Pics: Birth of an Otter.

[Vallerina 2]

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There was talk of side benches or straddle benches, I'm not sure which way they went.

Ooh! Ooh! I hope they went with straddle benches! That's the most comfortable way to sit in a plane!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[kingbunky 3]

never tried straddle benches... side benches i find (with my extensive 15 or so jumps with them ) are uncomfortable because the plane climbs so steep that you tend to slide down the bench. sitting on the floor (again, maybe 6 or 8 jumps) i found way more comfortable because you can just lean back and enjoy the ride. straddle benches would seem to be the best way to go, although floor seating would be better both in an emergency situation (everyone out, NOW!) and those benches probably weigh as much as a jumper or two (more jumpers or less fuel burnt).

i'm jump at a cessna dz, so any otter is cool.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[Vallerina 2]

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and those benches probably weigh as much as a jumper or two (more jumpers or less fuel burnt).

I'm not sure how most straddle benches are done, but when Skydive Indiana used to be open, Dave put straddle benches in the King Air, and they were very lightweight. They weren't made of metal like side benches are.

I agree on side benches being uncomfortable. If I can't have a straddle bench, SDCs floor with the mat is the best way to go!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[EricaH 0]

I lovelovelovelovelove straddle benches & have begged & pleaded w/ Doug (CSC's co-owner) to have them on at least one side of the plane. But nooooo - he & the other vidiots don't like them cause they supposedly make your head closer to the ceiling - wheatever, I don't understand.

But alas, Doug has sworn all over to me that we're having side benches, just like the Eloy, Elsinore & so many other dz's planes. I hate the floor, so this is the 2nd best option IMO.

If I didn't have a jump package I'd go to Sky Knights just for their PAX w/ straddle benches!

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[mr2mk1g 10]

And this is what leads up to the birth of an otter - (warning, sexually graphic images following... well... that is if you're a plane).

(SFW just in case anyone doesn't get it).

(Edit: cheers Andyman... being at work means no image manipulation software).

[AndyMan 7]

Clickies posted as attachments cuz they didn't work.

SFW.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Buried 0]

lol nice one. The baby sure out grew its parents

Where is my fizzy-lifting drink?

[jumpwally 0]

So this thread begs for pics,,Show pics of the inside of your Otter !!! Show us your seats!!

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[riggerrob 561]

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>I know that you are required to have restraints but does that have to be airline style lap belts . . .

They have to be approved. The only restraints that are currently approved are airline style. If you wanted to get a carabiner system approved, you'd have to test it with the harness you wanted it approved with - and that would be a lot of testing.>or can they be strops with RSL shackles or carabiners

Those may prevent significant load shifting during an aircraft emergency, but due to how they translate linear loads into rotational ones, they may well do more harm than good for individual jumpers who use them. I fear that we won't know exactly how good/bad they are until we have a crash that puts them to the test.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Circa 1990, Jack Hooker obtained an STC for skydiver-style seatbelts that use standard seatbelt webbing and buckles. Hooker's belts slip around the hip joints on skydiving harnesses and clip back on to themselves. Hooker's belts are a huge improvement on Cessna stock seatbelts.

Circa 1997 I prepared 8 harnesses (Javelin, Racer, Vector, Flexon, etc.) for a PIA study at the FAA's crash test sled in Oklahoma City. After watching video from the crash test sled, we concluded that Hooker belted test dummies:
1. Stayed in place, keeping C of G within limits
2. Minimized the risk of suffocating passengers in the front of the cabin (ala Perris Twin Otter crash in 1992)
3. Would cause whip-lash injuries to users.
4. Would pop a few stitches in most harnesses, but a Master Rigger could repair them in a day.

Conclusion, Hookers belts may not be perfect, but they are a huge improvement on any belt made by anyone else.

Hint: no Air Force - with a billion dollar budget has invented a better system.

[craichead 0]

She's here! "Junkyard Dog" has arrived at Chicagoland Skydiving Center! She may be ugly on the outside, but the interior is gorgeous (beauty is on the inside! ), and she even has that NewOtter (tm) smell. For those who were wondering about the seating arrangement, it's equipped with two side benches that fold up (no back bench).

