Skydive operator with an AOC

[Aerial Chauffeur]

Anyone know why the operator of skydive aircraft would have an Air Operators Certificate?

Is dropping skydivers considered to be public transport?

[TWOTBAGS]

Used to work for one in Germany,

Freight during the week,
Self loading - self exiting freight on weekends.

had 4 planes and made money..... whats the problem.

[lear60fellow]

No, it´s not considered public transport and you don´t need and AOC, it falls in the same category as fire fighting.

[commander73]

Check your PM's
Cheers C73.

[Aerial Chauffeur]

No, it´s not considered public transport and you don´t need and AOC, it falls in the same category as fire fighting.

Hmmm . . . . thanks for that.

There is an operator of parachuting aircraft in the UK who uses them only for para dropping and whom I am lead to believe hold an AOC.

Seems like it would be a lot of expense to get one if it wasn't required?

[S-Works]

You would be surprised at the number of companies who do mixed mode operations like this. Keeps the aircraft flying and earning revenue. It is not the Skydiving clubs that operate under an AOC it is the company that operates the aircraft and leases them out to a variety of purposes that will hold the AOC.

Operating under an AOC allows the operation to choose the work they want and stay strictly within the law. Some are also approved type rating training organisations as well.

The BPA specifically recognise that many parachute aircraft are operated within AOC ops.

5.8. Pilot Fatigue.
A pilot who is engaged in parachuting operations should not fly more than four hours
without a thirty minutes’ break away from the aircraft, and should not fly more than
eight hours in any one day. Air Operators Certificate (AOC) holders should normally
continue to apply the flight duty and rest period limitations associated with their
AOC operation. In addition the flight time limitations prescribed in Article 65 of the
ANO are applicable - 100 hours in any 28 day period and 900 hours in any one year.

[skydiver69]

Just being nosey but which skydive operator in the UK has an AOC?

[Vanpilot]

I suppose its a VFR operation :ok: too....lol.

Lets not get too technical with regards parachuting rules and the BPA.

It should be AOC only in my opinion as they take paying members of the public up flying before they jump out with an instructor (not just club members that jump at that DZ). If they don't want an AOC then it should be run as a none profit club. Pilots skills and experience very from one drop zone to another....some CPL/IR some PPL/minimum hours. You don't know what your going to get. So I would love to see an outfit that went AOC and employed professional Pilots to provide the level of safety the public would expect from any flight they pay for.

[V-PJ]

Interesting. Can anyone please direct me to where I can find out about BPA dropzone operational requirements? i.e. how to run a dropzone. I have just printed off CAP 660 from the CAA website but was looking for info. more related to the skydiving side of things. I have a CPL/IR/MCC/FI... etc... and also a BPA 'A' licence with ~ 100 jumps and am looking at becoming more involved in skydiving operations.

Ta, V-PJ