Thirteen Colorado Skydivers Jump from Burning Plane

RDoug said:
I had no idea the King Air was used for skydiving
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ANY aircraft that has a door that can be opened in flight can be jumped out of--there was a DC-9 at one of the larger drop zones for a while until it broke and became too expensive to fix. Guys jump out of hot air balloons. You see a few types dominating because of their economics. Cheap to fly, low mx costs, minimal mx downtime, time to climb are some of the things that lean the industry towards certain types of planes.
 
I've only ever seen 90- series King Air used for jumps. Not any others.. Not saying other models don't, I've just never seen others myself.
 
fiveninerzero said:
ANY aircraft that has a door that can be opened in flight can be jumped out of--there was a DC-9 at one of the larger drop zones for a while until it broke and became too expensive to fix. Guys jump out of hot air balloons. You see a few types dominating because of their economics. Cheap to fly, low mx costs, minimal mx downtime, time to climb are some of the things that lean the industry towards certain types of planes.
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Skydive Perris has the DC-9. I was out there last year. Talked to one of the mx guys there; seems the issue is that the engines are timed out. The plane is still sitting on the field in Perris.
 
MikeD said:
I've only ever seen 90- series King Air used for jumps. Not any others.. Not saying other models don't, I've just never seen others myself.
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Kingair 90's and 200's I believe are type certificated to have the door removed to do paradrop activities without modification. Most places I believe put on a roll up door which would require its own STC.

Beech 99's are also used and I think I have even seen Kingair 100's being used. I'm not sure if those require STC's to have the door removed or not.

Most places are using 99's or 90's though, the only 200 operation that I specifically know of is Skydive Space Center in Florida.

Really surprised nobody has tried taking one of the large door Kingair 350's and used it as the big complaint with king airs are the small doors.,However, my guess is that the 200/350's are just too expensive which is why you don't see them and the fact that the 350 as far as I know is not certified for door off operations like the 90/200's are.
 
The pilot reported that one of the plane's engines was on fire and made a safe emergency landing after all of the skydivers jumped from the burning aircraft.
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Let me translate... Parachutes to pilot; We're outa here, you're airplane!
 
That:s gotta be disconcerting; to have an emergency and watch everyone (literally) bail out on you.
 
I was at a boogie one year, as the Otter was climbing out at about 2000 AGL, the right engine crapped itself. The jumpers just bailed out. The pilot told the guy in the right seat to tell the jumpers to strap in, so he looked back, saw only one Teva and a pair of goggles in the back, turned back forward and said, "Tell who?" We were picking up people scattered all over the county that afternoon.
 
fholbert said:
Yea, everyone bailing out has two chutes and you've got none! What's wrong with that picture?

Pilots Lives Matter!
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Jump pilots are required to wear a parachute while flying jumpers. I had that happen to me one day in a Cessna. While climbing about 7000 feet, a wire shorted out under the dash. My buddies popped the door, yelled "GOOD LUCK!" and bailed. Rotten bastards! At least they bought me some beers later that night.
 
@Cptnchia how many jumps do you have? The DZ keeps trying to get me to jump but I've yet to.

(semi-related note - one of the DZ jumpers is an Olympic athlete, going to the semis tomorrow!)
 
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