What are your thoughts on Pilatus Porter aircraft?

[McDirt 0]

Just a simple post on the Pilatus Porter plane. Can anyone give me their opinions about this craft? Would it be a viable asset for a DZ? Please post... all comments are taken seriously, thanks.

[PhreeZone 15]

Lots of DZ's already use them. They are taildraggers so you've got to find a pilot that can fly it.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[McDirt 0]

Ya, i'm aware that these planes are widely used... just wanna know how they stand up say when compared to an otter or caravan.

[jumpinfarmer 0]

Well there no where as big as an Otter or Caravan but, I think they are a lot of fun to jump from. I have only however jumped one a few times and that was at Paradise Skydivers in Vinton IA. They have a real nice one thats fast as hell.

[McDirt 0]

Anyone know climb rates... it be great if someone could post maybe a chart to compare them!! I would do it but i'm lazy..!!

[jonstark 8]

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Just a simple post on the Pilatus Porter plane. Can anyone give me their opinions about this craft? Would it be a viable asset for a DZ? Please post... all comments are taken seriously, thanks.

I'd have to say the Caravan wins hands down on simplicity of ownership and operation. They are available. Their parts are available. Pilots are available.

That said... I only fly tail draggers and the reason for that was to be able to fly Porters. Very cool a/c. Parts are getting very hard to find and are getting more expensive too.

Otters are like comparing apples to oranges here. What are the proposed loads? Are they seasonal? Do you expect to always fill an Otter? Would you have to take it up with 8-10 aboard? Would it have to sit while waiting for a load to build at manifest? OR... Would a smaller a/c just keep flying back to back all year?

[McDirt 0]

Well... for a grass roots DZ using small cessnas isi this a viable A/C to use? 7 Days a week and yes loads <10 on frequent occasions.

[riggerrob 561]

Lots of european DZs use Porters.I have jumped from Porters at avariety of DZs in Germany, France, Canada and the USA.
Porter cabins may be tight with more than eight skydivers on board, but they climb so quickly that you don't have time to develop cramps. The sliding door is huge and the "dance floor" is even bigger.
They are just right for DZs too big for Cessnas, but not busy enough for a twin.
Yes, spare parts cna be expensive and insurance can be too unless your pilot has a million hours flying tail draggers.

[riggerrob 561]

Porter cabins are and cramped (8 to 10 jumpers)compared with Caravans (14 to 18 jumpers), but they climb much better.
Otters have cabins (up to 18 jumpers) as big as Caravans, but miserable climb rates with stock radial engines. If you retrofit your Otter with a Garret, Walter or Pratt & Whitney turbine, they climb much better, but still not as well as Turbine Porters.
Caravans' greatest advantage is their tricycle undercarriage which vastly reduces insurance rates.

[packing_jarrett 0]

I'm gonna ask again cause last I didn't get what you guys said. but can someone do me up a picture like in paint of something of a seating arrengment. It seems really elaborate.

Na' Cho' Cheese

[piisfish 135]

it's like playing Tetris to put 10 inside... But we have Tetris experts at our DZ

Our Porters have
-1 on the copilot seat,
-5 on the left side bench (seating varies if tandems or "regular skydivers")
-2 on the small bench
-2 on the floor

Oh yeah and a pilot somewhere behind the turbine too

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[diablopilot 2]

Expensive to buy, expensive parts, expensive to repair, expensive to insure, easy for a novice pilot to ground loop.

Think about a PAC750. For not too much more than the purchase price of a used Porter, you can have more capacity, less overhead costs, less operating costs, and a larger payload.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Mike111 0]

Never jumped from one, but a lot of DZ';s in France seem to have them.

[Eule 0]

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but can someone do me up a picture like in paint of something of a seating arrengment.

The attached is based on talking to someone I know who jumps one in the Netherlands and
what piisfish said.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[pincheck 0]

you could probably find out what you are looking for here http://www.pc-6.com/

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[slotperfect 7]

I have a lot of jumps from the Porter in the picture. That one had no seats, and we put 9 jumpers in it with the co-pilot's seat removed - it was PACKED! It can take off and land on a dime, climbs well, and has a huge step outside. The seating arrangement in one of the replies is more efficient than sitting on the floor, although I have never jumped it that way.

Arrive Safely

John

[sundevil777 94]

With no benches, 8 is packed.

With a left side bench, and bench at the rear, 10 is OK, especially if you put the small ones on the floor.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[sundevil777 94]

I've seen a bench across the rear, not on the right side as you show, but I've only been in one that had benches.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[redramdriver 0]

Jumped from miss Polka Dot, only seat is 1) Pilot's and 2) the small seat across the back from starbord to port side. We don't usually have a seat per say in the C/P spot, just floor space. We usually get in 9, but when it comes down to it, with any of us big guys in it, 8 is more prefered as it does get tight to even get the door closed. But again, as someone said, once the door is open, its huge, and easily one of the better side door exiting aircraft around. But that is IMHO.

So, you bring your beer?

Its 5 o'clock somewhere
POPS #9344

[Opie 0]

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Expensive to buy, expensive parts, expensive to repair, expensive to insure, easy for a novice pilot to ground loop.

Think about a PAC750. For not too much more than the purchase price of a used Porter, you can have more capacity, less overhead costs, less operating costs, and a larger payload.

ding, ding, ding, we have the answer
also you get tricycle gear and a new aircraft

[sunshine 2]

I'm not a fan of porters at all. They're terribly uncomfortable when there is a full load. The only time i enjoyed jumping from a porter is when we only had 4 people on the load.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[akjmpplt 0]

Quote

Quote

Expensive to buy, expensive parts, expensive to repair, expensive to insure, easy for a novice pilot to ground loop.

Think about a PAC750. For not too much more than the purchase price of a used Porter, you can have more capacity, less overhead costs, less operating costs, and a larger payload.

ding, ding, ding, we have the answer
also you get tricycle gear and a new aircraft

That's assuming the PAC750 is approved for flight with the door oper/removed.

SmugMug

[PhreeZone 15]

Sinces its in use at many DZ's already I would have thought that would have been addressed before the first one flew a load.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Dougiefresh 0]

Many? I thought there were only 2 in operation in the U.S.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[jakee 1,260]

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Many? I thought there were only 2 in operation in the U.S.

But the US is not the only country with DZ's.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?