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2 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

That's funny.  I know it's not always about the numbers, but when you look at it by the numbers, the risk is very comparable to flying a GA aircraft.  In 2017, there were 7.5 skydiving fatalities per million jumps. 

Also in 2017, there were 14.0 fatalities per million GA flight hours.  To make it a more apples to apples comparison, one would need to know how many GA flights there were, but this could be calculated if one knew the average duration of a GA flight. 

If the average duration of a GA flight is longer than 1 hour 52 minutes, then GA is safer.  If it is less than that, then skydiving is safer on a per takeoff/landing basis. 

Just a guess, but when you figure in all the training flights, I'd say the average duration is less than 1:52, thus skydiving would be the safer activity.  Either way, for me, the risk is well worth the reward!

I imagine self-flagellation is a relatively safe activity, too, but that doesn't mean I'm lining up for it! :P

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3 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I have noticed that it is common for our sky diving operation’s King Air to be on the ground before the last of the sky divers are; typically the tandem jumpers.  They jump at 14,000’ MSL and the whole mad dash to the ground, which is at 80’ MSL, only takes about five minutes. That must be a heck of a ride for them all and not least of all for the jump pilot.  Their LZ is located right between our only runway and it’s parallel taxiway right at the interesection to parking.  It is a little concerning seeing jumpers landing maybe 150 feet from a King Air that is on the roll out, but I guess it is only an issue when it becomes one and then it is a really bad day.  Again, I have only been flying now twice when they were active and the last time there was an ambulance on the taxiway when I was rolling out, which was a first for me and I have been flying for 30 years.  It looked like someone in their LZ had sprained or broken an ankle or some such relatively minor injury.  I can’t help feeling that it is just a matter of time before someone gets badly hurt, but, hey, I am a pilot and SCUBA diver and have a few other dangerous pastimes, so I would be the last one to mother hen them as long as they don’t pose an unreasonable threat to the rest of us.  

Jim

I've assumed that's SOP for the jump plane to beat them down. And it has always seemed like the jump pilot is actually guarding his flock on the way down right up to touchdown, since typically the jump pilot is listening and watching for any new planes arriving into the TPA and trying to keep them out of the way of his jumpers. At least that's what it sounds like is going on from all their calls which seems all good. I've only been an observer.

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4 hours ago, kortopates said:

In our case, we did exactly that, we had meetings with the local pilots and had a skydiver who had no associations to the new operation, whom is a very good friend of mine, but was very capable of explaining the intended operations and how they work in general with radio notifications etc. At that time their drop zone was expected to be a about 1/2 mile away over an empty old drive-in theatre that was a bit more out of the way. But on their first day, they caught us all by surprise because their drop zone changed to on the airport just a few mere yards abeam the threshold of the common runway.  I always wondered if they had permission to use the private property of the theatre of if their earlier intentions weren't exactly honest. But we've gotten over that, it was just a huge surprise to how see how close they were landing next to the runway. 

The meetings were essential though to telling the local pilot community about the new operation and the importance of monitoring the frequencies, either CTAF or Approach. 

I should add, we have a very successful and active skydiving operation in our south country area that we are all accustomed too. But that the airport is in the rural area and the drop zones used are a few miles away in open space - not near the airport traffic and not in a urban area. In contrast, the new north county operation is at a very urban airport with no were to land outside of the small airport property, which is why they apparently tried to get access to an old drive in theatre. But if I was a skydiver (which I know nothing about), I doubt anyone would want to land on asphalt that wasn't flat and had post every 20' or so - seems like a disaster waiting to happen. So perhaps it was never really intended to be used. Anyway it has no relevance at this point but just added to our lack of trust being told one thing to find otherwise.

The jump pilots have been very courteous on the ground and for the most part in the pattern. 

Lodi (Acampo)airport is privately owned and has a very busy skydiving operation.The actual drop zone is on extreme south side and is a well watered foot ball field.The surrounding country side is full of grape arbors (vineyards) and the common use rebar stakes to prop up the vines.Skydivers seem to kill them selves Two ways (and no not the obvious chute malfunction) it’s cranking in a high speed turn low to the ground the infamous “hook” turn and landing out and misjudging vine rows and getting speared with a rebar stake.

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I’m trying to come up with a way to assuage everyone’s concern regarding my use of inappropriate language on this forum. I must remember not to post early in the day. Apparently I channel some poetic muse at that hour. It’s all I can do not to format this in iambic pentameter. 

Oh crap. There’s three or four more things to explain.

