Has anyone ever jumped out of a float plane?

[ington6 0]

I know floats use up some precious useful load and add drag, but has anyone done it? is there any place to figure out the performance of a beaver on floats or a 206?

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi 6,

It has been ~45 yrs ago now but I watched about 5-6 members of the Seattle Skydivers jump from a float plane.

The photo was on the cover of PARACHUTIST 'back in the day.'

Howard White: Do you have that issue?

JerryBaumchen

[ington6 0]

Cool. Wondering how I can find the performance numbers for a beaver on floats? the floats must add a lot of drag but it would e damn fun to do jumps from a float plane

[totter 2]

Quote

I can find the performance numbers for a beaver on floats

Ask and you shall receive:

Our beavers have the upgross kits so

Gross weight: 5370 lbs
Useful load: Average 2000 lbs
MAx speed: 151 mph
Cruising speed: 127 mph
Stall (Flaps up): 60 mph
Stall (Full Flaps): 45
Take off dist: 1610 feet
Landing: 1510 feet
Initial Rate of Climb: 920 fpm
Rate of climb Max Cont power: 740 fpm @ SL
685 fpm @ 5K
410 fpm @ 10K
MCA (Full Flaps): 65 mph

Anything else?

[ington6 0]

Wow thanks, . Well yeah, do you personally think it is reasonable to run tandems from a beaver with floats? The location is very remote and the extra cost could be passed along to the jumpers. Also, how many gallons per load do you think a beaver with floats would go through? Looks like they would have to be 10k jumps from sea level, hand cams, and maybe 4 tandems? or 3 with a fun jumper or camera flyer.

[grimmie 173]

Climb outs will be a bitch.

[totter 2]

A beaver with the cabin extention is about the same size as a porter (cabin dimensions).
A beaver without the extention is about the size of a Cessna 207 (just a little wider).
It will burn around 35-40 gph at max cont climb.
The issue that you would have would be the tandems exiting the aircraft. The floats stick out about 2 feet on either side of the aircraft. You could not exit a tandem without hitting the floats.
Second, the steps that go down to the floats are very narrow. (2 inches wide) with nothing to hold on to. A single jumper could climb down, but it would be impossible for a tandem.

[JakGramley 2]

Have the student climb down to the float first, then the TM can climb down and hook them up. The exit should be easy then.

Jack Gramley
Computer Consultant

[hcsvader 1]

Well thats a simple fix, just build a slide the goes from the door to the floats and slide out of the plane.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[riggerrob 558]

Better yet, hire a Fairchild Husky, one of the few float planes that is easy to exit!

Oh! They retired the last Husky decades ago????

But my buddies from Prince Rupert wax romantic about their jumps from the last Husky.

[ington6 0]

What about a 206 on floats? Easier exit? What do you think gph would be at continuous climb? Half tanks I think you would half enough fuel for two tandems, floats (not amphib),

[totter 2]

If you can figure a way for them to easily get on the floats or clear the floats from the door then just about any float plane can be jumped with a tandem.
A slide may be a good idea. Just don't make it out of wood. Splinters would be a bitch.

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

Well thats a simple fix, just build a slide the goes from the door to the floats and slide out of the plane.

Technically that may work, just make sure you engineer for:
- Wind blowing you off the side of the slide. (use slight curved lip, or very wide slide, or slide slanted towards the rear)
- Use a downward-curved lip at end of the slide (Could even follow outer contour of floats), so that you gracefully catapult beyond the floats without snagging the reserve flap or hitting your head as your butt goes into freefall.
- Aerodynamics, more of a consideration if slide is not completely flat.
- Stowage or low-wind-profile mount. This may be tricky, especially if the slide is not completely flat.
- Exit stability considerations after sliding on exit slide.
- Liability considerations.

[swovelin 11]

So you want to jump a float plane, eh? You really should contact Tom Sanders at Aerial Focus because he has "been there, done that" and he has the photos to prove it. I've attached a tiny thumbnail FYI.

[pchapman 261]

To figure out the performance of a plane on floats, it's the float plane community will know more than most skydivers...

As for the "has anyone jumped" aspect of the thread, back in the late 90s there was a tiny local DZ that didn't have its runway ready yet, so operated the C-185 (?) on floats off a nearby river. It made group exits fun -- just line up standing on the float.

The scary part was down at the marina where we boarded. You wanted to watch your step going from dock to float, when wearing a rig and 10 pounds of lead!

[AHoyThere 0]

Quote

So you want to jump a float plane, eh? You really should contact Tom Sanders at Aerial Focus because he has "been there, done that" and he has the photos to prove it. I've attached a tiny thumbnail FYI.

Hey, that's me.
So yes, it can be done.

[bodypilot1 0]

I have jumped a Husky on floats. It's just a skydive....

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[dzjunky77 0]

I talked to a pilot that flys people back and fourth and I been flying with him for 5 years back and fourth from camp at Dull Island in a Beaver with floats in SouthEast AK. He didn't have a problem with me jumping from his plane and Beavers are slow enough to bail out of! just my 2 cents

[e_nevett 0]

[url]http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=119376;


take a look

[piisfish 135]

would THIS be considered as a float plane ?

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

[riggerrob 558]

PBY Catalina is considered a "flying boat."

Exiting the side blisters is much easier because you do not have to worry about tangling with struts or hitting floats.

A few Catalinas have (aftermarket) airstairs under the aft fuselage.

[totter 2]

Thats a great picture!

Remember though, the original poster is asking about tandems, not fun jumpers. Little harder to climb onto the float.

[totter 2]

Did you have 180 lbs or so of weight strapped to your chest?

[david3 0]

From the cover of SKYDIVING Issue #306: January 2007: 12/15/06 Jim Krisovitch and Chuck McElwee prepare to jump from a (I believe) 1957 Piper PA-22-150.

http://www.skydivingmagazine.com/backissu/2007.htm

See photo

[AggieDave 6]

Yup, you're right on the type of plane.

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N8033D.html

Quote

N8033D
1957 Piper PA-22-150 C/N 22-5558

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."