When skydivers exit the airplane (and usually shortly before) the pilot usually radios on CTAF that jumpers are going to be in the air.
What, as a pilot, are your obligations when you hear such a call?
Granted, the landing zones for skydivers are usually away from the runway, but you never know what might happen int he air when you are a skydiver.
After watching a Lancair buzz the runway the other day at 200+ knots, I wonder about this…
That would be ZERO!
Jump pilots seem to think they have some god given right to:
~Fly IMC without a clearance.
~Let their jumpers out on published airways.
~Let jumpers decent though a solid overcast layers on an airway.
And when they announce a 2 minute warning they think they have some sort of right of way.
The FAA needs to crack down on this group really bad.
The jump pilot makes numerous radio calls BEFORE the jumpers exit, not after. In my neck of the woods and other congested areas, the jump pilot usually gives ATC and the CTAF a 10 minute and a 1 minute heads up of the jumper activity. The radio calls are meant to give anyone who may be transiting the area time to avoid flying directly over the airport, to avoid both the jumpers themselves and the jump aircraft. The Drop Zone is usually in an area of the field that puts the jumpers out of the way of the normal traffic pattern, so as long as everyone is where they’re supposed to be everyone’s fine. Don’t forget the jump aircraft is usually on the ground before or just after the jumpers touch down, so they are used to having to stay out of the pattern and approach corridors for the airport. Falling meat that is under chute should NEVER be over a runway at low altitude.
But in the western US the drop zone is almost ALWAYS on the airport so they can do it again. On the runway no, on the airport yes.
That would be ZERO!
Jump pilots seem to think they have some god given right to:
~Fly IMC without a clearance.
~Let their jumpers out on published airways.
~Let jumpers decent though a solid overcast layers on an airway.
And when they announce a 2 minute warning they think they have some sort of right of way.
The FAA needs to crack down on this group really bad.
You must have experienced some bad jump pilots because skydiving operations are ALWAYS VFR (As I’m sure you are aware). If there is a drop-zone letting their jumpers out in IMC (I’m not a pilot but assume IMC requires IFR clearance?), they are endangering their jumpers and other people using the airspace.
Don’t forget the jump aircraft is usually on the ground before or just after the jumpers touch down, so they are used to having to stay out of the pattern and approach corridors for the airport. Falling meat that is under chute should NEVER be over a runway at low altitude.
You are correct that jumpers should NEVER be under parachute over a runway, but wind conditions and perhaps other factors (parachute malfunctions) may cause such an occurrence. You certainly don’t want to hit a skydiver! Think a 4 pound bird strike is bad? Try a 200 pound jumper! Bad days for both parties there…
I’m sure we’re all in favor of everybody in all forms of aviation having fun, but making sure everybody is safe.
No, it’s very common to be above a solid layer stretching as far as you can see. Jump planes are checking with radar coming up VFR and announcing Jumpers Away out of 14,000 like a frequency change.
Get on YouTube and educate yourself. Here is your ALWAYS VFR
No need to let emotions get involved here. 
I have watched quite a few skydiving videos and have seen a lot of cloudiness, but never anything like THAT one. What I meant by “ALWAYS VFR” is they are always SUPPOSED to be VFR.
Do you guys have some disdain for skydiving?
Do a YouTube search on “Skydive Though CLouds” You’ll get 1,000’s of hits. Skydivers seek out clouds.
This is pretty typical of what I see.
Not for free fall dives. There is no way a plane can keep up with a free falling skydiver.
Why the muzzle then?
Agreed, I’ve heard “Jumpers Away!” on the radio and said WTF? it’s IMC everywhere!
Not as many times as I’ve seen single engine aircraft going into and out of clouds, and asked ATC if they’re talking to that guy.
Not for free fall dives. There is no way a plane can keep up with a free falling skydiver.
Pretty close, though. Out at our local DZ (Skydive Utah), the plane lands about the same time as the jumpers under canopy. That’s about 1 minute (for freefall) and another 5 - 10 minutes for the parachute ride down.
