Narrative:

I was flying parachuters over berea/richmond field. Prior to coming into jump run I would call lex approach and tell them '1 min to jump time,' and then 'jumpers away,' and 'jumpers on the ground.' each time the controller would say there was no traffic in the area. The next flight up, however, we seemed to have lost our radio contact with lex and I tried repeatedly to raise them. I informed the jumpers of this (all experienced) and they said they would themselves look for traffic on the way down, so they went ahead and jumped. I proceeded to call out 'jumpers away' on the local unicom frequency, so that if there were any aircraft in the immediate area, they would be informed and be on the lookout. This was the very first time I had even flown jumpers before and wasn't sure if I had to maintain radio contact (or radar contact) with lex. (We weren't even in their airspace.) I'm still no sure what the far's are governing parachuting as of this writing (2 days after the jumps). I didn't see anything in my 1990 far/aim, but am still looking. I felt I should go ahead and report this though, even though I'm not sure if we broke any far's. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that since the incident, he had not gained any additional knowledge re: the far's that relate to parachuting. He was counseled to familiarize himself with far part 105. He has since stopped working for the skydiving operation because he was uncomfortable with their methods of operation and their manner of loading aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ACFT USED TO CARRY SKYDIVERS IS UNABLE TO CONTACT ATC DURING CLIMB TO JUMP ALT AND DOES NOT NOTIFY THEM OF THE IMMINENT JUMP, OR 'JUMPERS AWAY.' INSTEAD, HE ANNOUNCES THIS ON THE ARPT'S CTAF.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING PARACHUTERS OVER BEREA/RICHMOND FIELD. PRIOR TO COMING INTO JUMP RUN I WOULD CALL LEX APCH AND TELL THEM '1 MIN TO JUMP TIME,' AND THEN 'JUMPERS AWAY,' AND 'JUMPERS ON THE GND.' EACH TIME THE CTLR WOULD SAY THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA. THE NEXT FLT UP, HOWEVER, WE SEEMED TO HAVE LOST OUR RADIO CONTACT WITH LEX AND I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO RAISE THEM. I INFORMED THE JUMPERS OF THIS (ALL EXPERIENCED) AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD THEMSELVES LOOK FOR TFC ON THE WAY DOWN, SO THEY WENT AHEAD AND JUMPED. I PROCEEDED TO CALL OUT 'JUMPERS AWAY' ON THE LCL UNICOM FREQ, SO THAT IF THERE WERE ANY ACFT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, THEY WOULD BE INFORMED AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT. THIS WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME I HAD EVEN FLOWN JUMPERS BEFORE AND WASN'T SURE IF I HAD TO MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT (OR RADAR CONTACT) WITH LEX. (WE WEREN'T EVEN IN THEIR AIRSPACE.) I'M STILL NO SURE WHAT THE FAR'S ARE GOVERNING PARACHUTING AS OF THIS WRITING (2 DAYS AFTER THE JUMPS). I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN MY 1990 FAR/AIM, BUT AM STILL LOOKING. I FELT I SHOULD GO AHEAD AND RPT THIS THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT SURE IF WE BROKE ANY FAR'S. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT SINCE THE INCIDENT, HE HAD NOT GAINED ANY ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE RE: THE FAR'S THAT RELATE TO PARACHUTING. HE WAS COUNSELED TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH FAR PART 105. HE HAS SINCE STOPPED WORKING FOR THE SKYDIVING OPERATION BECAUSE HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THEIR METHODS OF OPERATION AND THEIR MANNER OF LOADING ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.