Skydiving by yourself?

[traceomac 0]

I have done a few tandem jumps and have really enjoyed myself and am now wanting to go down to vancouver for a month or so and get my licence and as many jumps as a can.

My only problem is that when im done I live in a small town in the Yukon and no one here skydives... my brother owns a plane and is more than happy to take me up but I have no idea what the laws are? can you skydive by yourself? can you skydive anywhere or do you have to skydive in designated areas?

Any input would be much appreciated... I really have no idea about this other than i love doing it and want to continue!!!

Thanks

[traceomac 0]

Oh and also would my brother need some sort of certification to let a skydiver jump from his plane? it is a sesna 185...

[davelepka 4]

As far as the 'rules' goes, I'm not sure how things work up North. I'll let another of 'your people' chime in as to the position that Transport Canada takes on the issue.

What I can comment on is the practical/safety issues. For starters, keep in mind that being on a DZ with experienced jumpers provides many 'services' that you might not see, but they are certainly of value. Having another (or multiple) sets of eyes looking at your gear helps to avoid problems you may miss or not be aware of.

Another factor is going to spotting, and wind/weather conditions. Having more experienced jumpers around to makes these calls helps you to learn the way it's done, and helps you to build your ability to do it yourself.

Supervision with regards to landings, malfunctions, landing off, and injuries is another. There are typically several jumpers watching canopies open and land, and if there are any of the above problems, there is a 'crew' of jumpers that will snap into action to find and treat you or your gear.

There are other things you 'get' from jumping at a DZ, but the above list are some of the 'biggies'. You can train yourself, and your brother/family/friends to take care of these things, but it represents as effort on their part and they should understand the role they are playing in your safety, and take it seriously.

Beyond that, currency is another factor that comes into play when making 'safe' jumps. No matter how current or uncurrent you may be, the staff at the DZ will be current and professional and 'taking care of business'. If you need more help/supervision based on not having jumped in a while, they're there to assist, but of course, you lose that if you're jumping alone.

Overall, jumping (and jumping alone) can be done safely, but it's important to remember your own personal skill level and currency, and then plan your jumps based on that. The fewer jumps you have and the less current you are, the more conservative you need to be when choosing when/where/how to make your jumps.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

wanting to go down to vancouver for a month or so and get my licence and as many jumps as a can.

Howdy, neighbor! If you live in the Yukon and you have the time/means to travel that far south for a month and get your jump on, I would recommend thinking about coming a little further south and look into a DZ in Washington state. Jumps cost a lot less here, (anywhere from 5-10 dollars less per jump than BC drop zones), so you might consider that an option in your planning.

I know some friends on both sides of the border who can't cross due to past... "issues"... but if that's no problemo for you check out SD kapowsin in Shelton, WA, that would probably be your best bet. I primarily jump in Snohomish which is great but you would probably get through your progression faster and have the opportunity to jump more at kpow (they have an otter and caravan and turn more loads a day with plenty of room for fun jumpers).

WRT jumping your buddy's plane I don't know what the canadian rules are, but make sure you get him to sit down with an experienced jump pilot so they can talk about it. there's more to it than just opening the door and stepping out.

[pchapman 261]

Like others are saying, the best way to move forward in the sport is to be around others in the sport.

But in general there aren't any huge legal obstacles to 'going it alone'. In Canada there are a few airspace rules about what sort of notification is needed to air traffic control depending on the Class of airspace. Nothing terribly onerous, especially as you'll be sure to have some simple Class G and E airspace up there. (There are both some Canadian Air Regs that apply, and some harder to find online Exemptions that are always renewed.)
One also needs the land owner's permission to land. Some aircraft are allowed to have their door taken off according to their manual; while on others squeezing out with the door still on is tricky.

Again, if you want to take up the sport it probably makes sense to make it a "vacation down south" thing.

[tristansdad 0]

Inquire with whatever the Canadian version of the FAA is. I wouldnt think there would be a whole lot of air traffic in the Yukon so that wouldnt be an issue. Landing off would on the other hand be a life and death struggle. I just lost a friend back in January wingsuiting in Washington. His body still hasnt been found.

[flaperon 0]

Have your brother read his aircraft insurance policy (if he has one). Chances are skydive operations will invalidate the insurance...

[pchapman 261]

flaperon

Have your brother read his aircraft insurance policy (if he has one). Chances are skydive operations will invalidate the insurance...

I don't personally know about that, either way.

Normally for insurance to be valid one does have to still be in weight & balance, follow the air regs, not be using the aircraft commercially (unless the insurance is for that), etc. One aircraft policy I had, advertised that that company had few restrictions, unlike some which might exclude formation flying, aerobatics, dropping things from the aircraft, etc. To what degree that is typical or a scare tactic I don't know.

So it is indeed possible that skydiving would be excluded, but not necessarily so.

