Two thoughts on this matter: 1. The Australian Parachute Federation (APF) could perhaps produce a set of GPS co-ordinates for known parachuting operations, as well as contact details if available. You can easily put proximity alerts into most modern GPS units, and if you are able to identify the few that are within your gliding zone beforehand then at least it's then possible to get an audible reminder from the GPS as you approach the area. You can refer to crib notes to get more information is then required.
2. Putting a jumpmaster on the ground is probably not going to make one iota of difference to the risk of collision when gliders below the cloud are involved. Because they are silent and often difficult to spot against cloud (as anyone who has tried to find the aircraft with the AEF passenger for the friends/family waiting on the ground can tell !), even when you KNOW that they're "up there somewhere", they are hard to see. Unless the gliding operation is within hearing distance (assuming aerotow launch), or the jumpmaster is well aware of the transit of gliding traffic through his piece of sky (by radio, local knowledge, etc), then the last thing the jumpmaster is going to do is notice a silent glider sneaking through under a cloud (or even out in the blue if side-on). Let's all hope and pray for a parachute-free long weekend. Cheers Jason Armistead Quoting Peter Stephenson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > In Australia, there is a NPRM (Notice of Proposal to Rule Making or > something like that - now closed means it is coming in soon) which > will > allow parachutists to legally jump through cloud provided there is a > jumpmaster on the ground clearing the drop using a local frequency. > The > aircraft will have to have two radios, one on area frequency as well. > > I think this rule should apply to *all* jumps, whether through cloud > or > not. > > PeterS > QSA RAPAC delegate > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brian Wade" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2002 11:37 AM > Subject: Re: [aus-soaring] Accident in the UK > > > > > >An 'interesting' (in a macabre sense) statistic to understand > would > > > > be whether there is any significant incidence of collision > between > > > > skydivers and powered aircraft. > > > > From a US Web site - under a heading relating to parachutists > colloding > with > > aircraft: > > > > More than one such accident happened. A parachutist in freefall struck > the > > tail of a Piper warrior, knocking it out of control, which caused it > to > > crash. The parachutist survived with a broken ankle. All four persons > on > > board the Piper perished. The collision occurred at 7,000 feet. > > Make sure you check the notams for parachute jumpings along your > route > > and exercise caution in parachute jumping and alert areas. > > FARs prohibit parachute jumps into or through a cloud, and > require > > skydiving aircraft to coordinate operations with ATC. Parachute > operations > > along federal airways are allowed when weather conditions permit. > > It takes about six minutes for an experienced jumper to fall > from > 12,500 > > feet to 2,000 feet AGL, the lowest parachute opening altitude. Some > > skydivers, including new students, tend to open their chutes as high > as > > 6,000 feet AGL to orient themselves better and prepare for a good > landing. > > > > -- > > Brian Wade > > > > Personal Computer Concepts > > > > Uniform Time > > http://www.uniformtime.com.au > > > > PO Box 114 INDOOROOPILLY QLD 4068 > > Ph: 07 3371 2944 Fax: 07 3870 4103 > > > > > > -- > > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > > > > > -- > * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. > * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message > * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information. > > -- * You are subscribed to the aus-soaring mailing list. * To Unsubscribe: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * with "unsubscribe aus-soaring" in the body of the message * or with "help" in the body of the message for more information.
