Jumpship discussion - Piper Cherokee 6-300

[Unstable 8]

As I've been trying to find out about different jumpships, I have done some research on the Cherokee 6-300, and I wanted to see if anybody has had any experience with them or knew much about them being used as jumpships.

Initially, it seems like a good idea. Low buy price (approx. $70,000 for a relatively new used one..), WIDE airframe, and best of all, big cargo door in the back....
It seems comparable to a 206, but I haven't heard of many of them flying jumpers - what is the deal with them? Is there some significant drawback as a DZO if you are operating with one?

=========Shaun ==========

[howardwhite 5]

Among other things, it drops out of the sky like a rock when you have a floater or two outside. And you have to avoid stepping on the flap.

HW

[airtwardo 6]

I've used them for demos on several occasions, and have used them for static line students 'back in the day'.

It seems to work well for that application, four jumpers loaded with gear, but making 'solo' type exits.

Although I've never done a floarter type exit, I've heard that the problem Howard describes is a real concern.

*there is also a good sized lip at the door that even though I know is there, almost always trips me up.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[rapter 0]

We had one at Cal-City for a while, it sucked taking a 4-way piece out of it, there was a 6 inch step up to get clear of the door. for doing demos and singles out of it , it wasn't so bad. It wouldn't be my first choice, or 2nd or 3rd. for a jump ship.

Only the good die young, so I have found immortality,

[Zing 2]

A couple of Cherokee Sixes being used for jumping came down without their tailfeathers when parachutes deployed out the door.
I flew a couple demo jumps in a Cherokee Six. It dropped like a rock when people climbed out to float.

Zing Lurks

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi howard,

Do you have that photo from a cover of SKYDIVER with Cameron hanging on from the bottom of the door of a 6 with smoke trailing from his boot?

Probably about '66 or so.

JerryBaumchen

[howardwhite 5]

Probably not -- my Sky Diver collection is very limited because I never subscribed. I have a few issues and the USPA library has two pretty complete sets, one of them Ottley's. Some of the stuff I have posted here or will post at some point comes from scans I've done in Fredericksburg.

My experience with Cherokee 6 jumping is limited to a few demos, but I remember losing close to 1,000 feet between the cut and exit with 2-3 floaters out. If I recall correctly, there is not only the door lip to contend with, but also a spar hump on the floor between the wings.

HW

[Thunderbow 1]

Again, it was "back in the day" but we did jump one quite a bit in Coldwater, Michigan. Never did any exits with floaters. We didn't have to contend with the lip on the floor as the owner flew some cargo with it and had a wood floor we stuck in that tied down with the seat belts. Not your mainstream jumpship.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[gjhdiver 0]

I've done quite a few out of them. They stall easily, the door is small, and the tail is easy to hit. At least they climb slowly
A 206 is a 182 on steroids. There's a reason the Cherokee 6 isn't used any more for jumping, and the Cessna is.

[lekstrom10k 0]

My only experience with one was on a demo with their supplied pilot. it was a 6 but had the smaller engine in it. not the 300 HP . It wasnt that great a climber but the pilot wasnt doing it for a living. I do remember there being a wing strut cross-member to crawl over to get to the door like Locheed 10-e's and PAC-750's. It was OK for those jumps but I wasnt impressed much. Just my 2cents.

[Hifliya 0]

We ran a Ch6-300 for 5 years at a DZ in Cape Town, South Africa. The reason we bought it was that we could not afford a C206.

At sea level it served us well as a reliable work horse for students, training progression - including linked/floater exits and demo dives.

However we found that it is not the ideal jump aircraft for the following reasons:
Low cabin roof
Floor is not flat
Small(ish) door
The above slowed down exits for 6 way formations
Throttled back it loses altitude fast with floaters

If you can afford it go for a C205 or C206 with either the front door or rear cargo doors.
It is far better suited to skydiving operations.

[jimjumper 25]

We had one at Lakewood NJ for a few months. Slow climb, we only went to 7.5 with it. The door lip was literally a pain. We would usually talk the novices into taking the door slot and as the piece with floaters left they would scrape the meat off their shins on it! We only used it because the owner wanted to try and get someone else to pay the maintenance and was willing to be paid per load. Also Ed Mackay, out here in California, used to use one for jumping but mostly for demo solo jumps. Not a great jumpship.

[jonstark 8]

Have used one for demos. It's a bitch to spot, the door is small, the floor isn't flat. We only used it because it was the only a/c available for us locally for the few demos we'd do per year. Would NOT recommend it for a DZ.

jon