kleggo

I posted this on FB a few weeks ago. I had a very special day on Saturday July 6th. I spent the day at Skydive Perris with friends. We were there to JUMP THE JET!! Perris has had a McDonnel Douglas DC9 since about 2006. I last made a jump from it in 2007. It was a very good experience and I cried that it sat at Perris mostly unused and un-jumped since then. FYI, info in the 3 paragraphs below have not been fact-checked, they are just my understanding of the situation. Over the past several years the owners of the DZ, Ben, Diane, Melanie and Pat Conatser spent nearly a million dollars (or more) to; extend the runway, update the avionics and sort other details. The biggest sticking point in flying the plane and jumpers was finding pilots that are both rated in type and current (there are not many DC9s still flying). Perris was able to find a qualified crew based in Miami who fly for a South American airline. Bottom line, the Conatsers spent vast amounts of money and sweat equity to bring the DC9 back on-line for jumping, very likely with no chance of ever getting full payback for their efforts. This may not technically meet the definition of altruism, but it’s close enough for me and I am very grateful for their efforts. Blah Blah Blah, on to the jump. A typical ride to altitude in a skydiving plane is a cramped, sweaty affair. About 20 of us are either packed in a$$hole to belly button or side to side on unpadded benches. Climbing to 13000 feet AGL takes 18 – 20 minutes as we spiral up while listening to the turbine powered propellers claw us to altitude. Its quite nice when the door finally opens and we exit the plane into the 100 MPH propblast from the side of the fuselage. The jet? So much different. Seventy of us sit in nicely padded airline seats that are far superior to current airline seating with the evil minimum pitch that packs people into “economy plus”. Even with a backpack on there is plenty of leg room as we sit belted in place. The energy / fear / excitement in the jet is palpable. Nearly everyone is making their first jet jump and even those with thousands of jumps are back to the excitement of student status jumps. Takeoff and climb to altitude are quiet. Just like you experience when you fly on Southwest. The air conditioning works and the ride up is comfy. But, it is a VERY SHORT ride to altitude. From takeoff roll to jump run takes 6 -7 minutes! The greenlight goes on and we start down the aisle to the “door”. Remember, this is a DC9, very similar to a Boeing 727 (the airplane that DB Cooper chose to hijack since it has a ramp under the tail and facilitated his jump with hundreds of thousand of $$). We get to the ramp (no steps) and launch into the sky ocean. I back looped out and had a great view of the jet flying away and other jumpers flying out. At that point it was just another skydive, though one where due to the exit speed and dawdling jumpers ahead of me in line, I opened a long way from the DZ, but that’s another story. What else stands out? The “flight attendants” giving the safety briefing (FDA mandated). The flight crew who gave up their holiday with family and friends to come to Perris. All the work that the Perris staff did to make the jumps and Boogie a success. Talking to Ben and Diane Conatser and just seeing / feeling their joy at making this happen. Yes, I’m looking forward to doing this again without waiting another 17 years. BSBD

aviation related participants may not live as long a "normal" people.

Good on you. I approve of this message

keep in mind it took SSK FOUR MONTHS to service and return my bomb this year.

i would buy a CYPRES, a cypress won't do you much good. Even though it took 4 months to have it returned post service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CYPRES is an acronym for Cybernetic Parachute Release System. It refers to a specific make and model of an automatic activation device (AAD), a device that automatically activates a parachute (typically as a reserve system for a skydiver) under certain circumstances. But a vigil is better than no AAD

pull the handle have faith in your rigger and container manufacturer that the flaps will open and the pilot chute will launch, extracting the freebag.

you who? i just bought a 2024 Audi. It burns gasoline as fuel. ps, i live in southern california and e cars are as "thick as fleas" on an infected rat round these parts.

you should book accelerated freefall. It will cost you half your income for as many years as you jump :-)

more flights planned 6 & 7 July 2024

There are also flights out of the airport at Camarillo California. No one advertising hop n pops tho

old news to most, but I'd never seen the viddy. drogue never inflated. reserve deployed into floppy drogue bridle and entangled pretty easy to pick apart that order of operations

Did you read the article in Sunday's NYT? Apparently the reporter spoke to officials at the USDA and was met with conflicting stories and general ignorance of the situation. Not Good.

old but interesting thread. I believe the thunderbow story. I've seen / done multiple instances of in-flight- sorting -shit -out -that -would- have- otherwise- caused -a -cutaway" while doing CReW.

I think there is one currently at the Camarillo CA airport for repairs. It had an issue near Bridgeport (???) on the 395 and landed on the HWY. They took up a truck n trailer, took the wings off and are prepping for repairs. It did NOT crash

not going to read this entire thread. Will just say that I was a "dedicated" NPR listener / member for many years. Not so much any more. It's not so much their politics and mine have diverged, it's more what I call the all black, all gay, all day programming (yes, that's hyperbole, but makes my point). It's rare for me to hear an interesting piece on NPR anymore that isn't pure breaking news. i'm a 65 year old trump despising WASP and I obviously am not their target audience. so be it, I've found many interesting podcasts. Craig