Alchemy
Well-Known Member
Anyone out there familiar with the pilot qualifications necessary to carry parachutists up for skydiving? Let me preface this by saying I don't know anything about it, and what I've listed here is based on a few hours of internet research and looking at CFR part 105 (haven't talked to anyone who's actually been involved in skydiving). When people find out I'm a commercial pilot, a lot of times they will ask if I can take skydivers up, what I would have to do, would it be legal for me to take them up, etc etc. It's my understanding that Sky diving operations are conducted under part 91, and that sky divers aren't considered "passengers". I'm still not quite clear on weather or not it would be legal for skydinving to be conducted for hire "common-carriage" style without a commercial operators certificate.
I can't seem to find much about pilot qualifications for skydiving ops in part 61 or part 105, other than "the pilot in command must be appropriatly rated for in the aircraft to be flown" and that the PIC must ensure that the jumpers are wearing a single harness double parachute that has been appriopriately packed. Other than that, most of the discussion in Advisory circulars related to pilots seems to regard documentation of weight and balance alteration for removing the door from an airplane, and accounting for shifting weight do to pax moving around and jumping out of the airplane. Is there specific pilot training required to drop parachutists? Is it the PIC's or skydivers' responsibility to make sure the skydivers know how to jump out of the plane properly? Isn't it possible for a skydiver to strike the horizontal stabilizier with their body if they're jumping out of the rear cargo door in an aircraft like a C-206 or a Light twin?
I'm guessing that all Skydivers are supposed to hold a USPA license or else jump with a USPA instructor? However, I can't find anything in the FAR's that says the skydivers MUST have licenses issued by this organization.
Anyone have more info? Just for a hypothetical situation, say I had a few friends who were USPA rated with properly packed chutes, and they wanted me to take them up and let them jump out of a rented airplane. Assuming I informed ATC w/ about all the necessary data listed in part 105, it was okay with the owner/operator of the plane, had the door removed and the weight and balance documented, what else would I need to do for the operation to be legal?
I can't seem to find much about pilot qualifications for skydiving ops in part 61 or part 105, other than "the pilot in command must be appropriatly rated for in the aircraft to be flown" and that the PIC must ensure that the jumpers are wearing a single harness double parachute that has been appriopriately packed. Other than that, most of the discussion in Advisory circulars related to pilots seems to regard documentation of weight and balance alteration for removing the door from an airplane, and accounting for shifting weight do to pax moving around and jumping out of the airplane. Is there specific pilot training required to drop parachutists? Is it the PIC's or skydivers' responsibility to make sure the skydivers know how to jump out of the plane properly? Isn't it possible for a skydiver to strike the horizontal stabilizier with their body if they're jumping out of the rear cargo door in an aircraft like a C-206 or a Light twin?
I'm guessing that all Skydivers are supposed to hold a USPA license or else jump with a USPA instructor? However, I can't find anything in the FAR's that says the skydivers MUST have licenses issued by this organization.
Anyone have more info? Just for a hypothetical situation, say I had a few friends who were USPA rated with properly packed chutes, and they wanted me to take them up and let them jump out of a rented airplane. Assuming I informed ATC w/ about all the necessary data listed in part 105, it was okay with the owner/operator of the plane, had the door removed and the weight and balance documented, what else would I need to do for the operation to be legal?
