch:

[Trojan1981]

:eek:A guy I used to know who flew C130s for the UN said they can use a bit of reverse to steepen the descent. Sounds like it would drop like a grand piano. I bet they did! I bet it did wonders for the wing root fatigue problem common to Hercs. Same for the C-17, a great technique-unless you want to keep using the aircraft!

[Flyingblind]

Speaking of same, i wonder what VIFFing did for the USMC Harriers airframe fatigue lifetime?

[toolowtoofast]

18k fpm descent is only 180 knots vertically - doable i'd say.

it would be the level-off that would worry me - it wouldn't be a flat descent!

[Old Fella]

Don't know about the UN pilots pulling reverse prior to touch-down. The only reported times it was done to my knowledge was when the USN trialled carrier landings onto the USS Forrestall, and then only just prior to touch-down. In ten years on the C130's I never witnessed it.

[multime]

15 inches 10 degrees flaps white ARC ( ONLY) @ spiral dive.
but what would i know
Cheers
M:ok: