Dropping things from airplane...

[lesnyd]

For my grandson's birthday, my daughter wanted to know if I could fly over and drop candy (it's an airplane themed party). I thought of putting little tissue parachutes on light little bundles of candy and tossing them out. Is there any hope of getting them into the drop zone (ie yard)?

[1600vw]

If this was at an airpark and one could keep all little ones off the runway as candy was dropped onto said runway. Then after the candy falls to the ground and after the airplane has flown away the kids run out and pick up the candy. All this happens within a few seconds once the candy is thrown.

But to fly over ones house in ones neighborhood and drop candy on anyone who it might hit, I would not do this. Not even with little pieces of tissue tided to them. For one thing its against a few FAA regs. Flying under 500' over property or people, and dropping things from an airplane onto people. When this is done for kids those kids are held back. Nothing is dropped on top of anyone.

Tony

[rwanttaja]

For my grandson's birthday, my daughter wanted to know if I could fly over and drop candy (it's an airplane themed party). I thought of putting little tissue parachutes on light little bundles of candy and tossing them out. Is there any hope of getting them into the drop zone (ie yard)?
It takes consistent packaging, exact knowledge of the wind, and practice, practice, practice. It'd be almost impossible to consistently hit a residential yard from 1,000 feet (or even 500 feet, assuming you can justify that you aren't over a "congested area").

I flour-bombed once, and the only reason I got some good hits is that we were doing it over the runway and most of us were coming in very low. Even so, there was a pretty broad CEP. Story's at: http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/ELMA.HTM

What you might consider is a big slingshot using a bit of bungee cord. Put the kids in the backyard and fire it over the house....

Ron Wanttaja

[champ driver]

Be very careful you don't end up like my friend did.

Pilot Narrowly Misses Preschoolers

July 05, 1994

A single-engine airplane crashed on an elementary school tennis court Monday, killing the pilot and barely missing 100 preschoolers gathered for a 4th of July celebration in Seeley Lake, Mont. The Piper J-3 bounced within 15 feet of the children, then spun into the net. The pilot, Bud Lindemer, was alone in the plane. The children were waiting for the plane to drop Ping-Pong balls as part of a contest sponsored by local businesses. Some balls could be turned in for prizes. Minutes before the crash, the plane had dropped balls to a crowd of older children and adults on an adjacent baseball field. Witnesses said the plane skimmed trees, struck a 10-foot-high fence, then slammed into the court. "He knew he was in trouble," said Cindy Carlson. "I looked at his face the whole time. He aimed that plane so he wouldn't hurt anybody else

[lesnyd]

It's looking to me like the kids need to be somewhere open, or at the airport, and the stuff is dropped without parachutes on a certain drop zone where they can go get the candy after it has landed. Still thinking! I figure there's no way you could drop parachutes at 500 agl and have them land anywhere near where you want them to...

[Low Pass]

I did this once with an RC plane. The instant the kids saw the candy, they went nuts! No one fell and got hurt, but I was surprised 3, 4 didn't get trampled. It was way beyond anything we'd imagined. Just a consideration for you.

[martymayes]

Larry, one of my friends was pretty good with "candy bombing"

He would put candy pieces inside a plastic egg, the easter kind. Load ~1000 of these stuffed plastic eggs into the hopper of his ag plane. Fly to the "target zone" which would be at least 3-4 acres of clear area. Then he would fly over, pull the dump handle and whoosh! Mission accomplished. Precautions were always taken, like those Tony suggested; kids were kept at a safe distance while the drop was in progress, all regs were complied with, etc.

I have never had much success dropping light items out of a plane. The 100+mph slipstream is violent and the slightest breeze can carry something much further downwind than you could possibly imagine.

[1600vw]

I did this once with an RC plane. The instant the kids saw the candy, they went nuts! No one fell and got hurt, but I was surprised 3, 4 didn't get trampled. It was way beyond anything we'd imagined. Just a consideration for you.

This is done at the little fly-in we have here in central il. every year. Well we did have this fly-in. But that is another story. But they did this every year. The kids are held behind a rope line. Before the airplane even comes into sight they are told what they are to do. Not once have we ever had one child run early onto the field.

Tony

[rwanttaja]

It's looking to me like the kids need to be somewhere open, or at the airport, and the stuff is dropped without parachutes on a certain drop zone where they can go get the candy after it has landed. Still thinking! I figure there's no way you could drop parachutes at 500 agl and have them land anywhere near where you want them to...
Well, consider: The Norden bombsight of WWII had a claimed CEP (circular error probable) of 75 feet. That mean *half* the bombs dropped would be within 75 feet of the aiming point. Of course, the *actual* accuracy was on the order of a thousand feet. If the Piccadilly Lilly couldn't have done it, don't feel so bad on passing up the opportunity. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

[rwanttaja]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
- WKRP in Cincinnati

Ron Wanttaja

[Low Pass]

This is done at the little fly-in we have here in central il. every year. Well we did have this fly-in. But that is another story. But they did this every year. The kids are held behind a rope line. Before the airplane even comes into sight they are told what they are to do. Not once have we ever had one child run early onto the field.

