Parachute Dropping

[Aerofoil]

I cant find anything on this on the search page....
I was wondering if anyone can help me out with a question i have,
I am looking at possibly getting a job dropping skydivers but i'm unsure what they generally ask for as far as hours are concerned?
Also does anyone know what sort of wage one can expect whilst working for a skydiving company as a pilot?
Many thanks
Foil

[Dct_Bombi]

It varies everywhere, In my experience the operator was interested in how many hours I had PIC and any experiences I had when I had to think fast and resolve and problems etc etc. If you make the right impression and our willing to muck regards everything on the ground aswell as in the air your onto a winner, and show interest in the sport not just the flying.
Some places require you to maybe finance a check-out on a 206 or taildragger or whatever and then pay you something minimal, and some times they pay for any training but in turn you get no cash. Every dropzone will operate different so there is no real bench mark to measure by.
I had to pay for conversion training etc, but got 15quid a jump so it was a profitable experience for me and loadsa hours after just one season.
Great Flying and people, Fly safe and cautious and set+stick to YOUR own minimums not the previous guys who would yaddaaa yaddaaa do loops in IMC according to the jump junkies who would try to convince you to PUSH IT TO THE MAX, and thats CofG / Wx mins / Op hrs / manouvers / in my language and more fun in theirs. I did enjoy many a run and break though :}

[winch launch]

I started dropping at 19 with 270 hrs TT and just a PPL.
As bombi said the experience required to drop varies a lot. It usually depends on the insurance which also depends on the aircraft type. If I were you I would concentrate on clubs operating piston aircrafts. But an aircraft like the C185 will require you to have a bunch of tail drager hours.
After about 75 hours dropping and a CPL, I found a position on a cessna caravan, just by sending CVs to all the paraclubs within driving distance from my place. So you see dropping is also a nice way to get a turbine job. The money is almost always good when you fly turbine as you have more jumpers at the back to pay you :D . On pistons it depends.
You have to understand that even though it doesn't look like it, skydivers care about their lives, and they also consider their airplane as an expensive lift that if unserviceable, will ground them. So every centres are very concerned about their pilots and you ll have to pass a check. They will only hire you if they like you, and if they feel you are safe. So you need to look very relaxed and confident to reassure the jumpers, especially if you are young. Jumpers can feel it when the pilot is nervous and it frightens them. That' s also why you should never do things that you are not confortable with, even though as bombi said, jumpers try to push you to the MAX.
The flying is a lot of fun and the life in paraclubs is great. Hours raise very quickly. The only downer is all the time spent waiting for the weather to clear, but that gives you more time to improve your sausage BBQ cooking skills.

Any more questions, don' t hesitate to PM me.

Winch

[moggiee]

canada goose who posts on here does it - maybe a PM to him would be a good start.

[fokkerking!]

The Paradropping is fun, got into it with 200 hrs cpl fatpl, found myself in a caravan with 500 hours or so, in a heavy jet with 880, so it gets you there. The work is hard, pay not too well, but you can live from it. Flying is great fun and it really improves your manual handling and scanning skills, which got me through the airline grading.

Have fun,

rgds fokkerking!

[scroggs]

Couldn't find anything by searching? Try these:

Parachite Dropping (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=72326&highlight=parachute+dropping)

Parachute Jumping (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=67586&highlight=parachute)

Glider Towing/Parachute Drops (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=154521&highlight=parachute)

There are probably many more.

Scroggs

[Troy McClure]

Scroggs

Seem to be a lot of people who reckon they "can't find anything on this on the search page".

Get the feeling that they aren't clicking on 'Any Date' in the 'Find Posts From' box. Default is 'A Month Ago', which obviously limits the results somewhat - took me a while to spot that.

Can 'Any Date' be made the default, or would that result in your server grinding to a halt?

It would certainly reduce the number of times you have to step in to point people in the right direction, and reduce the number of posts on topics that have already been done to death.

Troy

ps Found 35 posts with 'parachute' in the title.

[YYZ]

I did put a post on this last week, but it's gone??

However, at my place it's 350 hours min with VP experience, thats it, you just have to pass the check flight.

Pay is zero, but you do not pay for your check flight and they feed and house you whilst there..

