Do Jumpers scare you?

sdfcvoh said:
We all share the sky. Some have motors, some don't. :beer:
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That's all well and good and I agree with it...to the extent that safety permits. I do think all the operations can be accommodated, I just worry about running into a jumper at my local field.

Surface to 13000 at the intersection of three instrument approaches is NOT a good (or even an appropriate!) place for a drop zone.
 
The problem I see is that very few pilots understand jumpers, and very few jumpers understand pilots. I consider both activities to naturally coexist quite well, but because of the lack of education on both sides of the fence, both sides are suspicious and/or fearful of the other.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
I just worry about running into a jumper at my local field.
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And you have to ask yourself, "why is that?" Considering jump planes are required to be communicating with ATC, either approach or center is going to have a 2 minute call and jumpers out call. Additionally, most all pilots I know make at least two calls on CTAF, warning call and jumpers away call PLUS a call or two that jumpers are in the air.

There is a difference between vigilence and complacency, awareness and ignorance you know.


Surface to 13000 at the intersection of three instrument approaches is NOT a good (or even an appropriate!) place for a drop zone.
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Really? Again, I think you assume too much that you own that airspace. Do you also think gliders should not fly there because they may not be communicating on a freq. with you; or any aircraft not on a radio for that matter? What about transient hot air balloons?

I think your view needs to be explained more fully to understand why you think the way you do....please, help me understand this mentality.
 
moxiepilot said:
And you have to ask yourself, "why is that?" Considering jump planes are required to be communicating with ATC, either approach or center is going to have a 2 minute call and jumpers out call. Additionally, most all pilots I know make at least two calls on CTAF, warning call and jumpers away call PLUS a call or two that jumpers are in the air.

There is a difference between vigilence and complacency, awareness and ignorance you know.
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...well aware. And to be fair, our guys are pretty good about "two minutes" "one minute" and "jumpers away". I worry about it (read on...)

Really? Again, I think you assume too much that you own that airspace. Do you also think gliders should not fly there because they may not be communicating on a freq. with you; or any aircraft not on a radio for that matter? What about transient hot air balloons?

I think your view needs to be explained more fully to understand why you think the way you do....please, help me understand this mentality.
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I've had the nasty experience of the "jumpers away" call being made while I'm established on one of said approaches and in the vicinity of the drop zone. I've also heard a few "turn to such and such immediately, parachute jumpers 12 o'clock 3 miles, your altitude" calls on frequency. Yeah, the system is working and all, but it could work a little better.

I've never made any pretenses about owning the airspace, and I'm simply calling a flight safety concern as I see it. Balloons? Gliders? Sure. We'll work 'em all and I'll gladly turn the heading knob a few degrees to get out of the way and take a few extra minutes to stay out of the way. That said... The reason I think the way I do is I don't want to kill anyone. Note also, I think the operations can be accommodated. We can move the approaches (difficult due to cumulo-granitus) or move the drop zone a few miles north or south of its present position...
 
MikeD said:
It's BS that just because there's a NOTAM, there will be less airport traffic.

The NOTAM is simply there to give a heads up to people arriving/ departing. Planes and jumpers can easily co-exist at the same GA airport, just with a little communication and some better visual lookout.
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Along with moxie :yeahthat: people... Don't be over dramatic here.

Make proper radio calls
Listen to radio calls
Take appropriate action
Adjust as needed

I wonder if the transient traffic would rather not have that information available to them?
 
No do not really scare me but I keep my distance from airports that have jumping going on. Yolo, Lodi and a few others are well known. I've had to pick up PAX at Yolo and was bitched out for picking the wrong traffic pattern (the side with the DZ). This was not indicated on Jepp charts. I don't like being bitched out and of course the information was not available to me on an IFR flight plan using IFR charts.

I would agree that jumpers and pilots dont "get" each other. This is the big problem.
 
