It also happens to be located on a municipal airport, which means general aviation pilots can fly there in addition to our skydiving aircraft. It's a high volume dropzone, often with multiple aircraft flying jumpers on the same day. The weight and balance changes are almost endless, depending on the fuel levels and group sizes that happen to be on board for any given load.ĬSC has a very structured approach to flight operations. We must also keep the plane balanced, on heading, and speed consistent with 20+ people moving around in the back, and varied amounts of weight jumping out the door every few seconds. We spend all day making many take offs and landings, every 15-20 minutes so over the course of 8-12 hours, usually with changing wind conditions. Jump pilots don't have autopilot buttons. Their flight experiences involve straight and level flight in aircraft with many autopilot features.įlying skydivers is entirely different. The majority of the general public is familiar with commercial aviation.
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It takes a true professional to be a great jump pilot.
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The path I have taken in aviation will probably never make me rich, but it has given me an opportunity to do fun, challenging, extremely active piloting.Īs thoughts of the pilot from the movie Fandango fill your head.think again. Now, I manage multiple aircraft and train jump pilots every season. I remember sitting on phone books to reach the pedals flying with my Dad. I grew up in an aviation family, so I've had a healthy respect for operating aircraft from a young age. Develop trust, understand the skydives being made, and create a real connection so everyone works together on every load. As the owner and manager of aircraft - as well as the pilot in command on thousands of skydiving flights - I believe that much of the responsibility falls on me to promote safety on the dropzone. I'm not sure about that, but we certainly have to manage a lot of variables from the lonely front seat.Īt Chicagoland Skydiving Center, one of our core beliefs is that the pilot should be in communication with the jumpers.
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Some say jump pilots are the unsung heroes of skydiving.
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At many dropzones, few jumpers even know the pilot's name. Typically, jumpers are focused on the freefall ahead, but rarely give much thought to the person in the cockpit. If you're skydiving, you're probably just looking for a quick ride in an airplane.