Non-DZ jumping??

[Pammi 0]

Out of curiousity, has anyone ever been able to talk a pilot into 'dropping you off' in a place other then a DZ? I'm going back home for 'relative work' this weekend and am seriously considering calling the small airport there to see if anyone just 'happens' to be flying this weekend, and if they would mind 'an observer' coming along who just 'happens' to decide she's done with the ride at about 10,000 feet or so.
What sort of fines would be involved for the pilot and myself in such an instance (and we were caught)?
A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

[freeflir29 0]

Well....technically I believe you are supposed to file a NOTAM any time you plan to jump. Other than that, if you don't "pay" the pilot it's not technically illegal for him to fly you without a commercial license. The chances of you or the pilot actually getting caught are pretty slim unless you get out over the local Wal-Mart for an impromptu demo. I know a lot of people and even flown one that do "pirate" jumping. The one I flew got out over a private airport a friend of my Dad's owned and it was my Dad's airplane so nobody was complaining.
"The cab driver said... he recognized my girly by the back of her head" -Beasty Boys
Clay

[Jessica 0]

I remember talking to some guys at my DZ about this...they were probably just blowing smoke, but they advised telling the authorities, if caught:
1) "Oh my God, I fell out of the plane!!"
2) Then, "Thank GOD I happened to have this parachute on!!"

[Geoff 0]

You probably won't get caught if everything goes OK.
In the UK a couple of months ago, a guy illegally jumped a DC3 over an airfield where he was planning to land. The run-in was too fast. He struck the tail and broke his arm (fortunately the plane wasn't damaged.) He then spun and tumbled unstable (due to the broken arm), and was just able to pull his reserve in time. It partially opened, and he slammed into the roof of a hangar.
He survived with only his broken arm, and maybe some ribs, plus a lot of bruises.
It was obviously impossible to keep this quiet, and I'm pretty sure he's now banned from jumping.
For info, he had over 2000 jumps, and no AAD.
Be real careful if you try this! I guess it's easier in North America - there's a lot more empty space.
Cheers
Geoff

[Aviatrr 0]

Out of curiousity, has anyone ever been able to talk a pilot into 'dropping you off' in a place other then a DZ?
Well, the only legal requirements are that the pilot file a NOTAM and notify ATC when the jump occurs.. I don't recommend trying this from a non-skydiving equipped airplane.....especially by somebody of low experience.. How exactly would you plan to exit? Exiting a Cessna with a regular door can be interesting - and cause some dangers.. You won't have a nice, big platform on the wheel to step on, so make sure you dive out, miss the gear, and don't dive straight back or you could hit the tail.. Is it really worth it?

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What sort of fines would be involved for the pilot and myself in such an instance (and we were caught)?

Depends on the circumstances.. If you land on an airport, you could be arrested for trespassing, or even much worse.. If you land on an airport with airline service, and you land inside the SIDA(area off limits to everybody but airline and support personnel), you could be arrested for that and face federal charges.. I believe the maximum fine for violating the SIDA - if that's all you are charged with - is $10,000 and/or 5 years in prison.. Plus, they would confiscate your rig..
Mike

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

We used to all regularly land at my dad's ranch on the last lift of the day. Some of us even landed in the pool on occasion. If it is only a few people, or if you are not in crowded airspace, then it's not a big deal at all and you can be pretty safe winging it. NOTAMS are not a big deal to file, so doing one for a pre-planned event is the norm. Jumping out of a plane that is not being flown by a jump pilot is something entirely different. The extra drag created by a jumper out there on the step for any period of time is very alien to recreational pilots. Some pilots are not comfortable flying with the door off. From personal experience, I can tell you that it is a complete bitch to exit a plane with the standard door still in place.
Chuck

[freeflir29 0]

"Exiting a Cessna with a regular door can be interesting - and cause some dangers."
Funny you should bring that up. The guy I put out had over 2,000 jumps and a Pro rating. I was flying a C-150. He started pushing the door open and put a foot out. Well, he was about halfway out when he just sort of disapeered quickly. I found out that the step on my strut was loose and slipped down as he was getting out. I wondered why he just tumbled away....LOL
"The cab driver said... he recognized my girly by the back of her head" -Beasty Boys
Clay

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I have jumped a 150 with the door on and our old 1937 Aeronca Chief with the door on. Just kind of pushed out and tumbled to the rear. Not a very big deal, but very cramped inside with a rig on.

[Aviatrr 0]

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I found out that the step on my strut was loose and slipped down as he was getting out. I wondered why he just tumbled away....LOL

I got out of a Cessna 210 once....the gear was up, and I didn't even think about it.. No gear, no strut, and a regular door.. I pushed the door open, started reaching for the step on the gear with my leg(couldn't see where my foot was, though)...figured I'd inch out until I found it.. I was 50ft below the airplane before I realized what happened.. DOH!
Mike

[Pammi 0]

Hey thanks for the responses guys! It's really more of a dream then a possibility that I would get to do it...but just thought I'd get some feedback in case the opportunity ever did actually come up.
On one hand...it would be in Kansas, and there's *all kinds* of flat open space there. On the other, finding a pilot who'd let me open the door was one thing I had heard might be difficult to do (I actually jumped from a plane with a 'pilot-in-training' not long ago, and was on his second load ever. He was still a little freaked by the first bunch that went!). There were a lot of things you guys brought up that I hadn't thought of though.
It definately wouldn't be worth the risk at this point in my skydiving career it sounds like. Perhaps one day when I get my 'skygod' status? Then again....

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For info, he had over 2000 jumps, and no AAD.

Perhaps I'll continue dreaming ... :)
A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

[wingnut 0]

pammi,
let me tell you from experiance. finding a pilot that is not a jump pilot to fly you is very hard. a friend is your best bet. i was a counselor at a 4-h camp this summer for a week and i wanted to do a demo into the camp for the closing ceremony. i tried for a week to find a pilot to fly me cheap. it never happend. i finally had to pay a local dz to fly me as a demo jumper. i did find out you can make a "demo" jump with only an "A" liscence!!!! and a notam,but ya got to meet certain restrictions like a non-congested landing area and a few other things. another leson i learned from that jump is always remeber about the slope of a hill for landing. i was going upwind but downhill and i had to flat turn about 50ft off the ground to land crosswind so i would actually hit the ground closer to the crowd instead of all the way down a 500' hill! it was fun though!!!!!

"up my noooossseee"- wingnut, at first euro dz.com boogie

[Merrick 0]

I look at it this way baby, we'll just wait until my leg heals good enough for me to make a jump.... and there's always that friend of your brother's that has the hot-air balloon! that should eliminate at least half of those problems....
Of course, that doesn't really help ya' for this weekend does it!? LOL Ahhh.... welcome to my non-jumping world!
"If words were wisdom, I'd be talkin' even more.."

[freeflir29 0]

Damn Merrick....no nookie for you this evening!
"The cab driver said... he recognized my girly by the back of her head" -Beasty Boys
Clay

[freaksister 0]

Sweetie, I think you're just going to have to hang out with the whuffos this weekend. :(
Merrick, be nice! Good grief! You don't expect her to not jump just because of you do ya?! You're going to make her guilt even worse...oh wait, is that what you were trying to do?? Sis
I lust for the ultimate rush...

[johnny1488 1]

I've thought about it too. Especially looking at this page and picking all the places in my town where i could do my own private demos. Need to learn to spot my town in case I ever have the chance.
www.terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com