JUMP PILOT'S

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JUMP PILOT'S

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							JUMP PILOT’S HANDBOOK
          &
 AIRCRAFT OPERATION
 PROCEDURES MANUAL
       June 2005




                                       APF 2005
          PRODUCED BY THE AUSTRALIAN PARACHUTE FEDERATION.




           1
2
                                         FOREWORD
  Pilots involved in flying for parachute clubs and centres throughout Australia vary considerably, in
experience, the aircraft they fly, the conditions under which they fly and their ideas on how they
should fly.

  Some parachutists, drop zone operators and aircraft owners who are not pilots assume that a pilot’s
basic flying training should enable the pilot to operate safely and efficiently but experience has
shown that this is not always the case.

  Generally the aircraft is the most valuable single piece of equipment used on the drop zone and
most necessary for the operation. It must be remembered that it also can be the most lethal if not
operated correctly.

  This handbook is designed to assist new and existing jump pilots to understand operational
requirements, to offer some advice with regard to parachuting practices and to provide an insight into
what services a jump pilot may be expected to perform.

Appendix I. contains a Parachuting Aircraft Procedures Manual that has been provided as a
sample document using a fictitious Parachute club and a Cessna 182 aircraft in a typical operation.
Clubs are encouraged to obtain blank copies of this manual from the APF and apply their own
particular requirements, aircraft, and procedures as an aid to the aircraft operations, and above all to
enhance the safety and efficiency of the entire parachute operation.
  It should be applied in conjunction with the aircraft Pilot Operating Handbook, aircraft Flight
Manual if applicable, CAOs, CARs and the relevant aviation information publications.

Appendix 2. contains a checklist that may be used by the Drop Zone Safety Officer, or a Pilot to
verify the basic integrity of the club’s “Airlift Component”. It may prove useful as a self audit.

Appendix 3. gives the new recruit or the old hand a chance to air their knowledge. It may be used as
a training aid or as a tool in the club’s risk management strategy.

This edition includes a reference to the pilot’s responsibility under Op Reg 5.2.11 to ensure that no
adverse stress is placed on external structures of the aircraft, and is included at the request of the
Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

  Take care and enjoy your jump flying.

  Grahame Hill
  APF Director - Aircraft Operations

IMPORTANT.
                                Parachuting is dangerous.
This handbook has been produced for the information of pilots and APF members. The
information it contains is based on the opinions of the writers: it does not necessarily
represent APF policy. While the writers have attempted to ensure that the information
in this manual is correct, it may contain information which is out of date or incorrect.

Individual pilots and operators should check the information in this manual and assess
the risks involved before carrying out any of the procedures described.

This handbook is produced by the Australian Parachute Federation. If you want more information or
copies of this manual for yourself or your friends, please ask the instructional staff at your DZ or
contact the
     APF Office, PO BOX 144, DEAKIN WEST ACT 2600, Ph 02 6281 6830 (apf@apf.asn.au)

                                                    3
INDEX


1.0         Definitions

2.0         Rules & Regulations                             7.9    Student jumps.
      2.1   Extract from CASA document                             7.9.1 Static-line.
            “Parachute descents - Authorisation                    7.9.2 AFF.
            and Specification”.                                    7.9.3 Tandem.
            AIP ENR 5.5                                     7.10   Freefall Skydiving. Freefly and
      2.2   Applicable APF Operational                             Relative Work.
            Regulations.                                    7.11   Canopy relative work jumps.
            - General Requirements                          7.12   Competition jumps.
            - Operational Requirements                             7.12.1 Individual Accuracy.
            - Dropzone Requirements.                               7.12.2 Team Accuracy.
                                                                   7.12.3 Style & Freestyle.
3.0         Aircraft Modifications                                 7.12.4 CRW
            and Preparation                                 7.13   Formation flying.
                                                            7.14   Display jumps.
4.0         Pilot’s Responsibilities                        7.15   Night jumps.
      4.1   Operational preparation.                        7.16   Helicopter jumps.
      4.2   Safety and normal procedures.                   7.17   Balloon jumps.
      4.3   Aircraft stress
                                                      8.0          Parachutes & Parachuting
5.0         Parachutists’ Responsibilities                         Equipment
      5.1   Student operations.                             8.1    Pilot chutes.
      5.2   General operations.                             8.2    Main parachutes.
                                                            8.3    Reserve parachutes.
6.0         Communications.                                 8.4    Harness & containers.
      6.1   General.                                        8.5    Automatic activation devices
      62    Ground to air.                                         (AADs).
      6.3   Jumpmaster to pilot.
      6.4   Radio communications.                     9.0          Emergency Procedures
                                                            9.1    Engine failure - critical altitudes.
7.0         General Procedures                              9.2    In-plane parachute deployments.
      7.1   Pre-flight preparation.                         9.3    Static line hang ups.
      7.2   Start up and taxiing.                           9.4    Emergency despatches.
      7.3   Take-off and climbing techniques.               9.5    Baulked exits procedures.
      7.4   Descending and landing.                         9.6    Finding yourself above cloud.
      7.5   Drifter runs.                                   9.7    Accidents and incidents
      7.6   Jump runs.
      7.7   Speed and power control.                  Appendix 1. Parachuting Aircraft Procedures
      7.8   Operation of in-flight door.
                                                      Appendix 2. Operations checklist

                                                      Appendix 2A. Knowledge check.

                                                      Appendix 3. Equivalence of Cessna types




                                                  4
1.0             DEFINITIONS
AA: (Airservices Australia): The government agency which provides air traffic control, aeronautical
information services, airport rescue and fire fighting, SAR and navigation services.

AFF Jumpmaster: The holder of an APF Instructor Rating and an AFF endorsement.

APF: (Australian Parachute Federation Incorporated): The Australian Sport Aviation Council
(ASAC) member which has been delegated to represent the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in
matters pertaining to sport parachuting in Australia and its territories.

APF Sanctioned Meet: National Championships, State Championships and other competitions
conducted with the approval of an APF Council or the APF Board.

Approved Display Organiser’s Manual: The manual approved by the APF for the conduct of
parachute displays by an approved organiser.

ASO (Area Safety Officer): A highly experienced instructor appointed by a Council and acceptable
to the Director Safety to encourage safe parachuting and generally supervise safety in the area served
by that Council.

Board: (APF Board): The policy making board of the APF. The Board is made up of two
representatives from each APF Council.

CAO: (Civil Aviation Order): Regulations promulgated by the CASA. The CAOs covering
deliberate parachute descents are Parts 29.1.0 to 29.1.3. Members of the APF have been exempted
from all parts of CAO 29.1. CAR 152 exemption 03/1994 refers.

Canopy Relative Descent: A descent in which the participants attempt to bring themselves together
or near each other after their parachutes are open.

CASA: (Civil Aviation Safety Authority): The government agency which provides safety regulation
of the aviation industry in Australia and its territories.

Chief Instructor (CI): The Instructor “A” approved by the local APF Council and appointed by the
Director Instructors to supervise training operations for a member organisation.

Council: The body authorised by the APF Board to administer the affairs of the APF in a defined
area.

Cutaway Descent: A descent where the parachutist deliberately jettisons the first parachute and
opens a second parachute.

Descent: A parachute descent, being the time from when the parachutist exits the aircraft until
landing.

Director Safety: The highly experienced parachutist appointed by the Board to:
Co-ordinate the efforts of ASOs;
Organise national safety seminars and conferences;
Generally supervise sport parachuting safety nationally

Drifter: A weighted length of paper designed, when dropped from the aircraft, to simulate the
parachutist’s descent under canopy and used to ascertain wind direction and strength prior to
jumping.



                                                  5
DZ (Drop Zone): The terrain on to which parachute descents are being made.

DZSO (Drop Zone Safety Officer):
    When student training descents are in progress, the Chief Instructor or the Instructor “B”
    who the CI has appointed to supervise the training; or

      When student training descents are not in progress, the holder of at least a Certificate “D”
      appointed prior to the commencement of the operation.

      Note: The name of the DZSO is to be recorded on the master log prior to the commencement
      of each day’s operations.

Freefall: The period between the parachutist exiting the aircraft and the opening of the parachute on
other than a static line descent.

Ground Wind: The wind which affects the parachute upon landing.

Instructor: The holder of a valid APF Instructor Rating, Class “A”, “B” or “D”

Jumpmaster: The instructor who supervises student parachutists in the aircraft and throughout their
descent.

Landing Hazard: An object or group of objects on the ground likely to cause injury to a parachutist
when landing which cannot be avoided by steering the canopy away 100 feet above the object or
group of objects.

Licensed Display Organiser (LDO): A person approved by the APF to organise parachute displays
under the provisions of an approved display organiser’s manual.

Opening Height: The height at which the parachutist activates the main parachute. (Not to be
confused with the height at which the parachute canopy opens.)

Parachutist: The holder of an APF/FAI Parachutist Certificate or an APF Student Parachutist
Licence.

Parachuting Display (Display): A descent made within 600 metres of a populous area or at a public
gathering.

Relative Descent: A descent in which the participants attempt to bring themselves together or near
each other either in freefall, or after their parachutes are open.

RW (Relative Work): Active participation in a relative descent.

Sortie: Parachute operation from aircraft take-off to landing.

Spotter: The parachutist who is responsible for directing the pilot to position the aircraft over the
required exit point.

Static Line Descent: A descent in which the parachute is opened by means of an attachment to the
aircraft.

Student Parachutist: The holder of an APF Student Parachutist Licence.

Tandem Descent: A descent in which two participants exit the aircraft linked to a common
harness/parachute system with the object of landing under a single parachute.

Tandem master: The holder of an APF Instructor Rating and Tandem Endorsement.

                                                   6
Target: The manner of visibly marking a parachutist’s predetermined landing point.

GCO (Ground/Air Communications Officer): The person responsible for communicating with the
jump aircraft as to the advisability of exiting the aircraft.

Training Operations Manual (TOM): The parachute training manual submitted by the Chief
Instructor and acceptable to the APF.




                                                 7
2.0 RULES AND REGULATIONS

2.1    EXTRACT FROM CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY DOCUMENT
       “PARACHUTE DESCENTS - AUTHORISATION AND SPECIFICATION”


CAR 152

Formally, parachute descents are governed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Civil Aviation
Regulation (CAR) 152 which states that:

152    Parachute Descents

       (1) A person must not make a parachute descent if the descent is not:
              (a) authorised in writing by CASA; and
              (b) conducted in accordance with the written specifications of CASA.

   Penalty:    25 penalty units

       (2) An offence against subregulation (1) is an offence of strict liability.

   Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

       (3) It is a defence to a prosecution under subregulation (1) if the parachute descent
           was a necessary emergency descent.
Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subregulation (3)
(see subsection 13.3 (3) of the Criminal Code).




CASA SPECIFICATION (REFERENCED ABOVE) OVERLEAF…




                                                8
AIP Australia                         27 NOV 03                             ENR 5.5 - 5

2.          PARACHUTING OPERATIONS
2.1         General
2.1.1       Parachutists must not be dropped if descent will result in their entry into cloud.
2.1.2       A broadcast advising the intention to drop parachutists must be made from the
            drop aircraft not less than two (2) minutes prior to parachutists exiting the
            aircraft. This requirement applies to both relevant frequencies when the landing
            area is located in a CTAF or MBZ, or when parachutists descend from
            controlled airspace into underlying Class G airspace.
2.1.3       A broadcast in accordance with para 2.1.2, must include a position and level at
            which the drop will commence.

2.2         Parachuting Operations in Classes C and D Airspace
2.2.1       Parachutists must not be permitted to exit the aircraft until the pilot has received
            a clearance from ATC authorising the descent. This will be phrased as ”[call-
            sign] CLEAR TO DROP”.
2.2.2       Where parachutists will leave classes C or D airspace on descent, the pilot of
            the aircraft must broadcast the intention to drop, at least two (2) minutes prior to
            exit, on the relevant CTAF, Area VHF or MBZ frequency. Notwithstanding that a
            drop clearance may have been issued, the drop must not proceed if replies to
            this broadcast (or visual observation) indicate that there is conflicting traffic
            beneath the CTA. The drop must not proceed until the conflicting traffic is clear.

2.3         Parachuting Operations in Class E Airspace
2.3.1       Pilots of PJE aircraft operating in Class E airspace are required to establish
            contact with ATC notifying the intent to commence operations before the drop
            commences. ATC will broadcast on the appropriate frequency before the drop
            as an alert to pilots of IFR flights operating in the airspace.
2.3.2       Pilots of PJE aircraft operating in Class E airspace, where the parachutists will
            enter underlying Class D airspace, must obtain a clearance prior to commencing
            the drop.
2.3.3       When parachutists will descend into underlying Class 6 airspace, pilots of PJE
            aircraft must broadcast in accordance with para 2.1.2 to alert pilots of IFR and
            VFR flights in underlying Class G air- space.

AIP Australia                         27 NOV 03                             ENR 5.5 - 5

2.3.4       Pilots of PJE aircraft are responsible for notifying ATC when the jump has been
            completed.
2.4         Parachute Operations in MBZ
2.4.1   Aircraft supporting parachute descents within an MBZ must be equipped with two
        VHF radio transceivers in order to monitor traffic within the MBZ and in the
        surrounding airspace. Further, in addition to the two (2) minute prior broadcast on
        the MBZ frequency, the pilot must advise the intention to drop parachutists, on both
        the MBZ and surrounding area frequencies, not less than four (4) minutes prior to
        the planned exit.




                                               10
2.4.2     Parachutist must not be dropped within 15 minutes prior to the estimated time of
          arrival of an RPT aircraft, unless the two aircraft are in direct communication
          and the exit can be completed such that all parachutists have landed prior to the
          arrival of the RPT aircraft in the circling area. Once the RPT aircraft has landed
          and taxied clear of the runway, the exit of parachutists may proceed provided
          there is no other conflicting traffic.
2.4.3     When a departing RPT aircraft has broadcast taxiing for departure, parachutists
          must not be permitted to commence a descent until the RPT aircraft is clear of
          the circling area.

