dropping supplied from a plane

[Brez]

Has anyone here dropped or heard of anyone successfully dropping supplies from a plane for a back-country hunt?

[Chopper]

Its illegal to drop anything from any aircraft ... They can land and resupply you. Of course no helicopters for hunting

[howa1500]

I have done both, as a pilot and customer. Depends on season and location and weather.
Also depends in what you are having dropped, ie food vs lodging vs other equipment.
Also depends on how long you will be out in the field for.
I'm assuming that since you are looking for a drop, you have either hiked or quaded into a location, and are looking to lighten your load on the way in..
What are your plans for removing items?

[BEAVERBRUCE]

put it in 20 litre pails pack it tight drop it out of the camera hatch on a beaver or otter

[guest]

Expolding ping pong balls any one ? Any one? Come on ...... Any one?

[BEAVERBRUCE]

I have done both, as a pilot and customer. Depends on season and location and weather.
Also depends in what you are having dropped, ie food vs lodging vs other equipment.
Also depends on how long you will be out in the field for.
I'm assuming that since you are looking for a drop, you have either hiked or quaded into a location, and are looking to lighten your load ______________----____
What are your plans for removing items?
eat it----------------------

[Chopper]

This is right out of canadian air law ... Im a commercial pilot. You can interpret this how ever you want. But this is why no commercial outfit ive ever worked for has ever aloud anything to be dropped from an aircraft.

Dropping of Objects

602.23 No person shall create a hazard to persons or property on the surface by dropping an object from an aircraft in flight.

[howa1500]

This is right out of canadian air law ... Im a commercial pilot. You can interpret this how ever you want. But this is why no commercial outfit ive ever worked for has ever aloud anything to be dropped from an aircraft.

Dropping of Objects

602.23 No person shall create a hazard to persons or property on the surface by dropping an object from an aircraft in flight.

With the intent of the law being a hazard to person or property, which is intended for urban areas, not so much applicable in the north or the bush when you are dropping on wide open Land.
The element of the offense is "hazard"... hard to create hazard in a remote area planned with a "tz" or "dz"
Where do you fly? Ever been a bush pilot? I too am commercial and have many hours in the north unsupported.

Further the CAR would expressly prohibit drops by saying "no pilot shall drop anything from their aircraft"

[Chopper]

Ive moved on , commercial helicopter bush pilot

[BEAVERBRUCE]

so don't create a hazard to persons or property on the surface

[Weatherby Fan]

crazy people jump out of perfectly good aircraft every day.........

[Chopper]

............

[howa1500]

Now what should be clarified is logistics, I have dropped to miners and geologists who were out for a long time, as there are periods of a week plus where weather can hamper delivery. The other concern is weight and size, both being far more limited than you can imagine.
Also anything dropped can be subjected to a lot of force, so soft items are best.

Depending on the area I can maybe recommend some fellas, as my northern adventure days were mostly in Ontario, amnd are over, as I'm down on the coast here in BC

[albravo2]

The only problem I see is cost.

If cost is manageable, packing for the drop would be my next concern but you know it is possible because the military use planes for resupply all the time.

I would be very concerned that beer dropped from an airplane will become unacceptably fizzy.

[Chopper]

...............

[howa1500]

The only problem I see is cost.

If cost is manageable, packing for the drop would be my next concern but you know it is possible because the military use planes for resupply all the time.

I would be very concerned that beer dropped from an airplane will become unacceptably fizzy.

For sure cost, depending on location can be quite a few hundred dollars, to thousands.

Hard liquor in a nalgene, wrapped in other items has been known to survive...

The other problem is timing, I'd give a window of say between noon and one, over 4 days, and 90% of time would not drop unless pre met conditions were identified ie blue tarp left out in DZ.

FYI, Royal blue is far easier in many conditions to spot than orange

[Chopper]

My buddy at Transpot says its a gray area to resupply hunters by drop ... If you can find someone to do it , it would be a nice advantage

[Stone Sheep Steve]

My buddy at Transpot says its a gray area to resupply hunters by drop ... If you can find someone to do it , it would be a nice advantage

Resupply? What if the hunters aren't even there yet?? That would be the original supply.

Have witnessed drops for both hikers and hunters.

[Chopper]

ya well ... just because its been done doesnt mean its leagal



Do whatever you want

[Brez]

OUCH!.....now I'm being called crazy as well. Only did it once though - long time ago.

[Ride Red]

OUCH!.....now I'm being called crazy as well. Only did it once though - long time ago.

Don't worry, I've been called crazy many times throughout my life and I'm kind of getting used to it. Now, if I'm not being called crazy, I think I'm missing out!!!

[GoatGuy]

Make sure it's well insulated to cushion the fall and secondly that you can find it on the ground... whatever it might be.


Seems to be a lot of commercial pilots on here..... one day I hope to be a commercial pilot.

[bearvalley]

Seems to be a lot of commercial pilots on here..... one day I hope to be a commercial pilot.
^^^^^...Lol

[Edzzed]

crazy people jump out of perfectly good aircraft every day.........Sane people get dropped out of airplanes too. I know, I got out of a perfectly good plane at 2500 feet on a few occasions. Also watched a plane drop cargo out at the airshow in Abby. best bet is to drop it out by parachute. less chance of breaking rye bottles.