I've enjoyed working there, but its time for me to move on:{

Good luck finding work

YYZ

[scroggs]

YYZ, your post was deleted because it was advertising - which is not allowed, even for jobs.

The search engine defaults have been chosen to minimise the load on the servers. We like to assume that people can read and adjust the settings to suit their requirements, but assuming intelligence is sometimes doomed to failure...:ouch:

Scroggs

[NewParaPilot]

I’ve been offered a “job” as a drop pilot flying a multi piston aircraft for a UK based parachuting school. The deal is I get paid ₤70 a week to I live on the airfield in a small caravan and I’m on call to fly 7 days a week. I also have to pay for my training up to BPA authorised pilot standard.

It’s expected that I’ll be able to log around 300 hours in a season. I currently only have 220 hours so this will definitely improve my CV and hopefully my chances of a job with an airline next year.

My question is what are the insurance implications of this sort of flying? Like most drop pilots I am not officially employed instead receiving “expenses” for my efforts. In which case I am a volunteer, however the club doesn’t have volunteer insurance. So I don’t have worker compensation insurance, nor am I covered for any mistake I may make. As far as I see it I am completely open to litigation and I have limited recourse should I become injured.

I am keen to move on with my flying career and this seems like a good opportunity, but I am a little concerned about the employment status issues.

Can anyone spread any light on this situation?

[Superpilot]

Sad reality is, if he doesn't take it, someone else will. The fact that your 'open to litigation' as you say should be reflected in your rewards but it's not and this shows the level of abuse out there. What's the harm in the firm wacking up a little contract for you, offering you a salary of say £5 per working hour? The money's not the issue here but other things. They are not treating you like a human if they cannot afford you basic employee rights. It's not difficult to do from their point of view, but you're right I wouldn't do it if I couldn't safeguard my interests.

Recruiters take note. Next time you ask someone why they didn't work as a 'Para' pilot or similar roles, consider these harsh but real facts. It's not because we wannabe's are not interested in steady progression, but we need to feed our mouths and sometimes the mouth of others, we need to pay bills, the rent etc. I know you don't care, but you should!

[rmcdonal]

Best Job I have ever had included living in a Caravan on the side of the runway. :ok:
However if they dont pay the insurance dont take it. If you sign the MR on the Plane and it crashes due to mechanical fault (and you live) then your open for a world of hurt, the sort you NEVER pay off.:{

[Dude~]

I know how you feel - I actually turned down a twin turbine drop job a few months back. Sure the hours would have looked fantastic on the CV, but I was offered £63 a week and would have had to pay £5K for the turbine type rating. Talk about selling your soul... I'd rather do a SSTR!

I went into instructing and earn more than £70 a day when the sun is out, and am happy in the knowledge that I did not sell my soul to live in a caravan and fly half the hours annually that I do now. Also, when the drop season stops, I still have a job to do.

Still, if you are young and single and want some fun, then Headcorn's a great place to hang out... (Do sort out the insurance though)

[low n' slow]

Although it sounds like a ****ty circumstance, living on the field in a caravan, sleeping, breathing and eating aviation is really great.
It really allows you to get into the type of flying that you do and this promotes aviation safety. The intense flying will also give you a whole different confidence in the cockpit than what you perhaps are used to from training. Flyingwise you will benefit from it and living and breathing airfield atmosphere is what we all want, right? Then I'd rather live in a caravan on the airfield than in a luxurious apartment in the town...

Regarding your employment details I cant say anything as this is above my knowledge. But you will benefit from this type of flying. No doubt.

Good luck/LnS

[spernkey]

And i thought we were a bit mean in the aerial photography business asking people to accept £2-300 a week monging about in cessna's!!!
I feel positively saintly now especially as i over insure the aircraft and crews into the bargain. Perhaps i'll get into heaven after all.

