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Industry
Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee
Safety Bulletin
#14
Code of Safe Practices – Parachuting and Skydiving
The following recommendations
and guidelines are to aid in the promotion of safety with respect
to parachuting and skydiving film sequences. Adjustments may have
to be made in any given case as circumstances warrant for the safety
of the persons involved in the parachuting or skydiving activity or
on the set or location.
- Radio communications
shall be maintained between the aircraft carrying the jumpers and
the landing site at all times. Ground signals (smoke, panels, etc)
shall be provided as a backup.
- The "Parachuting
Coordinator" shall be a qualified jumper. When only one jumper
is employed, that jumper should be the Coordinator.
- The Parachuting Coordinator
shall determine whether or not security is necessary to exclude
non-essential crew and non-participating spectators from the landing
area. Open field landings may not require security.
- The Producer shall
require each Parachutist or Parachuting Coordinator to hold a United
States Parachute Association Professional Exhibition Rating, or
present satisfactory evidence of the necessary experience, knowledge
and skill required to attain this rating. USPA Exhibition Ratings
are issued to members who have a Class D license who have accomplished
10 successive pre-declared jumps into a 10 meter (32 foot) diameter
target area, landing not more than 5 meters from target center.
All landings must be made standing up.
- Parachutists who hold
a USPA Class D license with and Exhibition Rating, who certify that
they will use a steerable square main and reserve canopy, will be
permitted to exit over or into a congested area. The selected landing
area must permit the jumper to land not closer than 15 feet from
any spectator and will not involve passing over non-participating
persons on the surface at an altitude of less than 50 feet.
- All jumps shall be
conducted in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations Part 105.
- The Parachuting Coordinator
will determine whether or not the visibility, cloud ceiling height
and velocity of wind, as they apply to the particular situation,
are safe or unsafe. (Landing area size, canopy type, number of jumpers
and planned stunt will be taken into consideration.)
- Before each jump is
to be performed, all persons involved shall be thoroughly briefed.
There should be a dry run on the ground at the site.
- All equipment, props,
wardrobe, etc., shall be made available to the Coordinator prior
to the stunt/jump for safety evaluation. Final safety approval rests
with the Coordinator with respect to equipment and wardrobe used
in the jump.
- The Coordinator shall
have the responsibility to temporarily hold or cancel the authorized
operations if at any time the safety of persons or property on the
ground or in the air is in jeopardy or if there is a contravention
of the terms or conditions of any FAA Letter of Authorization.
- The FAA requires that
each reserve parachute be packed by an appropriately rated parachute
rigger. If a parachutist has a malfunction on the job and uses his
reserve chute, a spare parachute or the presence of a certificated
rigger can usually save many shooting hours.
- All operations involving
fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters shall conform with the guidelines
established by the Labor-Management Safety Committee.
- All pilots must be
familiar with the dropping of jumpers, including the peculiarities
of the operation to include: flight with the door removed, FAR Part
105, rehearsals of all exits, all ground signals, signals to abort
jump, pilot's responsibilities, provisions of all Letters of Authorization
or waivers. The pilot must analyze weight and balance of the aircraft
with jumpers in exit position.
- Jumps near or into
potentially hazardous landing areas (water, power lines, etc.) should
be considered carefully. Pickup boats and flotation gear should
be available when the possibility of a water landing exists and
each boat pilot shall participate in the pre-jump briefing.
- Lighting for night
shots should be reviewed with the Parachute Coordinator. That landing
site for a night shot should be viewed during daylight hours before
jumping.
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