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The airport where I bought the Mooney had an active meatbomb operation.  Didn't seem to affect anything, and they were fun to watch and the meatbombs were a good group.  Surprising number of pretty girls, too.
Meatbomb...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

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Not that this speaks to the subject of this thread but I admire those that can jump out of a plane. I’m sure I’m not the only one who loves flying but doesn’t care for heights. I don’t like getting near the edge of the roof of buildings, cliffs, etc. I don’t think I could bring myself to do it. 

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14 hours ago, Bravoman said:

Not that this speaks to the subject of this thread but I admire those that can jump out of a plane. I’m sure I’m not the only one who loves flying but doesn’t care for heights. I don’t like getting near the edge of the roof of buildings, cliffs, etc. I don’t think I could bring myself to do it. 

I'm crazy afraid of heights, but I did skydive with my daughter. Wasn't too bad, but I think having an instructor strapped to me made a big difference from a mental standpoint.

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As both a jumper and pilot who flies near a busy jump operation near San Marcos Texas, I feel like most of the important points about communication and procedures have been well made. Skydiving and jump pilots got me interested in getting my PPL. As I listen to the jump pilots communicate with Austin Approach, I have found it to be very professional. I have been surprised by the number of transient aircraft that have flown right over the drop zone apparently unaware of the activity. They  aren't monitoring approach and aren't checking the sectional of their route. My USPA D license is in the 5000s having been earned in the late 70s. I made a few thousand jumps before focusing more on my Mooney, so I feel like I get what both communities have to offer. I applaude B.D. for keeping an open mind. Blue Skies! 

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On 2/16/2019 at 11:21 AM, amillet said:

I sky dived once in about 1997.

 

On 2/16/2019 at 12:38 PM, steingar said:

Did one tandem jump

FWIW, taking a tandem jump is to skydiving as riding in plane is to flying.  Sure, people all the time say they are flying when taking a commercial flight, but if you don't have the controls in your hands... you're not flying.

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14 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

 

FWIW, taking a tandem jump is to skydiving as riding in plane is to flying.  Sure, people all the time say they are flying when taking a commercial flight, but if you don't have the controls in your hands... you're not flying.

that's fine with me.  LOL.  Speaking as a coward, I'm fine not having my hands on the controls.  

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1 hour ago, skydvrboy said:

 

FWIW, taking a tandem jump is to skydiving as riding in plane is to flying.  Sure, people all the time say they are flying when taking a commercial flight, but if you don't have the controls in your hands... you're not flying.

Flying the airplane is all about being in control of the airplane.  Pat of the tandem jump is experiencing the wind rush, seeing the perspective, even popping the chute (I did).  Not that the metaphor is wrong, just a bit insufficient.  Either way I'm not in a big rush to do it again.

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10 minutes ago, steingar said:

Flying the airplane is all about being in control of the airplane.  Pat of the tandem jump is experiencing the wind rush, seeing the perspective, even popping the chute (I did).  Not that the metaphor is wrong, just a bit insufficient.  Either way I'm not in a big rush to do it again.

Say what you will, I'm not in a big rush to do it the first time . . . . .

But I did take a coworker on a local flight. He had a ball, and during the flight said that he had flown in a small plane before. When he went skydiving. So I said, Today you're going to do something you've never done before. LAND in a small plane!  :lol:

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@steingar Part of the flying experience is seeing everything from above, going fast, and feeling the plane roll while turning.  To me, skydiving was all about total freedom of movement, to truly "fly" in the sky.  It was the ability to do a back flip (or front) if I wanted, or a barrel roll, or fall on my back, on my head, or feet first.  Just like a passenger in a plane gets to experience a small part of what it means to fly, a tandem passenger only gets to experience a small part of what it really means to skydive.  Not the least of which is the camaraderie that only happens when the non-pilots/non-skydivers go home for the day and we all sit around and tell hangar stories.

2 hours ago, Hank said:

Today you're going to do something you've never done before. LAND in a small plane!

I was always amazed at the skydivers who had never been in a plane before jumping out of one.  One such guy was a good friend of mine who jumped into my wedding reception with me.  He is now an aerobatic airshow pilot.

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We have a skydiving operation at our airport in Maine, Pittsfield 2B7. They've been good citizens for the most part, communicating on both the local CTAF frequency and through approach control for the nearby Class C . Their drop zone is about a quarter of a mile to the west at the end of a decommissioned runway.

Rarely some of their clients have landed on the active runway instead and when I brought it up with their owner he declared there was no problem since they were technically a glider and would have right of way over all other traffic. While I could understand the rationale he was spinning I think it was crap. A skydiver doesn't need to land on a runway. If they occasionally divert to the main runway in the last few hundred feet they could catch normal traffic on short final by surprise and I think that's how you set up an accident situation. 

Mostly I think they do fine, are a good neighbor, and I'd even like to fly their plane to build up some time. But I do have that one concern.

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