lowflyin'G3

I reread my post. I was not being a smartass towards you, lack of internet expression. I agree with you in that there is a solution for the conflict, and it has a lot do with respect for another man's interests.

I don't know the situation there, I don't know if priviledges were abused, I don't know if laws were broken, I do know that closing an airport out of spite as this sounds is wrong.

wtx,
None taken.
Remember, it wouldn't be closed out of spite, other than maybe due to the city. It would be closed because they are denying a legitimate use access after taking federal funds. I doubt that they will close it due to the fact that they would probably cost the city a pot of money repaying the FAA. A tangled web we weave accepting money from the federal government. Most cities dont realize how it works until something like this happens. It isn't as simple as we dont want skydiving and if you force us we'll take our ball and go home. Thats fine but you'll have to pay for the ball.......
Bottom line; The users should address the LEGITIMATE conflicts like adults, effect change and move on with all users successful and safe, all the while realizing the benefit of having a viable operation at a small facility that will burn fuel, contribute cycles for future federal funded improvements (that would benefit ALL users), and provide some miscellaneous financial benefits to other local business during a tough economy.

Maybe this was the problem

lowflyin'G3 wrote:It works Tim, and yes you are right about the burn.

Basically you are getting the last bit of fuel all to the aft, uphill, pickup tube and by selecting that tank only you are preventing it from just running across.

I didn't say WHY I never flamed one out! Taught to me by a 17,000 hour DC-3 check pilot/jump pilot when I was 16.

Went out this afternoon and gave it a try. You never know when you will find a nuget on this site.

Tim

Glad I could help buddy. Wish I would have known to tell you when we met at JC in 06 or 07. Might have helped save you some headache. At least we can all keep learning!

Here's another one of those out of gas stories. I was on vacation with no plane so I wandered up to the airport to take their $25 right seat ride in the jump Caravan. I realized there would be no ride as the wrecked plane was sitting right in the middle of their operation. Divers were walking around the wreckage and loading 5 at a time in a 206, no right seat and the thing didn't look like it should be ridden in even if there was a seat. I took pics of the wreck and tracks but can't post them. The poor kid made the runway but landed the wrong way, too long, and reverse only works when it's lit. http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/135805548.html

A Cessna 208 Caravan I skydiving plane, operated by Skydive Mesquite, crashed at Mesquite Airport. Both the pilot and a single passenger survived the accident with minor injuries.
Prior to the flight, the pilot fueled the airplane with 16 gallons of jet fuel. He planned on making two local flights carrying skydivers aloft. During the second skydiving flight he delayed releasing the skydivers due to traffic in the area. As he turned the plane back towards the drop zone the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot signaled the skydivers to exit the airplane, feathered the propeller, and executed an attempted forced landing to the runway. The airplane landed long, went off the end of the runway, across Kitty Hawk Drive, and slid down a slope into the Canyons Golf Course before stopping on its belly at the 17th hole. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. He also stated that the cause of the loss of engine power was poor fuel management and fuel exhaustion.

Not the first, won't be the last. Usually won't have a right seat for jump operations. Remove the right yoke too. A lotta piston jump planes aren't too pretty, fairly tight profit margin.

wtxdragger wrote:Maybe this was the problem

Yep that's pretty much it.........

My airport has over 100k operations a year (uncontrolled), and a very large portion of those operations are for skydiver hauls (largest skydive op in the region, I think). I bet they account for 10% of ops on many warm summer weekends. We do regularly get incursions. I've had to go around on one occasion, and abort a takeoff as one guy landed 300 yards in front of my take-off-in-progress. On the other hand, I've also had to go around on a busy Sunday when things got full and a guy in a nice RV wanted to squeeze in a TO front of me on 1/4 mile final.

I couldn't care less. It's the price of having a great, vital, active airport that is getting a lot of use. It takes training or awareness for the skydivers and pilots alike. The skydive op always has radio warnings going, and I barely consider it to be even a nuisance to have to do a wiggle waggle before taking of to make sure there aren't colored pillowcases inflating over the runway. I worry more about sailplane ops nearby- harder to spot, can blow by them anywhere west of Boulder at any altitude. It's my job to spot'em.

The Cresswell issue almost certainly has a back story...you can bet that it is noise or a land grab or other concern. The lack of creativity is astounding until you look at the person in the City largely behind the deal. Reality proves Shrives wrong about the safety of the skydiving/airplane mix- look at my airport. I am skeptical it is something as stupid as what that man says is the issue.

lesuther,
You are an example of the exact attitude that I am talking about. Not another use's victim due to the occasional interface. Just working to get along at the same facility realizing the benefit of the greater good of a vibrant, active facility.

I too hold the same attitude about the potential underlying reasoning for this whole situation.

Reading a story from 2010 it appears that in addition to the runway incursions their were also complaints about traffic pattern issues and the odd dropping through clouds (which is actually tough to gauge unless the jumpers were right on top of you with a solid layer). Still all rectifiable issues as well.