This is pretty typical of what I see.
Wow that landing zone is very close to the runway at that airport! At the airport here, the landing zone for skydivers is a taxiway and a grass median away from the runway. (At least a few hundred feet)
@robbreid That is a funny picture of that tandem skydive including the dog. Fun times!
What exactly defines IMC? If it is a mostly clear day, but with some thick clouds around, is it IMC only around the clouds, or all over?
IMC
Instrument Meteorological Conditions
So if you have to go threw a layer to get to the ground you have to go IMC to get there
What I mean by IMC in this case is that the sky is broken to overcast over the drop area. They also drop quite a bit in barely VFR conditions, thick haze. In other words, a lot of the people that are jumping for the first time are not aware of the risk of being hit by an IFR aircraft when they are falling through a “broken layer” or being hit by a weekend warrior when there is barely 3 miles visibility.
Is it misunderstand and dispute James night or something?
No kidding, is THAT how they do it out West Frank? Wow, here on the East coast they land in the Wal-Mart parking lot and they have to take public transportation back to the airport.
You both are missing a very important part of what I said. “should” and “at low altitude”
Sure, when they’re in free-fall they don’t have a lot of say over where they’re going, other than down…quickly.
But once they’re under chute they get into a position to avoid most of the common traffic patterns and begin to set up for their own “pattern,” which is usually some variation of a spiral descent directly over the DZ (note NOT a runway) to a quick final before alighting.
Don’t include me in Frank’s diatribe. I have no such disdain. Skydivers are a strange breed, sure, but they’re great to party with!
Successful skydivers cannot maintain that freefall rate of descent all the way to the ground.
Have you ever been skydiving Frank? Have you ever SEEN skydiving in person (I.E. NOT on youtube?)
I’ve BEEN skydiving (tandem). I’ve BEEN up in the jump plane (a twin otter). And I live 10 minutes from the busiest jump school in the northeast.
Like I said, the jump plane can land before OR SOON AFTER the jumpers. Seen it hundreds of times.
Ahhh.
Is it misunderstand and dispute James night or something?
One big problem with forums/chat is that you cannot hear the voice inflection of the poster, so you have no idea if they are being sarcastic (unless it is blatantly obvious) or what they might be trying to convey.
No kidding, is THAT how they do it out West Frank? Wow, here on the East coast they land in the Wal-Mart parking lot and they have to take public transportation back to the airport.
That would attract QUITE a crowd. People are fascinated by other people jumping out of airplanes.
You both are missing a very important part of what I said. “should” and “at low altitude”
Sure, when they’re in free-fall they don’t have a lot of say over where they’re going, other than down…quickly.
Not entirely true. They do have some control over where they are going at least in relation to a runway. Skydivers can track back and forth and side to side enough to align pretty well (ever seen huge formations?). You are correct though…They will always be going down! I am sorry I missed that you said ‘should’.
Don’t include me in Frank’s diatribe. I have no such disdain. Skydivers are a strange breed, sure, but they’re great to party with!
No arguments there! I have done one tandem (most amazing thing ever) and have hung out at the DZ a whole bunch.
). And I live 10 minutes from the busiest jump school in the northeast.
Like I said, the jump plane can land before OR SOON AFTER the jumpers. Seen it hundreds of times.
I did a spectator dive last time I was out at the DZ (ride up with the plane, and down with the plane) and if you’ve read my other post, you know the pilot did a pretty aggressive dive. 4000 feet per minute. We returned to the ground (touchdown on the runway, not back to the DZ area itself) as the jumpers were landing.
Freefall for a human ranges between ~120mph (stable belly down) to 200mph (high speed positions like headdown)…
As a pilot, and a skydiver, I doubt any IFR flights are in danger of being hit by jumpers in the air. While flying IFR, I have been vectored well around airports conducting parachute operations. Probably the biggest danger is the pilot using the direct feature on his/her GPS and not listening to the CTAF of the airports they may be crossing over.