It's Raining Men

Parachute jump areas are notated clearly on VFR sectionals with small parachute symbols. But if that’s all you needed to know, I wouldn’t have to write this article.  

In practice, parachute jump areas are generally located in the vicinity of the small parachute symbols found on a VFR sectional, except for the ones that aren’t in that exact spot or even indicated at all.

So as you might imagine, the appearance of a parachute on your map should be an indicator that further research is needed to ensure your lazy flight around the patch doesn’t give a group of adrenaline junkies a scare they didn’t sign up for.

Let’s get the basics out of the way. We all know (or knew at one point) the following guidance about parachute jump areas. It bears review.

• Check NOTAMs at and around the airports adjacent to jumping areas.
• Check the A/FD (chart supplement) for the airport near which the parachute symbol appears for detailed information about where, when, and below which altitude jumping occurs.  
• Also in the A/FD, look up the airport in the “Parachute Jumping Areas” section. There’s often a responsible facility and frequency listed where you can listen to jump operations.
• Airports and jump operators have websites and phone numbers. Use those resources to gather specific information about the times you plan to fly in the area. Sometimes they have updated information that doesn’t appear yet in the current A/FD.
• Talk to pilots with recent experience in the area.
• Did I mention you should check NOTAMs?

The FAA Safety Team suggests staying at least two miles clear of the jump area, which is usually (but not always) at or adjacent to the airport. The AOPA Air Safety Institute recommends at least five miles. It’s not a bad idea to fly with all your lights on for good measure.

Now let’s talk about the 800-pound gorilla we’re all wondering about. 
What if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself on a collision course with a customer of Freddy’s Free Fall Fanatics who shelled out several hundred bucks to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? This is a pretty extreme circumstance, the outcome of which will rely on your situational awareness and some luck.  

There are so many variables in this highly dynamic scenario that providing cut-and-dry guidance is difficult. Instead of stating hard and fast rules, let’s simply think through the givens of such a situation.

There are two directions where you can quickly adjust.
You can turn, change altitude, or both. This is where situational awareness becomes paramount, as this is not an emergency that allows for grabbing your checklist. Your preflight planning should include familiarizing yourself with other obstacles nearby that you would need to avoid during a maneuver.

Parachutes can’t climb.
There’s probably a Shark Tank pitch out there somewhere suggesting otherwise. However, generally, barring an updraft, parachutists descend at a fairly steady rate. This means that climbing reduces the opportunity for your flight paths to converge.

Parachutes can steer.
Parachutists can make very small-radius turns. This could help them get out of your way or turn them into your flight path. Remember that many parachutists around civilian airports are one-and-done thrill seekers who may not react how you’d expect.

People aren’t birds.
At least not outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Typically, you are urged not to perform extreme maneuvers to avoid birds so you don’t inadvertently lose control of the aircraft. That’s the rule for birds.

In this case, you’re about to hit Mr. Malcolm Chambliss, family man, successful local realtor, and 200 pounds of wing-ripping mass attached to a web of prop-stopping cordage. So, you know, not a bird.

In conclusion, did I mention you should check NOTAMs?

Know Before You Go