2.5       Parachute Descents at Licensed Aerodromes
2.5.1     Parachutists must not be dropped onto a licensed aerodrome without the
          approval of the relevant Area Office of the CASA unless:
          a. the aerodrome operator has approved parachute descents onto the
             aerodrome, and other regular or locally-based users of the aerodrome
             airspace have been advised of the intended parachuting operations; and
          b. the target for parachutists is located clear of movement areas by the distance
             prescribed as the minimum drop zone radius for the qualifications of the
             parachutists using it.
2.5.2     Parachutists must not be dropped so as to conflict with any traffic:
          a. in the live side of any circuit known to be in use, or reasonably expected to
             be used by known traffic in the prevailing conditions, or
          b. using any runway, taxiway or apron.
2.5.3     Parachutists must not be dropped if another aircraft is conducting an instrument
          approach, or is expected to commence an instrument approach within five (5)
          minutes after the planned drop.



AIP Australia                       27 NOV 03                             ENR 1.1 - 39

21.       RADIO COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION REQUIREMENTS
21.1      Summary of Report and Broadcast Requirements
21.1.8    Pilots of aircraft engaged in parachute operations must broadcast their
          intentions, on the appropriate area VHF, and/or MBZ frequency/CTAF two (2)
          minutes prior to parachutists exiting the aircraft. In addition, when operations are
          conducted in controlled airspace, a clearance to drop is required. Notification of
          clearance request must be made at least five (5) minutes before the proposed
          exit.




                                             11
2.2        APPLICABLE EXTRACTS FROM THE APF OPERATIONAL
           REGULATIONS - DATED 15 DECEMBER 2003
             The APF Operational Regulations are revised frequently. Check that you are using
             the current version. A full copy of the Operational Regulations is available from
             the Australian Parachute Federation or from our web site at http://www.apf.asn.au

3.7. PILOT QUALIFICATIONS

3.7..1     An APF member must not make a parachute descent unless the descent is conducted from
           an aircraft in which the pilot in command:

            (a) is the holder of at least a private pilot licence, valid for that type of aircraft, which is
                not endorsed with any condition limiting him or her to flying within a specified
                distance from an aerodrome; and

            (b) if the pilot in command is the holder of a parachutist certificate “D” or higher — he or
                she has not less than 120 hours total aeronautical experience, of which not less than 70
                hours must be as pilot in command; and

            (c) if the pilot in command is not the holder of a parachutist certificate “D” or higher — he
                or she has not less than 200 hours total aeronautical experience, of which not less than
                100 hours must be as pilot in command or is the holder of at least a commercial pilot
                licence valid for that type of aircraft; and

            (d) has not less than 10 hours aeronautical experience as pilot in command of the aircraft
                type from which the descent is made. For high-wing Cessna aeroplanes, time accrued
                on the more complex types may be credited for the less complex types in accordance
                with Appendix 3 (of this manual); and

            (e) if the descent is made from a balloon — is the holder of at least a commercial pilot
                (balloon) licence or a Private Pilot (Balloon) Certificate issued by the Australian
                Ballooning Federation, and has not less than 75 hours aeronautical experience as pilot
                in command of balloons.

5.1.         GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1.9.       A sharp knife is to be available in the aircraft.

5.1.11.      Sufficient restraints approved by CASA shall be fitted to the parachuting aircraft. The
             parachutist shall not be carried in an aircraft in parachuting operations unless he or she has
             been instructed on the use of the restraints and uses the restraints in accordance with those
             instructions.

5.1.12.      A parachutist shall not occupy a control seat or position in an aircraft at which dual controls
             are fitted.

5.2.         OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

5.2.1.       All descents shall be made under the direct supervision of a DZSO.

5.2.1.A.     GROUND/AIR COMMUNICATION OFFICER:
             (a) The GCO shall be a person with a thorough knowledge of ground to air
                 communication, meteorological conditions and these regulations,
             (b) and when display descents are in progress shall be a person appointed by the LDO.

5.2.2.       Other than allowed by 5.7.15, the main parachute must be open at a minimum height of
             1800 ft. AGL. However, student parachutists who have not completed Stage 7 of the

                                                      12
           Student Training Descent (Static-line) Table must have the main parachute open at a
           minimum height of 2200 ft. AGL. (This regulation refers to the height at which the
           parachute canopy is open, not the activation height.)

5.2.4.     Unless in accordance with the written specifications of CASA all descents shall be made in
           meteorological conditions such that the target is clearly visible and the parachutist does not
           enter cloud.

5.2.5.     Descents shall not be made from above FL 140 unless:
           (a) A course of instruction has been completed covering all aspects of descents
                from above FL 140;
           (b) At all times while above 10,000 feet an oxygen mask capable of remaining
                firmly fitted and supplying oxygen throughout the descent shall be worn.

5.2.6.     A device which indicates wind speed and direction shall be in use on the DZ whenever
           descents are in progress.

5.2.7.     Descents shall not be made when the wind speed exceeds the following limits or any lower
           limit determined by the DZSO:
           (a) Student parachutists ………………………………………….. 15 knots
           (b) Parachutists holding a Certificate “A” or “B” …………...…… 20 knots
           (c) Parachutists other than students and not using ram-
                  air main and reserve parachutes ………………………………. 20 knots
           (d) Parachutists holding at least a Certificate “C” and using
                  ram air main and reserve parachutes ………………………….. 25 knots

           (see also 5.7.10.A and 5.7.10.B, display descents and 5.5.2, night descents.)
           Note: Wind speed should be measured at a height of 30 feet above the DZ. If measured at
           eye level, add 25% to the reading. Wind speed should be below the above limits for at least
           10 minutes before commencing or resuming operations.

5.2.8.     An approved means of calculating the correct parachute opening point in relation to the
           target shall be used prior to commencing operations and at other times as directed by the
           DZSO.

5.2.10.    A parachute descent shall not be made unless all persons on board the aircraft have been
           briefed on all relevant aspects of the operation.

5.2.11     Both pilot and parachutists shall ensure that all reasonable precautions have been taken to
           ensure that:
             (a) There is no risk of any part of the aircraft becoming fouled by the parachute or
                 parachutists;
             (b) No adverse stress will be imposed on the aircraft structure, including the
                 undercarriage, wing strut or any approved device designed for the specific purpose of
                 aiding the parachutist to exit the aircraft;
           (c) No loose objects which would constitute a hazard to property or persons on the
                 ground if dropped are carried in the aircraft during parachute operations;

5.2.11.A. The pilot shall ensure that provision is made in the flight manual of the aircraft for
          operations with the door open or removed.

5.2.12.    No alcoholic beverages shall be in evidence or consumed in the operations, emplaning or
           packing areas whilst parachuting is in progress.




                                                   13
5.2.13.   A person shall not make a descent while affected by drugs, alcohol or fatigue. A person who
          has consumed alcohol in the preceding eight hours will be considered to be affected by
          alcohol.

5.2.14.   Parachute descents shall not take place in controlled airspace except in accordance with an
          airways clearance, using the words “clear to drop”. Prior coordination with Air Traffic
          Control (ATC) may be required, but as a minimum the pilot shall advise on first contact
          with ATC the desired altitude and the phrase “for parachute drop”. If the parachutists will
          leave controlled airspace on descent, it is the pilot’s responsibility to ascertain that the
          airspace below is clear before dropping parachutists.

5.2.15.   (a)   Parachute descents within a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) or
                Mandatory Traffic Advisory Frequency (MTAF) airspace may be made provided the
                pilot broadcasts on the relevant frequency not less than two minutes prior to
                parachutists exiting the aircraft, advising of the location and altitude. The exit shall
                not proceed until other traffic is clear.

          (b)   If parachutists will enter the CTAF or MBZ airspace on descent, additional calls on
                the relevant Area frequency and / or ATC frequency shall be made prior to the call on
                CTAF or MBZ referred to in 5.2.15(a). The exit shall not proceed until other traffic is
                clear.

          (c)   Where other traffic is believed to be in the area, the pilot shall broadcast when the
                drop is completed, and indicate the number of parachutes to be expected, so as to
                assist other pilots to see and avoid the drop aircraft and parachutists.

5.2.16.   A parachute descent shall not be made onto a licensed aerodrome without the approval of
          the local CASA Safety Regulation District Office unless all the following conditions are
          met:

          (a)   The approval of the aerodrome operator is obtained and other users of the aerodrome
                airspace are advised of the intended parachuting operations;
          (b)   Parachuting will not conflict with the active side of the circuit in use or expected to be
                in use in the prevailing conditions;
          (c)   The target is located clear of the aerodrome movement areas (runway, taxiways and
                aprons) by the distance prescribed by 5.3.1.

5.2.17.   Each parachutist shall ensure that a DZSO has been appointed in accordance with these
          Regulations prior to carrying out any parachuting operations.

5.2.18.   The DZSO shall ensure that his/her name is recorded on the master log prior to the
          commencement of any parachuting operations.

5.2.20.   Responsibility for authorising parachutists to exit the aircraft is vested in the parachutist
          who “spots” the aircraft by directing it to the exit point.

5.3.      DROP ZONE REQUIREMENTS

5.3.2.    Other than at a display conducted in accordance with 5.7, a drop zone target shall not be
          closer than 600 metres to a populous area where all parachutists wear steerable main and
          reserve parachutes, or 1500 metres where this condition is not satisfied, without the
          approval of CASA.

5.3.3.    A suitable approved system of ground to air communication shall be used between the TCO
          and the parachutists and/or pilot.
          Note: the following ground to air communication systems are approved:
          (a) Radio communications;

                                                 14
(b)   Coloured smoke flares;
(c)   Coloured light flares;
(d)   DZ target panels.




                               15
3.0 AIRCRAFT MODIFICATIONS, PILOT MAINTENANCE,
                AND AIRCRAFT PREPARATION

                                                       restraints in accordance with any instructions
  The following modifications are for high             which have been given. (Ref. Op Reg 5.1.11)
wing Cessna type aircraft but are applicable in
principle to most parachuting aircraft.                  3.6 Cover, with duct tape, or equivalent,
                                                       all protrusions or sharp edges that cannot be
  Flight with the door removed or replaced             removed from the cabin. Sharp edges or
with an in-flight opening door must be                 protrusions can cause a parachute to be
authorised in the particular aircraft’s                accidentally opened thereby endangering
Approved Flight manual, or be recorded as an           everyone on board.
authorised modification in the aircraft
documents. Generally speaking if the                     3.7 If possible have the electric flap
configuration in which you intend to operate           switch moved to a position on the left side of
the aircraft is recorded in the Flight Manual,         the instrument panel to avoid accidental
along with any particular operating                    operation by a parachutist’s backpack, or have
requirements, or limitations, then it is your          a suitable guard fitted (a L.A.M.E. job).
responsibility to observe those requirements.
                                                         3.8 Install a heavy-duty sharp knife in a
                                                       protected, but easily accessible location. A
  The Pilot may be required to assist in the           spare knife should always be carried in the
preparation of the aircraft for Parachute              glove box.
operations. Permitted Pilot maintenance may
be found in CAO.                                         3.9 If a fresh air inlet is located on the
  The removal or replacement of controls is            right side, in front of the open doorway, then
not Pilot maintenance and must be certified            the push/pull control should be adjusted so the
by an aircraft engineer.                               flap remains half open when the cabin control
                                                       is fully in. This flap will disturb the airflow
3.1 Remove the cigarette lighter if fitted             past the door and eliminate the resonance
where it is possible for it to be held in by a         which may otherwise be encountered at
back-pack, resulting in overheating.                   certain airspeeds. This applies mainly to old C
                                                       172s.
3.2 Remove seats where required.
                                                         3.10 The right hand wheel spat must be
3.3 Remove all loose material and mats or              removed if the wheel will be used as a step on
secure it to the floor by using short steel            exit. Some operators place a step over the
screws, with washers, and screw them into              wheel to avoid brake system damage from
existing holes for inspection-hole covers. A           parachutists standing on the brake hoses
loose carpet or mat can very easily be drawn           during climb-out. This is a modification and
out of the door and may lodge on the                   will be recorded in the aircraft documents.
horizontal stabiliser.
                                                         3.11 Since the aircraft will generally be
  3.4 If the fire extinguisher is installed in         operated at a minimum safe fuel level it is
the space between the front seats, remove it           recommended that a wooden or plastic fuel-
and its bracket or have it repositioned away           dipper be fabricated for accurate fuel
from the area where the parachutists will be           measurements. If one is not available they can
moving about. Perhaps to a position under the          be made. Starting with the tanks empty and
pilot’s seat.                                          the selector on left or right take a depth
                                                       reading after each 10 litres and make
  3.5 Install single point restraints, as              appropriate marking on the stick. The fuel
required, for each parachutist. A placard may          caps are towards the front of the tanks so be
be placed in a position visible to all                 careful to note the attitude of the plane when
parachutists directing them to use the                 making these fuel measurements. If, at a later
                                                       time the plane is parked on uneven ground or

                                                  15
the attitude is different the measuring stick             4.0 PILOT’S
will not be accurate.
  Do not rely on the fuel pump to ascertain
                                                          RESPONSIBILITIES
how much fuel you have - always dip your
                                                            The jump pilot must remain aware that it is
tanks.
                                                          his/her responsibility to ensure the safe and
  DO NOT USE A SHARP OBJECT FOR
                                                          legal operation of the aircraft at all times.
DIPPING.
                                                          Therefore jump pilots must be aware of added
                                                          factors that are pertinent to themselves and
                                                          aircraft involved in parachute operations.
  3.12 Refer to the Flight manual or aircraft
documents for placards and other equipment
                                                             Parachute Clubs are not required to have a
that must be attached to, or carried in the
                                                          Chief Pilot who is responsible for the
aircraft for jump operations.
                                                          supervision of the aircraft
                                                          operation. The Drop Zone
   3.13 The wearing of an emergency
                                                          Safety Officer has overall
parachute by jump pilots is highly
                                                          responsibilities with regard
recommended.
                                                          to the safety of the entire
   If an emergency parachute is used ensure
                                                          parachute operation which
that you have been briefed by an instructor on
                                                          includes      the    aircraft,
its proper use. Careless handling of an
                                                          however the DZSO will often not be a pilot
emergency parachute can endanger yourself
                                                          and therefore will rely on your input. Larger
as well as your passengers.
                                                          organisations may have a Senior Pilot
                                                          available to help with operational advice.
  3.14 If the aircraft is fitted with a certified
para-drop door, the procedures for operation
                                                          APPENDIX 1. Contains a draft Aircraft
of this door will appear along with the
                                                          Procedures manual that your club may have
certification for the door and should be
                                                          adapted for their particular use. It will contain
studied prior to flight. A placard denoting
                                                          information on operational requirements and
operational limitations will usually be
                                                          procedures as well as general principles that
required in a position easily seen by the pilot.
                                                          apply to the operation of the club’s aircraft.
  3.15. Every aircraft has a Load Data sheet
                                                          APPENDIX 2. Contains an Operational
that specifies the loading limitations of that
                                                          Checklist that both Pilots and DZSOs are
aircraft. It is your responsibility to ensure that
                                                          encouraged to use so that they may easily
you are operating the aircraft in accordance
                                                          verify the basic operational integrity of the
with these limitations. Some aircraft
                                                          aircraft operation.
manufacturers limit the maximum number of
persons that can be carried. If this is the case
then that number cannot be exceeded. Other
manufacturers specify only the seating
configurations which gives you some latitude
when operating with the seats removed.