[3mpire 0]

Even beyond insurance, if you have a rookie jump pilot and a newly licensed skydiver, there are a mountain of things they don't know. From snag hazards to how to fly jump run, to what modifications would need to made to the plane, there is a certain level of knowledge you would need to make the whole thing safe.

As already hinted at in this thread, there is increased risk to jumping off DZ with a non-jump pilot (though in that case, there were many other factors that also contributed to the situation).

[flaperon 0]

The advice was to simply check the policy. I have two aircraft policies that will not cover skydiving ops. I'd bet that if things boiled down to the insurance company possibly paying a claim, the reliance of the idea of prohibition of skydiving ops as a "scare tactic" might be an unwise gamble for the insured...

pchapman

***Have your brother read his aircraft insurance policy (if he has one). Chances are skydive operations will invalidate the insurance...

I don't personally know about that, either way.

Normally for insurance to be valid one does have to still be in weight & balance, follow the air regs, not be using the aircraft commercially (unless the insurance is for that), etc. One aircraft policy I had, advertised that that company had few restrictions, unlike some which might exclude formation flying, aerobatics, dropping things from the aircraft, etc. To what degree that is typical or a scare tactic I don't know.

So it is indeed possible that skydiving would be excluded, but not necessarily so.

[pchapman 261]

flaperon

the reliance of the idea of prohibition of skydiving ops as a "scare tactic" might be an unwise gamble

No big deal, but what I meant is that skydiving is not prohibited by my insurance company. But the company says that their coverage is superior, because some other companies might not cover some stuff they list -- hence a 'scare tactic', "we're good - but watch out for those other guys!".

In any case, we now have examples both an insurance company that does not exclude skydiving, and one that does. So as you say, one should check the policy.

[yoink 321]

3mpire

, if you have a rookie jump pilot and a newly licensed skydiver, there are a mountain of things they don't know.

I'm going to be less diplomatic than everyone else...

Newbie jump pilot and newbie skydiver is an incredibly stupid mixture and is an accident waiting to happen. Don't think of this as a short term goal.

Get trained, get some experience, spend some time talking with people to understand everything you'd need to know to do it safely, then get your mate to do the same.

The legality of it is the simple issue.

[traceomac 0]

How much would i be looking at for doing the course and how much does some basic gear cost?

from my understanding its about 2500 to do the course and 2000 for used gear... is that a realistic cost?

[drdive 0]

Yep - that's about right.

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[3mpire 0]

Figure:

$2,500 - A License

$2,000 - rig, main, reserve, AAD (used, older, maybe not pretty but safe and functional--make sure you get a rigger to inspect it)

$500 - helmet, altimeter, jump suit, gear bag, etc. (all used not new)

$1,250 - 50 fun jumps @ $25 (avg five jumps a day wed-sun for two weeks)

Total: $6,250.

About 2500 for getting licensed plus 2-3k for gear is about right. You could get a rig for 2k and then you'd just need to figure some more cash for things like altimeter(s), helmet, jumpsuit, etc. You can get all of these used for less but if you buy new any one of those can cost 200-500 new depending on how fancy.

If you really hit it hard you could get licensed in a week or two and then do 20-40 jumps a week for 2 weeks if you were jumping every day/weekend for the balance of your trip.

Plus whatever you need for lodging and food, etc.

But you would leave with around 75 jumps, be current, and have all your gear, which is a good start.

[popsjumper 2]

Simple on the training costs.
Call the DZs near you and ask.

Since you didn't list any info in your profile, I'm going to assume the U.S.

http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/North_America/United_States/index.html

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[potatoman 0]

Going down to do the jumps, great idea.

Planning on jumping the brother's plane...Keep it in mind when you do the training, but don't plan on it for now. You will find yourself thinking twice once you know the safety aspects. Specially in the yukon area......

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[jimp 1]

Contact Barry Cyr at www.skydivebc.ca Check the calendar for August, it looks like he will be in Carcross 15 to 27 August. It's a fairly laid-back operation centered on fun and comradeship; you'll have fun. Maybe you did your tandems with him on one of his previous trips?

Ummm.. where are you in YT??

[cdhezel 0]

seems the comments are avoiding the issue here, Safety,
1 your brother has no exp as jump pilot
2 you have no ground team
3 you have no experienced guidence
4 you have no experience

easy answer.. remedy the above 4 factors then jump where you want

When I go, I want to pass away in my sleep, just like my dear old Grandmother, NOT screaming like the passengers in the car she was driving.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

seems the comments are avoiding the issue here, Safety

I guess you didn't make it all the way to post #3, huh?

[GooniesKid 0]

LOL! Is anyone else here thinking, "Darwin's theory will be put to the test on this one".

I mean, this has GOT to be the worst idea since the Great Chipmunk Fire of ´79.

[popsjumper 2]

GooniesKid

LOL! Is anyone else here thinking, "Darwin's theory will be put to the test on this one".

I mean, this has GOT to be the worst idea since the Great Chipmunk Fire of ´79.

^Maturity....the latest thing yet to be learned by the youth of today.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239