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ciechan

US DZ operating Skyvan or Sherpa

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Are you really sure about Bay Area Skydiving? Them having a Skyvan would be huge news, last week they were using a Caravan.
"Skydivers are highly emotional people. They get all excited about their magical black box full of mysterious life saving forces."

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Perris definitely does; we did the recent SOS jumps entirely out of skyvans.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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mathrick

Are you really sure about Bay Area Skydiving? Them having a Skyvan would be huge news, last week they were using a Caravan.

Sorry, I misread. Caravan. It was just something I saw them post online and I dident read the whole article.

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Westerly

***Are you really sure about Bay Area Skydiving? Them having a Skyvan would be huge news, last week they were using a Caravan.

Sorry, I misread. Caravan. It was just something I saw them post online and I dident read the whole article.

Although Skydance does have a Skyvan during the American Boogie in June.

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Remster

***

Quote

Eloy AZ has about 5 Skyvans



You're so cute....;)

I think it's 7 now. (but yeah, mostly used for military, and boogies)


I just received notification that I'm talking out of my ass.



That's 8 skyvans.

Don't they lease a few out to other DZs for boogies?

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Many of the Skyvans are approaching their life limit and face mandatory retirement. DZs operating them are being judicious about utilization. The US military prefers to train out of tailgate equipped aircraft and the contracts are far more lucrative than dropping fun jumpers. Fewer and fewer Skyvans will be available for fun jumping.

Sherpa are the preferred aircraft for military training but the expense of operating makes then unattractive to any civilian DZ. Acquiring one is well within reach for a big DZ but without ongoing military contracts just too much money to operate.

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nolhtairt

******

Quote

Eloy AZ has about 5 Skyvans



You're so cute....;)

I think it's 7 now. (but yeah, mostly used for military, and boogies)


I just received notification that I'm talking out of my ass.



That's 8 skyvans.

Don't they lease a few out to other DZs for boogies?

They sometimes lease out both Vans and Otters.
Remster

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jonstark

Many of the Skyvans are approaching their life limit and face mandatory retirement. DZs operating them are being judicious about utilization. The US military prefers to train out of tailgate equipped aircraft and the contracts are far more lucrative than dropping fun jumpers. Fewer and fewer Skyvans will be available for fun jumping.



What's with the life time limit? Some sort of ungodly expensive AD?

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The manufacturer has determined that their design and the materials used have a finite life based either on landings, hours or both. Unlike other aircraft neither they nor any outside agency has come up with life extending modifications.

Jon

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