Parajumper breaks legs???

As an active jumper, jumpmaster, jump instructor, competitor, master
rigger, skydiver driver and drop zone employee at various times over
the last 30 years I can tell you that this was a tragic accident. For
one thing I have never seen a pilot spin a cessna 10,000 ft down and
pull out on downwind. Ever. I doubt it is even survivable in a Cessna.
I HAVE done as Stuart tells, a tight spiral that rolls out on downwind
to final that will beat a jumper to the ground. Every jump pilot
typically does a deadstick landing from the exit point to the ground.
Why? Time is money, ya gotta get the next load up. A jumper will
typically spend 30 sec to 1 minute in freefall and then spend 3 to 5
minutes under canopy, depending on his exit and pull altitudes. I have
also made many jumps at the Deland airport in the past. As I remember
it is about 2 miles to town, and presumably the hospital. Deland has a
big operation there. They have many jumpers going all the time. In
general gliders and jumpers like to approach any airport from upwind,
they drift into the field with the wind that way. That puts jumpers on
"approach" where we think of it as downwind or upwind near pattern
altitude. They turn and face the wind for an upwind landing during the
last few hundred feet of descent. Many times the jump pilots, jumpers
and local gliders are jockying in the same piece of the pattern.
Vigilence is required. This was a case of two people meeting by
accident, not by someone doing something erratic or out of the
ordinary. Uninformed and halfcocked statements and speculation about
jumpers are as big a disservice to them as the uninformed and
halfcocked statements about pilots that get us mad.
Justaguy

No as I recall it read to 6,000 but I remember winding the thing up past the
6 more than once.

--
Kathy Fields
Experimental Helo magazine
P. O. Box 1585
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 377-4478
(760) 408-9747 general and layout cell
(760) 608-1299 technical and advertising cell

www.vkss.com
www.experimentalhelo.com


"Rich Ahrens" wrote in message
...
Stuart Fields wrote:
As a past sky diver driver, I used to dump them at 7200 out of a Cessna
182,
and touch down the same time they did. The process I used was to first
close the cowl flaps, close the throttle to 15" of mp.and roll into a
steep
bank. I didn't spin but I did have a tight spiral and typically saw the
VSI
go to numbers like 8,000fpm.

You had a VSI in a 182 that read up to 8000?

Matt: I found out later that one of the other jumpers had walked up the
wing along side the fuselage before he jumed, and dropped a bag over the
pilot's head. The pilot thought it was me and proceeded to get even. This
was definitely back in the looser and crazier days.

--
Stuart Fields
Experimental Helo magazine
P. O. Box 1585
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 377-4478
(760) 408-9747 general and layout cell
(760) 608-1299 technical and advertising cell

www.vkss.com
www.experimentalhelo.com


"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Stuart Fields wrote:
As a past sky diver driver, I used to dump them at 7200 out of a Cessna
182,
and touch down the same time they did. The process I used was to first
close the cowl flaps, close the throttle to 15" of mp.and roll into a
steep
bank. I didn't spin but I did have a tight spiral and typically saw the
VSI
go to numbers like 8,000fpm.
I agree it does sound like the plane ran into the jumper. We used to
have a
BT-13 pilot that loved to split S after the jumpers left the back seat
and
then when the guys got their chutes open, he would buzz just over the
top of
your canopy. It gave me a good dose of adrenalin the first time he did
it
to me.

I think I'd give that pilot a good dose of adrenalin when I stuffed my
.44 mag under his nose after a stunt like that...


Matt

"Jerry Springer" wrote in message
...

videoguy wrote:

OK, lets explain this a little more to this non pilot and non jumper.
Seems to me that logic dictates that if the divers are all trying to land
at the airport, why would the jump plane try to get there around that
same time?

How long does it take for the divers to reach ground? 2 minutes? 4
minutes? Surely not much more than that. Why would the plane not descend
at a pace to place them in the pattern after the jumpers had cleared the
area? Does the 3-5 minutes flying time the plane saves by trying to beat
the jumpers seem significant?

I would appreciate any responders remembering that I am not a pilot, nor
a jumper. Answers with some supporting details would be appreciated.

Thanks,
GWK
Hmmmm.... video guy, looking for some gory details?

I don't know you, Mr. Springer, and as far as I know, you don't know me
either. But, as this is the second time you have responded to one of my
posts with comments that are neither constructive or useful, but simply
criptic, snide and rude, I will consider you to be someone who has little of
value to add to any discussion.

