Helicopter at The Ranch this weekend.....You decide...

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

The PIM is dated April 2006, so I think it's pretty current. I'm still sure mine from 2004 says 2200 for A and above. I will confirm when I get home, I could just be dyslexic.

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

So why can't you jump the heli?

I know you have to activate main by 3000, but it's a bit of a different problem. You;re not at terminal freefall. What I'd do is, make it a hop n' pop. If you freefall for 2 or 3 seconds you'll still be above 2800ish and you'd be fine. I'd suggest talking to your current instructors, ask them what you should do, and when you get to the ranch, ask them too. I'm sure they'll say you're fine.

Please don't just use my advice, ask your instructors and the DZ!

Chris

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[pilotdave 0]

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What I'd do is, make it a hop n' pop. If you freefall for 2 or 3 seconds you'll still be above 2800ish and you'd be fine.

Keep in mind that you may not be stable in 2-3 seconds after a low airspeed exit. I would not plan to pull after such a short delay on my first helicopter jump. See if you can get 3500+.

I went to cross keys for a helicopter jump over the summer. Manifest said it would be 3000 feet. Since I was doing a 3-way, that didn't make me very comfortable. We ended up actually going to 4500. MUCH better!

For a twin turbine helicopter, an extra 1500 feet shouldn't be a big deal.

Dave

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Just checked my PIM and sure enough, it says solo 2500, and all others 2200.

It is dated January 2004, so obviously it has changed since then.

Cool!

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[jose 0]

Nevermind......wrong thread....I'm an idiot.

[Reginald 0]

Agreed, helicopter jumps are not like airplane hop n pops. With an airplane there is substantial airspeed from the moment of exit forward. A person can use the air to both fly their body and to deploy a PC. With a helicopter there is no airspeed on exit and hence nothing to use to fly one’s body with or to deploy a PC into. It may take 7 or so seconds before there is enough air to work with for body control or to effectively deploy a PC. Many people find PC hesitations unnerving on hop n pops from slow planes, such as 182’s, already. This type of PC hesitation due to lack of airspeed will be substantially magnified on a helicopter jump.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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It may take 7 or so seconds before there is enough air to work with for body control or to effectively deploy a PC.

You can definately start working with the air after about 3-seconds, although the air is very mushy. The typical skydiving pilot chute will be too small for that airspeed though.