Author Topic: I was in the paper yesterday (Read 864 times)

Chairboy · « **on:** October 20, 2005, 11:51:54 AM »

Not much, but I was quoted in the paper and didn't even realize it until someone told me. The name of the article included the words 'aerial combat', I'm sure there's a good joke there somewhere....

Sadly, the story did not include the words "unknown driver", "succesfully evaded police", or "time machine".

Here's the first half of the article:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/10/19/a1.airport.1019.p1.php?section=cityregion

It's about the skydiver outfits at the airport I fly out of. Some of them dive into the pattern at 3,000+fpm, cut off other planes landing, and so on. On the ground, the jump masters don't wrangle the jumpers the way they should, which leads to my quote below.

The paper doesn't publish the whole thing to the web, but in the latter part, I'm quoted:

Quote

Pilot Ben Hallert reported that he was on final approach to land on July 31 when a group of people began walking from the drop zone across the runway.

"I decided to do an emergency go-around to avoid hitting them," he wrote. "If I had a horn on the plane, I would have been honking it, because this could have been really bad."

These guys have every right to use the airport, but they gotta fly safe. Remember that video I posted a couple months ago about the plane taxiing past really fast? Skydiver drop plane.

I R teh famous now.

Sandman · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2005, 11:55:32 AM »

Time to get those 8x10 glossies and a personal assistant.

Hangtime · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2005, 12:24:13 PM »

A horn?

LOL!

If there wuz ever a good use for a 16oz tall neck empty Bud bottle.....

Chairboy · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2005, 01:16:03 PM »

Here's the skydiver taxiing, btw, if you missed the last post:
http://hallert.net/misc/n9085g-fast-taxi.avi

Nilsen · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2005, 01:23:47 PM »

Don't forget about us when you leave for Hollywood.

I can tell my kid: "Daddy used to offend that guy on telly and he cried like a little baby"

Chairboy · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2005, 01:24:36 PM »

ha ha ha

Mustaine · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2005, 02:25:17 PM »

wouldnt that kind of press lead to some sort of FAA investigation?

let's hope so for the safety of all the pilots in the area

Hangtime · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2005, 02:28:14 PM »

a pilot guilty of fast taxiing should have his bellybutton kicked by his fellow pilots.

I wouldn't wish an FAA investigation on anything short of a complete moron.. and in that case thye FAA, finding a kindred spirt, would probably let the dipwick walk.

cpxxx · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2005, 02:48:30 PM »

Skydivers are mad, walking across and active runway it typical of them. I would have delayed my go around:O just a little bit to send them a message and then claim I never saw them.

Years ago as a teenager, I was visiting a gliding club. It was based on a military airfield but the public could just walk in and watch. (Imagine that now days

)
A guy was ahead of me and crossing the runway. He saw the glider tug approach, so he stopped to watch, right in the middle of the runway.

The tug went around. I met the pilot years later. He told me they were always doing that. Even better some would actually walk up the middle of the runway!

One thing, do the skydivers parachute onto the field? With aircraft engines running? That kind of thing has led to nasty incidents. One where a girl descended into a the rotor blades of a helicopter. Did a lot of damage to the rotor blades I hear.

Chairboy · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2005, 03:10:04 PM »

The drop zone is immediately next to the runway, and they actually flare their chutes over the runway, that's how close.

We're not complaining because we think they should be elsewhere, it's just the crazy disregard for other pilots and safety that are getting to us.

Traffic Pattern Altitude is 1400 at the airport. The reporting point for the pattern (for entering on the 45) is half a mile out. I regularilly hear the skydiver planes reporting in at 5,000 at the reporting point (when they bother to use it). These planes get down before their jumpers do sometimes.

On the other hand, there's one guy that flys a Caravan at the field who's great. He has the biggest, fastest plane, but that doesn't stop him from flying a good pattern at TPA, being part of the queue, etc. If one of those pilots can do a good job, there's no reason the rest can't either.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #10 on:** October 22, 2005, 09:32:46 AM »

Chairboys just jealous cause he doesn't have the hard brass ones to skydive. Anyone can learn to fly, only a handful have the nads to skydive.

JB66 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 22, 2005, 10:05:16 AM »

My friend and I flew down to Flagler Bch. in Fla to eat at a diner located on the airport property. It is also a local skydiving hub.

The aircraft that the skydivers were using was this huge twin turbo-prop (don't remember the type). The goal was fast up and fast down.

They loaded about twenty skydivers and made their drop at 10000 and another drop at 12500. The twin went into a tight spin above the airport...didn't enter into the traffic pattern, he recovered at about 1000 feet agl and was coming straight in on final. Oh yeah...this is an uncontrolled airstrip. Well, there happen to be a Cessna that had just turned final right infront of the turbo-prop. On unicom the turbo-prop told the Cessna to go around. The Cessna pilot proceded to land, forcing the twin to go around. The A-hole in the twin buzzed the Cessna at about 25 feet. He then proceded to fly a normal pattern, then land.
The Cessna pilot had called the local FAA inspector "Fred the Fed" who is located at St. Augustine airport. After about twenty five minutes of watching the two pilots argue, the police and Fred the Fed showed up.

I don't know what resolution was reached, we left and flew back to Craig Field in Jax.

I was left witht the opinion that not only are skydivers crazy, the pilots who fly them are also.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #12 on:** October 22, 2005, 10:17:06 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
The drop zone is immediately next to the runway, and they actually flare their chutes over the runway, that's how close.

We're not complaining because we think they should be elsewhere, it's just the crazy disregard for other pilots and safety that are getting to us.

On the other hand While Im no pilot. wouldnt it be the ATC's responcability to clear the pilots for landing.

I would think they would want ot make sure the runway is clear for landing from anything including people next to to the runway that might put lives at risk.

Or is there some greed at work here to rush to get the plane down to save fuel and get the next group up?

Not meaning to sound offencive but it just seems to me that before a pilot is allowed to land the runway should be absolutely clear of any potential hazards especially people

indy007 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 22, 2005, 10:25:20 AM »

Most fields don't have ATC. You get radios (which others may or may not bother using) and the good ol' Mk.1 eyeball.

Some skydiving ops are good & safe, some aren't. It's all about getting that plane back on the ground to save gas & get another load up in the air.

Chairboy's not joking when he said sometimes the plane beats the divers back to the ground.

Chairboy · « **Reply #14 on:** October 22, 2005, 10:34:32 AM »

Dredlock, this is an uncontrolled field, like, as indy007 said, over 95% are. We have rules and patterns to follow so that it isn' chaos, and the Skydivers are the guys who aren't following those rules.

Hence the complaint.