Last night AndyMan and I went out to welcome the new jumpship, which incidentally arrived with several cases of Fat Tire! We toasted with champagne and had a cookout with burgers and brats. It was indeed a good night. Many thanks to Doug & TD (the DZOs) for the new toy and for the beer and food.

_Pm

Edited to add bench info and a link to CSC's webcam page:

http://www.skydivecsc.com/zone/webcams.php

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[jumpwally 0]

Where's the inside pics?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[craichead 0]

Unfortunately neither of us had a camera with, so Andy borrowed the DZOs camera to take pics. The photos will probably appear in the next CSC eNews Update this week...hoping they will, at least!

Various interior shots (pre jump mods) can be found in the link that AndyMan first posted.

_Pm

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[kallend 1,651]

Will it be flying this weekend? Friday even?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[craichead 0]

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Will it be flying this weekend? Friday even?

Yep! It flew two loads yesterday...looks like it's flying today, too! Tomorrow's weather looks perfect for the Friday Afternoon Club--I imagine a lot of people will be "getting sick."

Andy and I won't get to jump it this weekend...we're going to Canada.

_Pm

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"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[kallend 1,651]

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Will it be flying this weekend? Friday even?

Yep! It flew two loads yesterday...looks like it's flying today, too! Tomorrow's weather looks perfect for the Friday Afternoon Club--I imagine a lot of people will be "getting sick."

Andy and I won't get to jump it this weekend...we're going to Canada.

_Pm

Nice, I may be able to give it a try tomorrow.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[packerboy 3]

Don't sound so enthused!! I believe I once read a post in which you use Canada and utopia in the same sentence.

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[loudtom 5]

Nice, I may be able to give it a try tomorrow.

[kallend 1,651]

OK, very nice plane, fast climb, comfy.
The "new plane smell" has already been replaced with skydiver odor though!

You might want to instruct your jumpers on how to stow the bench on the starboard side. On all but one load I was on it was not possible to stow it because some b*gg*rs wouldn't get up.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[loudtom 5]

That smell was Matty, who will remain namelessssss...
And I am sorry that you couldn't get the bench raised. If we know ahead of time we seat all the tandems on the port side so you guys can get up and put up the bench. Was there communication of this John. Even so we try to do our best...
Glad you were out. It was good to see you and Sky!! That old b@#^&$.
As crockety as ever, but I do love him so...
Come out again on a friday so you we can jump together. Now I'll never see ya on friday but...
Stay Starched John
the yo

tom #90 #54 #08 and now #5 with a Bronze :-)

[freefli 2]

can you tell us how long this rebuild took from start to flying time?

[loudtom 5]

mail Doug at [email protected]
he can tell you for sure!!
the yo

tom #90 #54 #08 and now #5 with a Bronze :-)

[chicagoland 0]

We started the process with Rocky Mountain Aircraft in December 2004 and took delivery on July 5, 2005.

[diverdriver 5]

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We started the process with Rocky Mountain Aircraft in December 2004 and took delivery on July 5, 2005.

Same guys that pieced back together the original FrankenOtter with parts from the old 30EA. It looked like their own little mad scientist project tucked back in the corner. But they do a hell of a job. Right outside their hangar there west of Calgary, Canada (Spring Bank Airport?) they have the "Otter Graveyard". It's all of the recovered Otters they've taken in for parts. There is a photo album to go with the graveyard that shows some of the crash sites (if involved in a crash) where they recovered from. It'll send chills down your back to walk the yard. George is good people and everyone is nice up there. Had the pleasure of spending two weeks up there while they did work on 10EA and the new 30EA.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[chicagoland 0]

Todd and I are very happy with the product that we got from Rocky Mountain. The aircraft was about 9 weeks late, but that's par for the course and we feel that it was worth the wait. It was a hell of a project with plenty of speedbumps along the way. Check out the entire project at http://www.skyteam-aviation.com

Doug

[ltdiver 3]

Nice product! However, in the midst of all the lovely new Otter pics is one of yellow. (page four) What's up with that?

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon