diverdriver

Dang Todd... Blue Skies. We had fun. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

No comparrison. You changed the rules. Nope record stands. Will have to put an asteric next to your 50! LOL... Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

From memory I think I planned a cruise at @10k of 600pph total but it may have been slightly less than that. That was max cruise I believe and not max endurance. When I was cranking loads I would land in about 1,000 feet and pull off into the ramp/boarding area. If I was cranking loads I would be rolling on my takeoff as the last tandem I dropped at 13k AGL was landing. Most loads I did in one day was 37. Most loads I know having been done to full altitude in a day is 42 (done same day I did 37). That was a 10 dollar boogie years ago. Mark got a one hour jump on me that day. The bastahd. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

33! Holy cow. I was running sub 25 average. Of course airspace constraints will very and we owned the airport so pretty much the airspace was ours to do what we wanted in Ottawa. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Ok, I'll try to put this another way why I view it the way I do. The Caravan crashed in the NW on a ferry flight with nine jumpers. I started to talk about possible icing conditions. I have not flown a caravan in icing conditions (even though I have training on plenty of other aircraft that can). There is specific training required by Cessna for flying Caravans in icing conditions to be legal. Now, my training on other planes should suffice right? Wrong. My wife convinced me to take the online training Cessna put together (fifty bucks of my own cost and I don't fly the damn thing) JUST so I could have a point to talk from when recommending the training. And I LEARNED something. I am approaching 9,000 hours. I have an ATP. And taking a training course TAUGHT me something. I'm sure Bob is an accomplished stick and rudder guy and a nice DZO. But he didn't comply with the regs and he was already suspended once before. First offense I can grumble a little. Second infraction? It makes the whole sport look like a bunch of loose cannons. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Ok, we'll take it out. Now, how about that tandem that exited just before the suicide? He was in violation there. What do you have to say about that? The suicide was just the mode by which the pilot got found out.....AGAIN. I would imagine this pilot gets no sympathy from the FAA and gets a violation anywhere from 30 days to 90 days. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Ok, I'm not Sparky but I'd like to respond. I thought skydiving was self regulating and self policing? So when were people going to bring this up and get it straightened out? And let me say I've been on some planes with some "old timers" that scared the shit out of me too! It goes both ways. I'd like to have experienced people be the example on how to follow the rules and operate above board that way they can expect the people around them to operate above board. When we accept a little violation there and a little violation here where does it end? There are minor infractions and major infractions I'll agree. But in my book this is a MAJOR infraction. And the FAA usually thinks so too. You want more FAA scrutiny? Stuff like this happening is EXACTLY what is going to bring more of it on. It's just going to take the right Inspector who's buddies with the right Senator to get things changed. Are we going to clean our own house or have others do it for us? No one is turning on anyone other than someone clearly violating the FARs in a big way for a lot of years. What else was overlooked? It can only leave me wondering. Get your house in order and it takes away ALL of these questions. You people out there listening? I hope so. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

While not under Part 135 operations I believe a deciding factor can be whether the operation was "holding out to the public". Meaning, did they advertise to support their operation and offer services for hire? If they did it doesn't matter if the pilot was financially compensated or not. That is my understanding of the FAA/NTSB Law Judge. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Five years. Hard to believe. Seems to be a lifetime ago now and yet when you say "5 years" it seems just yesterday. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

If I remember right idle for a PT-6-27 was 100 pph/engine. I always thought I was "cranking loads" when I was on the takeoff roll as my last tandem was about to touch down. It really doesn't get to be any better on turn times. A HUGE fuel savings can come from having your pilots fly at best rate of climb religiously. Sloppy flying can cost lots of money. Pilots who do aerobatics to get on the ground faster are only stressing the plane more. What do they save? 30 seconds? 60 seconds? It's the climb. That's the key for the pilot. Find the direction of an increasing headwind = free lift. Thermals. Hitting jumprun altitude as you are powering back and hitting the green light (applies only to turbines that don't shock cool doing that) Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Sorry Phree but that 3-5 minutes of warmup just might prevent an engine failure. If an engine is not allowed proper time to get fully warmed up even in the summer the stress of takeoff power can cause failure. We should be careful about what we suggest. However, what people can do is get on, get buckled and set quickly so there is minimum time in between loads. That is where a lot of time can be wasted. People running to a plane idling on the ground no geared up can cost big money. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Greater Kansas City Skydiving Club wasn't a club. It had no dues. It advertised to the public to come learn to jump. We were required to have a Commercial License and at least a Class 2 medical. Did Duanesburg advertise to the public to come jump? Did the pilot pay to fly each load at least in part? Then it was a commercial operation and thus required the PIC to have a Commercial License and a Class 1 or 2 medical. This has been ruled on long ago by the NTSB Administrative Law Judge (I think I got that title right). It has been talked about in Parachutist. I have a section on it on my website DiverDriver.com. That any jumper says now that they "didn't know it wasn't right" just isn't listening or doesn't want to listen. It sucks this came out with a suicide. It does not diminish the severity of the violation. And, that the observer was not wearing a bailout rig with the door open in flight seems to go against every modification paperwork I've ever heard of on a 182. As far as I know they all state that EVERY occupant must wear an approved parachute if the door comes open in flight. Would it have prevented this suicide? Doubtful. But when do we get to pick which FARs we will follow and which ones we can just ignore? If I'm a great conversationalist around the bonfire and give extra altitude to my friends then it's not so bad? It doesn't work that way. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Didn't Jim Garrison jump in Gypsy Moths? The story I was told was that he did the low pull scene and that the director kept saying "lower, lower, gotta pull lower". So, Jim pulled so low he was basicly going in and the director was shaking in his shoes as Jim walked up and said "that fucking low enough for you?" It's what I was told. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Have I ever told you I'm a... pilot?

http://obit.baue.com/obitdisplay.html?id=544343&listing=Current Click the "url" button at the bottom of the text typing window. Enter your link. Then click the "/url" button (same button it just changes what will be put on the screen). Voila. Clicky.

