Pilotless airplane....yeah no pilot

[Spotter626]

As posted earlier it can be done, not easy but certainly not impossible as I too have done it more than once. However I was never the pilot!

 

[hotprops]

I don't think he had a chute. I think death wish .probably a jump into a lake through the ice.they might find him in the spring

 

[MassPilot]

I don't think he had a chute. I think death wish .probably a jump into a lake through the ice.they might find him in the spring

Since they don't even know where he jumped, and there's probably mostly wilderness along the route the plane traveled, I would be surprised if they ever find him.

 

[OkieFlyer]

Every jump plane I've ever seen has either had a vertically opening door, or no door at all.

And who uses a 172 for skydiving? They can almost make to 12000 in summer. In 30 minutes. With one skydiver.

Jump planes have vertically opening doors, or no doors. However, the skydiver that has a buddy with a Cessna and won't charge him for the ride, will go out the door. It's not the norm, but I know it is sometimes done.

 

[edo2000]

Still doesn't mean a determined person can't jump from a 172.

I agree. I have never jumped from a Cessna, but I have air dropped lots of stuff(some of it much wider than the average person) from a C185 with the doors on. My wife would sit in the back, I would line up the airplane, slow down, and shove the door open while she dropped the item(s). Should be very possible to push the door open and drop out of a C172 on autopilot. The airplane would lose airspeed with the door open, but would accelerate again after the jumper left. Would be interesting to know where the front seats of the 172 were positioned, etc.