Tips on flying Jump Planes?

[invertedattitude]

Looks like I may have a position flying a jump aircraft this year ontop of my job.

Filling in on the weekdays whenever I'm not working, I figure it will be a way for me to enjoy my hobby and have an actual purpose to the flight.

Any tips, suggestions warnings anyone out there can give who has the experience?

[twotter]

Keep the brakes on when they are standing on your main wheel.. Unless you want to give them a little thrill, then wait till they are firmly on it and release the brakes.. LOL..

[KAFUFO]

you'll be taking lots of video for the jumpers. Review what you take and keep the best stuff it's the easiest way to explain what you do.

hang out on the drop zone on a saturday night, turns out jumpers are F&ckin crazy.

Give the girls an extra thousand feet. You'll love the reward

[TTJJ]

1) Do indeed party with the jumpers. They are "interesting" people.

2) Check that the belt you feel across your lap is really the seatbelt and not your parachute harness.

I didn't.

After dumping the jumpers at 9500ft from a C-182 at Gimli in 1982 (?), I winged over to the right to check on them. I fell out of my seat onto the floor, and if it wasn't for all those chin-ups I was doing at the time, would have fallen out of the airplane.
It would not have been a career enhancing move.

ps. Congratulations to the TIDE and Fruit of the Loom people, who make a very good product.

[Blue Side Down]

Don't hesitate to stick the nose down to keep up airspeed when you've got two jumpers hanging out on the step. All that drag out there slows ya down right quick. (182)

If you swing the door closed right after the last jumper leaves, you can push and roll right and watch the action for a few seconds.

If you ever get a pair of jumpers trying to do a Mr. Bill- be sure to let them out last. Not really for safety, more so that you can roll right and watch the chaos ensue.

Don't run out of gas.

[imfsub12]

1. Remember when all your settings are perfect when you are flying straight and level.. then your diver.. moves a little to far back pushing in the mixture props ect.. and you haven't no clue what is going in till you see that..

2. You will learn that space is not a luxury in a jump plane, you will be pushed up against the window and expected to still fly straight and level will not looking out your window, but the side window with your HEAD pressed against it.

3. Divers do like to fart alot.. and its the most disgusting thing you ever smelt in a plane.. as they had too much parting the nigh before..

4. When you come down you come down FAST... ie) 6000 fpm + ... so make your radio calls.. and don't cross over mid field when you have 4 divers coming down at the time you will cross.. come a little more over the threshold instead of midfield. or even join a straight in down wind.. It not simple to see a jumper.. as MOST pilots think...

5. The days do get really long.. some day you will fly more than you ever think you will.

6. LEARN TO SAY NO!!! A diver will always want to jump regardless of your safety.. Remember its called a SUCKER HOLE for a reason.. DON"T go just because you can see a blue sky above you...

7. THe best one is first thing in the moring.. you will have 1 jumper there asking you where the spot is.. And you are like "Have do I know have I been up yet"

[dji]

as someone said, protect your levers, in the 182, the tandem rig can squeesh you pretty hard and its hard for them to get out since the big client will be in the front for WB .. I simply take the metal rod in my hand so if someone push on it, the red handle cannot move much.

Learn to have a quick look on their closing pins, never hurts to have one more person to do it.

By doing a 360 and watching the GPS ground speed, you can find the wind with very good acuracy with time you'll be able to find the pass of the day pretty quick.. the goal is for them to open upwind of the field.

check those engine gauges a lot accelerate a bit if it gets too hot, usually it get better above 5-6000 once you're throttle is fully opened

good advise about the sucker holes, it's not about is it good right now, it is about where is this cell will be in 30 minutes. If they're not happy about it, i just tell them, the key's are on the dash ,have a good flight.

Try and get them to give YOU a tandem so you can see how it is for the clients. After that you keep it nice and boring (at least for the tandem) you can have a bit of fun with the regular)

I used to love finding thermals under TCUs, but again dont go crazy with the nervous pax in the back

Drink A LOT, you can get dehydrated very quick.


