Balloon Jumps

[bomb420 1]

man 2000ft? @ eloy? Must have pissed burner off or took forever to exit. Of course maybe because I always bring boobies I get extra altitude... The world may never know...

Favorite Balloon Jump Video

HYPOXIC

[velvetjo 0]

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Show me.

Ok. See the attached text file for Part 105 (also referenced above at the CFR website noted). Take a look at Sections 105.15 and 105.25. As the series of posts above describes, ATC will take the required information described in Part 105.15 and post a NOTAM.

I'm not sure why folks perceive this requirement as a difficult or bad thing. It's basically a phone call which then allows ATC to give other aviators a warning that an aircraft will be doing something potentially hazardous in their vicinity.

Lance

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I said nothing about it being good or bad. It's actually a good idea. Well except when a FSS moron oversteps his boundaries and cancels everyones NOTAMS on the 4th of July because he thinks we all need waivers. But that is another story.

Many people read the contact ATC and file a NOTAM as two seperate actions,which it can be, but does not need to be. I am required to contact ATC, I am not required to file a NOTAM although I may do so if I choose.

As for a balloon pilot filing a NOTAM to drop jumpers, well that would be a bit hard to do since he would have to give a location and he has no way to know where that would be. I would be willing to bet that most balloon jumps are done with out a NOTAM and or ATC being contacted.

[Sangi 0]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEop2yrHrM

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[velvetjo 0]

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I said nothing about it being good or bad. It's actually a good idea. Well except when a FSS moron oversteps his boundaries and cancels everyones NOTAMS on the 4th of July because he thinks we all need waivers. But that is another story.

Many people read the contact ATC and file a NOTAM as two seperate actions,which it can be, but does not need to be. I am required to contact ATC, I am not required to file a NOTAM although I may do so if I choose.

As for a balloon pilot filing a NOTAM to drop jumpers, well that would be a bit hard to do since he would have to give a location and he has no way to know where that would be. I would be willing to bet that most balloon jumps are done with out a NOTAM and or ATC being contacted.

It's the same thing. Call it what you want, but when you provide ATC with the required information, you're filing a NOTAM whether you like it or not.

Since you seem to be pretty well versed in this, please explain how you would file a NOTAM directly aside from calling the information in to ATC. Have you actually done it?

Figuring out a location isn't too hard, since you're also giving a radius around that point. With the winds aloft forecast and a rate of ascent, you can easliy compute a pretty accurate prediction for the spot. ATC was cool with a 5 nm radius each time I talked to them, and that's plenty of room for most balloon jumps. I didn't ever get the impression that a bigger radius would be a problem.

Maybe most balloon jumps are done without a NOTAM, but that doesn't mean that they're done legally. Seems pretty dumb, given how simple it is to comply.

Lance

[Squeak 17]

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man 2000ft? @ eloy? Must have pissed burner off or took forever to exit. Of course maybe because I always bring boobies I get extra altitude... The world may never know...

Favorite Balloon Jump Video

Wanna jump the balloon with me in January Trunks

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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I said nothing about it being good or bad. It's actually a good idea. Well except when a FSS moron oversteps his boundaries and cancels everyones NOTAMS on the 4th of July because he thinks we all need waivers. But that is another story.

Many people read the contact ATC and file a NOTAM as two seperate actions,which it can be, but does not need to be. I am required to contact ATC, I am not required to file a NOTAM although I may do so if I choose.

As for a balloon pilot filing a NOTAM to drop jumpers, well that would be a bit hard to do since he would have to give a location and he has no way to know where that would be. I would be willing to bet that most balloon jumps are done with out a NOTAM and or ATC being contacted.

It's the same thing. Call it what you want, but when you provide ATC with the required information, you're filing a NOTAM whether you like it or not.

That is incorrect. When you contact The local approach facility to advise them of a parachute drop they do not automaticly issue a NOTAM.

Since you seem to be pretty well versed in this, please explain how you would file a NOTAM directly aside from calling the information in to ATC. Have you actually done it?

You would file a NOTAM by calling Flight Service at 877-487-6867. That is the national number for filing a NOTAM. I have dropped jumpers in numerous places and held events where there is not an operational dropzone,yes I have filed a few NOTAMs.

