PLT OF SKYDIVING ACFT RELEASES JUMPERS ABOVE '...THE AREA...' OF A B727. PLT HAD RECEIVED TFC CALL ON B727 BUT COULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HAVING VISUAL ON HIM BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION.

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WITH BHM APCH CTL RADAR ADVISORIES; I WAS CONDUCTING SKYDIVING OPS OVER THE PLR ARPT FROM 14500 FT MSL. APCH CTL ADVISED OF B727 TFC 11 MI W; EBOUND; DSNDING FROM 16000 FT TO 11000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I SPOTTED THE TFC BUT WAS UNABLE TO TELL APCH CTL THAT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. AFTER MAKING CERTAIN THAT THE SKYDIVERS WOULD HAVE ADEQUATE HORIZ SEPARATION FROM THE B727; I RELEASED THE JUMPERS FROM APPROX 14500 FT MSL AS THE B727 PASSED THROUGH THE AREA AT APPROX 11000 FT. THE CAPT OF THE B727 SPOTTED THE JUMPERS IN FREEFALL AND WAS UPSET THAT HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY APCH CTL OF THEIR PRESENCE. I TALKED WITH THE CAPT OF THE B727 LATER THAT EVENING BY TELEPHONE AND HIS MAIN CONCERN SEEMED TO BE THAT WE HAD DROPPED WITHOUT HAVING HIM IN SIGHT AND THAT WE COULD HAVE HIT HIM. I ASSURED HIM THAT WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND THE RELEASED JUMPERS WOULD BE CLR OR I WOULD NOT HAVE RELEASED THE JUMPERS. ALSO TALKED NEXT DAY TO BHM APCH CTL SUPVR AND WAS ASSURED BY HIM THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE APCH CTL TAPES THAT NO APCH CTL PROCS OR FARS WERE VIOLATED. UPON REFLECTION; I FEEL THAT IT WAS POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART TO RELEASE THE JUMPERS WITHOUT; DUE TO THE FREQ CONGESTION; BEING ABLE TO INFORM THE B727 OR BHM APCH CTL THAT WE HAD THE B727 IN SIGHT. RECOMMENDATION: TO THE UNINITIATED; IT IS STARTLING TO SEE JUMPERS IN FREEFALL; EVEN AT A DISTANCE. DO NOT RELEASE JUMPERS UNTIL ALL PARTIES CONCERNED ARE AWARE OF THEIR PRESENCE.