bb1v+@andrew.cmu.edu (Barry Lowell Brumitt) (06/18/91)
I just made my first Helicopter jump last weekend, and I thought I'd share a few observations with you... First, if you haven't tried this or a baloon jump, do so. It's quite amazing to feel total freefall, and hear silence while you fall! Second, if you're looking to try it, why not arrange it for your area? Someone around here simply looked into renting a helicopter (and it's pilot). It came to $300 an hour plus $300 ferry fee. He could do about 4 loads to 4000 ft an hour, with 2 passengers. $37.50. The ferry fee split about 30 ways was $10. This makes it about $45 a jump. (10 minutes to alititude, 3 minutes down, 1 minute turnaround). We had no trouble finding 30 people, so it worked out pretty well. Yes, it's expensive, but since most people haven't tried it, it might be worth a go. (The ride is nifty too!). Are helicopters with any capacity just very expensive to operate, and as such, no one uses them for jump operations? Or is it a difficulty in training pilots? (I know that you *want* forward speed for relative work, but I'm still curious about the fun/crw/accuracy jump aspect) Barry A-12269 ps. Anyone here jump at AFF East?
SKYDIVE@f15.n233.z1.FIDONET.ORG (SKYDIVE) (06/20/91)
Reply-to: Bill.Caefer@p0.f853.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Caefer) Fido-To: uiucuxc!andrew.cmu.edu!bb1v+ U> From: uiucuxc!andrew.cmu.edu!bb1v+ (Barry Lowell Brumitt) U> I just made my first Helicopter jump last weekend, and I thought I'd share U> a few observations with you... U> First, if you haven't tried this or a baloon jump, do so. It's quite U> amazing to feel total freefall, and hear silence while you fall! U> Second, if you're looking to try it, why not arrange it for your area? U> Someone U> around here simply looked into renting a helicopter (and it's pilot). It U> came U> to $300 an hour plus $300 ferry fee. He could do about 4 loads to 4000 ft U> an U> hour, with 2 passengers. $37.50. The ferry fee split about 30 ways was $10. U> This makes it about $45 a jump. (10 minutes to alititude, 3 minutes down, U> 1 minute turnaround). We had no trouble finding 30 people, so it worked out U> pretty well. Pretty good advice. U> Are helicopters with any capacity just very expensive to operate, and as U> such, no one uses them for jump operations? Or is it a difficulty in U> training pilots? All of the above. If they were cost effective enough to use for jumping, they would be used for jumping. U> (I know that you *want* forward speed for relative work, but I'm still U> curious about the fun/crw/accuracy jump aspect) What you had was a cooperative pilot and an unusual experience. Yes, jumping from a hover is fun and I'm glad for you that you got the opportunity to try it. But this is not how regular jump operations would be conducted with helicopters. The higher you go the harder it is to hover. It takes more power, more fuel, and is more dangerous at a certain height range. This is not the way helicopters like to fly. For regular jumping they are just like airplanes except for the HUGE door. The real advantage being that you don't need an airport, just a field big enough for jumping. If they weren't so expensive they'd be good to have. --- msged 2.07 --- eecp 1.45 LM2 * Origin: <X> Infinity Ltd. (1:102/853) -- SKYDIVE - via FidoNet node 1:233/13 (ehsnet.fidonet.org)
gregory@hpcc01.HP.COM (Kim Gregory) (06/26/91)
Barry,
When I was in the military, jumping from helicopters was part of my job
description. I also belonged to a jump club on base (Clark AB, R.P.)
that got to use military aircraft when they were available.
I always enjoyed jumping the choppers for several reasons one of which was
the relative silence and feeling of really falling. Another was that we
could get to altitude quickly and thereby were able to make several jumps
in minimum time.
The choppers that we jumped were Sikorsky HH-3/CH-3 models. Occasionally,
we jumped Hueys. I was told that it cost Uncle about $1200/hour to keep
the HH-3 in the sky. Generally, only the *very* wealthy or the government
agencies are the only ones who can afford to own helicopters.
BTW, that was 1974.
As an aside, I once jumped with a visiting Army general who had only been
jumping for 8 months. He had logged 800 jumps. Yes, I turned green with
envy. I said, "That's a lot of jumps." He said, "I have my own helicopter."
--K. Norman "Schwarzkopf" Gregory
{only general illusions of grandeur}robie@umbc1.umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie; POSI (GRAD)) (06/26/91)
In article <3083.2867C4A9@ehsnet.fidonet.org>, SKYDIVE@f15.n233.z1.FIDONET.ORG (SKYDIVE) writes... >For regular jumping they are just like >airplanes except for the HUGE door. The real advantage being that you don't >need an airport, just a field big enough for jumping. If they weren't so >expensive they'd be good to have. > Yep! They are soooo nice, though, when your "uncle" is paying the bill! There is nothing to compare to the luxury of taking the doors off a "Huey," sitting with your feet out on the skid, and watching the world get small. No cramped quarters, no long, hot, ride, and when it is time to go - it is like stepping off the porch. Now, TRUE fantasy land is a demo out of a CH53 minesweeper chopper...sort of like walking out of the open doors of a tractor-trailer that leads into the sky. :-)
robie@umbc1.umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie; POSI (GRAD)) (06/26/91)
In article <4190001@hpcc01.HP.COM>, gregory@hpcc01.HP.COM (Kim Gregory) writes... > >As an aside, I once jumped with a visiting Army general who had only been >jumping for 8 months. He had logged 800 jumps. Yes, I turned green with >envy. I said, "That's a lot of jumps." He said, "I have my own helicopter." > Yeah ... and his own riggers, pilots, "free" gear, transportation to and from the DZ, ... and I'll bet NOBODY ever suggested he buy a case of beer, either! ;-)