I'll tell you what jumpers scare me. The ones that decide to commit suicide by jumping off of buildings. What if I was standing underneath? I still like my life, don't take me with you. That's a real penisy move.

Skydivers, a little bit if I'm zoning out on a x-country and all the sudden ATC tells me a twatter is dropping a load in my vicinity. You can't see those buggers until they open their chutes.
 
masterslave.jpg

??????
 
I wouldn't say they scare me but they certainly "concern" me based on the admittedly few I've talked to. As far as I could tell, every man jack of them had next to zero understanding of where to expect aircraft and my capabilities (or lack thereof) to "see and avoid" them. I don't get to avoid airports that have jumping going on...I go where they tell me. OTOH, if it were me and my shiny SR22 (or whatever), I can conceive of going a couple of miles out of my way to refuel somewhere else, etc. *shrug*. Not like I think it should be banned or anything, but I don't think it's irrational to avoid high hurting-ball-of-gristle traffic areas if you have a choice.

Cancelling the NOTAM was BS.
 
BigWaveDave said:
No do not really scare me but I keep my distance from airports that have jumping going on. Yolo, Lodi and a few others are well known. I've had to pick up PAX at Yolo and was bitched out for picking the wrong traffic pattern (the side with the DZ). This was not indicated on Jepp charts. I don't like being bitched out and of course the information was not available to me on an IFR flight plan using IFR charts.

I would agree that jumpers and pilots dont "get" each other. This is the big problem.
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On a student solo cross-country a long time ago I had flight following with Travis RAPCON and was passing Yolo. Being a student pilot I had no exposure to jumper ops, and said I was unfamiliar with the DZ when asked. They preceded to vector me like 5 miles away from the airport until I cancelled flight following.

Knowing now about how to listen to CTAF/approach and maintain situational awareness of when jumpers are in the air, it really seemed like a huge overreaction.

For that reason I can sympathize with why some GA pilots would avoid drop zones, but I think it's curable through better education on how the process actually works.
 
inigo88 said:
On a student solo cross-country a long time ago I had flight following with Travis RAPCON and was passing Yolo. Being a student pilot I had no exposure to jumper ops, and said I was unfamiliar with the DZ when asked. They preceded to vector me like 5 miles away from the airport until I cancelled flight following.

Knowing now about how to listen to CTAF/approach and maintain situational awareness of when jumpers are in the air, it really seemed like a huge overreaction.

For that reason I can sympathize with why some GA pilots would avoid drop zones, but I think it's curable through better education on how the process actually works.
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Lately NorCAL has been vectoring me around Yolo as well in the King Air at 16.5. One day I may understand aviation...
 
MikeD said:
It's BS that just because there's a NOTAM, there will be less airport traffic.

The NOTAM is simply there to give a heads up to people arriving/ departing. Planes and jumpers can easily co-exist at the same GA airport, just with a little communication and some better visual lookout.
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Especially since nobody checks em anyway...
 
Lake Elsinore in SoCal is does jumps 7 days a week and I've had no problems flying right through their jump zone. I learned that it's always a good idea to monitor approach though. One time I was flying from north to south over the lake and SoCal cancelled my flight following because they usually can't maintain radar coverage at that alt. (I think I was around 2500ft), but I was still monitoring approach. Coincedentially there happened to be a Twin Otter about 10000ft over my head waiting to drop their jumpers. Luckily I'm a nice guy and I deviated a few miles off course to get clear of them. Finally SoCal gave them the go ahead to jump and I looked to my right and saw half a dozen chutes open up not more than a couple miles away. I don't know how other places operate but I've seen that the skydivers there are very mindful of aircraft in the area and they won't just push guys out with out when you're underneath them. That being said, I feel fairly comfortable flying around skydivers, as long as both sides take precautions to avoid a "human/airplane conflict".
 
I prefer to avoid airports with jumpers, but will go if I have too. (Actually both of my solo XCs were to airports with jumpers, but I didn't really get to pick.)
 
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