Did my first flight as a jump pilot today
04-14-2012, 10:48 AM
#11
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Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: Tiki bar
Posts: 2,634
A tip: Watch chutes when people are sitting in the door, AKA 'the slot' (space next to your seat). I had a tandem pilot chute get loose as they were sliding into position, got sucked out into the slipstream and opened the main while they were sitting in the door. Added full right rudder as I saw the huge flash of fabric fly out and they missed the tail by inches. Be alert and always wear a chute yourself!
04-15-2012, 10:10 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2011
Position: Gear swinger
Posts: 191
Happened to me on my 3rd load Friday... You just get so accustomed to jumping in and out...I've been getting the door down much easier now, but sometimes it's a slight struggled to actually lock it, so it would swing back open... I leaned over a little bit too much and I was like oh ******* my seatbelt! I strapped that on real tight! Won't forget that again.
And yes, I've been making sure to be very aware of the placement of students and instructors a like when they hop into the aircraft. No problems yet, but its still early in my career lol.
04-15-2012, 12:02 PM
#13
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jan 2010
Position: A320 Right Seat
Posts: 70
That spot looks good!!
Hey Aces, congrats on the job, its great isn’t it? I’m in my 2nd year flying jumpers and love every minute of it. I think someone mentioned it already please be careful with students climbing out while a pilot chute comes out or the reserve pops out. Be ready to apply full right rudder to get that tail out the way. Get one of the experienced jumpers to show you the batman hang. Legs over the top of the wind and hanging from his legs on the leading edge, pretty cool exit. Also those are not clouds, it’s industrial haze.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Have fun and be safe!
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Have fun and be safe!
04-16-2012, 09:55 AM
#14
Citation X driver
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Position: citation x driver
Posts: 56
As the title states, finally got to fly my first load as a commercial pilot and jump pilot today out of KFWN in Northern NJ. It's pretty neat because this is my hometown and the odd's of getting an aviation job in rural Sussex County, NJ and in my hometown airport is pretty darn cool.
Takeoff was pretty uneventful, did my climbout. Had some transponder issues but NY APP was very helpful and I had let her know this was my first (yes first I said it, i know i must buy beer :P) run as a jump pilot and she was very kinda throughout the whole process.
Had to do a little hole searching, as I didn't want to bust any FAA regs due to cloud clearance it took a little longer than usual when it came to do the actual do the jumprun.
I wasn't nervous until it came time to do the jump run, and boy the feeling is kinda weird when you just see the people that were with you just let go of the a/c and it's just you in the plane. Mind you it's pretty cold at 10,5 with the door wide open...About that door.
Everything went without a hitch besides me getting the door closed (Cessna 182) I tried to swing it over nothing. I tried closing it with armstrength, nothing... I did a combo of both, nothing.. So I eventually said, I need to get down and left the bloody door open. (Any jump pilots looking at this if you have any tips or advice to do it easier feel free to chime in!)
Although I've been a member of this site for a short period of time, thanks to the members for the insight, knowledge, and advice given along the way. Happy flying and blue skies to all of you!
Takeoff was pretty uneventful, did my climbout. Had some transponder issues but NY APP was very helpful and I had let her know this was my first (yes first I said it, i know i must buy beer :P) run as a jump pilot and she was very kinda throughout the whole process.
Had to do a little hole searching, as I didn't want to bust any FAA regs due to cloud clearance it took a little longer than usual when it came to do the actual do the jumprun.
I wasn't nervous until it came time to do the jump run, and boy the feeling is kinda weird when you just see the people that were with you just let go of the a/c and it's just you in the plane. Mind you it's pretty cold at 10,5 with the door wide open...About that door.
Everything went without a hitch besides me getting the door closed (Cessna 182) I tried to swing it over nothing. I tried closing it with armstrength, nothing... I did a combo of both, nothing.. So I eventually said, I need to get down and left the bloody door open. (Any jump pilots looking at this if you have any tips or advice to do it easier feel free to chime in!)
Although I've been a member of this site for a short period of time, thanks to the members for the insight, knowledge, and advice given along the way. Happy flying and blue skies to all of you!
04-16-2012, 01:50 PM
#15
On Reserve
Joined APC: Apr 2012
Position: Whale Herder
Posts: 19
Please clear the area every jump. Still remember flying cross country in a Citabria back in the 80's and almost having a mid-air with a jumper. Looked like a brightly colored sack of potatoes went zipping by my wing. I looked up to see a Beech-18 pukeing out jumpers 2000' above on my heading. Nearest jump field was 30nm away and had the CTAF up just in case, but no announcement was given, so still not sure what those guys were thinking, I rolled over on my back and pulled out on a 145 degree heading going fast as possible away from the first jumper that coasted past me, I m sure if the jumper had hit me we would have both been toast.
04-17-2012, 07:03 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2011
Position: Gear swinger
Posts: 191
Please clear the area every jump. Still remember flying cross country in a Citabria back in the 80's and almost having a mid-air with a jumper. Looked like a brightly colored sack of potatoes went zipping by my wing. I looked up to see a Beech-18 pukeing out jumpers 2000' above on my heading. Nearest jump field was 30nm away and had the CTAF up just in case, but no announcement was given, so still not sure what those guys were thinking, I rolled over on my back and pulled out on a 145 degree heading going fast as possible away from the first jumper that coasted past me, I m sure if the jumper had hit me we would have both been toast.
04-17-2012, 01:03 PM
#17
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Joined APC: Oct 2008
Position: Any port in the storm
Posts: 235
04-17-2012, 08:45 PM
#18
New Hire
Joined APC: Dec 2011
Posts: 8
To Jump Pilot who made 1st run recently,
To get the door closed you need to put into a slip and at the
same time agressively snap the right aileron down then up really
fast. You basically are banking the wings to the right quickly to
get the door swinging downwards. You gotta do it a couple of
times to practice but after that it's not bad.
I flew jumpers for 530 hours in 182. I flew 3 different 182's and
1 or 2 of the doors was hard to close at times. Especially if I was
dropping jumpers at different altitudes and had to close the door
2-3 times on 1 jump run. Have fun out there, that was some of the
craziest flying I've ever done... Oh yeah, always make sure there is
no traffic on a course to fly over the drop zone before you tell approach
jumpers away... Good-luck!
To get the door closed you need to put into a slip and at the
same time agressively snap the right aileron down then up really
fast. You basically are banking the wings to the right quickly to
get the door swinging downwards. You gotta do it a couple of
times to practice but after that it's not bad.
I flew jumpers for 530 hours in 182. I flew 3 different 182's and
1 or 2 of the doors was hard to close at times. Especially if I was
dropping jumpers at different altitudes and had to close the door
2-3 times on 1 jump run. Have fun out there, that was some of the
craziest flying I've ever done... Oh yeah, always make sure there is
no traffic on a course to fly over the drop zone before you tell approach
jumpers away... Good-luck!
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