PLT OF C172 STARTLED AND FRIGHTENED BY ENCOUNTER WITH MULTIPLE SKYDIVERS IN VICINITY OF ORE; 7B2 AND 0B5.

Narrative

I WAS IN VFR CRUISE AT 6500 FT; ON A MAGNETIC COURSE OF 240 DEGS; OVER ORANGE MUNICIPAL ARPT; MA (ORE). VISIBILITY WAS OVER 10 MI; THERE WAS NO CEILING. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE 3 ARPTS IN THE AREA: 0B5; ORE; AND 7B2 -- ALL WITH PARACHUTE ICONS ON THE SECTIONAL. AT 6500 FT; THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF CHATTER AND NOISE FROM DISTANT ARPTS; BUT I LISTENED TO 122.8 (ORE) AND DID NOT HEAR ANY CLR INDICATION OF A DROP. THEN I THOUGHT I SAW A BIRD TO MY FRONT; BUT REALIZED IT WAS A GROUP OF PARACHUTISTS IN A RING; APPROX 1000 FT OR MORE AWAY. I REALIZED THAT I STUMBLED ONTO A PARACHUTE DROP; SO AS EVASIVE ACTION I DECIDED TO TURN S TOWARD THE LAKE; THINKING THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY PARACHUTISTS DROPPED OVER THE LAKE. I WAS SCARED (!) AND VERY CONCERNED; THAT I WOULD HAVE NO CTL OVER THE SIT; AND THAT NEITHER I NOR THE PARACHUTISTS WOULD BE ABLE TO PREVENT A COLLISION BTWN ONE OF THEM AND MY AIRPLANE. IT WAS TOO LATE TO PREVENT BEING IN THE SIT; MY ONLY ALTERNATIVE WAS TO GET OUT OF IT. AS I LEFT THE AREA; I OBSERVED AT LEAST 2 MORE PARACHUTISTS DROP; ONE TO MY L AND ONE TO MY R. I KNOW THEY CAN STEER TO SOME DEG; BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL. THEY WENT BY FAST AND REMINDED ME OF THE PEOPLE THAT JUMPED FROM THE TWIN TOWERS ON SEP/TUE. ONCE OVER THE LAKE; I RESUMED COURSE AND MONITORED 122.7 (7B2) AND HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT PARACHUTISTS. I ASKED WHERE THE PARACHUTISTS WERE AND THEY SAID THEY WERE STILL ON THE GND; APPARENTLY PREPARING TO TAKE OFF. (I AM NOT SURE WHEN I CHANGED FREQ TO 122.7). THINKING THERE WERE NO JUMPS AT ORE; COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE PREMATURE IN CHANGING TO 122.7; WANTING TO LISTEN FOR DROPS AT THE NEXT ARPT. THIS INCIDENT WAS 'EXTREMELY' UPSETTING TO ME; BUT I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY FLT TO THE DEST. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I SHOULD PERHAPS USE FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH SUCH A CONGESTED AREA; BUT I AM NOT SURE ATC WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE JUMP INFO; NOR ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME. I THINK THAT PLTS MAKING DROPS; SHOULD USE BREVITY IN RADIO COMS; BUT RATHER SHOULD SPEAK CLRLY AND SLOWLY (ALMOST AMATEURISHLY); REPEATING SEVERAL TIMES THAT A DROP IS IMMINENT AS THEY CLB TO ALT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MISSED THE DROP ANNOUNCEMENT; BUT THEY DO SEEM TO DROP FROM HIGH ALTS; SO IN ORDER FOR OTHER ACFT AT HIGH ALTS TO HEAR THEM; THEY HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE NOISE; STATIC AND SQUEALING ON THE COMMON CLASS E ARPT FREQS. I AM WONDERING WHY ON SUCH A CLR DAY; THE PARACHUTISTS DID NOT SEE AN AIRPLANE NEAR THEIR LNDG ZONE AND JUST WAIT TO JUMP. WITH 3 ARPTS SUPPORTING PARACHUTISTS IN THE GENERAL AREA; WOULD IT BE FEASIBLE TO HAVE ALL OF THE ARPTS ON THE SAME FREQ? DO WE NEED ONE COMMON PARACHUTIST FREQ (IF WE SEE THE PARACHUTE ICON; WE LISTEN TO THE PARACHUTE FREQ) FOR ALL ARPTS? THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A NEGATIVE AFFECT ON ME FOR THE REST OF MY FLYING CAREER. WHAT WORRIES ME THE MOST; HOW TO POSITIVELY AVOID PARACHUTE DROPS; AND I AM NOT CONVINCED THEY ALWAYS CAN BE.