Tony
I guess my kids were pre-Ritalin. :D

[1600vw]

I guess my kids were pre-Ritalin. :D


I take it you mean children need to be drugged in order for them to follow directions?

Tony

[ssmdive]

For my grandson's birthday, my daughter wanted to know if I could fly over and drop candy (it's an airplane themed party). I thought of putting little tissue parachutes on light little bundles of candy and tossing them out. Is there any hope of getting them into the drop zone (ie yard)? It is perfectly legal to drop things from an airplane. 91.15 Sec. 91.15 — Dropping objects. No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property. So legally it can easily be done. The trick is to take every precaution to avoid creating a hazard and injury. Of course, if something happens, you clearly didn't take enough precautions and are guilty. So the big question is.... What is the venue? If it is at a house in the middle of a subdivision on a 1/4 acre - I'd say you are not going to be able to pull it off. You will have to be 1,000 feet above any congested area and the likely hood of you being able to hit a 1/4 acre property is pretty much nil. Now if it is on a ranch with big wide open areas.... Easy. You can put up a fence (rope, whatever) and keep the children behind it. Then fly in low and drop the candy from 500 feet into a big open field and you will have no issue legally or from a safety standpoint. Maybe the BEST course of action is finding out how cool your airport is and see if you can have the party there. It would make the candy drop easy and safe. And you could even let kids see real planes.

[spongebobiwan]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
- WKRP in Cincinnati

Ron Wanttaja

Hahahaha. One of the FUNNIEST lines in tv sitcom history.

[Ron Blum]

It's great fun, and we do it at our annual fly-in and at some parades, etc. Depending on the event, we fill a tennis ball can, oatmeal container (cardboard), etc. with both parachutes that use candy (tootsie rolls, hard candy, twizlers, etc.) as the "person" and paper helicopters with tootsie midgets as the weight (instead of a paper clip). As you can see, I can't figure out how to attach a picture, but just imagine an "Air Bike" that's trailing smoke and 100+ red, white and blue paratroopers coming out the back. One $1 plastic table cover, a little tape and string and a bag of candy will get you 64 paratroopers. I print 5 helicopters to a single 8.5" X 11" piece of plain paper ... good in black and white ... you can also advertise the event (or B-day party in your case) on the helicopters. If you need "plans", email me at fly-in-home@att.net and I'll be able to get them to you.

These work well with the children throwing them up from the ground, too.

Always fly safely ... take someone with you to empty the container (don't toss the container). And remember, as soon as you open the can, your paratroopers will start departing! :o)

5009

[martymayes]

Ron B. That is a great system!!!

[Ron Blum]

Ron B. That is a great system!!!

We do it safely, but ... We have fun, kids of all ages go wild, and you can tailor colors, amounts and types of candies delivered very, very easily. We also use the same helicopters to throw at parades to advertise the Chapter and various events.

[C 172 Pilot]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
- WKRP in Cincinnati

Ron Wanttaja

Ron, you do fly don't you?

[FlyingRon]

They tried to reenact Gail Halvorson's DC-6 thing at one of our local airshows. The candy came down pretty far and wide over the airport.

[rwanttaja]

Ron, you do fly don't you?
With me, it's more like "Falling with Style...."

Ron Wanttaja
http://www.animateit.net/data/media/august2009/flug.gif

[rwanttaja]

They tried to reenact Gail Halvorson's DC-6 thing at one of our local airshows. The candy came down pretty far and wide over the airport.
Should've used an LGB (Laser-Guided Butterfinger....)

Ron Wanttaja

[wyoranch]

The skip bombing of the Rollos is where it really went wrong

[rwanttaja]

The skip bombing of the Rollos is where it really went wrong
Well... there's always Loft Bombing....

5053

Ron Wanttaja

[wyoranch]

Well... there's always Loft Bombing....

5053

Ron Wanttaja
That is too funny. I can hear the gears turning in some minds. Hey Vern, I have a great idea for our next fly in.....
rick

[Bob Dingley]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
- WKRP in Cincinnati

Ron Wanttaja
I've got some of the wild variety squatting on my land up the road. They are called "Thunder chickens" around here and they do darned good at this "pilot @#%&". After all, they practice every day.
I've been half expecting this topic to slowly shift into leaflet dropping. After all, this is the political season.

[wyoranch]

I've got some of the wild variety squatting on my land up the road. They are called "Thunder chickens" around here and they do darned good at this "pilot @#%&". After all, they practice every day.
I've been half expecting this topic to slowly shift into leaflet dropping. After all, this is the political season.
Can't we just skip the leaflets and drop the actual politicians?

[Mayhemxpc]

5054

Candy, turkeys or politicians, this should work. (Subsequent pages allow for dive angles at up to 60 degrees)

[Frank Giger]

For politicians, I recommend the skip bombing technique.

[wyoranch]

For politicians, I recommend the skip bombing technique.
Frank,
I agree... But only if you skip them into a really solid concrete wall, otherwise you just slow their BS down for a bit. now get back to work on the Newport it has been awhile since you have entertained us with your updates!
regards
rick