Parachuting off an airplane...how hard is it?

cocolos

cocolos

Pre-takeoff checklist
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cocolos
So I read this article:
Link where a pilot had to parachute jump after an engine failure. I know this depends on the airplane, but isn't it pretty hard from a normal GA airplane, e.g. 172, cherokee, mooney, etc.? I presume it's easier for something that has a sliding canopy of some sort like some RVs.
 
Exiting a standard door in a slip is relatively easy. Pop the latch and stomp the rudder to push yourself out and you can do it relatively painlessly.
 
I guess I meant aren't you pretty likely to hit something on the way out? Also how much factor does the air resistance come to play when opening a door at 150mph?
 
I've jumped a 182, 206, twin otter, king air and a caravan.

I've climbed onto the strut of the 182, which is most like any GA plane someone might have to bail out of, put my feet on the leading edge and done the bat hang, I've also don't a straight head first jump out, never came close to hitting the wheel, strut, tail, etc. I've also done linked exits with other jumpers, no biggie.

The largest danger is deploying your canopy before you're clear, I.E. Getting your handle or pilot chute caught on something or pulled by someone, bad chit happens if that occurs.

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Just trim it somewhat, open the door climb out and jump, ARCH your body, keep your chin up and try to look at the plane for a second or two, pull, check your canopy, and set up for landing.

If you're actually going to wear a rig, you'd do well do at least do a few levels of AFF or AFP training at your local dropzone.
 
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Skydiving operations typically remove a door.

But, a number of people have stepped outside of unmodified Cessna / Piper type aircraft for the purposes of suicide, faking one's death, and after running out of gas on a student cross country solo.
 
If it helps any, all std cert aircraft rated for aerobatics in the US have a quick release on each door. The quick release mechanism is supposed to let the door fall from the airframe when the release handle is pulled. I never had a reason to test it in flight. I think the SU plane also has a quick release but don't quote me.

Once the door is gone, it's gonna be easy to just roll out of the opening and away you go. The trouble comes in when there's a catastrophic failure of a flight control, and you may be tumbling in a way that the forces are keeping you inside. Getting out could be trouble if the plane is no longer 'flying'.
 
Opening a normal door in a 182/172 etc isn't that tuff, plenty of people have made jumps like that, just be sure your handle or pilot doesn't get snagged and deployed on the door.

Also skydive planes do NOT remove the doors, they just change them to open vertically or roll up.

Only place I've jumped without a door was in a 182 in Swakopmund, Namibia
 
ebykowsky said:
Do elaborate?
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It's somewhere in the NTSB database - read it a long time ago.

A student pilot on a solo cross country in IIRC a Cessna 150/152, wearing a 'chute runs out of gas on final, turns away from the airport and bails out. Survives, no one on the ground is hurt. That's about what I remember.
 
Hmmm Cessna do seem easier to jump out of but not sure how that would play out with a low wing?


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I remember seeing that but wow that was still amazing top watch again. I guess the wind force is not that bad at those speeds. My guess the only problem would be getting stuck with a maneuver where you where stuck in you seat by the G forces.

Anyone here wear parachutes even if not doing acrobatics? I presume that would mostly be when test flying an airplane.


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Only when I'm planning on jumping.
 
cocolos said:
I remember seeing that but wow that was still amazing top watch again. I guess the wind force is not that bad at those speeds. My guess the only problem would be getting stuck with a maneuver where you where stuck in you seat by the G forces.

Anyone here wear parachutes even if not doing acrobatics? I presume that would mostly be when test flying an airplane.


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I wear a parachute in my Flybaby and do not do aerobatics in it. I've only flown it once without a parachute, my first flight before I bought it.
 
I've skydived from C-180, C-182, C-185, C-195, C-205, C-206, Beech 18, Beech 99, Shorts Skyvan, DC-3, Lockheed Lodestar, Pilatus Porter, Otter, Twin Otter, Citabria, Stearman, Ultralight, and hot air balloons. I've been in a spinning Lodestar with an open door 4 feet away, and was unable to get to it from the Gs. I've flown jumpers.

In GA airplanes with conventional doors, it is EXTREMELY difficult (and usually impossible) to squeeze out against the air blast while wearing a parachute. If the airplane is spinning or tumbling, it would be impossible unless the door or canopy could be jettisoned.

Next time you're up in your 172 or Warrior, try opening the door and see how hard it is to do. You can slip the airplane all you want - unless someone else is on the pedals holding the slip, you won't be able to get the door open far enough to get out.
 
Why would you jump out of an aircraft if the engine quit, no matter why it quit?

