If you are a pilot in the Jacksonville area, you should be aware that skydiving operations are conducted at two of our local airports, Herlong (KHEG) and Fernandina Beach (KFHB). For everyone’s safety, it is important that pilots know what to expect when flying in the vicinity of airports that conduct skydive operations. Let’s review the FAA’s guidance on this subject.
How would a pilot know that skydiving operations are conducted at an airport? The first place to look is the VFR Sectional Chart, followed by the FAA Chart Supplement. The Chart Supplement entries for both Herlong and Fernandina Beach mention parachutes (“prcht”), but only Fernandina Beach has the parachute symbol on the sectional. Ultralights operate out of both airports, but they are only mentioned in the entry for Herlong. Herlong also advertises glider operations, which are also a concern for pilots and will be discussed in a separate article.
The next thing a pilot needs to know about skydiving operations is the location of the jump zone, otherwise known as the drop zone or DZ. The Chart Supplement entry for Herlong does not indicate a specific DZ location, but at Fernandina Beach the DZ is shown as being located on the northwest corner of the airport, just north of the approach end of Runway 9.
According to FAA Advisory Circular 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, all parachute operations should be communicated to pilots via a NOTAM. The AC also says that pilots can expect the parachutes to be deployed “below 3,000 feet AGL within one mile of the airport within the probable chute operating zone, or within 2 miles in extreme zone.” The “extreme zone” is not defined in the FAR/AIM but one can infer that a skydiver might end up landing in the “extreme zone” if unexpectedly strong winds aloft carry them away from the intended target. If this occurs, who is responsible? The skydiver or his or her tandem instructor, or the pilot of the jump plane, who presumably obtained “all available information” concerning the flight per FAR 91.103 and should have anticipated the winds aloft when planning where and when to release the skydivers from the aircraft?
AC 90-66C, section 12.5.3, states that “when a DZ has been established at an airport, parachutists are expected to land within the DZ.” At Fernandina Beach, the DZ is clearly defined in the Chart Supplement. However, one of the based skydive operations at Fernandina Beach, the World Skydiving Center, advertises “beach landings” on the Atlantic coast to the east of the airport. The beach is more than 1 but less than 2 miles from the DZ and thus technically within the “extreme zone,” but if skydivers are careening toward the earth at terminal velocity in freefall or floating down under canopy over the beach at altitudes below 10,000 feet MSL, pilots may have a difficult time spotting them since FAA guidance clearly states that the skydivers should be located over the airport or over the published DZ. There is often a high concentration of VFR transient traffic traveling northbound or southbound over the shoreline at all altitudes, primarily due to the proximity of Jacksonville International Airport’s Class C to the west. The FAA is proposing to expand the Class C to extend over FHB starting at 1,200 feet MSL, which would likely limit VFR transient traffic in this area and potentially limit skydive operations as well.
FAA Advisory Circular 105-2E, Sport Parachuting, advises against conducting skydive operations in strong or gusty winds as this can be dangerous, especially for inexperienced or first-time skydivers. It is therefore reasonable to question the decision making of the pilot of an aircraft carrying skydivers, who would intentionally launch into strong or gusty winds that not only could be dangerous to the skydivers but to the pilots of other aircraft who might unexpectedly encounter the skydivers after they drift into the so-called “extreme zone.”
Other than the aforementioned ACs, NOTAMs or notations in the Chart Supplement or on the VFR Sectional, the FAA provides little guidance to pilots on how to avoid humans under canopy. FAR 91.113, Right-of-way rules, states that “When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.” To help pilots with this required task, the FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 17, Aeromedical Factors, advises pilots to develop a structured visual scanning pattern to optimize the chances of seeing other aircraft in flight. But will this technique help a pilot see a skydiver in freefall? I have seen skydivers under canopy while flying in the vicinity of Fernandina Beach, but only because I knew what to look for and I knew the location of the published DZ. Skydivers under canopy are tiny. They do not look anything like airplanes. I do not think it is likely that I would be able to see a skydiver in freefall, who is descending at about 10,000 feet per minute without his or her brightly colored parachute deployed.
There is an entire section in the AIM about the hazards presented by birds, and a regulatory requirement to “see and avoid” other aircraft, but nothing about how to avoid skydivers!
AIM 7-5-2, Reducing Bird Strike Risks, states that “Windshield strikes have resulted in pilots experiencing confusion, disorientation, loss of communications, and aircraft control problems. Pilots are encouraged to review their emergency procedures before flying in these areas. When encountering birds en route, climb to avoid collision, because birds in flocks generally distribute themselves downward, with lead birds being at the highest altitude. Avoid overflight of known areas of bird concentration and flying at low altitudes during bird migration. Charted wildlife refuges and other natural areas contain unusually high local concentrations of birds which may create a hazard to aircraft.”
What is the main difference between hitting a bird and hitting a skydiver? If you hit a skydiver, there will be a funeral and a fat lawsuit. If you hit a bird, there will be a big mess to clean up afterward and possibly some paperwork to file with feds.
I’ve never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and I don’t think I ever will. It’s not my thing. But I have many friends and acquaintances who are involved in the skydiving industry, either as tandem instructors or pilots, and I am as concerned for their safety as I am for my own and yours.
So what can Jacksonville area pilots do to stay safe during skydive operations at our local airports? Here are a few suggestions:
- Obtain a standard briefing before your flight and check for any NOTAMs that would indicate skydive operations are expected during your flight.
- At FHB: If winds aloft are forecast to be out of the west, use extreme caution when flying east of the airport at any altitude, in any direction.
- At HEG: Remain at least 3 nm northeast of the airport during skydive operations to avoid jumpers and clear of neighboring airspace (Cecil, Whitehouse, NAS)
- Call the skydive center and inquire as to whether skydive operations are scheduled during your flight.
- Listen on CTAF for communications from the jump plane. If the pilot does not clearly state where the jumpers are being released, or how many canopies to expect, ASK! If you’re talking to Jax Approach, they will advise if skydive operations are in effect, but I’d still monitor CTAF.
- DO NOT descend into or join the traffic pattern to land until visually confirming that all canopies are on the ground.
Finally, if you are employed by a skydive center as a pilot, I urge you to carefully consider the safety implications of these beach jump operations, or operations anywhere other than your published drop zone. I know flying skydivers is a popular way for inexperienced commercial pilots to build flight time toward an airline career. I know there can be a lot of pressure to hustle and make a buck. But how would it look on your resume if you were the one responsible for a deadly midair collision between a skydiver and a fellow pilot? If you are going to launch skydivers over the beach, please do your fellow pilots a potentially lifesaving favor and announce your intentions clearly on CTAF. Maybe it would help if the skydivers wore some sort of flashing strobe device or reflective clothing, like bicycle riders wear on the road? Just an idea.
Additional References:
Amelia Island FHB (904) 661-8706; Jacksonville HEG (904) 250-5903
Skydive Amelia Island (904) 718-4648
AOPA article, When Airplanes And Skydivers Collide: