Jump Pilots!
 

Where is everyone flying!? What are you flying!? How did you get there? What do you do for your radio call procedure? Hows your pay?? Do you jump?

I will start, I am currently flying out near Sacramento Cali, but my home base is Sussex NJ! I am flying a 182, and a turbo charged 3 blade with the sweet bladed, 206. I started off at 280 hrs ttl time flying jumpers im now coming up on 700 hours (7-8 months later), and LOVING every single day of work! I talk to the local APP which is now Norcal and they love us!

I also call on Unicom 2 minutes prior and use "XXX traffic, use caution, you got skydiving, thats parachute jumping in 2 minutes out of one one, that's eleven thousand, and of course below, on the west side of the airport, if your in the vicinity of the XXX airport use extreme caution skydiving in two minutes" Then 1 min prior I make a very short version of that, and jumpers away I make something 1/2 the length of that, and when my jumpers are open I make a quick call you got canopy's 5k and below west side of field, then 2 minutes later just say use caution 3k and below, then as I setup on my 45 if the airport is busy and I see my jumpers are down say skydivers are no longer in the air! That seems to be making the people out here happy!

I made about 400 a week in NJ, it was a more FIXED pay, but I flew over 40 hours a week in the peak of summer, out here I get $15 a load, its the winter so its slower but thats not bad for 182/206 pilot

I jump, got my A, have 37 jumps and want to keep it up! I hope to not have to leave the sport for awhile! I want to try and skip the regionals and both the DZOs I work for seem to have full intent to keep me around and get me in their turbines when the time comes!

Dude, you are aces in my book. I have flown in a couple areas that had jumpers and none of the guys were as good on the radio as you. Thank you!

There was one case when I was instructing in the Orlando area when a jumper was active and didn't say much..... nor did the controller. Next thing I heard was a mainline pilot say, "Boy, the birds out here are huge!"

Right then, the controller, in a nervous voice announced, "Caution. Paracutes in the vicinity of XYZ airport 14500 and below."

Keep making those calls, we appreciate it!

Ya NY APP was like that, would drop after the controller hardly even answered me, then see a falcon go under 2 minutes later =(....out here though Norcal is awesome to us!

That is a lot more comm than I ever used - but then again I was just required to talk to make the initial call to OKC approach and they made all the calls to traffic on freq. NorCal is pretty good to work with though I'd agree. I'm glad you are enjoying your time and making more than I ever did. I only got $10 a load (but that was many moons ago too).

USMCFLYR

Note: he was making those long calls on unicom, not on an ATC frequency.

Joe

I realize that. I was only noting that I didn't make so many calls - right or wrong.

USMCFLYR

You should see the locals here

In what way? I just spent 4 years in the Central Valley.

USMCFLYR

Theres always someone that needs that extra radio call, not either dropzone i have been at specifically, but I have been under canopy and had someone overfly the field next to me, its scary, esp since u cant get away from it under canopy

right on ya my man. flying jumpers is the best kept secret to building time in this biz. i started the same way u did and loved it.
communication is the key, jumpers and jump pilots get a pretty bad wrap sometime. and just a little explaining goes a long way. if ya ever have a rainy day and the parties not on at the DZ head on over to ur local tracon or app control and say hello and if the dzo is cool with it some free or discounted jumps(tandems or static line). i made my first jump before i ever flew them and am addicted to no end. knees in the breeze. keep smiling and enjoying they early days of ur career u will look back on them with envy and fondness. PS jumpers can be a pain in the ass sometimes and u have to watch out for uor ticket no one else will, but it sure beats working in a factory

Jumpers
 

I have dropped jumpers in a Turbo 207 and a Twin Otter. Not a lot of time with either, but it is a blast. The drop zone is a little far from my house, and I have other flying gigs, so I don't get to do it as much as I would like. We are northwest of Atlanta. 2 minute call, 1 minute call and jumpers away on both approach and unicom. Unicom is more detailed.

I don't jump yet. Never really wanted to until I started dropping meat missles, but I am intrigued now. Maybe this summer.

I didn't get to jump myself either. First - I wanted that $10/load. Second - I was only months away going to OCS and didn't want to take the risk of straining or breaking anything :eek: It was good while it lasted though and the atmosphere around the school was a good time.

USMCFLYR

We've had some close calls with the Brits and others in the DZs around El Centro. I also had a squadronmate get a little too close to a flight of CH-46s with SPIE riggers on the string. One of them happen to be the BLT Commanding Officer :eek: No more airfield attacks after that :(

USMCFLYR

How come you stopped? What did you make? I love to so much man, if I could make 25K+ flying a turbine, I could easily do this for quite some time, I am getting super sucked into jumping, the scene, and the dropzone, I will be sad to let it go! I got a audio line in on my audio panel, and get to fly for 20 min with a takeoff/landing, and a few new faces each load, I can not imagine better flying.

i got busy the last couple of years flying floats and living in alaska so jumping kind of went to the back burner. but my last jump was a 8 way wing suit formation so that rocked, and im getting my rigs repacked for this up coming summer want to hit some dz's around my new home and get back to it. frankly i got burned out, 2004 i did 800 skydive. a break was needed. base jumping got a hold of me and really want to go huck some high cliffs. never enough time

where you livin now?