[Amphibious]

This is right out of canadian air law ... Im a commercial pilot. You can interpret this how ever you want. But this is why no commercial outfit ive ever worked for has ever aloud anything to be dropped from an aircraft.

Dropping of Objects

602.23 No person shall create a hazard to persons or property on the surface by dropping an object from an aircraft in flight.

Totally legal. I dropped gear to people out of a helicopter daily while flying coastal fallers, and often to firefighters. no point longlining in a single axe when you can hover over and toss it out the door. As long as it does not create a hazard, no issues. Now dropping hunting supplies from a Helicopter would not be legal as the hunting regs prohibit it, but it would be legal as far as CARs are concerned.

Bird dog for forestry in fire season, you'll throw 100's of rolls of ticker-tape out the door every summer.

[Kopper]

Parattack (firefighters) from fsj jump out of planes and have their gear tossed out after. I can't see it being too practical for a DIY hunter as cost would be an issue for that additional flight, and there is always the possibility of your gear not landing properly :p

[GoatGuy]

Totally legal. I dropped gear to people out of a helicopter daily while flying coastal fallers, and often to firefighters. no point longlining in a single axe when you can hover over and toss it out the door. As long as it does not create a hazard, no issues. Now dropping hunting supplies from a Helicopter would not be legal as the hunting regs prohibit it, but it would be legal as far as CARs are concerned.

Bird dog for forestry in fire season, you'll throw 100's of rolls of ticker-tape out the door every summer.

Given the fact you're a helicopter pilot, does that mean you were sitting on the ground when you dropped gear out??? lol

[Amphibious]

Given the fact you're a helicopter pilot, does that mean you were sitting on the ground when you dropped gear out??? lol

you know we can take our hands off the controls and still fly, right? ;)

[Weatherby Fan]

Sane people get dropped out of airplanes too. I know, I got out of a perfectly good plane at 2500 feet on a few occasions. Also watched a plane drop cargo out at the airshow in Abby. best bet is to drop it out by parachute. less chance of breaking rye bottles.

I respectfully disagree.......only crazy people jump out of perfectly good airplanes ;-)

[REMINGTON JIM]

Parattack (firefighters) from fsj jump out of planes and have their gear tossed out after. I can't see it being too practical for a DIY hunter as cost would be an issue for that additional flight, and there is always the possibility of your gear not landing properly :p

Key words " YOUR GEAR " landing safely ! ;-) lol RJ

[Alfonz]

It can be a great benefit to do air drops. Conditions need to good so you can get as low and slow as possible. I would try and coordinate this with the flight in so no extra flight is required. As for it not being legal to drop things from a plane, I can think of several flying clubs that have a flour bombing competition as part of their annual fly in's.
Like Beaver Bruce mentioned use 5 gallon buckets (remove wire handles) and paint them orange and add some flagging tape. You can burn them up after the trip.
There are raft trips in Alaska were they push the rafts out of a 206 at about 50 feet.

[GoatGuy]

you know we can take our hands off the controls and still fly, right? ;)

Absolutely, especially if no one is out throwing rocks at you to get you to fly hahahaha

[ryanb]

Never tried it myself. Have heard of some pretty successful and epicly unsuccessful drops from others. Pack the 5 gallon pail TIGHT, nothing that is too easy to break. Liquids in steel container. Wrap heavily with duct tape to keep from exploding if you hit something hard.

Biggest lesson to be learned from others experience : DO NOT COUNT ON ANYTHING YOU DROP OUT OF A PLANE BEING INTACT OR USABLE LATER ON.

[Amphibious]

Absolutely, especially if no one is out throwing rocks at you to get you to fly hahahaha

I always blame the camp cooks, the better the coffee, the more chance you'll have a weather day ;)

[Brez]

Never tried it myself. Have heard of some pretty successful and epicly unsuccessful drops from others. Pack the 5 gallon pail TIGHT, nothing that is too easy to break. Liquids in steel container. Wrap heavily with duct tape to keep from exploding if you hit something hard.

Biggest lesson to be learned from others experience : DO NOT COUNT ON ANYTHING YOU DROP OUT OF A PLANE BEING INTACT OR USABLE LATER ON.

Yeah, I'm beginning to think that way - which makes the whole thing moot. Sure would be nice to arrive with fresh legs and have good meals, and maybe a shot of 40 Creek now and then.

[Manglinmike]

I did a fly in sheep trip in the upper muskawa and we dropped off five gallon pails with some Patton and carrots cabage and some canned meat.we flew in and before we dropped down to the river to land we circled through a high alpine basin and dropped our buckets, the pilot killed the engine on the supercub and opened the door and with the plane about 5ft off the ground out goes the bucket , when he flew in my partner he did the same thing and after we crossed the river and hiked up 8 miles our buckets were in good shape and only 10ft apart.we then used the one empty for water and on the way down they where full of meat it worked great.

[Brez]

I did a fly in sheep trip in the upper muskawa and we dropped off five gallon pails with some Patton and carrots cabage and some canned meat.we flew in and before we dropped down to the river to land we circled through a high alpine basin and dropped our buckets, the pilot killed the engine on the supercub and opened the door and with the plane about 5ft off the ground out goes the bucket , when he flew in my partner he did the same thing and after we crossed the river and hiked up 8 miles our buckets were in good shape and only 10ft apart.we then used the one empty for water and on the way down they where full of meat it worked great.
Now that's what I'm talking about! Thanks Manglin