A CORPORATE HAWKER 125 PIC ELECTS TO TURN AWAY FROM HIS DEST ARPT FROM THE SE AND RE-ENTER THE TFC PATTERN FROM THE SW WHEN ADVISED OF A JUMP PLANE IN A CLB OVER HIS ARPT AT X51; FL.

Narrative

DURING AN IFR FLT FROM PBI TO X51 (AN UNCTLED ARPT); THE FINAL CTLR WAS HOMESTEAD AFB APCH. USING A SERIES OF VECTOR HDGS AND CTLED DSCNTS; THE ACFT WAS POSITIONED SE OF THE ARPT ON A NW HDG AT 2000 FT. THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 18; USING A R-HAND TFC PATTERN. AT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE CTLR POINTED OUT THE ARPT'S LOCATION AT '12 O'CLOCK; 5 MI;' AND ADVISED 'A PARACHUTE JUMP PLANE WAS CLBING OVERHEAD THE ARPT AT 5600 FT.' AT 4.6 MI FROM THE ARPT (ACCORDING TO OUR FMS); THE PNF SPOTTED THE ARPT AND OBSERVED WE HAD BEEN VECTORED TO A L DOWNWIND. WITH JUMPING ACTIVITY IN THE AREA; WE ELECTED NOT TO OVERFLY THE ARPT; CANCELLED THE IFR FLT PLAN; AND INITIATED A STEEP R TURN TO VACATE THE AREA. WE RE-ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG SPACED BEHIND A NON-RADIO AERONCA CHAMPION AND A CESSNA WITH WHICH WE HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT OR PARACHUTE JUMPERS; THE APCH CTLR HAD VECTORED US TO A L DOWNWIND ENTRY AT AN ARPT USING A R-HAND PATTERN; AND HAD NOT ADVISED US OF ACTIVE PARACHUTING UNTIL WE WERE WITHIN 5 MI OF THE ARPT'S DROP ZONE.