Jumpers Away, a South Caolina-based jump pilot training school, has been designated by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association as a...

Flying skydivers in a Cessna 182 (or a 205 or 206) is a great way to start a piloting career. You can log lots of high-performance time...

I had a recent exchange with the chief pilot for a busy, year-round drop zone that operates multiple Cessna 182s and hires many pilots....

A jump pilot bears huge responsibility on every flight. An awareness of the many things that can go wrong is key. Here is a list of items...

Here is a video of a premature main parachute deployment on the step of a Cessna 182, first at full speed then at slow mo. The video...

Jumpers Away was recently designated one of 32 “Distinguished Flight Schools” nationwide by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association...

Here is a summary of my presentation on “Improving Jump Pilot Safety” this week at the 2023 Parachute Industry Association Symposium. I...

Flying skydivers is the perfect gig for a freshly minted commercial pilot. You can start filling your logbook with hours and get paid,...

Every year, the U.S. Parachute Association designates the second Saturday of March as “Safety Day,” a day for skydivers and skydive...

Occasionally, a jump pilot will be asked to drop jumpers at locations off the usual on-airport drop zone. If so, steps must be taken to...

Pilots often ask, “When does the skydiving season start and when does it end?” The answer depends on the region of the country and on the...

In the past couple of weeks, several DZs have indicated their need for Cessna 182 jump pilots. Various aviation segments, from the...

A spate of Cessna Caravan jump plane crashes this year has brought attention to jump pilot training and jump operation procedures. All...

Jump pilots, especially Cessna 182 pilots, must always be ready for a premature parachute deployment. 182s seem to more susceptible since...

In March, the Parachute Industry Association issued a voluntary “safety stand-down” of jumps from 18,000 feet msl and above pending a...

A video gone viral of late showing a corporate jet maneuvering among open parachutes has drawn lots of online views and more than a few...

Annually, the U.S. Parachute Association designates the second Saturday of March as “Safety Day,” a day for everyone at the DZ to refresh...

Annually, the U.S. Parachute Association designates the second Saturday of March as “Safety Day,” a day for everyone at the DZ to refresh...

I’m often asked which FAR requires a jump pilot to wear a parachute. The answer is…none. FAR 91.307 only requires parachutes (with lots...

The U.S. Parachute Association just announced a record-low ten skydiving fatalities for 2021, the lowest since records began in 1961. The...