Chester Airport radio...

[Ravang]

This Saturday I want flying in a C-150 Commuter with my friend from Rock Hill Airport to Chester it was about a 10min. flight to Chester and it is a non-towered airport so we said we were going to do a right handed pattern and a touch-and-going on RWY 5. Then we were told that there was parachuter's jumping to the middle of the field. Then this lady comes over the radio and says I think it a left handed pattern for RWY 5 and looking at the airport we could see that a left handed pattern would take us over the center of the field so we said we would do a touch and go on RWY 35. 2 mins later the lady comes over the radio again and says she's landing on RWY 23. A minute later she said she's landing on RWY 5, then changes to RWY 17 (which was heading right at us on RWY 35!) so we said no she can't land there because of aircraft on final for RWY 35. We didn't hear from her for a minute then she changed to RWY 35, I don't know if she ever landed

[beaky]

This Saturday I want flying in a C-150 Commuter with my friend from Rock Hill Airport to Chester it was about a 10min. flight to Chester and it is a non-towered airport so we said we were going to do a right handed pattern and a touch-and-going on RWY 5. Then we were told that there was parachuter's jumping to the middle of the field. Then this lady comes over the radio and says I think it a left handed pattern for RWY 5 and looking at the airport we could see that a left handed pattern would take us over the center of the field so we said we would do a touch and go on RWY 35. 2 mins later the lady comes over the radio again and says she's landing on RWY 23. A minute later she said she's landing on RWY 5, then changes to RWY 17 (which was heading right at us on RWY 35!) so we said no she can't land there because of aircraft on final for RWY 35. We didn't hear from her for a minute then she changed to RWY 35, I don't know if she ever landed

Interesting.

I had to check the AFD, of course, and yep, at 9A6 right-hand traffic is the norm for 05 and 17... she was a bit confused, methinks. Probably new to that field and very likely not used to multiple runways.
What was the wind doing? Sounds like one of those calm days when just about anything might happen.

Don't know if it's marked for skydiving ops on the chart or if you got a PIREP with your briefing (cough), but bear in mind that when you hear a jump plane call "jumpers away' or whatever, it's a good idea to stay clear. They're "over the middle of the field" but falling from about two miles up... they don't always go where they should.
If the jump plane pilot does not give the number of jumpers, ask for that information. If you're on approach it's vital to know how many canopies you should be looking for.

[TSC.]

If you're on approach it's vital to know how many canopies you should be looking for.

A good point ot remember there Sean - reminded me of this near miss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgwm7nx5Bo

Probably BPB many times, but nevermind.



TSC.

[beaky]

If you're on approach it's vital to know how many canopies you should be looking for.

A good point ot remember there Sean - reminded me of this near miss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgwm7nx5Bo

Probably BPB many times, but nevermind.



TSC.

I love that one... that Chippie nearly became a Chipper!!  ::)

Except for the almost-getting-killed part, that must've been pretty cool.

But come to think of it, that describes every parachute jump...

First time I ever arrived solo at an airport with jumpers on the way down, I found it very difficult to watch for pattern traffic and count canopies at the same time... not exactly a near-miss by any means, but I did lose track of the last one of them until I was turning final, and ended up landing at the same moment they did (tandem jump).  I couldn't really go around, as the DZ was on the "right" side of the runway and ahead of me past the midfield point, so I"d have either gotten even closer to them or had to turn left, crossing the downwind leg.
No big deal; the DZ was a couple hundered feet from the runway... and I kept my eyes on the canopy once I spotted it.

So... the next time I heard a drop announcement while approaching an airport, I immediately turned away. Best to wait well outside the pattern or land elsewhere.

[Ravang]

This Saturday I want flying in a C-150 Commuter with my friend from Rock Hill Airport to Chester it was about a 10min. flight to Chester and it is a non-towered airport so we said we were going to do a right handed pattern and a touch-and-going on RWY 5. Then we were told that there was parachuter's jumping to the middle of the field. Then this lady comes over the radio and says I think it a left handed pattern for RWY 5 and looking at the airport we could see that a left handed pattern would take us over the center of the field so we said we would do a touch and go on RWY 35. 2 mins later the lady comes over the radio again and says she's landing on RWY 23. A minute later she said she's landing on RWY 5, then changes to RWY 17 (which was heading right at us on RWY 35!) so we said no she can't land there because of aircraft on final for RWY 35. We didn't hear from her for a minute then she changed to RWY 35, I don't know if she ever landed

Interesting.

I had to check the AFD, of course, and yep, at 9A6 right-hand traffic is the norm for 05 and 17... she was a bit confused, methinks. Probably new to that field and very likely not used to multiple runways.
What was the wind doing? Sounds like one of those calm days when just about anything might happen.

Don't know if it's marked for skydiving ops on the chart or if you got a PIREP with your briefing (cough), but bear in mind that when you hear a jump plane call "jumpers away' or whatever, it's a good idea to stay clear. They're "over the middle of the field" but falling from about two miles up... they don't always go where they should.
If the jump plane pilot does not give the number of jumpers, ask for that information. If you're on approach it's vital to know how many canopies you should be looking for.

Well at this time the jumpers hadn't jumped yet they were still going up in the chopper, but I think she was very confused  ;D