Definition
Designated airspace areas published in the Chart Supplement U.S. and depicted on aeronautical charts where parachute jumping activity regularly takes place. These areas alert pilots to the likelihood of encountering jumpers, jump aircraft, or jump operations so they can avoid the area or exercise heightened vigilance when transiting nearby.
Plain English
Marked spots on charts and in the Chart Supplement where skydivers regularly drop from aircraft. Pilots flying nearby need to watch out for jumpers in freefall and under canopy, and for the airplanes dropping them.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Chart Supplement U.S. during preflight planning, especially when checking the area around airports or along a planned route.
Derivation
Parachute comes from French roots meaning “to protect against a fall”: para means protection and chute means fall. That helps connect the term to its aviation meaning: a person intentionally leaves an aircraft and uses a parachute to descend safely.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must remain alert for descending parachutists and may need to adjust routing to maintain safe separation.
Intuition Check
Do not read “area” as a closed or automatically forbidden place. A parachute jumping area is a warning and planning item: it tells you where parachute activity may be present, so you should check, listen, look, and avoid it when active.
Example Sentence 1
While planning the cross-country, the student noticed a parachute jumping area along the direct route and chose to deviate five miles east to avoid it.
Example Sentence 2
We checked the Chart Supplement for parachute jumping areas before planning the cross-country flight.