It's not brain surgery,. but It is much more subtile than those who've never done it give it credit for.. But a lot of fun, you wont pay beer and enjoy the sunset load, after a while, it's all about the last one where you watch the sun rise while climbing, and watch it set in 10 seconds on the way back

PS the whole tits for altitude thing I don't beleive.. too small a world for the few girls in the sports for them to start getting naked in the plane

PPS speaking of women skydiving, thought to MIA who died this week in deland FL on landing her canopy. Was part of the catwomen RW4 team, very nice girl

[Luscombe]

One more inportant thing.... have fun. The days go a lot better when you're not being a crankypants. Jumpers are a great bunch of folks (I was one of them long before I became a pilot) and some of your best tips on jumpflying come from the more experienced ones. Definately hang around the campfire or the back of the hangar once in a while... this is where the real education of new jump pilots goes on.

Another thing I encourage is for you to do a tandem or first jump course (only if you want to, not because someone goads you into it). Even if you only ever do one, it will give you much better insight to what they want.

Where will you be jump plane drivin'? PM me and I might know some of the folks there.

Cheers

[imfsub12]

PS the whole tits for altitude thing I don't beleive.. too small a world for the few girls in the sports for them to start getting naked in the plane

I get it about 2-3 times a year.. some you have to coax out, but some are willing to do it.. the ones you have to coax out are better .. more fun...

[bandit1]

I dropped a load out at 10 grand and then continued up to 15000ft with one pax (in a 206) and my boss was wondering where the hell I was. I said Julie wanted some extra altitude. He was totally cool with it but said next time you do it, I'd appreciate it if the plane was in the hangar without the engine running!

[TG]

If you have a really annoying jumper (very rare).

Know how to get ride of it:
By warning the others that you will pop a smoke bomb and call for "bail out" around 5000'

[skydivepilot]

Make sure you count the canopies and can see everyone before descending right over the dropzone. Sometimes jumpers will open high and you can beat them down. They should tell you if they are going to open their chute higher than normal but don't count on them to always remember. The last thing you want to do is hit someone with the plane. Lots of great adivce posted above. I have over 700 hours experience flying skydivers in the 182 if you have any other questions.

What kind of plane are you going to be flying and where?

[Blakey]

Have an extra key handy at all times. There always seems to be one guy every year who thinks it's just the funniest thing to turn the mags off and jump out with the key!

[imfsub12]

Have an extra key handy at all times. There always seems to be one guy every year who thinks it's just the funniest thing to turn the mags off and jump out with the key!

I have told my divers if they touch my key they better be an RCMP officer and a Amulance waiting for them when i get to the ground..

that is just bloody stupid if they do take the key.. I'm i'm serious on that one...

[dji]

yup, the key joke would be the last thing jump they do. don't know any jumpers stupid enough to even try.

good advice about counting the canopies, forgot to tell that one

[Expat]

Practise your feet a lot, because every drop is in a stall with incipient spin!
Be ready to run out of gaz...
Deadstick is cheaper for the owner.
Look out for the descending one, until they land. I had a female first time drop the main and drift over and land in a lake. I was they only one able to direct the rescue. Pretty scarry.
Have a radio frequency open with the instructor on the ground.

[imfsub12]

[quote="Expat"]
Be ready to run out of gaz...
quote]

You should never be ready to run of of gas..

I have flown at 2 DZ's and never run out of gas. If you figure out that you plane can do 2 high loads and 1 low load.. DONT" DO ANY MORE.. turst me i have diver cry and get mad at me cause they want to go for 1 more dive.. when the fuel is getting loaded... in the fuel drums...

This is like running out of gas in a TWIN, just something you never do DUDE!!!.. you should always have a reserve...

when in dought ... check your tanks a after ever jump to see how your fuel is going in that plane.. remember you will be FULL throttle for 20-24 min before letting them out..

Again i never go over my planed jumps for my planes.. its that simple..

[Beacon Final]

I dropped "meat bombs" 2 summers ago at a fantastic DZ.

TAKE ENOUGH 100LL AND HAVE A BLAST!!!

