Any suggestions for a good Tandem Exit from a cessna 182 or 206?

[321seeya 0]

I will be going to a drop zone this weekwnd to do Tandems and they will be using a 182. Any suggestions for a good exit strategy? Any special considererations I should watch for that I might be over looking? Thanks a million!

BASE 3:16 - Even if you are about to land on a cop - DONT FORGET TO FLARE!
Free the soul -- DJ

[AggieDave 6]

See how the large majority of my tandems are out of a 182, then I think I can help.

I'll leave you to figure out how you want to sit, I prefer in the back if possible with my student behind the pilot or behind the pilot with my student in the back.

As for exits.

Move with the student infront of you, instead of backing in to the door, its much easier to turn into the door that way.

Get up to the door, on your knees, student on their butt. Turn, put the student's feet on the step and stay on your knees. Ready,set, go and pull off with your knees and your hands on the side of the door frame, use the student's feet as a pivot. If their feet aren't on the step or they're really holding their legs weakly, launch HARD or you'll bounce your knee off the step.

When you exit, you can rotate left to get in the relative wind or dive right and down to get in the wind. I find it easier to dive out and down and use my legs to kick us head high back up into the relative wind. It basically takes the student out of the equation and I can generally control whatever they're trying to do.


Some things to think about.

If its a narrow body 182, be careful sitting against the controls. Its very easy to get your drogue caught under the flap handle (it looks like an e-brake handle). I already talked about knee hitting the step...beyond that the rest is really common TI sense. I know it sounds odd, but once you do one you'll understand why I exit that way and not the otherways with my foot out, etc.

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

[riggerrob 558]

We have discussed Cessna exits several times before in this forum.
Aggie Dave's exit works great if you are young, tough and muscular.
Unfortunately I am old, scarred and grumpy, so I prefer a simpler exit.

I prefer sitting exits from Cessnas with co-pilot's doors.
Basically, I sit with my rig leaning against the instrument panel and the student sitting between my knees.
As soon as our pilot opens the door, I trail my left leg and lean my head out to spot. When we are over the spot, I slap the student on the knee, point at the step and yell "feet out!"
The student puts both feet on the step and crosses his/her arms in the USPA-recommended safety position.
Meanwhile I put my left foot on the wheel and lift us to the balance point (aka. point of no return).
The student has already been told to crouch with his/her butt on his/her heels.
I pull the student's forehead back, wink at my vidoegrapher and begin the exit count.
I push off towards the end of the horizontal stabilizer and promptly arch.
Meanwhile, the student is trying hard to kick me in the butt.

Cessna 206U cargo doors are even easier to exit. Hook-up is the same, sitting on the floor, facing aft.
I like to sit on the door sill and tell my student to try and tuck his feet under the airplane.
The trick to stable exits from 206U is to face 3/4 forward before pushing off and do the last 1/4 of the turn as you push off.

[bodypilot1 0]

1- Go out the door that is open.
2- Watch your handles as you exit and make sure seat belts are OUT OF THE WAY before you exit..
3- Make sure your stable before throwing the drogue.

Practice your exit on the ground before the day starts.
What works for some, may not work for others.


Keepin' it safe!
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[peek 20]

Well, I must not be as old and decrepit acting as "riggerrob", because I still do most Tandem exits from kneeling. :) And I think I'm older than him!

Facing forward, (tell them beforehand to sit back on their feet a bit so they are not too tall). Both right feet out, (tell them beforehand that the wind will affect the planting of their foot on the step).

Pivoting to the right (tell them beforehand that we will be doing this so they are not inclined to try to use the strut to hold onto).

I like diving.

All the while being careful that the drogue handle does not rub the right side of the door frame.

[Liemberg 0]

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Unfortunately I am old, scarred and grumpy, so I prefer a simpler exit.

Since I'm all that too, but prefer to call it 'well seasoned' what I do is basically the same as what Rob does. The only difference is that in a C182 I'm already om my knees during hook-up, since I'm so old that I find it almost impossible to tip over the balance/get upright if I start out on my bum.

I find it easier to start on my knees - but my knees are still good.

Superior landing skills that my knees can still do this after all these years? Nah - I always use the passenger to take most of the impact.

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

[BIGUN 1,053]

Well, I'm old and grumpy too, but still use the exit AD discussed. I'm also a bit large so a student between my legs with rig against the dash just doesn't allow me enough room for tightening them up as much as I like.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[riggerrob 558]

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Well, I'm old and grumpy too, but still use the exit AD discussed. I'm also a bit large so a student between my legs with rig against the dash just doesn't allow me enough room for tightening them up as much as I like.

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

Agreed, which is why I avoid sitting in the front of our narrow-body Cessna 182.

[AggieDave 6]

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Agreed, which is why I avoid sitting in the front of our narrow-body Cessna 182.

Do you ever sit in the JM position and turn around to hook the student up? I'll do that quite often due to load exit order stuff and I found although its annoying, its still not *too* hard to get everything tightened down.

I will say its a bit harder to get the laterals like I like them, but its still do able...that's just me though. I'm sure a TI with more experience then I have probably has an easier time or some sort of neat trick to help them out.

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

[BIGUN 1,053]

Video up front, me behind the pilot - both facing aft, student at the back facing forward.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[AggieDave 6]

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Video up front, me behind the pilot - both facing aft, student at the back facing forward.

Right, but I'm talking about a tandem no video and 2 other people on the load that are pulling at 10k so the tandem would go first. That sort of scenerio.

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

[BIGUN 1,053]

In that case, I put the student up front facing aft, me kneeling in the JM slot.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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Right, but I'm talking about a tandem no video and 2 other people on the load that are pulling at 10k so the tandem would go first. That sort of scenerio.

If they aint got wings(uits) they go first. I am neither as old nor as grumpy as riggerrob, but i have no interest in leaving a Cessna any other way than from sitting facing the tail; it's just unnecesary work.

[321seeya 0]

Thanks for all of your input. This weekend was great! A HUGE change from the twin otters I am used (spoiled with) to

BASE 3:16 - Even if you are about to land on a cop - DONT FORGET TO FLARE!
Free the soul -- DJ

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Thanks for all of your input. This weekend was great! A HUGE change from the twin otters I am used (spoiled with) to

Out of curiosity, did you try a couple of the exits discussed? Which one did you find worked best for you?

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

[321seeya 0]

I found it easier to schooch (is that a word) with my rig to the rear of the plane and rotate the pass legs out on to the step, and from a kneeling position use them as the pivot point (kind of sounds sexual if you ask me) Had some reaal good exits that way. Jumping from from small stuff really works ya! Hooking up was really different! Ill save that for another chapter...Again thanks for all of your input.

BASE 3:16 - Even if you are about to land on a cop - DONT FORGET TO FLARE!
Free the soul -- DJ

[peckerhead 0]

Like this

[321seeya 0]

here are a couple that my student was nice enough to pull off her video...

BASE 3:16 - Even if you are about to land on a cop - DONT FORGET TO FLARE!
Free the soul -- DJ