Remember it is your responsibility to ensure
that the aircraft you are flying is correctly
loaded.




                                                     16
4.1     OPERATIONAL
            PREPARATION
  Check if the Club has an Aircraft
Procedures manual. If this is available it will
become your guide.
  If your Club doesn’t have their own manual
then the draft manual in Appendix 1 may be
used as a guide.

  Has the aircraft been modified?
  See section 3 - Aircraft modifications.                                Fuelling from drums
                                                              Mount filter/separator on side of drum and
  Some owners have particular ways they                       bond correctly.
want their aircraft operated. Familiarise                     Open large bung and insert pump suction to
yourself with that procedure and operate                      bottom. Large bung should be on the high
accordingly if you are satisfied it is a safe and             side of the drum.
proper way to fly the particular aircraft.                    Bond discharge nozzle to aircraft before
                                                              opening aircraft fuel tank.
   Check the load carrying capacity of the                    Fuelling nozzle should be inserted as far as
aircraft, the load configuration and the                      possible into the aircraft fuel tank to
changing position of the load on climb, during                minimise splash filling.
exits, and on descent. Some Cessna singles                    Commence fuelling.
                                                          When switching to a fresh drum
with the seats removed and low fuel loads
                                                               Remove nozzle from aircraft fuel tank.
will run out of aft trim on landing. This can be
                                                               Cap aircraft fuel tank.
disconcerting for the new pilot.
                                                               Remove bonding and nozzle from aircraft
   Balance can be a problem with some
                                                               vicinity.
aircraft. For example the Piper Navajo, with
                                                               Remove pump from empty drum.
the entire load of ten jumpers crammed back
                                                               Reseal empty drum.
at the door for exit, will probably require full
                                                               Remove filter/separator or fuel monitor.
stick forward and may still be losing airspeed.
                                                               Remove bonding.
If the exit takes too long the plane could stall.
   Shorts Skyvans have a very narrow C of G
range and when used for parachuting are
clearly placarded that if ten jumpers are on                Remember that the efficiency with which
the tailgate, the rest must be forward of a              you operate the aircraft directly affects the
marked point.                                            cost of the parachute jumps so you will be
                                                         expected to operate with the minimum safe
  The composition of the sortie i.e. how many            fuel quantity. If this is not specified in the
and to what heights. This will need to be                club’s operational procedures, then it is
taken into account when deciding on your fuel            generally accepted that 45 minutes is a
load.                                                    minimum fuel reserve. Some older Cessna
                                                         182s will starve for fuel in a steep nose down
                                                         attitude with less fuel than this.

                                                             Note that parachutists will generally
                                                              speak in terms of height AGL.

                                                           Find out operational requirements for the
                                                         area you are going to fly in. AIP ENR 5.5
                                                         details general communication requirements.
                                                           If you are dropping parachutists into an
                                                         MBZ or a CTAF you must have 2 serviceable
                                                         VHF radios. See additional information in
                                                         Section 6.4 Radio Communications



                                                    17
4.2    SAFETY  AND                 NORMAL                5.1 STUDENT OPERATIONS
       PROCEDURES                                           An instructor or jumpmaster is responsible
  Each parachute operation must have a                   for the briefing of all students and will
DZSO who is responsible for the parachutists’            accompany most students (although not all) in
activities. Get to know this person and                  the aircraft. The JM is also responsible for the
understand the manifest system to ensure you             thorough briefing of the pilot to ensure the
are only taking the correctly qualified and              pilot understands all the requirements of the
equipped persons on board.                               flight i.e. height, run-ins etc., and any
                                                         emergency procedures that may need to be
  Notify the parachutists of any factor that             implemented. The jumpmaster will also
may affect their jump, ie. any unexpected                ensure that there is a ground to air
aircraft in the area, any noticeable pending             communication system.
weather changes, any amended operational
restrictions.                                            5.2 GENERAL OPERATIONS
                                                           The parachutists will appoint one person to
   Park the aircraft clear of the packing and            brief the pilot with details of the proposed
landing areas and preferably in a position               sortie, including height requirements, run-ins,
which encourages parachutists to approach                the type of jump, proposed opening heights
from the rear and entry door side. Ensure all            etc. It is also the parachutists’ responsibility
persons are emplaned prior to start and that             to ensure that the weather conditions are
the area is clear of spectators.                         suitable for their part of the operation.

  Familiarise yourself with the emergency                The pilot and parachutists must work,
procedure that the club or centre teaches                cooperate and communicate as a team to
regarding both aircraft and parachuting                  ensure safe, economical and enjoyable
operations. (Ref. Section 9 of this manual).             parachuting and flying. Remember it is far
                                                         easier to plan on the ground than in a noisy
  The use of 119.20 MHz for communication                crowded aircraft on jump-run.
purposes is available to jump aircraft to
communicate with ground stations involved in
parachuting.                                             6.0 COMMUNICATIONS
                                                         6.1 GENERAL
                                                           It is important for safe operations that the
4.3    AIRFRAME STRESS                                   pilot and parachutists have a clear
                                                         communications system to cater for all
The pilot is responsible for ensuring that no            contingencies.
adverse stress is placed on external structures            The basis of good communications is a
of the aircraft.                                         thorough briefing prior to the commencement
                                                         of operations and a sound understanding of
It is common practice for many jump aircraft             any emergency procedures that may be
to be fitted with approved external                      required.
modifications that facilitate parachuting exits,
and the use of the starboard wing strut and              6.2 GROUND TO AIR
main wheel for Cessna 182 aircraft has been
                                                              COMMUNICATIONS
common practice since Cessnas have been
                                                           There are several methods of ground to air
used for skydiving.
                                                         communications. The most commonly used
                                                         are either radio or ground panels.
Nevertheless,       pilot’s    should    satisfy
themselves      that      proposed    parachute
operations do not impose any undue stress on
external aircraft structures.                           + Safe to jump                                    I Unsafe to
                                                                         T Orbit aircraft                     jump
5.0      PARACHUTISTS’                                                                      L Experienced
                                                                                            parachutists only
          RESPONSIBILITIES


                                                   18
  When used as a ground to air                        6.4 RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
communication, the patterns shown above are
often used during standard operations.

  Coloured smoke flares or coloured light
flares can be also used. All of these systems
involve the pilot in some way - obviously the
use of a radio will require the pilot to
understand and pass on accurately the                   With the increased aviation activity and
transmission’s content to the jumpmaster or           movement of parachute operations closer to
spotter.                                              population centres the importance of radio
  Frequency 119.20 MHz can be used for this           communication with other aircraft and ATC is
although some DZs may be using other                  becoming increasingly important.
frequencies. Check with the operator.
                                                        The Operational Regulations require
6.3 BETWEEN JUMPMASTER AND                            that a pilot broadcast on ALL frequencies
PILOT                                                 in which the pilot is operating and ALL
  In-flight communications between the pilot          frequencies which apply to airspace
and the parachutist in charge of each load can        through which the parachutists will fall
depend on the aircraft size, noise level and          while on descent and to listen for replies on
door location. In larger aircraft an in-flight        those frequencies from any aircraft which
intercom system of signal lights can be easily        may be in the area.
rigged while in smaller aircraft either vocal
commands or simple hand signals can be                   For example, an operation into a CTAF
used.                                                 may require the pilot to broadcast and listen
                                                      on three frequencies - CTAF, Area and Centre
                                                      - and receive a clearance to drop from Centre.
                                                      It is a requirement that aircraft dropping into
                                                      an MBZ or CTAF have 2 serviceable VHF
                                                      radios.

                                                        With a door-off or door open operation the
  The hand signals shown above are typical.           use of a noise-cancelling microphone is
                                                      encouraged in the interests of clarity to reduce
  If you are required to relay the “OK to             background noise.
drop” from ATC be sure you can
communicate with the jumpmaster.




                                                 19
7.0 GENERAL                                              7.2 START-UP AND TAXIING
      PROCEDURES                                           The jump pilot faces a greater risk of having
                                                         someone walk into the propeller than does a
                                                         pilot working in any other environment.
7.1 PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATION
                                                         Jumpers at the student stage might not be
  Each jump day should be preceded by a
                                                         aware of a spinning propeller and many
thorough inspection of all accessible parts of
                                                         parachutists, students in particular, frequently
the airframe and engine. Areas worthy of
                                                         have friends who want to get pictures of them
special attention include the spinner hub and
                                                         entering the aircraft. Crouching in the
propeller, cowling screws, cowl flaps, nose
                                                         propeller arc is a favourite spot for such a
wheel and oleo, main wheels and brake lines,
                                                         picture, therefore never start the aircraft until
jump door, tail wheel, horizontal stabiliser,
                                                         all the jumpers are aboard and the spectators
rudder and fin. In addition the interior of the
                                                         are clear.
aircraft and especially the door area should be
checked for protrusions that might snag
parachuting equipment.

  Aircraft stored in the open should be
checked for birds’ nests in cowling and
wasps’ nests in fuel vents and control surface
gaps.

  The reason for recommending a serious
inspection every day is obvious: the aircraft is
subjected to strenuous service and therefore
safety considerations require it. A second
reason, one that might seem less obvious, is to
convince you, the pilot, that the aircraft is, in
fact, airworthy.

  While flying jumpers, you will encounter
“strange” noises and vibrations and, unless
you have full confidence in the aircraft, you
might well be too eager to suspect the aircraft
and thereby expose yourself and your                       Safety poster available from the APF Office
passengers to unnecessary stress and anxiety.
For example, the noise of a seat restraint                 Where record keeping is required, do it
hanging out of the door, or the vibration set            while the jumpers are boarding, before start-
up by a jumper’s sleeve in the slip stream               up, so your full attention can be where it
might cause you to react as if the cowling was           belongs during start-up and taxi.
loose unless you have enough confidence in                 During the taxi reconfirm the altitudes.
the aircraft, so look around first.                      (remember –Jumpers will always speak of
                                                         height AGL. You will have to convert this to
  It may not do much for your ego to have                altitudes or flight levels). In the case of
jumpers watch their super pilot looking for a            freefall students ask for both the length of
reason not to go flying. The fact is, however,           delay and the altitude required for that delay.
that many jumpers don’t really trust                     If you know or suspect that a requested
aeroplanes and knowing that the aircraft has             altitude might not be possible discuss the
had a thorough inspection will do as much for            alternatives before take-off.
their confidence as it does for yours.
                                                           It is required that there be a seat restraint
                                                         available for each passenger and crew
                                                         member and also that these restraints are used
                                                         in accordance with their briefing. At this point
                                                         in time there are still many jumpers who are
                                                         reluctant to use their restraints. These same
                                                         people     however      would      feel     very


                                                    20
uncomfortable taking off without a seat belt if          Efficiency in the climb is achieved not by
they were not wearing a parachute. It should           overworking the engine but by maintaining
be obvious that a parachute is nothing more            coordinated flight at a constant airspeed and
than excess baggage should anything go                 by keeping the turns gentle and to a
seriously wrong under 1000 feet. In the event          minimum. Be smooth and precise.
of an aborted take-off or a forced landing,
from low altitude, the last thing you need is            During the climb manifold pressure will
the problem created by people scrambling               decrease about 1 inch for each 1,000 feet
around for a seat restraint.                           climbed. Be sure to adjust the throttle to
                                                       compensate for this. Above full throttle height
7.3 TAKE-OFF              &      CLIMBING              you can expect to lose approximately 5% of
TECHNIQUES                                             your power for each 1000 feet climbed so as
  Just before take-off, the jumpers will make          you get higher it becomes even more
their final adjustments in seating position.           important to fly the plane as accurately as you
When they have done that, a final cockpit              can.
check is in order, to ensure that nothing has
been moved by shifting backpacks.                        Leaning of the mixture will vary with
                                                       different aircraft. Keep in mind that a slightly
  Ensure that you have properly completed              over-rich mixture provides considerable
your pre-takeoff procedures                            engine cooling and this benefit is worth the
                                                       small sacrifice in performance and fuel
   Your priority will always be to operate the         efficiency.
aircraft safely and efficiently, and in
accordance with the aircraft operating                   Cylinder head temperature is best controlled
procedures detailed in the Club’s Aircraft             and corrected in the following order:
Procedures manual, if they have one. These
procedures may vary considerably between                 1.   Cowl flaps. Always open on climb.
clubs and between different aircraft, and                2.   Higher air speed
aircraft owners.                                         3.   Lower power setting
   Be sure you understand what is expected of            4.   Richer mixture if smooth engine
you with regard to power settings, airspeeds,                 operation allows
leaning and piloting technique, before you go
flying. Regardless of your previous                      Cowl flaps are always wide open on the
experience it may be necessary to seek advice          ground, for take-off and during the entire
from a more senior pilot, and/or the aircraft          climb.
owner before committing your reputation to a
hastily prepared flight.                                 Much of the guess work in proper leaning
                                                       can be taken care of by an exhaust gas
A very senior Airline Captain, when asked if           temperature gauge. The aircraft or engine
his job sometimes became tedious, replied -            manufacturer will sometimes provide
“YES! but if it ever gets exciting then                recommendations.
something is TERRIBLY WRONG!”
                                                         There are various publications discussing
     Learn from other Pilot’s experience,              techniques to utilise thermals, and rising air in
           not your own mistakes.                      general, to help gain altitude. In practice, flat
                                                       ground thermals are very difficult to utilise
  Now have a look at the temperature and               for lift in an aircraft moving at 80 knots or
pressure instruments and keep in mind that a           more. Some areas may be blessed with a long
5 knot increase in airspeed will have a more           ridge where flying parallel to the ridge would
immediate affect on cylinder head                      be very beneficial when the wind is blowing
temperature than will a slight power                   up the incline.
reduction. By this time the jumpers will have
shifted their seating position again so it is             Try to do most of your climbing in areas of
time for another cockpit check.                        high lift activity and most of your descending
                                                       in areas of high sink. A low flap setting, 3 - 8
                                                       degrees may help to maintain a rate of climb


                                                  21
in difficult conditions and at high altitudes in         "THERMAL SHOCK". This shock cooling
some aircraft.                                           can cause excessively worn piston ring
                                                         grooves, broken rings, cracked cylinder heads
  A very important aspect of the climb that              and warped exhaust valves. It is expensive to
does not relate to performance, but is of equal          repair and can be avoided.
importance, is one of consideration for the
jumpers.                                                   The jump pilot must take certain
  For student loads, especially if there is any          precautions during the descent to avoid
cloud around, the climb should be planned to             “THERMAL SHOCK”. There are varying
allow the jumpmaster a good view of the exit             techniques used to achieve this, however
point and parachute landing area. The                    considering     the     potential   to  cause
jumpmaster will point out the main landmarks             considerable damage to the engine, and
so the students do not have the “lost in space”          expense to the Club these are best researched
feeling. Anything you can do to help the                 thoroughly by studying the Club’s aircraft
student gain orientation will make the first             operating procedures, and liasing with more
jump experience even more enjoyable for                  senior pilots and the aircraft owner.
them. Fly the plane as smoothly as possible
and avoid steep turns.                                     Make the descent clear of the parachuting
                                                         airspace. The parachutist will generally not go
  You and the jumpmaster will have                       any further away from the target than where
considerable influence on whether or not a               you dropped him.
student decides to continue jumping. Never
surprise anyone, including yourself, and try to            A note of caution - in most parachute
promote a confident professional image at all            operations and competitions (other than
times.                                                   tandem jumps or CRW) the parachutists
                                                         intend to open their parachutes at between
  For experienced jumpers you can                        2000 to 3000 ft. A.G.L.
concentrate on getting the best performance                However sometimes, through various
from the aircraft but generally stay within 5            reasons, canopies can be deployed at any
miles of the DZ, or as required by the DZSO              height up to exit altitude, so never assume the
or ATC.                                                  canopies are all safely at the lower level.
  An advantage in flying jumpers is that you
are, or should, always be within gliding
distance to an airport, except during the take-            Avoid descent in the parachutists’ area,
off and initial climbout. In the unlikely event          especially in poor visibility.
that you experience a power loss at low
altitude remember what your flying instructor
taught you. DON’T TURN BACK!                                A spiral is not recommended because the
                                                         airframe will be subjected to unnecessary
                                                         loads particularly if unexpected turbulence is
7.4 DESCENDING AND LANDING                               encountered. Care must be taken to maintain
  The only consideration an engine requires              balanced flight to avoid problems with fuel
for the descent is one of temperature, or more           cross flow during descent when your fuel load
specifically, rate-of-temperature-change.                is low. At any sign of rough running
  Being cold does not in itself damage an                immediately level the wings and check that
engine. Many of them are left outside                    the plane is in balanced flight. [ball in the
overnight and still work in the morning. An              middle] then carry out the appropriate
efficient operation requires that the aircraft be        emergency procedures applicable to the
flown in a manner that keeps sortie times as             situation.
low as possible but also doesn’t cause
structural or mechanical distress to the                   Experienced jump pilots should be masters
aircraft. The secret of doing this without               of the “greased” landing because they get
damaging the engine is to allow the engine               more practice than most pilots.
temperature to change slowly and smoothly.
                                                           As you approach the parking area, keep
  If this rate of temperature change is not              your attention outside and avoid parachutists
slow then there is the potential for so-called

                                                    22
who may have landed nearby. Taxi just past               7.6 JUMP RUNS
the waiting jumpers or park in a position so it            Generally all parachute operations will
will be natural for them to approach the                 require the aircraft to be flown over the
aircraft from behind. If you land with anyone            proposed landing area and in a direction into
still on board do not let them disembark until           the prevailing wind to a position up-wind of
the propeller has stopped.                               the target. A provisional jump run should be
                                                         discussed with the jumpmaster prior to take-
  Before leaving the aircraft do whatever is             off to allow the pilot to plan the climb.
necessary to prepare it for the next sortie. This
will involve cockpit housekeeping, record                  The jump pilot should plan to achieve jump
keeping, and refuelling so that the next load            height just prior to the target and set up as
of parachutists will not be held up when it is           described above The parachutist in charge of
time for them to go.                                     spotting will then signal any variations
                                                         required. The jump pilot can assist the
7.5 DRIFTER RUNS                                         “spotter” by flying the aircraft straight and
  During the first flight of the day, or as              level when over the target and by passing on
required, the jumpmaster may elect to drop a             any meteorological information that may be
drifter to determine the best exit point. (ref.          available.
Definitions).                                              All jump runs must remain clear of cloud
  This is usually carried out at approximately           and allow for a clear view of the drop zone.
2000 feet above ground level and requires the
following procedure:                                       GPS may be used as an aid to positioning
                                                         the aircraft and is useful to estimate upper
                                                         winds by evaluating groundspeed and track
                                                         made good.

                                                           During the final part of the jump run only
                                                         small directional changes should be required.
                                                         To avoid parallax error when jumpers look at
                                                         the ground. and disorientation steep banking
                                                         turns should be avoided.

                                                           During run-ins for student jumps, a longer,
                                                         straight run-in is desirable to allow the
                                                         students to be able to orientate themselves and
                                                         to allow the jumpmaster time to carry out
  Run in towards the target as directed by the
                                                         his/her various checks and procedures. If
jumpmaster and reduce power to allow the
                                                         multiple student jump runs are required the
jumpmaster to drop the drifter over the target.
                                                         aircraft should be limited to approximately a
After the drifter is dropped, fly the aircraft in
                                                         20 degree turn to avoid student disorientation
such a manner to allow the jumpmaster to
                                                         All orbits should be flown in a direction to
keep visual contact by orbiting towards the
                                                         allow the jumpmaster continuous view of the
open door side of the aircraft around the
                                                         despatched parachutist and the DZ through
drifter. This technique will usually be
                                                         the open door.
employed before a demonstration jump and
will sometimes be repeated to verify the exit
point.[“the spot”] The jumpmaster will tell
                                                         7.7 SPEED AND POWER
you if he wants to keep climbing. In high                      CONTROL
wing aircraft where the doorway is below the               The airspeed for jump runs will vary
wing you will need to initially skid or yaw the          depending on what the parachutists are doing.
aircraft to avoid dipping the wing and                     The DZSO or Jumpmaster is the best person
interrupting the jumpmaster’s view of the                to brief you on what is required.
drifter.                                                   Students will generally require a slower exit
                                                         speed than experienced jumpers. The power
                                                         settings required for the run ins and exits will
                                                         vary with different aircraft types. Advice on
                                                         this part of the aircraft operation is best


                                                    23
sought from a more senior pilot with                    7.8 OPERATION               OF     THE      IN-
experience on the aircraft type in this                 FLIGHT DOOR
operation.                                                The In-Flight opening door will have
  Generally speaking, maintaining 15-18                 operating limitations specified in the
inches of manifold pressure during the climb            operating supplement, and usually placarded
out and exit will give you better control of the        in the aircraft. These operating instructions
aircraft at a lower airspeed, and less height           will usually say “Pilot only to Operate”.
loss during the exit than with no power and a           Observe these limitations as the In-Flight
higher airspeed.                                        door is quite fragile and easily damaged if
  Always maintain a minimum speed, with a               operated at airspeeds in excess of the design
safe margin above stall, at which the aircraft          speeds. For this reason it is unwise to allow
can be positively controlled through the exit           the parachutists to operate the door even
procedure.                                              under your supervision as they won’t
                                                        necessarily understand the airspeed limitation
  Terminal velocity of the human body is                and may some day open it when you don’t
approximately 110 knots and at speeds below             want it opened. An opening at higher than
70 knots flying the human body in freefall is           normal speed will cause damage.
more difficult.
  Speeds of 60 knots will make it easier for              Every time you reach to open the door make
an inexperienced jumper to climb out onto the           it slow and obvious so no one will be
step and reduce the chance of an unplanned              surprised by its opening. When the locking
canopy deployment or the jumper falling off.            handle is released the door will smoothly fly
Exit speeds can be the subject of considerable          to the 90% open position. If it has an open-
debate and you will be best guided by the               lock reach over and lock it open. To close the
DZSO as to what is required for the particular          door simply release the hold-open handle and
operation.                                              side slip gently to the right (left rudder). The
                                                        door will smoothly fly to your awaiting hand.
  It is still quite common for jumpmasters to           Hold the side slip until the door is latched. At
call “POWER OFF” as they or their students              no time should it be necessary to force the
are preparing to exit.                                  door.
  Although these same jumpers would argue                 Experience has shown that the door can be
the point, a “power off” does not mean to pull          improperly closed leading to door damage
the throttle back to idle. This would slow the          during a high speed descent. Double check
aircraft suddenly as the propeller went into            the door is properly closed before increasing
fine pitch and require an immediate attitude            airspeed on descent.
change to maintain airspeed resulting in an               Ensure that the door is closed and locked
excessive loss of altitude and possibly expose          for all take-offs and landings.
the engine to the risk of ‘Thermal
Shock”.(para 7.4)                                          Maximum airspeed for cycling most in-
   A “power off” is never more than a smooth            flight doors is 80 knots. Check the
power reduction to low thrust while the                 limitations on the door you are using.
targeted airspeed is maintained. Even a slow
exit will then lose only minimal altitude. For            Full power operation with the door open
competition jumps the exit speed and the exit           should be avoided. A properly installed door
altitude have defined limits, however for most          will not vibrate or flutter within this speed
DZ operations these limits are far more                 range even with a parachutist standing on the
flexible. Watch your airspeed during this               step. Should you experience a vibration or
period. In their readiness to assist jumpers by         flutter of the door, reduce power and airspeed
reducing air past the door, pilots have stalled         immediately.
the aircraft with parachutists on the step. Not
a good scenario!                                          It will be found that the door responds best
                                                        with low airspeed and power setting. While
                                                        the door is open, it is not uncommon to feel a
                                                        “flutter” in the aircraft and, when this is
                                                        caused by the door itself, it will be quite
                                                        obvious. This “flutter” is more likely


                                                   24
produced by a jumper’s loose fitting sleeve
catching the edge of the slip stream and is               The jumpmaster will now start spotting and
remedied by tucking in the loose material. For          if you have done your job properly it will
some reason this “flutter” is most noticeable           consist of a brief look out the door followed
in the area of the pilot’s seat and the jumper          by a nod or a request for a small correction.
may not be aware of it. Remember, with the              The jumpmaster will then make a final check
door open the stall speed may increase.                 of the security of the first static line, which
                                                        will have been attached to the aircraft strong
7.9 STUDENT JUMPS                                       point prior to take-off, and then tell or motion
                                                        the first student to move forward in
7.9.1 STATIC-LINE STUDENTS                              preparation for exit. As the student prepares
   Static line students are always accompanied          to exit, smoothly reduce power to low thrust
by an instructor (jumpmaster), while                    and slow the aircraft to a minimum safe
advanced students in the static-line training           speed.
system may or may not be accompanied by
one. When there is a jumpmaster on board the              If the wheel is to be used as a step ensure
division of responsibility in an emergency              the brake is applied. If possible watch for a
situation is very clear: the pilot takes care of        premature opening and if it occurs be ready to
the aeroplane and communicates with the                 apply fast and hard rudder to yaw the tail
jumpmaster while the jumpmaster controls                plane clear of the deploying parachute.
and directs the actions of the student
parachutists.                                              During the exit the jumpmaster will hold
                                                        the slack of the static line and play it out as
  All student flights should be accomplished            the student falls away. As soon as the
with a high degree of cooperation, (often non-          parachute has opened the jumpmaster will
verbal) between the pilot and the jumpmaster.           pull in the static line, and stow it.
The students’ safety and enjoyment will best               If the system being used is a “direct-bag”
be served when the pilot and the jumpmaster             deployed static-line allow the jumpmaster to
have enough experience to be able to work as            retrieve the bag and static-line prior to
a team and anticipate each other’s needs.               reapplying power as the bag can act as a small
Ideally the jumpmaster should be able to                parachute and make retrieval difficult with
devote full attention to the student parachutist        power applied and may cause damage to the
and not have to consciously consider the                aircraft skin.
aircraft or its flight path.                               When the static line is in, close the door
                                                        before the instructor starts moving the
  Static line flights, in particular, should            students about in readiness for the next jump.
never contain an element of rush or                     An accidental opening in the plane with the
impatience. If necessary fly wider orbits               door open is potentially disastrous.
between exits to allow the jumpmaster time to              During the turn around ensure that the
organise the next student and to allow the first        aircraft is at the proper altitude and properly
student to land. It is quite easy for the               trimmed for the next run.
jumpmaster to request a smaller circuit and
faster exit order if the JM and students can            7.9.2      ACCELERATED            FREEFALL
handle it. During the climb ensure that the                       STUDENTS
jumpmaster has an opportunity to point out                 An accelerated freefall (AFF) exit is very
the drop zone and exit point to the students            similar to a relative work (RW) exit and is
and you should make every effort to set up              usually done from a minimum of 10,000 feet
exactly on the wind line, and level at the              AGL. Lower exits, to 8000 feet, are permitted
required height above ground level, at least            but only if the planned height is not
one minute before the exit point. Running at            achievable for some reason, such as cloud.
reduced power for a short time before exit                 The exit may be very slow and, since
does much to relax the atmosphere in the                students are involved, things may not always
aircraft. The instructor will have told you             go according to plan. While you should be
when he wants the door open.                            aware of what is happening during the exit be
  Check that everyone is aware the door is              certain to maintain the aircraft in controlled
about to be opened.                                     flight.


