Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 300; Flight Crew Total 15500; Flight Crew Type 250
Confusion
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors
The problem is that there is a military parachute training activity going on at BLH and the air boss or jump master thinks he is air traffic control and issuing instructions to stay clear of the airport and not allowing people to land. I had reviewed a briefing from FSS and via Foreflight and saw the one NOTAM for parachute activity at the airport. It is also clearly posted on the chart 'Caution Intensive parachute activity'. There is no mention that there is a TFR or airport closure due to these activities.  So I called 10 miles west of BLH and stated my intentions to land on 17.  Someone made radio transmission that was hard to hear with static; something about parachute operations. We had several broken exchanges about what was going on and who should be where but it was not clear.  I ended up flying under some canopies approx 500 ft above me and south of the drop zone on the other side of the highway.  This person still insisted I leave the area and not land as there was a drop plane flying for the next 30 minutes. At this point I was already at my 30 min reserve. I told him I would be out of gas in 30 minutes and would wait for the next batch of chutes to land then I was landing.  This happened without incident. On the ground we had an exchange of words about NOTAMS.  He insisted that it was a 'Military training base' for parachuting and that I was not to be there. I disagree. This air boss type told me I should have gone to Parker instead of landing. Parker was exactly 25 minutes away; leaving me 5 minutes of gas.  I was not going to do that.  I went inside and talked with the airport FBO operator and he said it has been a problem. This individual has been issuing ATC like instructions to aircraft not to land. With students coming from the PHX area it is even more confusing.  If this operation is so intense that it requires the exclusive sequestration of the BLH airport then it needs a TFR and other supporting statements to protect it from traffic. Or it needs to be conducted at a military facility or within a MOA with TFR/NOTAM support.  In addition; this is an UNCONTROLLED airport. Aircraft can possibly be operating at it without radios. What then?  In addition it is a PUBLIC USE airport that is still OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! This behavior needs to stop. They can make traffic aware of parachute activity and possible conflict resolutions but issuing commands on unicom is unacceptable and going to cause more confusion and possibly someone unnecessarily diverting and worse case landing off field due to fuel exhaustion.
Pilot was aware of the NOTAM for parachute activity at the BLH airport prior to departure. Upon arrival at BLH the 'Air Boss' on CTAF told the pilot to stay away and that military parachute training was in progress. The reporter waited for the next flock of parachutes to land then landed himself. He did not believe that the 'Air Boss' had the authority to tell pilots to stay away.