I fail to see where any of my post indicates even the remotest interest in
gory details. As someone who was unfamiliar with the sport of skydiving, I
asked what I considered to be valid questions.

Mr. Springer, or whatever your name really is, there is no need for you to
respond. I have decided to give your posts the consideration they deserve.

Regards,
GWK

wrote in message
ups.com...

[Very informative reply snipped]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't have any knowledge regarding skydiving
operations. Your desciption made things much easier to understand. Think
I'll try to locate a group in my area and go watch them some weekend.
Sounds like one could learn quite a bit by just being there.

GWK

"videoguy" wrote

I fail to see where any of my post indicates even the remotest interest in
gory details. As someone who was unfamiliar with the sport of skydiving,
I
asked what I considered to be valid questions.

I'm with you, on this one. Springer flew off the handle, with no good
reason.

In answer to your question, the big skydiving venues have more jumpers
waiting on the ground, to get a ride up. The sooner the jump plane is on
the ground, the sooner he can get loaded, and up again. Time is money, so
they rush as quickly as possible. The skydivers and the landing plane are
not supposed to be in the same area. My guess is that wind conditions were
different than expected, and the skydiver got in the wrong place, and
perhaps the plane was in the wrong place, also. Time will tell, as the
investigations take place.

Some planes, have turboprop engines, that are very powerful, and can climb
to altitude quickly with a heavy load. Right plane, for the job. Some of
them also have a feature called beta thrust, which allows the pilot to
reverse the propeller, so it pushes, or tries to push, the plane backwards.
This allows the plane to point almost straight down, select beta (reverse),
and keep the plane from exceeding the top allowable speed for the airplane.
Many planes with beta are not allowed to do this while flying, and only do
this after landing to slow the plane more quickly, or parking.
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
"videoguy" wrote

I fail to see where any of my post indicates even the remotest interest in
gory details. As someone who was unfamiliar with the sport of skydiving,

I

asked what I considered to be valid questions.


I'm with you, on this one. Springer flew off the handle, with no good
reason.

In answer to your question, the big skydiving venues have more jumpers
waiting on the ground, to get a ride up. The sooner the jump plane is on
the ground, the sooner he can get loaded, and up again. Time is money, so
they rush as quickly as possible. The skydivers and the landing plane are
not supposed to be in the same area. My guess is that wind conditions were
different than expected, and the skydiver got in the wrong place, and
perhaps the plane was in the wrong place, also. Time will tell, as the
investigations take place.

Some planes, have turboprop engines, that are very powerful, and can climb
to altitude quickly with a heavy load. Right plane, for the job. Some of
them also have a feature called beta thrust, which allows the pilot to
reverse the propeller, so it pushes, or tries to push, the plane backwards.
This allows the plane to point almost straight down, select beta (reverse),
and keep the plane from exceeding the top allowable speed for the airplane.
Many planes with beta are not allowed to do this while flying, and only do
this after landing to slow the plane more quickly, or parking.

Apparently Morgan you have not been around when guys with names like
video guy post in this newsgroup asking for videos of of airplane
crashes and all of the details so they can make videos for profit. This
has happened in this newsgroup on several occasions. If Video guy is not
that person or a person like that then I apologize. IMO it is not funny
when people go phishing for gory videos and details of peoples
misfortunes to make money.


Jerry

IMO it is not funny
when people go phishing for gory videos and details of peoples misfortunes
to make money.


Jerry

While I agree with your statement, I find it a little ironic considering the
name you post under.

BTW, it that's your real name, I apologize for my comment.

"Jerry Springer" wrote \

Apparently Morgan you have not been around when guys with names like
video guy post in this newsgroup asking for videos of of airplane
crashes and all of the details so they can make videos for profit. This
has happened in this newsgroup on several occasions. If Video guy is not
that person or a person like that then I apologize. IMO it is not funny
when people go phishing for gory videos and details of peoples
misfortunes to make money.


I've been around for several years now, and I also despise the crash
mongers. I have not seen any of this type of behavior from video guy, and
did not read any of that type of behavior in this line of questions.

An understandable sensitivity, but in this case I think (and hope) it is not
warranted.
--
Jim in NC

LCT Paintball wrote:
IMO it is not funny

when people go phishing for gory videos and details of peoples misfortunes
to make money.


Jerry


While I agree with your statement, I find it a little ironic considering the
name you post under.

BTW, it that's your real name, I apologize for my comment.


My real name:-) I just wish I made the money the TV Jerry Springer
Makes. I would hate to have such a stupid TV show though.

Jerry (the real) Springer