Have a knife with in reaching distance. In case you have a chute open all over you or need to bail if a chute get caught up in the tail. (NEVER HAPPENS) Never fly without your own chute.

ALWAYS DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK ANYTHING NOT TIED DOWN.

Once you get lots of experince if you are in a low traffice DZ bring your iPOD.

Go over Diver's EPs once a while with the DIVERS. IE: If someone's chute opens in flight with door open and door close. What to do if you have a full load and lose your engine on T/O or under 1500'.

NEVER LET THEM TALK YOU INTO TAKING OFF TOO LATE IN THE DAY if you think you will not make it back with-in the half hour after sunset. Landing by bon fire and head lights is cool untill you hit a deer or something....

If you are flying from an ATF do all your calls. Jump run, Min prior to jump, jumpers away and descending once you close the door... Don't ever skip them. You are dropping human out of and airplane. Take the 2 seconds to make a radio call.

Hang out with them all you can. The are a special breed and the girls are ....... well PM me for more info

It was one of my best summers and I am sure it will be for you also.

[tesox2]

warnings anyone out there can give who has the experience?

I can name a few....hence my name tesox2, my previous alias was removed due to too much information about a particular jump operator....

[bandit1]

Expat, you obviously are doing something wrong if you're coming close to a stall on every drop. I've flown over 2000 hours flying jumpers with everything from a 182 to King Airs and bigger turbine machines with 22 jumpers and I've never stalled once. I've had guys sitting on the wings and climbing all over the plane with nothing more than a little buffet. I've had 12 guys outside once too. Lots of drag but don't get slow, point the nose down, add some power but remember, if you stall the guys can go over or into the tail.

[nortont]

go to the web site: http://www.diverdriver.com You'll find some useful info.

[pelmet]

"3. Divers do like to fart alot.. and its the most disgusting thing you ever smelt in a plane.. as they had too much parting the nigh before."



The farting thing I found really odd. When I was flying the skydivers for years, I could never get them back no matter how often they got me. But when I started skydiving, I got everyone in the plane really bad on a regular basis.

[pianodude]

check your shoelaces... one jumper tied my running shoes together with enough slack so that i could still move the rudders, but fell on my arse getting out of the plane i was totally embarassed, but still got a good laugh out of it...

[jumperdumper]

"When you come down you come down FAST... ie) 6000 fpm + ... so make your radio calls.. and don't cross over mid field when you have 4 divers coming down at the time you will cross.. come a little more over the threshold instead of midfield. or even join a straight in down wind.. It not simple to see a jumper.. as MOST pilots think... "

Being a skydiver & having worked fulltime as a jumppilot on a King Air/C182 (this year parttime on the Twin Otter) this is all very good advise but if you come down at 6000fpm minute in a C182 you will be shock cooling the engine. Power on descents of no less than 17" & Rpm at 2200-2400 is what i've used for 3 different operators.

Talk to the owner of the airplane on how he wants it operated or you will be out of a job if he sees you diving it down while the engine is popping away at idle. It looks cool and is alot of fun but the consequences will leave you on the ground with a group of angry jumpers with nothing to do but drink.

Now when you move up to the King Air or Twin Otter its chop & drop & is ALOT OF FUN!!!

Always check for traffic below as they may not always be on the radio, Flying farmers, Xcounrty students & even Professional pilots dont always recogonise that they are flying over a DropZone with a grass strip even if Notamed so
LISTEN to your jumpers on jump run, they will have a better view of whats below better than you do while they are spotting.
Ask the jumpers what altitude they plan on opening at.
The spot can change throughout the day so always have a safe descent area away from the jumpers &
Wear you bail out rig & have fun!!

These are just a few that come to mind at the moment...

The jumpers will allways be egging you on to do a jump...my advise is get'er done & see what its all about....you may find yourself jumping out of the airplane more than flying it!

[pelmet]

As a skydive pilot, my first jump course was free. I paid for the next 109. C-180, C-182, Skyvan, Twin Otter, C-212, C-130, Bell 205.