I also conducted operations on a 4th of July weekend after a Flight Service employee canceled all of the NOTAMs in Georgia because they thought we all needed waivers.I was threatened with legal action.
I gave them all of my contact info and told him to call me when he had the charges ready. We jumped all weekend,made all of our ATC calls and to date(5yrs) never heard another word about it. Well, other then them having to track down the head guy from the FAA in Atlanta to reinstate the NOTAMs for all of the 4th of July demos in Georgia.

Figuring out a location isn't too hard, since you're also giving a radius around that point. With the winds aloft forecast and a rate of ascent, you can easliy compute a pretty accurate prediction for the spot. ATC was cool with a 5 nm radius each time I talked to them, and that's plenty of room for most balloon jumps. I didn't ever get the impression that a bigger radius would be a problem.


Maybe most balloon jumps are done without a NOTAM, but that doesn't mean that they're done legally. Seems pretty dumb, given how simple it is to comply.

While coming up with a general area is not a problem there is still the issue with landing permission for the jumpers and for the balloon for that matter.

Two things you need to make a legal off DZ jump.
1. Contact ATC
2. Have land owner permission


Lance

[NewGuy2005 51]

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Favorite Balloon Jump Video

That was good.

[velvetjo 0]

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to - it's still the same thing.

I'm done with this hijack. Maybe someday (after I've been threatened with legal action too?) people will start taking me more seriously. You are correct, and I bow to your superior knowledge. All better now?

To the OP: Have a great time on your balloon jump, they're a blast. Last one I did was about $100 per jumper. If you're looking for something similar and can't find a balloon, try your local EAA chapter for powered parachute pilots. I've found several willing to drop jumpers.

Lance

[377 21]

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Paid $89 for my balloon jump at Rantoul, BTW, the best jump out there, even better than the jet. Give me a call if you get it set up. If my canopy gets back from PD, I'm in.

Croc

P.S. We'll talk him down. $195 is WAY too much.

Agree with all Croc said. Did the balloon jump at Quincy. LOVED it!!! VERY different from any forward moving aircraft jump. Worth every penny, but the price was reasonable, about $60 as I recall. Try not to get reamed on price, but make the jump, you will be very glad you did.

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[lippy 773]

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You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to - it's still the same thing.

I'm done with this hijack. Maybe someday (after I've been threatened with legal action too?) people will start taking me more seriously. You are correct, and I bow to your superior knowledge. All better now?

To the OP: Have a great time on your balloon jump, they're a blast. Last one I did was about $100 per jumper. If you're looking for something similar and can't find a balloon, try your local EAA chapter for powered parachute pilots. I've found several willing to drop jumpers.

Lance

If you're gonna go the route suggested above, search the forums for powered parachutes. There's some good info on how to make a super-sketchy jump a little bit safter

I got nuthin

[CSpenceFLY 1]

What's with the attitude. You posted incorrect information, I posted correct information.

I'm not sure about the to-may-to/to-mah-to thing. Nothing we posted equals the same thing.

[freakflyer9999 1]

My one and only balloon jump came as a result of volunteering to crew for a balloonist who I saw flying over my house one day. Chased him down and asked his crew (wife) if he ever took up skydivers. She called him on the radio and he said that he had done it before and would consider it.

I got to know him fairly well volunteering for him over the next month or so. He usually allowed his volunteers to take turns taking rides. When it came my turn, he let me jump. I think he was as excited as I was.

We went to 6000 foot and he put the balloon into a terminal descent. A balloon's terminal is a lot slower than ours. The air wasn't quite as still when we exited as I've heard others describe. I assume that our descent rate was faster than most. The pilot told me later that the balloon's descent gently stopped immediately after my exit. No bounce or any deformity of the balloon envelope.

I opened somewhere above 3500 and was able to make it back to the balloonist's ranch. This was primarly possible due to a 180 degree shift in the winds beneath us. When we took off we headed east and as we climbed the winds shifted to the west. I ended up exiting about a mile to the west but was able to fly my canopy in the east bound winds below.

This reminds me that I need to call him. He was trying to sell his house and move out of state. I need to see if he ever did. If not, I may try to get another balloon jump in.

[bfilarsky 0]

All this talk about balloons got me interested in 'em - I'm going to go crew for one today, hopefully be able to trade some time to get an add-on rating, and perhaps a few jumps