Start of the day have a couple people show you their packing slip for their reserve chute, you are responsible. Sort of a mini ramp check. Plus nothing gets your heart racing like when you turn final and see an ambulance headed midfield.

i live in big rapids michigan right now. i would not recommend checking reserve packing card it makes u look like a douche. the dzo should be taking care of that, and at some time in this carrer u have to be able to trust the people u work with that they are doing ther job. but always use the trust with verification method. if u dont trust the dzo to do it then ya i would ask jumpers, because as twin wasp says its your ticket. we do tend to operate on the edges of what most would consider rational. legal is grey area. ther is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. as far as ambulances death and injury are an inherent part of the sport ther are plenty of warnings before u go
jump out of a perfectly good airplane, it aint for everyone. i personally have 5 fatalities out of my airplane, guess that makes me an ace, viva la sportdeath.

Ive seen over 2500 tandems, over 4000 jumps in my time in the sport, not me personally doing them, but been either flying or working on the ground, worst ive seen is a broken leg and sprained ankle, both from Students, i flew the ankle. I will not work around an unsafe place, but I do accept the risk when I jump, and know its there each load I fly. USPA just put out that 2009 was the safest year in a long time with close to 3 million jumps and I think 17 or 19 deaths, which is amazing, most of those where either canopy raps during CREW, ie formation flying.....and experienced jumpers doing something they should not have done. It has risks, but as we saw last year, being heads up can cut the risk down a ton!

The hardest part of flying jumper for me has been dealing with local pilots, guys that ignore a unicom and fly right through a dropzone, and other locals who can not accept jump ops and have had a twin otter bomb down on the runway in front of them. I fly a 182 I try to make everyone happy, but I have caught my share of flack from local weekend warriors. Today I had a nice incursion with a hot headed guy with an anger problem, my DZO had to call the cops to put our plane away. Got mad about a busy pattern with some ultra lights and him. If you fly jumpers you would understand this from our end. I never put myself in a situation on my descent that I could not safely make the runway. PERIOD!

ther is always going to be hot heads out ther, sometimes u can explain thing so them sometimes u cant. try and take local pilots on a load with u and show them the ops. u have to lead some by the hand and explain explain explain. the dz pilot, has to be the mediator. it helps if ya have some neutral ground to talk to them. most think jump ops is just a bunch of crazyness. and they have to be shown it is not.

Much agreed, my DZO use to let them sit right seat in our Otter, I personally make jump ops as uncrazy and safe as possible, I am after all a professional. On a positive note I got to jump out of my 206 today =)..and no I wasnt the pilot for that load!

Dude, to be honest I don't quite get what you are saying here. I'd be pretty upset if a twin otter "bombed down" on the runway in front of me in certain conditions. Like if I was flying a standard pattern and was a "weekend warrior" doing what I was supposed to do pattern and radio wise, and the twin otter was'nt.

Based on reading your other thread in the Aviation Law section it seems like you actually fly out of a pretty busy place, maybe only on the weekends I don't know.

Someone else in this thread mentions taking the local pilots out and familiarizing them with your operations. That's cool, but really it's not their problem, it's their field too.

What do you mean you won't put yourself in a situation on your "descent where you could not safely make the runway"? I know of lots of descents to a safe, respectful traffic pattern where I could not make a runway. Basically almost all of them actually. To any runway anywhere.

In your other thread in the aviation law section you mention butting heads with a "tool" who cussed you out on the UNICOM. Yes, that is lame, but maybe he's had a midair, or lost friends to one, and gets upset by something he sees happening often at the airfield you share?

Be careful out there.

Regarding pattern entries, altitudes, and making a runway, I should clarify that a Beaver glides almost as good as a dropped rock. Your mileage may vary.

Ya I get what your saying for sure, I have been flying slighty different since it, but I will never deal with someone that talks on a radio like that, the FSDO told him he talks like that again he is in deep with the FCC and that was only after he yelled at the guy from the FSDO on the phone after they called him. You dont know me, but if you flew here you would know that I am as nice as possible to everyone, and give as much info as possible on the radio. I had 2 people today after yesterday say how great of a job im doing to me on the radio, I do all I can do to give as much info as possible. It is a 1200 Ft pattern ya I enter my 45 at 2K sometimes, and am at 1200 by mid-field at the latest, its all part of my job, I also spend 8 minutes prior going in a nonstop circle over top the airport with the CTAF on comm2, so I am pretty sure I know what I am descneding into, and if not thank GOD I am in a high wing airplane, so if I missed someone in the 10 circles I did out of 11K, and they were not on the CTAF, I might still by a hope of god at least see them UNDER my CESSNA 182/206.

I hear you Rick, and I'm sure you are a safe pilot and try to do your best by others at your field.
I am noone to talk about standard traffic pattern entries by any means as I've done many flights where standard 1000 agl TPA was quite a bit higher than my enroute altitude (yes it was legal).
Also I have flown a whole heck of a lot of nonstandard entries over remote lakes.

