Aviation MegaThread!!!!

[No False Enthusiasm]

Airborne School... those ain't "perfectly good airplanes"...

Those are Air Force aircraft... glad I always wore a chute.... T-10, in my day....

NFE

[Heyload]

Originally Posted by No False Enthusiasm

Airborne School... those ain't "perfectly good airplanes"...

Those are Air Force aircraft... glad I always wore a chute.... T-10, in my day....

NFE

Nah, we just make 'em look like crap so you are more willing to fling yourselves out of 'em.....

That's also how the crew chiefs know when to add hydraulic fluid...if it ain't covered in it, that means it's out...

Alright, alright...it's a "perfectly good airplane...as built by the lowest bidder on the contract."

Of course, those T-10's were also made by the lowest bidder, just saying.

Hell, I remember packing G-12's back in the 80's that were "new", straight out of the crate..and the data panel showed they were made in 1958!
But they held up alot better than that batch we had that was made in '84..those things were crap. Blown panels left and right...

[mr_magicfingers]

Originally Posted by slideways

That King Air belongs to a friend of mine, it is hotted up with special engines and props and regularly will beat the jumpers to the ground. With the right pilot at the controls. The team I was on years ago used to practice out of that plane and it was cool to watch him pass us in freefall.

Is that Mike Mullin's king air by any chance? If so, I've ridden that a few times at Quincy, it was quite a ride. Particularly when we went up to 22k', 2 mins of freefall, I won't forget that in a hurry, no formation exits just everyone hangs up their masks and gets out of the door. Pulled a couple of nice long speed stars after exit.

Quincy was a dream come true, so many crazy things to jump out of: 727 jet, upside down out of a biplane, balloons, helicopters etc. Absolute blast.

[Hay Ewe]

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

Quincy was a dream come true, so many crazy things to jump out of: 727 jet, upside down out of a biplane, balloons, helicopters etc. Absolute blast.

Please tell more, pics as well?

Hay Ewe

[slideways]

Originally Posted by Hay Ewe

Please tell more, pics as well?

Hay Ewe

The World Freefall Convention was crazy fun.



How many people can say they have jumped out of a Super Coni?

The prop blast as you left the door was amazing it was a cushion of air you could ride on while you were sub terminal.


The jet jump was way coolio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3M5TPr0lBo

[Flying-D]

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

Is that Mike Mullin's king air by any chance? If so, I've ridden that a few times at Quincy, it was quite a ride. Particularly when we went up to 22k', 2 mins of freefall, I won't forget that in a hurry, no formation exits just everyone hangs up their masks and gets out of the door. Pulled a couple of nice long speed stars after exit.

Quincy was a dream come true, so many crazy things to jump out of: 727 jet, upside down out of a biplane, balloons, helicopters etc. Absolute blast.

That's the one I jumped out of. If I recall, he's from the Memphis area...

[Daniii]

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

Is that Mike Mullin's king air by any chance? If so, I've ridden that a few times at Quincy, it was quite a ride. Particularly when we went up to 22k', 2 mins of freefall, I won't forget that in a hurry, no formation exits just everyone hangs up their masks and gets out of the door. Pulled a couple of nice long speed stars after exit.

Quincy was a dream come true, so many crazy things to jump out of: 727 jet, upside down out of a biplane, balloons, helicopters etc. Absolute blast.

When you jump out of a 727, is it out the rear ramp stairs?

[chazbird]

The DB Cooper door?

If you were to wear portable oxygen I suppose one could jump from the 727's service ceiling altitude, 37,000-39,000 ft. How long a free fall could that be? 3-4 minutes?

[No False Enthusiasm]

Here's a laymans calc of free fall time...

Exit Altitude: 39000 feet
Pull Altitude: 10000 feet

Free Fall: 29000 feet or about 5.5 miles



Terminal Velocity... about 120 MPH or 2 miles per minute

5.5 miles divided by 2 miles per minute equals 2.75 or 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

Given that it will a little time to accelerate to Vmax, try 3 minutes...

I'll watch from the ground... I was happy to have the static line...

NFE

PS: consider that all disclaimers to apply before attempting this jump...

[slideways]

Originally Posted by No False Enthusiasm

Here's a laymans calc of free fall time...

Exit Altitude: 39000 feet
Pull Altitude: 10000 feet

Free Fall: 29000 feet or about 5.5 miles



Terminal Velocity... about 120 MPH or 2 miles per minute

5.5 miles divided by 2 miles per minute equals 2.75 or 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

Given that it will a little time to accelerate to Vmax, try 3 minutes...

I'll watch from the ground... I was happy to have the static line...

NFE

PS: consider that all disclaimers to apply before attempting this jump...

I have jumped from 30,000 with a pull at 3000 canopy at 2500.

It is all fun except it is cold as a witches tit at 30,000.

