Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 17; Flight Crew Total 2200; Flight Crew Type 2000
Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors
While departing Runway 26 during daylight VFR at N85 there was parachute jumping taking place. Although the jump landing location is 600 ft from the center of the runway; one of the chutes came close enough to the runway that I turned away from it shortly after rotation. I turned about 20 degrees or so to maintain a safe distance from the landing chute which was about 300 ft AGL.The lesson here is that you never know what the chutes are going to do; so wait until they land. In this instance I had already back taxied to the end of runway 26 and another aircraft had just turned base on their approach to runway 26. In hindsight I should have waited before beginning my takeoff roll. The landing aircraft would have had to do a go around but if I'm ever in that position again I'm not departing until the chutes are on the ground.
Cessna pilot describes a conflict with skydivers landing as he is departing.