                                                   25
  Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the AFF Training Table          7.10 FREEFALL SKYDIVING -
usually require two jumpmasters and often a            FREEFLY AND RELATIVE WORK
cameraperson as well although some stages                 Freefall skydiving includes various
may be done as a tandem jumps. Stages 4 to 8           disciplines and manoeuvres whilst freefalling.
are usually one jumpmaster and may include a              These jumps will usually be done from
camera. Stage 9, the last stage is a short solo        10,000 feet or above, and involve the jumpers
delay from about 3500 feet to accustom the             manoeuvring relative to each other during the
student to immediate opening of their                  freefall. Flying for freefall jumps is very
parachute.                                             straight forward as the skydivers will
  Parachute openings are between 4000 feet             generally be quite experienced and will
and 2500 feet although it is not unusual to            usually ask for a single run in at the maximum
have a parachute open at any point during the          height available.
jump.
                                                         If you are intending to climb above FL 120
                                                       then remember you are required to use
7.9.3 TANDEM JUMPS                                     supplemental oxygen at all times above FL
  A tandem jump involves the tandem master             120 and the skydivers are not to be taken
(TM) attaching the student (passenger) to              above FL140. Use of oxygen is also required
their harness by means of a dual harness               by a pilot if the sortie is above 10,000 ft for
system prior to exit.                                  more than 15 minutes, or above 10,000 ft at
  As with AFF exits, tandems are usually               night or in IMC.
from the maximum economical altitude of the              (ref CASA Instrument No. 184/00)
aircraft although the TM may direct you to
commence a jump run at any safe altitude if              Spotting accurately from Flight Levels can
the higher altitudes cannot be attained. (To           be quite difficult and consideration should be
comply with the APF Operational Regulations            given to the time spent above 10,000 feet as
the tandem main parachute must be fully open           the skydivers will be suffering from hypoxia.
by 4000 feet.)                                         A generally accepted rule is don’t spend more
  The tandem parachute system utilises a               than 15 minutes above 10,000 feet as the
small drogue parachute which the TM                    onset of hypoxia negates any benefit from
deploys as soon as stability is achieved after         extra height.
exit. This drogue maintains the tandem pair at
normal freefall speed of about 120 mph.                  Freefall jump runs are generally flown
  The TM will release the drogue which then            upwind, and the run should be long enough to
deploys the main parachute at about 5000               allow the jumpers 15-30 seconds to get into
feet. The tandem pair may then be flying               position for the mass exit. The spotter will
under canopy for up to seven minutes after             give you corrections on the first part of the
that.                                                  jump run and then depend on you to hold the
                                                       heading during the preparations for exit.
                                                       Expect considerable drag as the skydivers
                                                       position themselves outside of the aircraft in
                                                       preparation for a mass exit. Your priority
                                                       during the climb out will be to maintain your
                                                       aircraft heading and to maintain an airspeed
                                                       above the stall. Refer to your Club’s specific
                                                       aircraft procedures or a pilot with parachuting
                                                       experience on type for power settings etc.
                                                         It is usually recommended to plan your run
                                                       in to allow you to level out, close cowl flaps
                                                       and reduce power to allow temperatures to
                                                       stabilise prior to the exit.




                                                  26
7.11 CRW JUMPS                                          to plan and coordinate operations to avoid
  During canopy relative work (CRW) jumps               delays in the climb to height, holds due to
the parachutists generally open their                   conflicting operations, and good fuel
parachutes quickly after exit and at higher             management to minimise the all up weight
than normal altitudes. This requires the pilot          and keep sortie times to a minimum.
to notify any area traffic and A.T.C. where
applicable that the parachutists are open at              The exit point for some events is very
“ALTITUDE” over “AREA” ie. “Parachutists                important as is the aircraft attitude, height and
have opened at 7,000 feet 2 miles to the north          speed, all of which demands accurate
of the dropzone”. It is required in Class C             professional flying on the part of the pilot.
airspace to notify A.T.C. when requesting               Another aspect of competition flying that the
drop clearance of the parachutists intentions           jump pilot must be aware of is that often there
so safe aircraft separation between the                 are more than one aircraft operating at a time,
jumpers and other aircraft can be maintained.           so the pilot must communicate with the other
                                                        pilots, be aware of where the other aircraft are
  During this type of operation the jump                and where and when they will be dropping.
aircraft will descend at a faster rate and be           Safety of the operations rely heavily on the
landing before the parachutists, Ensure that            pilots of the jump aircraft, so remain clear of
your descent is well clear of the descending            cloud when other aircraft are operating and
parachutists, and never fly beneath them in             forever be vigilant of airborne parachutists.
case of a lower opening than expected or a
cut-away.                                                 The Pilot has responsibilities to the
                                                        Organizer to organise a safe, cost and time
7.12 COMPETITION JUMPS                                  efficient competition as well as to the
  The section is to assist pilots who are going         Competitors. They require safe competent
to be involved in flying parachutists in                pilots who can fly the aircraft in a manner that
competitions such as National and State                 allows the individual or team to compete on
Championships etc.                                      an equal basis.

  Parachuting competitions and “meets”                    Competitors’ Meeting
generally require the services of more than               Before any major competition the
one aircraft and it is essential that the pilots        competitors have a meeting to ensure they all
have and follow agreed procedures. The pilots           understand and agree on the competition
should hold a daily briefing and another one            rules, heights and speeds of exits etc. It is a
at the start of each event to discuss airspace          good idea for all competition pilots to attend
assignments,      holding     positions     and         this briefing.
procedures.
                                                          Pilots’ Briefing
  Many of the parachutists you will be flying             There should also be a separate pilots
may have worked for years in preparation for            briefing where the organiser, meet director
this event and an incorrect run in or an                and judges will explain particulars such as:
altitude variation could give them a
disadvantage. Competition rules allow for               • CASA requirements and any restrictions
only minor variations in altitude and airspeed.         • Drop zone rules
                                                        • Fuelling arrangements
  During competition circumstances may                  • Flight coordination
require a “go-around” (requested by ground              • Drop zone layout
control or by the jumpers themselves) so be             • Radio frequencies
prepared for such an eventually if it arises.
Organisers, jumpers and aircraft operators all            At this stage the meet organiser will usually
have considerable money involved in the                 supply an aerial photo or plan with sectors or
event, and the jumpers respect a pilot who can          coordinates marked on it to allow for easier
get them to their competition exit point with           explanation of run-ins etc.
the minimum of distractions which allows
them to mentally rehearse their jump while on
climb. So remember, no steep turns or radical
flying. In terms of economics the pilot needs

                                                   27
  If you have any problems consult the meet             aircraft at different stages of climb and
Organizer or the Meet Director, it is their job         descent. The pattern for this should have been
to resolve problems.                                    covered by a pilot’s briefing prior to
                                                        commencing the competition.

7.12.1 INDIVIDUAL ACCURACY                              7.12.3 STYLE & FREESTYLE
  Individual accuracy jumps are generally                 Classic style
made from 2,500 feet.                                     Style is an individual competition
  Accuracy jumpers are particularly interested          conducted usually out of Cessna type aircraft
in being exactly over the correct exit point            and at a height of 7150 feet A.G.L.
when they leave the aircraft. Your approach               To fly the style competition effectively
to the wind line should be by the routine left          some knowledge of the event is beneficial.
base and be fairly tight so that you spend no             The style competitor exits the aircraft at
more than 15 to 30 seconds on the first run.            about 75 knots, running down wind towards a
Plan the climb so that you are levelling at             special target set up close to the ground to air
2,500 feet just as you turn onto jump run.              video.
  For accuracy jumps, very little time will be            After an initial fall away, during which the
spent at low thrust so it will not be necessary         competitor builds up vertical speed, the
to climb during the turn around and the door            competitor is judged on how accurately and
can remain open. Immediately after the first            fast he/she can carry out a series of freefall
jumper exits, roll into a right turn and apply          manoeuvres around the three basic axis. To
power as necessary to maintain altitude. After          allow the competitor the best presentation to
180 degrees of turn, fly downwind far enough            the video judging system the exit position,
to allow for the next run in before turning             direction and timing needs to be as accurate
back into wind.                                         as possible.
  As always communicate on the ground so
that you understand what is expected of you               Ground spot
in the air.                                               The pilot should be briefed prior to the start
                                                        of the event each day as to the preferred run-
  Since the engine will have been operating at          in. If no-one has told you - ask the video
reduced power for quite some time it will be            operator or meet director. When the pilot is
possible to allow the aircraft to pick up speed         approaching the required height in the
quite rapidly for the descent and you could be          designated climb area he or she should call
touching down just as your last jumper is               the ground radio operator, who will be
landing (traffic permitting).                           positioned in the video judging area, and let
                                                        the ground radio operator know you are
7.12.2 TEAM ACCURACY                                    ready.
  Most accuracy events nowadays are                       The ground radio operator will, in
conducted as team accuracy which requires               coordination with the video operator call
the entire team of 4 or 5 jumpers to exit on the        “run-in” the pilot should read-back “running-
same jump run.                                          in”. The ground station will give any
  You will be briefed as to the required height         corrections left or right as required (left or
which is usually 3500 feet. This allows the             right in respect to the pilots position and
jumpers to stagger their exits (which may be 5          heading).
- 10 seconds apart) and opening heights so                The next call will be “standby, standby” the
that there will be no congestion at the landing         pilot should read-back “standby” and
target.                                                 immediately tell the competitor, at this stage
  Typically the first jumper will open at               the in-flight door, if fitted, should also be
around 2000 feet with the last to exit pulling          opened.
immediately they are clear of the aircraft.               The next call the ground will usually give is
  Since most accuracy competitions are                  “Exit, Exit”, relay this immediately to the
operated from small aircraft this will normally         jumper and read back to ground.
constitute your full load so you should                   If the call is “go-around” it means the video
immediately descend for your next.                      has lost you so just go around with minimum
                                                        time loss and set up again or as directed.
 Most organised competitions will involve
more than one aircraft so be aware of other

                                                   28
  Because the jumper is in freefall for about
28 seconds in this event the orbit for the next
competitor should be about 2 minutes
duration. The reason for the down wind runs
and importance of the position is best
explained diagrammatically as follows:
                                                         7.13 FORMATION FLYING OR
                                                               IN COMPANY FLYING
                                                           Formation flights allow a large number of
                                                         parachutists to be in the air at one time for
                                                         either freefall or canopy relative work.

                                                            If the jump sortie is planned as a formation
                                                         flight (multiple aircraft navigating and
                                                         communicating as one), all pilots need to be
                                                         formation endorsed, whereas if the flight is
                                                         planned with normal separation rules applied
                                                         no endorsement is required by CASA. The
                                                         type of flight will depend on the proposed
                                                         parachute jump requirements as well as
  After each exit the plane should be quickly            aircraft and pilots involved.
turned to return as directly as possible to the          Flying and dropping parachutists in close
“run-in” start point. This applies to style and          proximity to another aircraft requires
CRW where respective run-ins are required: it            considerable organisation as well as piloting
enhances efficiency and allows for better                skill and should not be attempted without
video tracking and spotting. It is often very            thorough planning.
difficult to spot the aircraft from the ground in
                                                                   Planning for jumps from
glare conditions so if you orbit in a regular
                                                                   multiple aircraft must
manner it makes the ground staff’s job easier.
                                                                     involve the DZSO.
7.12.4 CRW
  This competition is conducted in calm wind               Before any formation flight commences the
periods from heights up to 9000ft. A.G.L.                pilots involved and the DZSO will meet to
  In this event the teams of 4 or 8 exit the             discuss and agree on the procedures that will
aircraft and immediately deploy their                    be used. Radio contact is very handy but
parachutes.                                              should     not    be    depended      on     for
  This event is videoed from the air and can             communication of complex plans. Some VHF
be flown in much the same manner as freefall             radios will suffer from interference or not
competitors. They may ask you to run in                  work at all in close proximity. The plane with
downwind and they will usually exit the                  the lowest performance should be selected as
aircraft a long way upwind of the drop zone              lead and it should be flown by the pilot with
and fly their parachutes back whilst they are            the least experience.
completing their manoeuvres.                               Since take-off times may be staggered, to
  Remember these parachutists will be in the             balance differences in climb performance, the
air for up to 10 minutes so be sure to                   lead plane should fly a prescribed pattern all
communicate with other jump aircraft which               the way up. Flying an agreed radius around
may be dropping free fallers and endeavour to            the DZ using the GPS to maintain range
coordinate sorties so that aircraft are not              works well and allows for an aircraft with a
holding in the air. It is more economical to             higher airspeed to fly a slightly larger radius,
wait on the ground. Be very careful on                   and an aircraft with a lower airspeed to fly a
descent to remain clear and also keep your               smaller radius. It also makes the position of
eyes open for possible intruding aircraft so             the lead plane very predictable.
you can warn them of the number, position                  The lead plane should plan on a long
and height of the parachutists.                          straight run in to allow the following aircraft
                                                         to position themselves for the exit. If anyone
                                                         is having trouble getting into position then


                                                    29
they should ask the lead pilot to reduce power
slightly so that they will gain a performance
advantage. Don’t forget this if you are                  CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONS 1988
struggling to keep up.                                   - REG 163AA Formation flying

  If you are operating in formation then the             (1) Aircraft must not be flown in formation
pilot communicating with Centre will get the             unless:
airways clearance and drop clearance for the                 (a) each of the pilots in command is
Formation. Only the communicating aircraft               qualified to fly in formation; and
will have it’s transponder on.                               (b) the formation is pre-arranged between
  If you are operating in Company then one               the pilots in command; and
pilot can get the clearances for himself and                 (c) the formation flight is conducted
Company.                                                 either:
  If you are operating as individual aircraft                   (i) under the Visual Flight Rules by day;
then each aircraft will be responsible for his           or
own radio communications. This can get very                     (ii) under an approval given by CASA.
confusing for Centre who may try to provide
separation or traffic advice to everyone.                (2) Unless otherwise approved by CASA, a
  As a VFR aircraft you have the option of               pilot in command is qualified for the purposes
relieving the controller of any responsibility           of paragraph (1) (a) only if:
by offering to accept the responsibility                     (a) the pilot has been certified by the
yourself. Tell Centre that you are aware of              holder of a flight instructor rating as being
company parachuting aircraft ABC “My                     competent to fly in formation, being a rating
Separation”. Centre will then confirm with the           that is appropriate to the category of aircraft to
other aircraft involved who should also                  be flown in the formation; and
acknowledge “My Separation”. That way he                     (b) the certification is entered in the pilot's
won’t worry when your radar returns merge.               log book.