I'll second that. I've been PMing with Steve for quite awhile now. I am so saddened to hear about this! Dang Steve go easy. BSBD. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Orly King started asking for ground speed readings from me in 1998. It developed into the exit seperation table we used at Skydive Chicago for many years. I am very glad to see that this is being posted by exit doors so everyone knows what to expect. Knowlege is power. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

A lone piper playing Amazing Grace. I have never, ever been able to keep the tears back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU8gBpRONHU Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Is this measured in hours or cycles? When I started tracking jump plane accidents and listing them for the public to see I was asked this. Almost 10 years ago. The accident rate for jump planes is estimated (the estimation comes from the USPA/FAA numbers provided for hours flown by the fleet per year) as 12 accidents per 100,000 hours of operation. This rate is DOUBLE the accident rate of General Aviation which includes student pilots, private pilots, and other commercial pilots. The next question I get is "yah, but we do more takeoffs and landings so it doesn't compare." Well, it does. We can look at flight instruction flights which are high cycle operations going from high power to low power to high power again. The accident rate per 100,000 hours of operation is LESS than 6.0. (6.0 is the accident rate of GA). The NTSB specificly says this rate is atributable to there being a commercial pilot (CFI) on boad keeping things according to regs for the most part. Their professionalism is noted for keeping the rate low. Well, skydiving has commercial pilots (mostly). And our rate is OVER DOUBLE their accident rate in very similar aircraft. Why? Lack of oversight and absolutely no standardized initial training in skydiving ops is what I believe to be the reason. I started flying skydivers in 1995. By 1998 I believed there was a serious problem with the jump plane fleet and how it was being operated. I took it apon myself to try and track it to back it up with numbers and I believe I have. I list the accidents I can find for all to see and form their own opinion. www.DiverDriver.com to other posters about pilots from florida schools.. ...oh, and I'm one of those sniveling punks from one of those pilot schools in Florida (cough..Daytona). Most people liked the way I flew them. I guess I got more training than those other punks coming out now. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Uh...The CRM I have had beaten into me for years is "CREW/COCKPIT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT" Never heard "company" used.... so who are you a check pilot for, FYI I know plenty of 737 pilots, many check airmen, not confined to one major, so be honest. Chances are they would know you. It's Company Resource Management now. And yes, I'm a check airman now. They believe that corporate culture plays into an outcome more than believed before. I may be in the cockpit but my company must provide training and oversight so I can do my job properly and keep my passengers safe. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Actually, I know a *lot* more about the maintenance of our jump aircraft than I do about the many aircraft I fly each month with major airlines. Two aircraft with a major airline that have had to be diverted in the last 10 years with me on them, and have had an EM120 flame out an engine, returning to the airport. Then there are the numerous go-arounds due to landing gear problems, and I'll never forget the Continental flight when the entire overhead luggage system fell from the ceiling on landing (fortunately there were safety chains, of which only one broke). You appear to have an agenda here, and that's fine. Most of us do. Yours seems to be more sinister. I'd like to see a comparison of jump aircraft flight numbers to commercial flight numbers; I'd guess jump plane percentages are very solid with far less oversight. Actually, we have a much worse record than commercial aviation. Comparing less with Airlines and more with like aircraft we have double the accident rate of general aviation and a HIGHER percentage of crashes than flight instruction flights and part 135 flights. We've been down this discussion path before. Skydiving does NOT stack up. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

My turn. Wow quite the discussion of jump plane ops. Reminds me of some posts I made on rec.skydiving back in 1998. Ten years ago. Since then, the number of jump plane accidents have gone up and then dropped back down. The only educational website for jump plane ops I know of is mine www.diverdriver.com. USPA always backs away from anything relating to training of pilots and oversight of aircraft maintenance. What I thought would be a good idea would be an expansion of FAR Part 105. In there we could develop a training sylabus or PTS for a jump pilot. Each type of jump plane C-182/C-206/KA-90/DHC-6 etc would have a seperate sign off. How that sign off would happen would need to be developed. Would there be DEs or would it be like towing gliders? The person with a commercial license and a signoff can do the training. It recognizes the uniqueness of the activity yet does not overly complicate things driving businesses out of business needlessly. Each DZ should have a yearly inspection or two from the FSDO. This is a commercial operation and there should be oversight. Checks and balance. Right now we do not have balance. We should make sure our pilots have covered a minimum of subjects and training to flying jumpers. We can not hope that our pilots just pick up on the right conversations before something bad happens. We need to know they know what can happen before it happens. That is why I list all the jump plane accidents I can find. We need to learn from the past as we repeat the same accidents over and over. Please, use my website to help train your pilots. Use it as a loose framework and tailor it to your operation. There is no reason for any jump pilot to say they didn't get much help as the DZO was not a pilot. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

J E, Send me your current number man. We need to talk. Anyone know J E could you have him contact me here via PM? Thank you. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

A tiger? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

To those I have offended by linking I am sorry. And I knew some may not like that I did. But also thought how odd it was that someone could capture any headline and then try to act like they knew anything about it. I hit the post button with pretty much the same thought as karenmeal. I have plenty of dead skydiving friends and I've heard a lot of stuff said about them over the years. Lots good. Some bad. This person in the video wasn't saying anything bad about Casey. They're just twisted in the head. And people think skydivers are crazy? No, this person in the video is crazy. I hope she receives the help they obviously need. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125