🚀 go-pugleaf

    The DZ I jump at is at a small civil airport with just one runway, but 
about 20 miles down the road is an air force base with three squadrons of CP-
140 Auroras (that's the same as a P-3C Orion to all you Yankees), and a SAR 
squadron with some Hercs and choppers.  They know where we are, but every 
once in a while, a Herc likes to do a *very low* emergency approach, and we 
get the choppers rattling by just to say "Hi!".  When I was taking my first 
lesson this fall, there was a SAR competition going on at the base, and 
there were Buffalo aircraft all over the place on ops.  By the time we went 
up, though, they were all gone.  I kinda wished I could have jumped from it 
instead of the 182, though, it looked a bit more stable.
     The real problem we have with the Auroras is that they're painted grey, 
and are an absolute bitch to see from the air.  I've been flying with a 
friend before, and we've had to do a quick dive to get out of their way, 
because they told the tower where they were, which was right on our ass! The 
wingtip vortices are really strong, and could rip the wings right off a 172 
or 182 if you were close enough.  Even with chutes on or not, I would 
imagine that your chances of getting out of a 182 in that circumstance 
wouldn't do you much good.
     Not a nice thought. . . .

					Jason