  The function of the predictable turns is to            (3) For the purposes of this regulation, 2 or
allow the chase aircraft to predict future               more aircraft are flown in formation if:
positions and then to cut the corners or fly                 (a) they are flown in close proximity to
across the “box” to intercept the lead plane.            each other; and
  It is not necessary to be really close. 50                 (b) they operate as a single aircraft with
meters at 45 degrees to the side/behind and 5            regard to navigation, position reporting and
meters above works well. The leader should               control.
fly as smoothly as possible with minimum
corrections. The jumpers in the lead plane               (4) In determining whether aircraft are in
will choose the exit time and the other                  close proximity to each other, regard is to be
jumpers will take their cue, visually, from              had to the type of aircraft in the formation and
them.                                                    the speed of those aircraft.

  If you lose situational awareness (lose                (5) In spite of subregulation (3), aircraft are to
sight) of the other aircraft while on jump run           be taken to be in formation:
take whatever steps are necessary to regain                  (a) during any period when they are
this awareness whatever it takes, even if this           manoeuvring to achieve separation from each
means a go-around. It has happened that                  other in order to effect individual control; and
jumpers have been exited into the flight path                (b) during join-up and breakaway
of the other aircraft!

  After the exit the aircraft will descend either
together or separately as previously arranged.
Do not circle back into the parachuting
airspace and join the circuit normally for
landing.




                                                    30
7.14 DISPLAY JUMPS                                      7.16 HELICOPTER JUMPS
                                                                                 Jumps           from
   The special spotting requirements for                                       helicopters   are     a
display jumps are covered under the                                            “special” for most
spotting section. Exhibition jumps are just                                    parachutists        and
that - a demonstration of the sport of                                         consequently there are
parachuting to the general public. Therefore                                   some aspects of the
they must be conducted with utmost                                             operation with which
Professionalism at all times.                                                  they may not be as
   It is a Parachuting Demonstration and                                       familiar as they are
not a display of your superior flying skills.                                  used to although they
   If you as the pilot have an opportunity to                                  may not be aware of
meet the public in connection with a                                           this.
display jump, show then the safety                                                Safety poster
modifications of the aircraft and do your                                      available from the APF
part in the promotion of the sport. If you are                                 Office
asked whether you have ever jumped, and you
haven’t, be diplomatic. Do not answer as if               Most important is that the briefing prior to
it’s something you would never do.                      operations commencing is attended by all
                                                        concerned and details of approach to the
  The paper work involved in a display jump             aircraft, exit procedures and the position of
is handled by the Licensed Display Organiser            persons on the ground during landing and
(LDO) in cooperation with the group                     take-off are thoroughly understood by
requesting or sponsoring the jump.                      everyone involved.
  All displays require that an LDO, who is
certified by the APF, has notified the APF of              The pilot will explain his requirements and
his intentions. Should the display require the          it is most important that jumpers follow them.
aircraft or parachutes to enter controlled              Some helicopters may be safely approached
airspace it is up to the LDO to liase with              from the front, others from the side but the
AirServices to see that the airspace is                 most important point to bear in mind before
available and if necessary, a NOTAM is                  moving into the arc of the blades is to be sure
issued.                                                 that the pilot has invited you to approach.

  The pilot should satisfy themselves that all            If a large operation is planned, the
requirements have been met since the pilot              appointment of ground marshals to coordinate
shares some of the responsibility for ensuring          final briefing and loading is recommended.
that the display is conducted safely and
legally with the LDO.                                     Parachutists do not usually require the
                                                        aircraft to hover. In fact forward speed assists
  Pyrotechnics are sometimes used and as                the parachutists in gaining stability sooner
these are “Dangerous Goods” an exemption to             after exit due to the fact that they already have
carry them in your aircraft will need to be             airspeed.
gained from the CASA Regional Office.                     Also in the event of an engine failure the
                                                        aircraft will not descend through the
7.15 NIGHT JUMPS                                        parachutists.
  Although night jumps call for elaborate
preparation on the part of the parachutists, the          Due to the delicate nature of the stability of
pilot has only the routine preparations                 the aircraft the parachutists should be briefed
required for any night flight to worry about -          to understand the importance of not “pushing
particularly airstrip and aircraft lighting.            off” on exit. Having the jumpers leave from
                                                        both sides of the helicopter at the same time
  The Pilot should be particularly careful to           can help the pilot maintain control. Pilots
remain clear of the parachuting airspace and            must be prepared to counter any lateral
airport area until every canopy has had time            imbalance as a result of the exit procedures. A
to land.                                                poor exit can produce a “mast bump”!




                                                   31
7.17 BALLOON JUMPS                                      opening height to allow the parachutist to gain
  Balloon jumps are a novelty for many                  stability and airspeed. This may be less for
parachutists, and balloon pilots can expect to          very experienced jumpers. Tandem jumps
be approached by parachutists who wish to               must have the parachute open at a minimum
jump from their balloon.                                of 4000 ft AGL.

Balloon pilot qualifications                              Since the balloon will usually be in descent
  In order to drop parachutists the balloon             for the exit of the parachutist, some additional
pilot must be either the holder of at least a           height will probably be necessary. Brief the
commercial pilot (balloon) licence or a                 parachutist that the balloon will be in descent
Private Pilot (Balloon) Certificate issued by           at the rate of about 300 - 600 ft per minute, as
the ABF, and have not less than 75 hours                the parachutist may feel that (unlike jumps
aeronautical experience as pilot in command             they have made out of aircraft), there is no
of balloons.                                            hurry to exit

Parachutist qualifications                                Parachutists may exit at any height above
  All parachutist operations require a Drop             this minimum, and will often want as much
Zone Safety Officer (DZSO) to be present,               height as possible, to allow them the
either on the ground or in the air. It is the           maximum time to carry out freefall
DZSO’s responsibility to ensure that the                manoeuvres.
parachutists are suitably qualified, equipped
and briefed for their jump. The                                      Exits
minimum qualification for this                                         Exits from a balloon basket
position is an APF “D” licence                                       will not generally be a problem
(requiring over 200 jumps,                                           to the jumpers, but the pilot
among other things).                                                 should      check      on      the
                                                                     parachutists’ plans before take
   Where all the jumpers hold a                                      off, to ensure that they will not
minimum of at least a “B”                                            cause any balloon control
licence (requiring 50 or more                                        problems. Pilot and parachutists
jumps) there are no other special                                    together should determine if the
requirements                                                         exits are one at a time or
                                                                     simultaneous, and how they are
  Any     operation   involving                                      distributed around the basket.
student or novice parachutists
(persons who do not hold at least                                      Target/site
a “B” license) requires the authority of an               Regular jumps from aircraft allow jumpers
APF Chief Instructor.                                   to be quite precise about the exit point to plan
  Note: Tandem passengers are students.                 their landings on a known drop zone. This is
                                                        often not possible from a balloon so jumpers
  If the landing area involves a public                 need to be comprehensively briefed on
gathering or is within 600 m of a built-up area         possible landing options and reminded of the
then the jump is a “display jump” and also              associated hazards (especially power-lines).
requires the involvement and approval of an             The DZSO should ensure that this is done as
APF Licensed Display Organiser (LDO).                   well as be sure that all jumpers are accounted
                                                        for after the drop.
  It is a requirement that all parachutists must
also be current members of the APF. This is               Jumps into a built-up area need particular
something the DZSO or LDO will check.                   attention in this respect. Although there are no
                                                        particular rules about it, one would expect
Heights                                                 that only highly experienced parachutists
  APF rules require that the parachutists have          would be making parachute jumps from a
their parachutes fully open by 1800 feet AGL.           balloon over built up areas. This would be
Given the lack of airspeed as the parachutist           classified as a display jump.
leaves the basket a minimum exit height
should include 1000 feet above planned


                                                   32
Briefings                                              near the parachutists during their landing
  The DZSO should brief the parachutists               approach.
thoroughly on all parachuting aspects of the
exercise. Most parachutists are quite familiar         8.3 RESERVE PARACHUTES
with fixed winged aircraft and the procedures            On every jump the parachutist will wear
to be followed in and around them. The                 two parachutes, one main and one reserve,
balloon pilot should brief the parachutists as         and on occasions when the main parachute
he/she would for any balloon passenger, and            doesn’t operate correctly it can be released
about any special requirements relating to             [cut away] and the reserve parachute used.
climbing onto and exiting the basket.                    The reserve parachute is similar to the main
                                                       parachute although not designed for constant
Radio calls                                            use and the deployment system is more
See Para 2.2 of this manual                            reliable.
From the APF Operational Regulations                     The parachute that you are probably
5.2.14. and 5.2.15.(a) (b) (c)                         wearing is also a reserve parachute although it
                                                       may be Round.
8.0 PARACHUTES &                                         Ensure that you have been briefed by an
PARACHUTE EQUIPMENT                                    instructor on its use and remain aware of
                                                       the position of the ripcord (both in case you
                                                       need to use it and to prevent accidental
  This very basic introduction to the broad
                                                       operation).
types and functions of parachuting equipment
is intended as “information only” for those
                                                         All reserves are required to be inspected
with no previous experience. Equipment
                                                       and repacked every 6 months.
catalogues and other publications should be
consulted for more detailed information.
                                                       8.4 HARNESS AND CONTAINERS
8.1 PILOT CHUTES                                         The parachute harness consists of main lift
                                                       webs which start at the shoulder, form a “X”
  These are small parachutes, sometimes
                                                       across the back, are joined across the lower
spring-loaded and used to act as an anchor
                                                       back and connect by two parallel straps up to
that draws the parachute from the container as
                                                       the shoulders. This basic harness has two leg
the parachutist falls away from it. The pilot
                                                       straps and a chest strap.
chute is designed to inflate quickly and in
almost any air flow.
                                                         The containers for the main and reserve
                                                       parachutes are mounted on the harness. Both
8.2 MAIN PARACHUTES
                                                       the reserve and the main containers are
  The main parachute is the parachute that the
                                                       attached to the back portion of the harness
skydiver intends to use. It is designed to be
                                                       and the assembly is known as a “piggy back”
used many times and is quite durable when
                                                       system. The parachute lines terminate at the
operated correctly.
                                                       “risers” and the risers of the main and reserve
 The parachute is an aerofoil and is controlled
                                                       parachutes are connected to the main lift web
by pulling on steering lines attached to the
                                                       at or just below the shoulder. The main
trailing edge. Pulling downwards on the
                                                       parachute risers are attached through a quick
steering lines changes the angle of attack
                                                       release (3-ring) mechanism to allow the
thereby enabling the parachutist to turn as
                                                       parachute to be jettisoned in case of
well as to fly at different airspeeds. As the
                                                       malfunction.
parachutist comes into land both steering lines
are pulled down simultaneously to flare. As
                                                         The container is held closed by a pin system
with any aerofoil it is possible to stall from
                                                       that may be operated with a ripcord, or
insufficient airspeed and because a Ram Air
                                                       another method of extracting the closing Pin.
parachute is inflated from the front a stalled
                                                       One of these methods still used with students
parachute will collapse. Parachutes can also
                                                       and the military is a static line.
achieve airspeeds of up to 50 knots.
                                                         The ripcord handles or activation systems
  Parachutes are susceptible to turbulence
                                                       for the reserve (and student main) piggy-back
which can cause them to collapse and is
                                                       system are on the front of the harness and care
something to consider if you are operating



                                                  33
is needed to protect these handles from being
snagged accidentally.
  The main activation for most experienced
parachutists’ will be at the bottom of the main
container. Extreme care must be taken at all
times to protect against accidental parachute
activation and you can expect the parachutists
to be checking each other’s equipment prior
to your opening the door in-flight .
  A premature opening in or near the
aeroplane has the potential to fatally injure
                                                        9.0 EMERGENCY
everyone on board including the pilot.                  PROCEDURES

8.5 AUTOMATIC ACTIVATORS                                  The following procedures are meant only as
  There are several types of automatic                  a guide. There are obvious variations with
activation devices (AADs) in use for students           different aircraft, parachute equipment, and
and experienced jumpers. Since the                      emergency instruction. Your Club’s Aircraft
specification for these units are apt to change         Operating Procedures manual may have
and new systems become available there will             emergency procedures specific to their
be no attempt here to explain the specifics of          aircraft. Discuss and understand what is
any one unit. It is however important for the           required in your particular situation with the
pilot to know the basic function of automatic           DZSO prior to any operations.
activators.
                                                        9.1 ENGINE FAILURE & CRITICAL
  An automatic activator is designed to open            ALTITUDES
the parachute by using energy stored in a                  An engine failure seldom presents itself,
spring or pyrotechnic charge. The spring or             except in the case of fuel starvation, as a
the charge are released or fired either by a            sudden and total loss of power. However, the
signal from an altitude pressure sensor or a            more time you spend in an aeroplane the
rate-of-altitude-change sensor with many                greater your chance of meeting a situation
units using a combination of these signals.             where it becomes necessary to terminate a
  Expect automatic activators to be on every            flight as soon as possible.
load and avoid high rates of descent with                  When flying jumpers the procedures for a
parachutists on board.                                  forced landing are no different than the
                                                        normal forced landing techniques except that
  One common type of automatic activator is             your passengers may choose to leave, altitude
a Cypres. The student version of this AAD is            permitting. An advantage in flying jumpers is
required to be turned “off” for descent in the          that you are, or should, always be within
aircraft. Also…                                         gliding distance to an airport, except during
    From the CYPRES USER'S GUIDE                        the take-off and initial climbout.

