I'll be taking a tandem jump this weekend and want to fly to the hosting airport. I'll be listening to CTAF and CLT approach (airport is under the class B shelf). Any tips on how to make my arrival/departure safer, provided I survive the jump ?

 

Call ahead and ask the school just to be safe. They would normally broadcast on CTAF but may be talking to approach if under B.

Ultimately it's their responsibility not to drop jumpers so as to interfere with aircraft but it doesn't hurt to be pro-active.

 

Hears my skydiver airport story.

Two months ago in a BE30 going into a small island airport on the Gulf I’m 20 miles out hearing 3 planes in front of me announcing them selves on CTAF inbound to land. Approach hand me off to CTAF and tells me of a jump plane over the field.
I announce my sequence to land and while on 2-3 mile final the jump plane announces “jumpers away” over the golf course (1 mile SE). I ask him where their at and he tells me their no factor. I continue my approach until I hear someone say “jumpers landing in the in field”. Just then I see a shoot over the runway center-line at 500 feet, I’m on a ¼ mile final at this point mind you. I’m afraid to go around because I’ll climb into the jumper so I land and stop before mid field (3400 ft runway) just as the jumper floats across the runway at about 100 ft and lands 50 ft off the runway just in front of me…..Needless to say I was a little HOT!!!

Two weeks later going into the same airport the same thing happened. This time I have to get a little short with the jump pilot on the radio to get him to hold his jumper 2 extra minutes so I can get on the ground. What’s up with these guys? The apparently expect everyone else to go into a holding pattern so they can push someone out.

 

All went well. The Caravan was 2 minutes from jumpers away - he announced on CTAF and I queried CLT about the jump plane and they also said 2 minutes as I was setting up on final.

the jump was awesome. No sensation of falling, hamming for the jump photog, then the jolt and the canopy ride down. We did some steep turns, trying to get in formation with my buddy that went just before me. It reminded me of BFM - lead/lag pursuit. Landing was smooth.

We were the last load of the day, so departing was no problem. All in All, I'd rather be driving than diving.

TMI: 120mph + fat face = looking like the Joker.

 

Added bonus. When we returned to CUB, the B-17 was departing. If I can convert my iPhone vid to something youtube can eat, I'll post it.