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A185f door off flight

L16driver

Registered User
So let me start off by saying that with the winter weather upon us i do not have the urge to go without doors anytime soon. That being said im curious if there is STC paperwork on flying without the doors, and its availability. I heard that in its very early, previous life our plane served as a jump plane. I cannot find any info in our logs to support this however. So, if anyone has info regarding how to accomplish this, im looking forward to hearing back. Thanks!
 
There is a USPA STC that allows you to carry four pax (jumpers) and modify the airplane for four sets of floor mounted seatbelts. But, just to fly with the door removed, I remember going down to the FSDO and they provided a letter changing the operating limitations of the airplane for flight with door removed (for skydiving, aerial photography, etc.).
 
we used to just pop a door off on a beach, then go air drop supplies to hikers.... no paperwork that i know of
 
We always had an inflight door on our 185 we jumped out of (NOT a perfectly good airplane!), and one time we wound up with no door.... I think it's still up on that hill above the airport somewhere....we never did find it. :lol: Back then, all that we had was a field approval for the door hinge to be moved up top. Sounds like the STC shown above will do what you need.
John
 
….Back then, all that we had was a field approval for the door hinge to be moved up top. ...

More than just top hinges.
The fwd bottom corner of the door has to get bucked off, to clear the strut,
then the door opening gets a corresponding filler piece.
And I'm pretty sure a different latch would be required.
Plus some sort of hold-it-up latch out on the wing too-
some may be remotely operated?
 
Yep, basically a corner cut from the door and stuck down in the door frame. Then the one we had was a rotary latch that just ran a couple pins through the door jam. No need for a "hold up latch" because in flight the door stays on the bottom of the wing. Some of the "fancy" ones had a latch (our 180 did, but it was from Boise originally) but the 185 never did...we just held it up and helped eachother in. Oh the days of ignorant bliss. :p
John
 
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