What exactly does it have to be rated for? I didn't see anything that distinctly exceeded any limitations. Believe it or not, a lot of airplanes are more capable than what are "rated for."
Perhaps "rated" was the wrong word to use. And being that this is from a camera with a passenger happy to be moving it around, some things may not be as they seem. But what intrigues me is...
-His initial "dive". It looks like he does a slight roll and short dive as soon as the jumpers bail. Would that not be considered aerobatic maneuvers? I don't know, hard to tell. But if it is, how many airplanes have you been in that are placarded "No aerobatic maneuvers, including spins, approved."?
-What looks like high speed. The video is 3:50. Taking the time away for the jumpers and his taxi, how fast does he get down from altitude? 2-2 1/2 minutes? Doesn't that seem a little quick to you to get down from jumping altitude? Granted I don't know what they're jumping in this video, but it doesn't look to me like they're at 2500 or below when he starts his descent.
Granted, all this is to my interpretation of a crappy video with the passenger moving it around, and a little penguin (?) flying around on the windshield. I'm just curious if this Dornier is certified acrobatic, or if what the pilot is doing is so considered. Don't know if I'll get the answer to either, and I'm not nitpicking, but I am curious.
Aside from that, I would be uncomfortable riding with him in his approach. I have to wonder about:
1) The speed is coming into the pattern (if you could call it that)
2) The bank angle on the turn into final
3) The altitude above the trees before his turn onto final
It's a cool video, love to watch it. Not sure I'd be comfortable flying with the guy or if what he's doing is considered safe. Looks cool every time he does it until the one time he doesn't make it.
Nothing to look up to, making regs just to make more regs is the death of GA.