7.1 Important notes for jump pilots                        In the event of an engine problem or failure,
                                                        first control the aircraft and immediately
A Student or Expert Cypres will not work if the         check that the movements of a jumper’s
   aircraft is exited before it reaches 1500ft          backpack has not
   (450m) above the height at which the                      • pulled the mixture,
   jumper intends to land. In case of a
   Tandem Cypres 3000ft (900m) has to be                     • unlocked the primer,
   reached. Once the aircraft has climbed                    • turned off the mags,
   through that altitude and Cypres has                      • retarded the throttle
   become fully operational and it will work for             • or turned off the fuel.
   any exit height.
                                                          Then advise the jumpers of your altitude
An aircraft must not descend to altitudes               above ground level and the nature of the
  below the elevation of the airfield of
                                                        problem as you continue the cockpit checks.
  departure.
                                                        If you are between 1,500 and 3,000 feet,
                                                        experienced jumpers may elect to leave


                                                   34
immediately, terrain permitting. Call out the               As students are entering the aircraft
altitude again just before exit.                          reinforce the jumpmaster’s instruction on the
                                                          protection of the ripcords and static lines.
   Students will have been taught the                     Look back frequently during the climb to
procedures for an emergency exit in their                 ensure that the ripcords are in place and
ground training and they will take their                  protected. If an in-flight door is fitted, before
instructions from the jumpmaster. You should              you open the door (which should be operated
inform the jumpmaster as to the nature of the             only by you or on your specific instruction)
problem and the altitude and ask if he or she             look back and ensure that all packs are secure.
wishes to dispatch the students. If the answer
is “yes” and you agree, open the door and                   If a parachute pack opens in the aircraft,
keep the jumpmaster informed of the altitude.             ensure that the pilot chute is captured
If the answer is “no”, request that all restraints        immediately and do not open the door. During
be secured and continue with your forced                  all exits keep a close watch for any premature
landing procedures.                                       openings and if they occur, immediately apply
                                                          maximum rudder to swing the tail clear of the
  Under some circumstances the jumpmaster                 developing parachute. If the parachute is
may elect to exit and leave the students with             inside and the door is open, close it
you. This is not as great a problem as it may             immediately.
seem. Just forget they have parachutes on and
instruct them as you would any passenger in                 Do not open the door in-flight under any
preparation for a forced landing.                         circumstances if there is an open pack on
                                                          board.
  At any altitude below 1,000 feet your                     If a pilot chute escapes while the door is
passengers are just that - passengers. The                open it will be out and into the slip stream
emergency procedures learned during your                  before reaction is possible. The only thing
flying training apply.                                    you can, and must do, is to apply full right or
                                                          left rudder and to push the person out at the
  Do not turn back at low level!                          same instant. The application of rudder is for
                                                          two reasons:
9.2 IN-AIRCRAFT                PARACHUTE
DEPLOYMENT                                                  1. It will help the parachute clear the tail,
  The title may be a little misleading as it is             2. It will “open” the doorway so the jumper
not possible to “deploy” a parachute inside                      may clear the frame.
the aircraft.
  However, it is possible for a ripcord to be             9.3 STATIC LINE HANG UPS
pulled or for a pack to open in the aircraft and            A static line hang-up is a static line that has
if the pilot chute finds its way outside,                 snagged on a student or on a student’s
whether it be through an open window or the               equipment and results in a 5,000 lb strong line
door, an extremely hazardous situation exists.            being firmly attached to the aircraft structure
  The importance of preventing this situation             with a person connected at the bottom end.
cannot be over-emphasised and the safety                    It can also happen that the jumpmaster, in
procedures designed to protect against this               the rush to follow the last student out, does
occurrence must never be relaxed.                         not clear the static-lines and is tangled in one.
                                                            It should be noted that this is an extremely
  Students are taught to protect their ripcord            rare occurrence.
handles and static lines while inside the
aircraft and it is the students that require the            The most immediate concern is that the
most attention. They are still “clumsy” in the            snagged person will attempt to deploy a
aircraft and, therefore, great care must be               parachute. Your first reaction to a static line
taken. Most experienced jumpers have a great              hang-up therefore, must be to reach for the
respect for this hazard and will seldom have              knife (always available on board the aircraft)
to be reminded of it, but don’t hesitate to do            and hand it to the jumpmaster, (if still on
so when you feel it necessary.                            board) who will prepare to cut the line
                                                          immediately.



                                                     35
   If the jumpmaster sees that a parachute is
not being deployed and that the line is not              9.5 BAULKED EXITS (STUDENT
strangling the jumper, there is then no                  REFUSAL) PROCEDURES
immediate urgency to cut the line.                          A student may refuse on the first, second or
   There is the possibility that the student may         subsequent jumps and at any time during the
be unconscious and will require assistance               flight. An experienced jumpmaster will be
from the jumpmaster. A plan of action can                able to judge whether or not, by talking to the
then be decided between you and the                      student while in the aircraft, he or she can
jumpmaster depending on circumstances. The               restore their confidence to allow them to
line must eventually be cut since it is                  continue with the jump safely.
physically impossible to pull the jumper back
into the aircraft.                                         If however, the student has commenced the
                                                         climb-out or exit it can be dangerous and near
  If the jumpmaster holds all slack line, “S”            impossible in some situations to recover them
folded in-hand until the student’s fall-away             into the aircraft. In this case the jumpmaster
draws it free, and if the unhooking and                  will need to dispatch them from the aircraft
stowing procedure is followed, there should              by whatever means they can.
be no reason for a static-line hang-up to ever
occur.                                                     As you can imagine the jumpmaster has a
                                                         difficult task and will need to rely on you to
9.4 EMERGENCY DESPATCHING                                remain as near as possible to the correct exit
  It is difficult to conceive a situation, other         point, or in a position that will allow a safe
than a structural failure or fire, so severe that        landing if the student “leaves” at any time.
you would be compelled to order people to                The JM will need to also rely on you applying
leave the aircraft.                                      power when necessary to maintain the correct
                                                         height and to continue to fly as smoothly as
  The      “routine”    emergency      dispatch          possible and comply with any commands as
procedures are covered earlier in this chapter.          quickly as possible such as, “release brake”,
Here, we will assume that the aircraft is below          “full power”, “right rudder”.
1,500 feet and you, the pilot, have decided
that a survivable landing is very unlikely. We             If you have a student refusal coming down
will also assume that you do not have the help           the jumpmaster will accompany them and
of an experienced jumper or jumpmaster.                  supervise them for the descent and landing in
                                                         the aircraft.
  - A freefall student or higher would be told
     to go and pull the reserve.
  - An observer who is wearing a parachute
     would be told to sit in the doorway, place
     both hands on the ripcord - fall forward
     and pull.
  - A static line student whose static line is
     already hooked up would be told to go.
  - A static line student whose static line is
     not connected would be told to place the
     right hand on the reserve ripcord - fall
     out and pull.
  - Make sure you have already been
     briefed on the use of your own
     parachute.

  Emergency procedures for structural failure
are not discussed in manuals or safety
publications because there is little that can be
done. It is mentioned here because, with
parachutes on board, there is a chance that
something can be done.


                                                    36
9.6 FINDING YOURSELF IN                                above the tops, however, the picture can
      OR ABOVE CLOUD                                   change entirely as the slant visual range
                                                       improves.
  Parachuting        Regulations        require          If you should inadvertently find yourself in
parachutists to remain clear of cloud                  cloud, commit yourself to instruments and
throughout the descent. Unlike the Pilot, the          forget that your passengers are parachutists
parachutists do not differentiate between IMC          until you are completely clear.
and VMC. With the use of properly equipped
aircraft and properly trained pilots it is               A good pilot should know their own and the
possible to conduct parachute operations in            aircraft’s limitations and should endeavour to
less than VMC.                                         operate within those limits.
  CASA and the APF have been working for                 99% Sure is Not Sure Enough!
some time on procedures that will allow
parachuting through cloud under certain                9.7 ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS
prescribed procedures, and at approved                          Accidents do happen.
locations, however at the time of writing this            In the event of an accident it is preferable
process is not complete.                               not to request emergency services over the
                                                       radio unless there is no other communication
   Any instrument rated Pilot will appreciate          system available as it tends to attract
the danger of getting caught above cloud in an         unnecessary publicity which makes the
aircraft without appropriate navigation                situation more difficult for the DZSO.
equipment or descent and approach options.
During the summer in particular, it is not               DZSOs are responsible for dealing with
uncommon to begin a climb between                      parachuting accidents at their DZ and will
scattered cumulus clouds and to find yourself          handle the situation as they see fit.
locked in a large hole until you climb or                Often an ambulance will be called to an
descend out of it. Since your slant visual             injury and in serious cases the Area Safety
range will be considerably reduced, you will           Officer may be contacted.
likely have lost sight of the airport and you            The DZSO is also responsible for the
will have travelled downwind with the hole a           reporting of accidents and incidents to the
distance relative to the speed of the wind and         APF Director Safety via the APF Office.
the length of time you were in the hole.                 Note that despite the APF system of
   Upon reaching the tops it will appear that          incident reporting a pilot still has the
all the world is covered with cloud even               responsibility of reporting aircraft incidents in
though it may still only be a scattered                the normal way.
condition. Once you get about 1,000 feet




                                                  37
NEVER FLY BENEATH
   PARACHUTISTS
 or TRANSIT OVER A
  BUSY DROP ZONE



         38
       Appendix 1.
             PARACHUTING AIRCRAFT PROCEDURES

       Applicability;
       The Principles, Practices and Procedures described in this document provide for the
       operation of aircraft engaged in the support of Parachute Operations conducted by
       this Club and the conduct of Flight Crew participating in these operations.


NAME OF CLUB.                 Gone Jumpin 4 Fun.

CHIEF INSTRUCTOR.             Fast Frank Freeman

SENIOR PILOT.                 N/A see Fast Frank

AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS GENERAL.

1. Minimum Experience: As per APF Operational Regulations Schedule 1.

2. Pilot Induction:          Pilots shall be required to satisfy Chief Instructor or I.B.
   appointed by him that they have a satisfactory knowledge the APF Jump Pilot’s
   handbook, of the required parachute operation including this manual’s requirements, and
   have completed the Knowledge check specific to the aircraft to be flown.

3. Pilot Rostering: At the discretion of the Chief Instructor. Pilots will be telephoned.

4. Pilot Responsibilities: To ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Club’s
   aircraft.
    To operate with regard to the Club’s “Specific Aircraft Operations” detailed on page 2.
    To carry out his/her duties in a Professional and Courteous manner.
    Liaise with manifest to ensure the plane is not overloaded.
    To notify the Chief Instructor of any aircraft technical or maintenance issues requiring
    attention.

5. Documentation: Pilot shall complete a Club Daily Flight Record for each day’s
   operations.
    Completed Flight Records shall be returned to manifest each day and stored in the
    aircraft file.

6. Aircraft Loading: Loading shall not exceed the Maximum Take Off Weight specified in
   the aircraft documents. The Pilot shall advise manifest of any particular requirements.

7. Restraints Policy: As per the APF Operational Regulations and CAR 20.16.3.

8. Oxygen Policy: As per the APF Operational Regulations CASA Instrument 184/00.

9. Aircraft Emergency Procedures: As per APF Pilot’s Operating handbook, Aircraft
   manufacturers recommendations, and industry Best Practice as applicable.



                                                39
10. Refuelling: Aircraft shall be refuelled each sortie. Minimum fuel reserve 45 minutes.

11. Defect Reporting: As per 4. Pilot’s Responsibilities, and applicable CARs.

12. Airspace requirements and Radio procedures: As per AIP ENR 5.5 para 2.0.
    Minimum radio equipment:- Two serviceable VHF radios and serviceable transponder
    with mode C.

13. Other Airfield Users: Pilot shall endeavour to coordinate jump sorties with flying
    school operations so as to avoid conflict. Cooperation and courtesy shall be shown to
    visiting aircraft. Visiting or transiting IFR aircraft operating in IMC shall have
    precedence.


SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS
If more than one Aircraft type is operated, reproduce this section with specific information
on each type.

1. Aircraft type: CESSNA 182

2. Empty weight Parachuting configuration:

3. MTOW:

4. Take off and Climb Procedures: Take off configuration:- Cowl Flaps Open. 10 degrees
     of flap. Rotate at 50 Knots and establish positive climb. 80 Knots.
   After takeoff reduce power to 25 inches MAP and 2500 RPM. Carefully retract flap
     whilst
   Maintaining a positive rate of climb and 80 Knots.
   Maintain 25 inches manifold pressure until full throttle height.
   Above 5000 ft reduce RPM to 2450. Airspeed may be reduced to 75 Knots subject to
     cylinder head and oil temperatures remaining stable in the normal operating range.
   Above 9,000 ft reduce to 70 knots if temps and pressures are remaining stable in the
     normal operating range.
   Manoeuvre to position the aircraft on jump run at the exit altitude about 1 mile before
     exit.