Dale
 
dalealan said:
Why would you jump out of an aircraft if the engine quit, no matter why it quit?

Dale
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I reject the notion of flying single engine aeroplanes in the dark but when I was young, I didn't have the choice of when or what to fly. Faced with an engine failure in an F86 in the dark, it was not a difficult choice to decide to read the sheet.
 
write-stuff said:
I've skydived from C-180, C-182, C-185, C-195, C-205, C-206, Beech 18, Beech 99, Shorts Skyvan, DC-3, Lockheed Lodestar, Pilatus Porter, Otter, Twin Otter, Citabria, Stearman, Ultralight, and hot air balloons. I've been in a spinning Lodestar with an open door 4 feet away, and was unable to get to it from the Gs. I've flown jumpers.

In GA airplanes with conventional doors, it is EXTREMELY difficult (and usually impossible) to squeeze out against the air blast while wearing a parachute. If the airplane is spinning or tumbling, it would be impossible unless the door or canopy could be jettisoned.

Next time you're up in your 172 or Warrior, try opening the door and see how hard it is to do. You can slip the airplane all you want - unless someone else is on the pedals holding the slip, you won't be able to get the door open far enough to get out.
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I call BS I have gone out of 172s several times with stock door and held it open for the next guy.
 
Paulie said:
I call BS I have gone out of 172s several times with stock door and held it open for the next guy.
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I do know a guy who also did that in a 172. I've given it a try and found it pretty damned difficult. Was the airplane in cruise flight or was it slowed up and slipping? Were the seats in the airplane? Regardless, congratulations and thanks for your comment.
 
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Pretty easy on my Flybaby. Hit the quick release on the four point harness, jump over the side of the plane, pull chute when clear. Hope to hell the thing opens. Post a #selfie to Facebook while under canopy.
 
cocolos said:
I remember seeing that but wow that was still amazing top watch again. I guess the wind force is not that bad at those speeds. My guess the only problem would be getting stuck with a maneuver where you where stuck in you seat by the G forces.

Anyone here wear parachutes even if not doing acrobatics? I presume that would mostly be when test flying an airplane.


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Most single seat sailplanes, the seat is designed for a backpack emergency chute. The wearing of the chute is required during contests.
 
jesse said:
Pretty easy on my Flybaby. Hit the quick release on the four point harness, jump over the side of the plane, pull chute when clear. Hope to hell the thing opens. Post a #selfie to Facebook while under canopy.
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Haha nice.


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marcoseddi said:
Wow insane video


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Yes, hard to believe everyone survived from both aircraft. The Pilot in the top plane in particular, as he had to get to the door while the plane was spinning.
 
jesse said:
I wear a parachute in my Flybaby and do not do aerobatics in it. I've only flown it once without a parachute, my first flight before I bought it.
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Hey Jesse -- do you wear a parachute in all aircraft or is there something about the Flybaby that warrants an extra level of safety? I'm not that familiar with the Flybaby.
 
I doubt you could exit the Navion. Even to get the canopy to the flight position in flight is darn near difficult. If you want to do it you typically lock it open on the ground. The airflow wants to CLOSE the canopy nearly all the way. The flight position isn only about 11" or so, which I doubt I could get through even without a parachute.

On the other hand you could completely remove the canopy before flight (this is legal). However, there's not anything to hold on to that would allow you to move to the point of being clear of the empennage like a Cessna gear leg or strut.
 
Jumping out of almost any airplane in normal flight is, if not easy, relatively possible.

The real problem is that an airplane in relatively normal flight is not one that you are going to jump out of in an emergency (possible exception would be severe fire in the cockpit).

The challenge is an airplane outside of the normal flight envelope, for example one in a spin or one that lost flight surfaces. Getting out of a ship configure for jump operations that is in a spin is difficult. The forces acting on you can make getting through the door near impossible.

Blue skies.



C38363
 
ColoPilot said:
Hey Jesse -- do you wear a parachute in all aircraft or is there something about the Flybaby that warrants an extra level of safety? I'm not that familiar with the Flybaby.
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I didn't really trust it when I first bought it and also needed something behind me to see out of the airplane. After owning it a few years now, and having had reworked much of what keeps the wings on, I trust it significantly more. I'm just so used to wearing the parachute in it, and I have it, I figure why not.

Plus it's so easy to get out of the airplane if you had to it seems like I'd really be kicking myself in the ass if I ever needed the parachute and chose not to wear it that day.

All that said, I usually fly it so low that the parachute wouldn't be of any help.
 
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