jump pilot ops ?

[Vavso]

I notice in the area where I live they fly jumpers at considerably high altitudes and through scattered /broken cloud layers. Is it legal to jump in those conditions ? How do jump pilots get to altitude on days when there are broken layers while remaining vfr ? Thanks vavso

 

[minitour]

How do jump pilots get to altitude on days when there are broken layers while remaining vfr ? Thanks vavso

Climb to VFR On Top? That's the best guess I got...and it's only a guess...don't know man...

-mini

 

[garf12]

as they said at the DZ I went to, "what clouds, all I see is industrial smog."

Of course they were kidding, from what I could tell they seemed very safe and professional.

 

[FN FAL]

I notice in the area where I live they fly jumpers at considerably high altitudes and through scattered /broken cloud layers. Is it legal to jump in those conditions ? How do jump pilots get to altitude on days when there are broken layers while remaining vfr ? Thanks vavso

The jumpers and the aircraft have to maintain VFR cloud clearances at all times...the problem with jumpers is that sometimes conditions change and they don't have the ability to climb or navigate around things once they leave the aircraft.

Another thing you might want to take into consideration is that what may appear to be cloud busting, may not be that at all. From the angle that you may be viewing skydiving operations, it may appear that the parachutist is closer to a cloud than he appears.

 

[minitour]

The jumpers and the aircraft have to maintain VFR cloud clearances at all times...the problem with jumpers is that sometimes conditions change and they don't have the ability to climb or navigate around things once they leave the aircraft.

Sorry, I know it's trivial, but I have to ask:

Do jumpers going through clouds suffer the same illusions that you do while sitting in an airplane going through clouds?

How much static electricity do they pick up going through?

-mini

 

[FN FAL]

Sorry, I know it's trivial, but I have to ask:

Do jumpers going through clouds suffer the same illusions that you do while sitting in an airplane going through clouds?

How much static electricity do they pick up going through?

-mini

Actually, I never did such a thing, nor would I be at liberty to discuss such a thing if it did in fact happen...but I would imagine that there is quite a bit of illusion AND sensory deprivation when free falling or driving a parachute canopy in a cloud.

 

[navigator72]

Skydiving vs clouds

I used to fly jumpers and on broken or OVC days we either climbed to the base of the clouds at which point skydiving would commence or we would try to find a big hole to continue climbing. There were those days when you would see a big opening in the clouds and by the time we got there, the hole would have been filled in. As far as skydiving through clouds. There are those times when skydivers will fall into a cloud but I have heard they don't like it too much. It tends to be very wet and cold in clouds. Plus when you are falling at a high rate of speed, those little moisture droplets hurt (doh!).

 

[freeflyer14]

Sorry, I know it's trivial, but I have to ask:

Do jumpers going through clouds suffer the same illusions that you do while sitting in an airplane going through clouds?

How much static electricity do they pick up going through?

-mini

1) Sort of...but anyone with any experience can fly their body without really seeing, you fly your surfaces with the relative wind

2) Not sure??

Going through clouds just fogs up your goggles/sunglasses a little, gets ya a little wet maybe, but thats about it. I jump video usually, and it fogs up the camera lens so pretty much anything after going through a cloud is not going to show up well for a while until the lens clears up. I find it is a lot more fun to fall down the side of a tall cumulus cloud, it gives you an idea how fast you are really going.

As far as getting to altitude on broken days... a jump pilot could tell you how, but then they'd have to kill you.