I am paranoid about midairs though, just like everybody else. I have had close calls on crummy days far away from any airport, even in southeast AK. Crummy weather forcing VFR opposite direction traffic at each other, and even with widespread position reporting it's amazing how close you can come to hitting somebody else on a day when everything seems right with the world.

I guess all I'm saying is don't be in too big of a hurry.
Stay safe my friend.

Bro you fly the bush, I can never even compare to that, and gods speed and safety to you, and always blue skies!

But trust me, I do all I can to keep 1.my aircraft 2.my jumpers 3. my fellow local pilots safe, and going up and down ever 20 minutes I meet many a bonehead, but I work with everyone. I just want to be safe, have fun, and be safe! I feel you bro and blue skies to you!

Thanks for the compliment Rick. If I can do it I'm sure you can too. No superhuman skills involved except forcing yourself to turn around pretty often.

After a flight, when passengers from outside AK tell me "You're a good pilot", I always tell them "So far".;)

I feel ya man, being a jump pilot means getting to 11-14K in VFR mins sometimes (or at least a small chunk of the clumb, we never break VFR mins but I have found holes that where not far above the mins), any jump pilot they have climbed through a hole at the VFR bare mins, and dropped through it (never breaking a law, but had a large hole to the ground, well over legal mins and never breaking it), and they mean it, but we go up/down all day, we have seen it all, but we never would break the law, and we know it well........you guys 10 fold us up in the bush, but when it comes to low time, a true jump pilot is a hell of a trooper, if he can truly do it, esp low time, I logged 11 hours/day hobbs, over 3 days, flying 33 hours that fri/sat/sun,and had a 135 hour month. I was then 535 hours total time at that point, all my CPL time is jumpers its what I know, but I will tell you later in my career I sure learned alot! But if there is anyone I REALLY respect its the bush guys!

If that seems like garble, its because I tried to edit it in a rush before bed and made it look like crud, anyway I am super tired, and will fix it tomorrow, good night and blue skies

Thanks for all of the information. I have always wanted to fly jumpers, jump myself and eventually learn to use a wingsuit.

Currently I live in the Bay Area. Do you guys think there would be any opportunity to fly jumpers part time in the SAC area dzo's? I certainly don't want to take bread off the table of someone working for 25k a year. Please don't get me wrong. It would be nice to find a situation that worked out well for everyone.

I'd like to stay in turbine equipment but I am well aware that beggars can't be choosers in aviation. I'm not poo-pooing a 182 but I'd at least like to have the opportunity to move into turbine at some point. Mostly because I like the way they descend....

Well up here we only have a 182 and 206 at the moment, but the DZO had a few turbines on lease last season, and is looking to get one back again asap. If you still skydive my advice is come up and jump for a day and meet everyone and talk to the DZO that your a pilot. The DZO here really only wants guys with exp. flying jumpers, because there are alot of early mistakes you can make that can be deadly, and it is a very different type of flying. My advice is come up and jump for a day, meet everyone, including the DZO, if your not weird, and tell him you fly and give him your info, you may find yourself allowing me to finally take a few days off work!

kilgore T where do u fly in southeast?

Hi jrutt,
Flew and wrenched out of Juneau from 97 through 08. Took a break to deploy with the AK Army Guard in 06-07. Spent last summer wrenching in Talkeetna. This year out in Yakutat wrenching and flying starting pretty soon. Looking forward to it, should be interesting and have heard really good things about the company. Plus I'm broke so it will be good to get back to work.

You flew around KTN I think, thought I read that somewhere here?

ya fly for misty fjord air out of ktn in the summers. if i get ur way or u down mine look me up.i dont ever get much higher than petersburg or wrangell but ya never know.

Thanks. PM me the business' webpage and I will come out and visit. I may even jump out of an airplane....

fun formations back in the day when 100ways were not done every weekend.
javelin 100way 1996 sebastian flhttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/...425bd18b_b.jpg

summer fun up in s/e alaska 2009http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/...48bab781_b.jpg

Sweet photos jrutt, like the fireweed in the foreground of the Beaver and Otter shot. Beautiful. Where was that one taken?

What do you all use for climb settings? MP/RPM, same for descent? Esp in a 182 and 206, and make sure you say which plane your talking about!

been a long time since i flew a 182. But seem to member 2350rpms and just keep the man psi 20 to 23 inchs probly run out of throttle around 3 to 5k alti.on decent back the rpms down 100 tr 200 and now lower than the green arch on mp. like i said been a long time. run the engines hard on the way up and try not to shock cool on the way down. its a rough life being a jump engine. always look for a place to land on takeoff. u never know if they are going to crap out on ya. and always fly the airplane all the way threw the crash if it comes to it. the 7 P's are a jump pilots best preparation for a bad day. always have a hook knife on you. not in the airplane but on u. go jump a round just to see what its going to be like if ya have to use that emergency rig. thats fun.....NOT. but im a big fat ass. round suck for a reason. but i would do it again, funny huh