4. Run in and Exit: Once the aircraft has reached exit altitude on Run in, reduce the
   manifold pressure to 18 inches and close the cowl flaps. Ensure that you have completed
   the necessary radio broadcasts, and if operating in Class C airspace ensure that the
   controller has cleared you for the drop and advise the jumpmaster.
   Correct tracking errors using shallow balanced turns until the GPS Bearing to, and the
   Track correspond. The more experienced jumpmasters will be watching your GPS and
   may ask for a correction based on the displayed information. The jumpmaster will have
   asked you to open the door at a specific distance from the waypoint so that he may
   visually check what is below. Get eye contact with him to check everyone is ready before
   opening the door. Run in at 70 knots indicated air speed.
   When the exit point is reached the jumpers will say “Bye”, or “Power Off”, or “See you
   later” and commence climbing out. Stand hard on the brakes so that the wheel may be
   used as a step and slow the aircraft to a safe speed. 60 knots works well unless the
   jumpers have requested a specific airspeed. Keep the wings level and maintain heading as


                                                40
   the drag on the right side will want to turn the plane. 15-18 inches MAP works well.
   Maintain control.

5. Descent and Landing: When the jumpers have left you have an empty plane with nose
   down trim and an open door. Hold the attitude high to avoid increased airspeed, unlatch
   the door and sideslip right. [left rudder]. The door will close to within easy reach of your
   right hand. Grasp the handle, pull the door all the way in and turn the handle to the lock
   position.
   Check the door to ensure both locking pins are in place before increasing airspeed on
   descent. Set 18 inches of manifold pressure and increase airspeed to 150 knots. Descent
   airspeed is 150 knots in smooth conditions. This is outside the normal manoeuvring range
   so be prepared to reduce speed if conditions are rough.
   Start the descent with 18 inches and gradually reduce manifold pressure as you descend
   into warmer air at lower altitudes so that you join the circuit 1000 ft AGL with 15 inches.
   It is not unusual for a new pilot to become disoriented on a high speed descent. Use the
   downwind leg to slow up and fit with other circuit traffic. Carry out your Pre Landing
   checks and land safely. It is always possible that canopies are still in the air. Keep a good
   lookout.

7. After landing. Park in the usual position. This will allow the next load to approach the
    aircraft from the rear.
    Record the stop tacho reading and anything else significant on the Flight record.
    Refuel ready for the next load. Never refuel whilst jumpers are practicing in the
    aeroplane in case fuel is spilt on their equipment.

8. Relax. On a busy day particularly in summer it’s important to take time to rest.
   Drink plenty of water.
   Use your sunscreen.
   Get to know the jumpers.

9. End of Day. Complete the maintenance release. Record any oil uptake. AD/ENG 4 and 8
   Secure the aeroplane. Tie it down and lock it.
   File the daily flight record at manifest. Lock the fuel storage. Double check nothing has
   been forgotten.
   Probably the only job on the Drop Zone that is more demanding than yours and receives
   less thanks is the Manifest. Take time to get to know them. They will appreciate it.

10. Party. Enjoy your time off, and always remember it is eight hours bottle to throttle.




                                                 41
        Appendix 2.

                 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL CHECKLIST
This document may be used for record keeping, used by Jump Pilots, or Drop Zone Safety
Officers to verify the integrity of their aircraft operation, or to assist in the training of a new
Jump Pilot. It is not an exam.

FLIGHT CREW DETAILS. Copy this form as required.

   Pilot. Name and ARN.

   Contacts. phone. mobile. email

   License. PPL – CPL - ATPL

   Medical Class. 1 - 2 Valid until.

   Endorsed on Type. Y - N

   Meets Minimum experience. Y - N

    BFR. Y – N – Other Flight Check

   Briefed on handling and use of emergency parachute. Y - N

   Familiar with Jump Pilot’s handbook. Y –N

   Familiar with Club Aircraft Operating Procedures. Y - N


AIRCRAFT PARTICULARS. Copy this page for each aircraft type.

   Aircraft Make and model. Callsign. VH-

   Certificate of Registration Y – N

   Certificate of Airworthiness. Y – N

   Airworthiness Category.                    Note Parachuting ops noted if not Normal category. Y – N

   Maintenance Release. Expires Date. TTAF hours

   Maintenance Required carried out. Y – N

   Maintenance Release valid for flight. Y - N

   Operating Supplements. Y - N               An operating supplement will normally be required for a
   modification that requires operation. eg: In flight door. Fixed modifications eg: step. Might only be
   recorded in the aircraft log book. If in doubt check with your L.A.M.E.

   Appropriate serviceable equipment, radios etc. Y – N

   Restraints. Sufficient for the intended loads? Y – N

   General Aircraft condition. Inspect Aircraft for sharp edges, loose or broken panels,
   Cleanliness and presentation.?

   Refuelling facilities. Earth lead, fire extinguisher, ladder, no smoking sign, general suitability?



                                                          42
AIRCRAFT LOADING.

                                            Loading System

Every aircraft must have a loading system, which must be carried in the aircraft.
If the Aircraft has a Flight Manual it will normally be found in Section 6.
If there is no flight manual, there will still be a loading system in the aircraft documents.

In older simple aircraft the loading system may be as simple as "load front to rear. Do not to exceed
the max take off weight.(MTOW), and stay within the weight and balance limits”.


It is of interest for the DZSO to complete a “Sample Load Sheet” illustrated below.

Pilots may elect to carry out a more complex calculation using the aircraft loading system.

Use this as a sample load sheet.

        Aircraft Basic (empty) Weight
        Fuel Weight
        Jump Load weight
        Pilot weight
        Total
    •   Does the Total weight exceed the Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW)?

For aircraft that do not have an empty weight recorded for the parachuting configuration it will be
necessary to make allowances for the removal of the seats.




Loading area
Access to the aircraft for loading should be suitably controlled (cone markers, path, fence, etc).
Propeller strike warning signs are helpful.
Proximity away from parachute landing area?
Shaded areas, drinking water?




                                                       43
        Appendix 2A.
            OPERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE CHECK.

This document is designed to be used as a             VA (design manoeuvre speed);
Jump Pilot study guide, as a training aid, or
as a record of training received.
Use references including Pilot Operating              VX (best climb angle);
handbook, Flight manual if applicable, Theory
texts, and your Club Parachuting Aircraft             VY (best climb rate);
Procedures. Talk to experienced Jump Pilots.
                                                      VFE (max flap extension);
                                                      VLO (max landing gear operation);
CONTENTS
                                                      VLE (max landing gear extended);
1. General Aircraft Data
                                                      Door opening speed;
2. Airspeed Limitations

3. Emergency Procedures                               3.            Emergency Procedures

4. Normal Procedures                                  Detail the emergency procedures for the following
                                                      situations if applicable:
5. W & B & performance
                                                      (a)          engine fire on the ground;
6. Fuel Systems
                                                      (b)          engine failure after take off;
7. Engine & Propeller
                                                      (c)          engine failure at altitude;
8. Airframe
                                                      (d)          Parachute container open in the
9. Electrical/Radios                                               aeroplane;

10. Flight Instruments                                (e)          Static line hookup;

11. General                                           (f)          the optimum glide speed for the
                                                                   aeroplane is _______ kts


1.    General Aircraft Data                           4.           Normal Procedures

(a)   What is the make, type and model of             Describe or detail:
      the aeroplane?
                                                      (a)          The start sequence when the engine is
(b)   In which category (categories) is the                        cold:
      aeroplane permitted to fly?
      VFR / NVFR / IFR                                (b)          The start sequence when the engine is
                                                                   hot;
2.    Airspeed Limitation
                                                      (c)          the technique used for checking;
List the applicable Airspeed for the aeroplane
type:                                                       (i)       the ignition system;

VNE (never exceed);                                         (ii)      the propeller governing system;


                                                 44
      (iii)   the carburettor heat;
                                                          (i)   When refuelling to less than full tanks,
(d) The use of cowl flaps;                                      what restrictions apply and how is the
                                                                quantity checked;
5.    Weight and Balance, and
Performance

Specify the correct weights applicable to the             (j)   The normal fuel load and configuration
plane you fly:                                                  for a jump load;

(a)       The maximum take-off weight;                    (k)   The correct grade of oil for the
                                                                aeroplane;
(b)       The maximum landing weight;
                                                          (l)   The minimum oil quantity before flight;
(c)       The maximum Zero fuel weight;
                                                          (m)   The maximum quantity of oil;
(d)       The maximum POB [if applicable];
                                                          (n)   The normal oil quantity for jump
(e)       The minimum fuel load for parachute                   operations
          ops;

(f)       The maximum jumper load with this               7.    Engine and Propeller
          fuel;
                                                          Answer the following:
(g)       Using the aeroplane loading data
          determine the take-off weight and               (a)   What is the make/model of the engine?
          balance solution for a typical jump
          sortie load;                                    (b)   What is the power output, and number
                                                                of cylinders?
(h)       Calculate the take-off distance required
          with a typical jump sortie load;                (c)   What is the maximum RPM/MAP
                                                                permitted by the manufacturer? Is there
                                                                a time limit?

6.    Fuel System, Fuel and Fluids                        (d)   What is your Club’s procedure
Specify for the aeroplane you fly.                              regarding power settings and airspeed
                                                                on climb?
(a)       The correct grade of fuel ;
                                                          (e)   What is your Club’s procedure
(b)       Any approved alternate fuel;                          regarding power settings and airspeeds
                                                                on run in.
(c)       the location of fuel tanks and drain
          points;                                         (f)   What is your Club’s procedure
                                                                regarding power settings and airspeeds
(d)       The total fuel quantity and total usable              on descent.
          fuel.
                                                          (g)   What is your Club’s policy regarding
(e)       The position of the fuel tank vents;                  leaning the mixture on climb / on
                                                                descent?
(f)       What are the crossfeed restrictions if
          applicable;                                     (h)   If the engine loses oil pressure will the
                                                                propeller go into fine pitch / coarse
(g)       Location of the fuel boost/auxiliary                  pitch / stay the same pitch?
          pump and when it should be used;

(h)       What fuel tank selection criteria apply
          for take-off, landing;

                                                     45
                                                                      (i)       where is this located and under what
8.           Airframe                                                           circumstances would you use it?

Answer the following:                                                 (ii)      what is the purpose of this system?

(a)          Does your aeroplane have limitations
             for operation with the door removed?
              What are these limitations?                             (iii)     If used, what effect does it have on
                                                                                the pressure instruments?
(b)          Does your aeroplane have an in-flight
             opening door?                                      a)           Which flight instruments are operated
                                                                             electrically?
1.          What is the in-flight door operating
            procedure?                                          b)           Which flight instruments are
                                                                             gyroscopically operated?
2.          What are the limitations?
                                                                c)           If you lost suction which gyro
                                                                             instruments would fail?
9. Electrical/Radios
                                                                d)           If you lost electrical power which gyro
Answer the following questions:                                              instruments would fail?

(a)          Does your aeroplane have provision for
             an external power source? If so, what is           10.          General
             the procedure for use?
                                                                (a)          What is the minimum qualifications
(b)          Where are the battery and external                              required to fly parachutists?
             power receptacle located?
                                                                (b)          What is the minimum qualifications
(c)          List the radio calls/frequencies for                            required to fly parachutists at your
                                                                             Club?
      (i)       Taxi;
                                                                (c)          Sketch the “noise sensitive” or “no fly”
      (ii)      Takeoff;                                                     areas around your Drop Zone.

      (iii)     Obtaining an Airways Clearance;                 (d)          What is your Club’s policy with regard
                                                                             to other airfield users?
      (iv)      Pre jump;
                                                                (e)          As a jump pilot with this parachute
      (v)       Descent;                                                     Club you have specific duties and
                                                                             responsibilities. List these duties and
      (vi)      Landing;                                                     responsibilities.

      (vii) DZ / manifest Ground Frequency;


10.          Flight Instruments

Answer the following questions:

a)           Where are the pitot head(s) and static
             vent(s) located?

b)           Is there a pitot heat system fitted?

c)           Is there an alternate static source fitted?
             - if so

                                                           46
Appendix 3.

               EQUIVALENCE OF HIGH-WING CESSNA SINGLE-ENGINE
                                AEROPLANES

For the purposes of Op Reg 3.7 (Pilot Qualifications), experience as pilot in command of aeroplanes
of a type specified in column 1 of an item may be counted as experience as pilot in command of the
type(s) specified in column 2 of that item.


Item     Column 1                    Column 2

1.       Cessna 150                  Cessna 152

2.       Cessna 152                  Cessna 150

3.       Cessna 170                  Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172

4.       Cessna 172                  Cessna 150, Cessna 152

5.       Cessna 172CS                Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 182

6.       Cessna 172RG                Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
           Cessna 182

7.       Cessna 180              Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 170, Cessna 172,
           Cessna 172CS, Cessna 182

8.       Cessna 182                  Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS

9.       Cessna 182RG            Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
           Cessna 172RG, Cessna 182

10.       Cessna 185               Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 170, Cessna 172,
             Cessna 172CS, Cessna 180, Cessna 182, Cessna 205,                     Cessna
       206, Cessna 207

11.      Cessna 205               Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
           Cessna 182, Cessna 206, Cessna 207

12.      Cessna 206               Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
           Cessna 182, Cessna 205, Cessna 207

13.      Cessna 207               Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
           Cessna 182, Cessna 205, Cessna 206

14.      Cessna 210               Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 172CS,
            Cessna 172RG, Cessna 182, Cessna 182RG, Cessna                        205,
       Cessna 206, Cessna 207




                                          ************



                                                   47
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