Say a flight was traveling from Tucson Az to Tacoma WA. There are the passengers who get aboard to go to Tacoma. Then there are skydiver travelers who have the option to jump out of the plane anywhere along the planes flight path. Jumpers would have to meet various restrictions for baggage weight and jumping qualifications. Jumpers would recieve a discounted ticket price based on the distance they traveled in the airplane. Now when the flight attendant says "If you look to your left you can see the grand canyon" passengers could jump at will and actually visit those places. There would be some waver of course.
-- 10clock, May 24 2005

Think of how spacious the bathrooms could be. http://farm4.static...7788_bdcc688e99.jpg
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 30 2009]

I think maybe he means that some will waver indecisively at the doorway.
-- Ling, May 24 2005


Would they throw your bags out after you?
-- ldischler, May 24 2005


Hey, that was my parachute! Aieeeeeeee....
-- ldischler, May 24 2005


Love this idea and [Ian]'s comments.
-- hidden truths, May 24 2005


This is a good idea apart from some problems.
1) I don't know what the stall-speed of a 747 is, but it would sure make for an interesting climb-out. But possibly doable.
2) You'd need to get down to around 12,000 feet and depressurize the cabin. After your economy passengers had left, you'd want to repressurize fairly soon, as some people are not respiratorily happy at 12k.
3) You'd probably want a plane with a high tail. Otherwise you will get very few second-time travellers. And best not use the doors in front of the wings.
4) Spotting from a commercial airliner is not easy - you'd want to have a downward-pointed camera. Also, you might need to circle for [quite] a while watching a WIDI. Passengers would be pissed off if they were spotted a mile away from anywhere with no porters to help with luggage.
-- Basepair, May 24 2005


More exciting than my usual commute. Might need a redesign of the tail end of airliners. Create a 'jump room' with a downward and backward facing chute and exits should get easier. Just make sure that you don't vent the toilet when someone's jumping.
-- st3f, May 24 2005


Since a larger proportion of fuel is needed for takeoff and landing as compared to efficient level flight, this could save money as well.

Plus no airport fee needed, if you're not using the airport.

[+]
-- Giblet, May 24 2005


Pressurization issues could be dealt with via an airlock. Are we going static line? [link]
-- normzone, May 24 2005


One of the Zeppelins did this, but only for crew.
-- baconbrain, May 25 2005


Those air-miles are going to come in a lot more handy.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 25 2005


And with the advent of winged jump suits people can travel for miles from the planes flight paths. This would be a boost to taxi companies. A jumper would call a cap company that operates a fleet of pickup trucks. By gps the taxi truck drivers would chase down the falling customers whom would then land in the bed of the truck and be taken to their destination.
-- 10clock, May 25 2005


Woud I get air miles for the vertical bit?
-- Ling, May 25 2005


[normzone] //Are we going static line?/ /
Not for me thanks, unless you're going down to 1800ft. I really don't fancy the pilot's chances of spotting me for a 12,000ft canopy ride.

Of course, you could use a 10,000ft static line, but then it would be embarrassing if you happened to be flying over a 2001ft mountain at the time.
-- Basepair, May 25 2005


// Passengers jump out of these and using techniques similar to mid-air refuelling, land on a smaller aircraft that has come up to meet them//

Uh, no.

But it would make more sense to have large aircraft built out of independently- flyable modules. Take off and cruise as one big bugger of a plane, then drop off miniplane segments as you fly over destinations. Miniplanes from various origins then link up again on the ground and off you go again. Sort of like splitting and rejoining trains only less likely to work.
-- Basepair, May 25 2005


This is insane [+]
-- maximus5, May 25 2005


This looks like a highjacking thief's dream. Just rob everyone of their possessions and jump on out. Grab a hot flight attendant on the way out for extra fun.
-- goober, Sep 14 2005


+This just made my morning. <picturing 300Lb. lady in a moo-moo/parachute dress plummeting down>
-- xandram, Apr 06 2006


//Then drop off miniplane segments as you fly over destinations//
And the miniplane segments have smaller planes, but these ones have guns? And if you land far away from your destination will they contact Council to tell them something's wrong?
-- methinksnot, Apr 06 2006


"Oh, just what I need. A message from the Evil Council."
-- normzone, Apr 06 2006


Just trivia, but currently, a parachute is not allowed as carry on baggage.
-- zigness, Apr 07 2006


//Pressurization issues could be dealt with via an airlock. // This would be better dealt with by simply dropping altitude to about 10,000 feet where it wouldn't be an issue anyway.
-- zigness, Apr 07 2006


Man, those Council people sure are busy these days. I wonder if they're hiring?
-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, Apr 07 2006


The local government employment market is soaring thatnks to the efforts of young master [crash].
I hear he gets half of a half croissant for every plug.
-- methinksnot, Apr 07 2006


also will let yo actually go strsight to the city center instead of an airport far away from it, o you get a bun.
-- FireElf, Jul 31 2006


My patented <I can't believe I annoed this five years ago and then just posted it as my own idea> churn.

Bad!
Bad neurons!
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 30 2009



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