[chazbird]

What did you use for O2? O2 in the plane, walk to the door with a mask on and then jump free without O2? TUC up there is about 35 seconds. I suppose, if you weren't exceptionally fit, you could go under or brown out, but supposedly would reawaken in the low 20's, or you'd just barely miss the going out because you could be in the mid 20's in 40-45 seconds. In any case it would have been quite the trip.

If you're in protected or some sort of reserved airspace is it legal to jump through cloud decks? That would be fun; jump from 20,000 ft or so, and go through a stratus at 11,000 ft and come out at 6,000 feet. It might not be legal, but someone has done it, and not someone who's had to eject. I did read an account of someone who bailed out in a century series fighter at some high altitude with a automatic chute deployment, only to find himself tangled up in a thunderstorm, taking him violently up and down for along time mostly unconscious - enough to freeze the moisture in his eyes, etc.

By the way, Slideways, your pictures are excellent.

[Hay Ewe]

Jumping out at what was it - 30,000 - i guess
a) you earnt your paypacket that day
b) I dont want to know where you where
c) or what you were doing
d) the tax payer got his money worth that day

or if you did it for fun - thats nucking futs!

Hay Ewe

[mr_magicfingers]

Originally Posted by Hay Ewe

Please tell more, pics as well?

Hay Ewe

I went in '98, so no digital camera and very few film shots. However, this is me hanging off the Pitts S2, moments before letting go.



and this is my 100th jump which I did at the event, a 2 point 8way. I'm in the yellow/red/blue suit nearest camera.



Jumping the 727 was really interesting. It's a cargo 727 where you get in the big side door and every one sits down in rows. The aircraft does 2 passes with half the passengers getting out on each pass. You go out of the airstair door at the back, they screw plywood over the steps and everyone does a shuffle run out the door to get everyone out as quick as possible, you basically keep a gentle hold on the rig of the person in front of you and keep moving. A couple of steps on the ramp and you're away. You exit into a bubble of still air and as you drop through it the slipstream takes hold of you and fires you out, it's utterly hilarious, the slipstream is about 230mph horizontal and you gradually slow down to about 120mph vertical speed.

This isn't me but this is what it looks like.



Yes, I have an official DB Cooper number

The jump from 22k', we put on oxygen masks at 10k then at 22k' the light goes on, you take the masks off and hang them up then open the door and quickly exit.

A rough guide to how long a freefall takes is that the first 1000' takes 10 seconds then it's 5 seconds per thousand feet thereafter to pull height.

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by slideways

I have jumped from 30,000 with a pull at 3000 canopy at 2500.

It is all fun except it is cold as a witches tit at 30,000.

For the military?

[slideways]

Originally Posted by chazbird

King Air Vmo for a 200 = 260, for a 90 = 226, both in KTS. For a turbine they use Vmo (max operating) instead of Vne. But that's splitting hairs - I'm just sorta kinda interested if there are dive outfits that go beyond Vmo, that 300 you quote for a King Air 200 would do it. Maybe things have been cleaned up but there have been, once upon a time, some reputations in the business that were reported to be less than stellar - although I'm not in the bizz, so what do I know? I do know once a plane is consigned to being a jump plane it is well used and thereafter its resale value is virtually nil, except to another dive out fit. (massive cycles for one). So, I was wondering with that sort of background what the mentality may be as far as airspeed excursions.

When a King or Otter lands do they keep one or both engines running as they load the jumpers? I could see a definite operational/cycle reduction value in that, as well as a definite risk.

I think the USPA has done a great job working with DZ owners and the FAA to insure the safety of the aircraft and the jumpers. Years ago there may have been some questionable aircraft and pilots flying loads.

On busy days the planes do not shut down , they land and load immediately. 20 loads a day is not uncommon where I jump. Now they are flying a Caravan during the winter they will bring in a twin otter and a 212 Casa. They also hot fuel between loads.

The Caravan is a great single turbine jump plane, plus now with the XP42A upgrade which swaps out the Caravan's standard 675 SHP PT6A-114A engine for a more powerful 850 SHP PT6A-42A it becomes a little rocket ship on climb out with a full load of jumpers.
Quote from Caravan on steroids article
" The XP42A mod is for skydiving
centers, we experimented with the
skydive descent at flight idle, pushing
over to maintain the 180-knot redline.
With the VSI pegged solid at 3000
fpm down, we timed an eardrum-splitting
4000 fpm descent, then quickly
resumed a 500 fpm letdown.
Combining the improved climb rate
and rapid descent, skydive centers will
be able to take four loads per hour to
the top of the non-oxygen altitudes".


All the jump pilots I know take their flying very seriously, I know that many of them are building time to get a job with the airlines or further there careers in aviation. Plus the large amount of time and money it takes to learn to fly these days and the competition for jobs in the industry, fucking up is not an option.