Jumpers over DC?

[TriGirl 268]

I was just coming back from a run, admiring the beautiful sunset, when I realized that I was watching someone enjoy the ultimate sunset jump. From my distance and perspective, it looked like a big round canopy, somewhere right inside the beltway between the mixing bowl and the Pentagon (I don't have the greatest distance estimate ability, so I'm sure my guess is a bit off). Anyone have any info this? It was between 7:30 and 7:50 pm. Just curious (and jealous)! Thanks.

T

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[jimmytavino 16]

are ya' sure it was a parachute????

seems like that location could be a tough place for "an impromptu demo" especially without a decent MAIN...

could it have been one of those really LARGE balloons which are tethered to the ground ??? usually at Car dealerships,,, and tethered in such a way, that if it's at all windy,, they MOVE,,,
could give the appearance of someone under a parachute,,, IF you're a good distance AWAY !!! and nearsighted>>>
any OTHER ideas???
jmy

[crotalus01 0]

Isn't DC super restricted airspace (especially since 9/11)?
Seems like I recall fighters getting scrambled a few years ago because some puddle jumper strayed into their airspace by mistake - I seriously doubt they would allow jumpers, much less the aircraft to jump from, over that area...

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[TriGirl 268]

It was probably much further south, like around Franconia/Springfield. And yeah, the airspace is restricted -- which is why it was so surprising.

And okay, it could have been one of those tethered balloons. It was definitely descending, albeit slowly. That would make sense, if it was at the high school off of Franconia PKWY. It looked like it had an open cell on one side, though. I saw it in silhouette, which of course made the identification that much more difficult!

ETA: the only reason I don't think it was a balloon is because it wasn't a full sphere. It really looked like a half-sphere shape. Again -- saw it from a distance in silhouette, so who knows? No, really, WHO KNOWS?

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[Southern_Man 0]

No idea what it was in DC but it could have been a paraglider. There are a few that fly in my town and my kids have mistaken it for a parachute more than once.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

No idea what it was in DC but it could have been a paraglider.

I'd be pretty surprised if paragliders were allowed in the airspace over D.C.

[JohnRich 4]

Could this be what you saw?

"Navy Drone Violated Washington Airspace"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/us/26drone.html?_r=1

[brokenwing 1]

that was a nonsense media hype full article at
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/08/27/06.xml&headline=Wayward%20Fire%20Scout%20Was%20No%20Threat,%20Officials%20Say

as for the sighting it may have been that huge flag at a dealership -- believe it is on backlick -- flag is up pretty high. no general aviation a/c has been allowed in the area -- several pilots can attest to that when they were met up with an F-16. Only skydiving i ever seen in DC was in the movie (point break/ dropzone.....) not sure which but they jumped into town during july 4th fireworks -- may have been digital though.

U.S. Navy and industry sources say that the MQ-8 Fire Scout that headed into restricted airspace in St. Mary’s Country, Md., earlier this month did not come close to Washington or threaten any government activities there.

Navy officials acknowledged this week that the remotely piloted rotorcraft flew about 1,700 ft. in altitude for 23 mi. north/northwest of where it should have, outside the military airspace surrounding NAS Patuxent River, Md. (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 26).

This put the aircraft around 40 mi. south of the Washington area, “quiet a distance from the U.S. Capital,” a navy official says.

Confusion was caused when Navy officials referred to the airspace where the aircraft penetrated as “restricted,” and this garnered such headlines in the popular press as “Out-of-Control Drone Wanders into DC Restricted Airspace,” which was published by msnbc.com.

The airspace penetrated by the Fire Scout is a corridor of visual flight rule restricted airspace used primarily by military helicopter pilots transporting government officials around the capital and to Andrews AFB, Md., an industry official says. “There was concern, but there was not panic,” one industry official says.

Air traffic control officials at Patuxent River and Andrews were in constant contact while the Fire Scout was en route, the official adds. The Fire Scout properly squawked 7600, the emergency code for lost communications, Navy officials say.

[EDYDO 0]

Quote

It was probably much further south, like around Franconia/Springfield.

DC Skydiving is a new DZ located in Warrenton, Va about 15 miles west of Springfield. That's near the area, but, I think, too far to see a canopy.

Ed

[theonlyski 3]

Quote

that was a nonsense media hype full article at
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/08/27/06.xml&headline=Wayward%20Fire%20Scout%20Was%20No%20Threat,%20Officials%20Say

as for the sighting it may have been that huge flag at a dealership -- believe it is on backlick -- flag is up pretty high. no general aviation a/c has been allowed in the area -- several pilots can attest to that when they were met up with an F-16. Only skydiving i ever seen in DC was in the movie (point break/ dropzone.....) not sure which but they jumped into town during july 4th fireworks -- may have been digital though.

U.S. Navy and industry sources say that the MQ-8 Fire Scout that headed into restricted airspace in St. Mary’s Country, Md., earlier this month did not come close to Washington or threaten any government activities there.

Navy officials acknowledged this week that the remotely piloted rotorcraft flew about 1,700 ft. in altitude for 23 mi. north/northwest of where it should have, outside the military airspace surrounding NAS Patuxent River, Md. (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 26).

This put the aircraft around 40 mi. south of the Washington area, “quiet a distance from the U.S. Capital,” a navy official says.

Confusion was caused when Navy officials referred to the airspace where the aircraft penetrated as “restricted,” and this garnered such headlines in the popular press as “Out-of-Control Drone Wanders into DC Restricted Airspace,” which was published by msnbc.com.

The airspace penetrated by the Fire Scout is a corridor of visual flight rule restricted airspace used primarily by military helicopter pilots transporting government officials around the capital and to Andrews AFB, Md., an industry official says. “There was concern, but there was not panic,” one industry official says.

Air traffic control officials at Patuxent River and Andrews were in constant contact while the Fire Scout was en route, the official adds. The Fire Scout properly squawked 7600, the emergency code for lost communications, Navy officials say.

One of the Golden Knights I've worked with said that hes jumped into the white house lawn... but that could have been a while ago.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
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[TriGirl 268]

And, like I said, it looked like a round, not square. It was too big to be that drone pictured in the article. Could have been some kind of military celebration/appreciation/historic demo? Again, just guessing.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!