"Jumping" from an R22
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 345
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From: Near the Mountains
"Jumping" from an R22
I've been asked by somebody I know if her husband is the only person to have "jumped" (as in parachuted) from a Robinson R22.
Apart from the usual remarks about wanting to jump from a perfectly serviceable aircraft and so on, is there any info out there?
Cheers!
22
Apart from the usual remarks about wanting to jump from a perfectly serviceable aircraft and so on, is there any info out there?
Cheers!
22
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 243
Likes: 3
From: London
It’s been done many times over a period of many years. However, as most of these jumps were what are known as “bandit” jumps meaning without all approvals in the given countries, you won’t find them on YouTube as it would endanger the given pilot’s license.
I’m a skydiver myself and have made several helicopter jumps from ships such as R44, EC120, AS350, Alouette & Lama. These are common scheduled jumps. Some may think that they just go to a few thousand feet for “hop & pops”, but that’s not correct, for example, my single squirrel jumps went to 11,000 AGL in Switzerland.
You’d be surprised at what has been jumped or is regularly jumped. Everything from Pitts Special (pilot does loops and you hang upside down by small T-Bar in front of seat then let go – to the prior regularly scheduled jumps from a DC9 at Perris Valley.
I’m a skydiver myself and have made several helicopter jumps from ships such as R44, EC120, AS350, Alouette & Lama. These are common scheduled jumps. Some may think that they just go to a few thousand feet for “hop & pops”, but that’s not correct, for example, my single squirrel jumps went to 11,000 AGL in Switzerland.
You’d be surprised at what has been jumped or is regularly jumped. Everything from Pitts Special (pilot does loops and you hang upside down by small T-Bar in front of seat then let go – to the prior regularly scheduled jumps from a DC9 at Perris Valley.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,957
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From: Australia
maybe its just me, but would'nt jumping from an R22 be safer than staying around for a landing in one?
Perhaps if you would like to peruse the above saftey notice you will see that both activities, engaged together, could well be the epitome of the above quote.
Have a go at the following scenario;
drongo jumper standing on skid, yells out -"swing her over a bit to the right mate"
more G loading, crosstube cluster lets go, drongo slips, gasps, grabs, ring pull accidently lets go, parachute into Main or Tail rotor, perfect expression of drongo activity, all round.
This is why I don't allow it. My imagination is also why I am a VFR helicopter pilot and not an unimagitiative IFR pilot.
cheers tet
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7
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From: Long Island, NY
As a D licensed (master) parachutist with over 1,200 skydives -- and heli pilot (R-22) to boot -- I can attest that 'jumping a heli' is not trivial.
Even the venerable Bell-412 (Viva Rod Tinney!) HAD to be jumped 'carefully'. What do I mean by that? -- We HAD to 'exit' out *symetrically* so that the Lateral CG (along the Logitudinal (left right) axis) would remain within controllable limits for the pilot. Read: minimal left-right wobbling as jumpers exited.
With the extreme 'sensitivity' to CG (just think of how much you push the cyclic forward during solo flight pick-ups!) not to mention the LOW tolerance to 'down loads' on the skids -- I would NOT let anyone jump from an R-22 with me at the controls.
The R-44 is another story however...
Gerry
Even the venerable Bell-412 (Viva Rod Tinney!) HAD to be jumped 'carefully'. What do I mean by that? -- We HAD to 'exit' out *symetrically* so that the Lateral CG (along the Logitudinal (left right) axis) would remain within controllable limits for the pilot. Read: minimal left-right wobbling as jumpers exited.
With the extreme 'sensitivity' to CG (just think of how much you push the cyclic forward during solo flight pick-ups!) not to mention the LOW tolerance to 'down loads' on the skids -- I would NOT let anyone jump from an R-22 with me at the controls.
The R-44 is another story however...
Gerry
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: UK
60
With respect, you over egg the pudding! I've done hundreds of jumps from various helicopters from Scout to Chinook. We even used to launch a 10 man blob from the door of a Wessex at 10,000 feet with no problems. Never heard the pilot complain, other than when we tied his laces together!
J9
With respect, you over egg the pudding! I've done hundreds of jumps from various helicopters from Scout to Chinook. We even used to launch a 10 man blob from the door of a Wessex at 10,000 feet with no problems. Never heard the pilot complain, other than when we tied his laces together!
J9
