Short Final: Skydiving All Day

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 05:36 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot monitored a series of informal and confusing radio calls on CTAF frequencies detailing skydiving operations at multiple locations (Penn Ridge, Brookhaven, Cross Keys).
These broadcasts included warnings of "multiple parachutes" and playful, non-standard phrases like "Bombs Away!" and "Please Stay Away!"
The pilot's subsequent query to New York Approach about "dropping bodies over Gardner" was met with confusion.
This incident revealed Air Traffic Control's complete unawareness of the informal, localized CTAF transmissions, highlighting a communication disconnect.

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I was flying along, monitoring CTAFs and heard the following:

“Penn Ridge, Penn Ridge, use caution. Use caution. Multiple parachutes in the air near Penn Ridge. Use caution.”

Immediately thereafter, “Skydiving in progress over Brookhaven. Bombs Away!”

Followed by, “Cross Keys, Yay Hooray. Skydiving All Day. Please Stay Away!”

Then, me to New York Approach: “Are they dropping bodies over Gardner?”

Approach: “Huh? Say again.”

Approach obviously hadn’t been privy to any of the prior radio calls!

Daniel Spitzer
Piermont, New York