Skydiving and camping?

[deadkennedys 0]

My friend and I (both have class A's) want to jump over a National Forest and backpack out (camping). Meeting our friends on the ground with our backpacking gear, 20 lbs. of gear plus our rigs, were minimalist. We don't plan on trying it until were well into class C.

Has anyone here tried it/done it?

I know its early in our skydiving life to be planning this, but if its doable it gives me/us a goal to look foward to. If its not, I will still love jumping as much as I do, fun with good people is goal enough!

Any idea of what needs to be done would be helpful (inform air space, find a commercial pilot with right aircraft, right/safe weather, ect.) Also any reasons why we shouldn't are appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[beowulf 1]

My first thought is National FOREST! Meaning trees! I don't know about you but finding a good landing area in a National Forest might be difficult. I don't like the idea of landing in a tree.

[MSEsmitha 0]

My first thought is that BASE jumpers have been arrested for years for jumping into National Parks. It's called illegal aerial delivery. I wouldn't recommend it.

[billvon 2,991]

If you are going to do it:

1) Get your PRO rating. That teaches you much of what you need to know to do jumps like this.

2) Look at the landing area from the ground BEFORE JUMPING INTO IT. This is absolutely critical.

3) Get the appropriate gear (larger canopy, appropriate boots etc)

4) Determine if there are any rules against jumping into the area.

5) Find a pilot/plane willing to take you.

6) Get medical evac insurance. If you're going to get hurt, it's probably going to be on a jump like this.

7) Determine communication with the ground. 2 way radios are ideal. Visual signals are OK as an alternative as long as you heed them and have a jumper on the ground to interpret winds etc.

8) Learn to spot!

[councilman24 37]

Or join the smoke jumpers.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[pchapman 279]

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My first thought is that BASE jumpers have been arrested for years for jumping into National Parks. It's called illegal aerial delivery. I wouldn't recommend it.

Rules for National Forest and National Parks can be wildly different, such as for things like camping or guns. The aerial delivery rules might only be for parks, but I don't recall off hand.

[Calvin19 0]

Just have a good open LZ and big parachutes. you do not need a "C", you just need to be able to land in the spot.

As for legal, if no one sees it and you don't get hurt, no one will ever know.

[yeyo 1]

Quote

If you are going to do it:

1) Get your PRO rating. That teaches you much of what you need to know to do jumps like this.

2) Look at the landing area from the ground BEFORE JUMPING INTO IT. This is absolutely critical.

3) Get the appropriate gear (larger canopy, appropriate boots etc)

4) Determine if there are any rules against jumping into the area.

5) Find a pilot/plane willing to take you.

6) Get medical evac insurance. If you're going to get hurt, it's probably going to be on a jump like this.

7) Determine communication with the ground. 2 way radios are ideal. Visual signals are OK as an alternative as long as you heed them and have a jumper on the ground to interpret winds etc.

8) Learn to spot!

Great advice, agreed on all.
But I would think #2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8 are all given once you are good at #1
Ill add:
9) jump with your phone

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[jackwallace 3]

It isn't legal. So don't tell anyone. Don't tell the FAA, the forest service, yo mama, nobody.

U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

[billvon 2,991]

>9) jump with your phone

Well, that's #7. Generally your phone won't work if you are as far away from civilization as it sounds.

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Jumping into a national "Park" is illegal, but is it also illegal to jump into any random forest?

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[mjosparky 4]

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Jumping into a national "Park" is illegal, but is it also illegal to jump into any random forest?

What is a "random forest"? Is that something like a rain forest?

Any forest is either under the control of the Federal Government, BLM and Park Service, or it is private land. In any case be prepared, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

Sparky


Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Bertt 0]

http://www.airusa.com/index.php/articles/law/533-national-parks-and-good-neighbor-airspace

Looks like it's not legal, but an option might be to parachute onto private land near a forest then begin your trip.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[SEREJumper 1]

It's an oldie, but a good story!
http://www.parachutehistory.com/skydive/petebill.html

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[airtwardo 7]

I'm guessing you're planning a relatively short 'backpack out'...

Your friends gotta hump your camping stuff in...( i don't have those kinda friends)

And YOU will be humping it AND your rig out...A few hours yeah maybe...a few days, THAT's gonna suck fuzzy bear nuts.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[virgin-burner 1]

Quote

It isn't legal. So don't tell anyone. Don't tell the FAA, the forest service, yo mama, nobody.

dont discuss it in a public forum!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[cocheese 0]

... and if you see Big Foot, get video.

[kawisixer01 0]

stop watching Bear Grylls.

[Krip 2]

Quote

It isn't legal. So don't tell anyone. Don't tell the FAA, the forest service, yo mama, nobody.

I think thats how DB Cooper did it.

One Jump Wonder

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

It's an oldie, but a good story!
http://www.parachutehistory.com/skydive/petebill.html

That's a great story. "What could go wrong?"

Used to hang with some Utah jumpers who did that kind of stuff in the summer, and a little more organized. They static lined in all their camping gear on a low pass, then went around and did hop and pops. Never heard of any problems they had.

[shropshire 0]

Quote

stop watching Bear Grylls.

No really ... everyone should stop watching Bear Grylls

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Hellis 0]

Quote

Quote

stop watching Bear Grylls.

No really ... everyone should stop watching Bear Grylls

Ooops, i just Bear-ed another hour, i feel the Bear-alization is almost complete.
Im weak when it comes to Bear-pressure.
Suddenly i feel the urge to cutaway above water with my RSL still connected.

[shropshire 0]

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[LDiCosimo 0]

The pilot could very easily loose his/her license if the FAA figured out it was him, which wouldn't be too hard if a park ranger was in the right place at the right time, or if someone got hurt on the jump

[deadkennedys 0]

Thanks for all the responses, words of encouragement and discouragement.

Thanks for the stories too SEREjumper and JohnMitchell.

BLM land is legal for aerial entry for BASE jumpers, hopefully skydiving also, will inquire with BLM. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASE_jumping), scroll down to "Legal Issues"

Stopped watching Bear Grylls when I watched this video, he's talented, but somewhat of a phony (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UpSlpvb1is&feature=related) A lot of stuff he does set up obviously beforehand too.

9) Jump with your phone.........rent a satellite phone.

If it is legally possible to do a jump/camp trip with no one getting in possible trouble, we will when the time comes.

Thanks everyone for the ideas!