[A320rider]

I think it is a good opportunity for you to see what the real life of a pilot is.
sleeping in a caravan is a luxus and can be fun.
you will meet people, and probably you will meet 2-3 nice chicks on the field or during barbecues.
(the caravan is not far away ;) )

keep in mind you are liable of 75'000$per passenger(varsovie convention).
you can fly as a privat pilot and be paid for food so you can avoid prosecution in case of an accident.

how is the field? most accidents occurs during take off (high stress on the engine or empty tank).can you land straight if below 1000ft?
make an estimation for the risk. if it is really risky, get yourself an insurance.

if you are not happy, your boss can get somebody else, so take this job.
you can still leave if these conditions don't fit you.

did I read ₤70 a day or a week....????


good luck and have fun!

[jimpearce]

hmm, a tricky one.
I'm employed by the Headcorn Parachute Club and flying the Islander which is great fun when it flies and superb experience.
Not sure why you would pay a fortune to get to bpa pilot standard as much of the training is on the job as I presume you already have an MEP.
I think I did a GH flight and a flight to do a few circuits other than this most training had fare paying jumpers on board.
I'm a great believer in things are what you make them and HPC were short of a pilot for the turbo beaver during feb and march so they rated me on this as well.
The down side for me now the Beaver is back in Denmark for the summer is that the islander is the second aircraft and things are a bit slow but on the plus side I'm keeping current and building multi hours. IN AN IDEALWORLD I'D BE DOING A LOT MORE FLYING.
Best of luck whatever you decide but the pay does seem a bit low, try negotiating???
For the age sceptics I finished last october at 38 and by December was flying the islander part-time whilst still maintaining an engineering job to pay the bills...... sometimes you have to have faith and take the plunge.
Jim.

[MrHorgy]

Guys,

Apologies if this has already been covered, I should think it has but my grasp of the search function is evidently lacking.

What's the restriction of People Dropping? Can I do it on my PPL? What experience is usually required? I don't mind doing it free for the hours, but do I need the CPL in order to do it?

Horgy

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Unless my age, which I will not mention, is excessive, then this work is classified as aerial work. Aerial work is defined in the ANO, and LASORS.
I can not remember the URL.

It is great fun, go fo it, an excellent way to hours build.

read LASORS.

Glf

[Canada Goose]

Horgy - I've also found the search tool doesn't pull stuff up, even when a thread is current and you know the buzz words are there !! Anyway, in answer to your query, yes you can para drop on a PPL, but obvioulsy not for reward, i.e. payment. That said, most PPL's have a lot of experience and also an IMC rating (which is required where I drop). Where I drop the main reason for this is that for high drops from 10,000' we need to enter Class A airspace, and for a 2 mile radius around the DZ we have an arrangement with ATC whereby pilots with IMC's can operate in this band of airspace. As you may be aware, you need an instrument rating to enter Class A, but this is a special situation. The second reason why you would want an IMC is that you are often climbing/descending through clag. Also, if you are less than 250 TT you need 10 hours of training on the jump a/c and between 250 and 500 I think 5 hours of training. After that, its just a checkout ! If you want all this from the horses mouth contact the BPA.

Cheers,
CG.

[scroggs]

As explained earlier in this thread (which is itself the result of searching for and then merging threads), using the search function does require you to read the form you're using. It has been pointed out many, many times that the search function here does not accept 3-letter words, and there are many common longer words which it will not search for - but it will inform you of that when you try to search for them. There is also a short guide to using search in the 'Archive Reference Threads' on the Wannabes - Professional Pilot Training forum. There is also a brief but useless mention of Search in the FAQs.

However, you shouldn't really need an instruction manual to read the search form - it's quite self-explanatory! If you really can't think of a word longer than three letters to describe your query, you can also use the advanced search options in Google, MSN or Yahoo to restrict your search to this website. However, if you are looking for three-letter words, you may be reading the search results for a week or two! Abbreviations are different, but searching for OAT, for example, on Google Advanced Search, restricted to posts in the last year on www.pprune.org will probably give several hundred returns.

As potential professional pilots, you are expected to be intelligent and resourceful, and use initiative, lateral thinking and logic in your efforts to become a pilot. If Pprune Search defeats you, what hope for the rest of your career?

Scroggs

[Canada Goose]

As a regular visitor to pprune this is the first time I've become aware that the search engine does not accept 3 letter words - and as far as I'm aware the first site that I've come across that is limited in this way ! This is precisely when I've had problems e.g. recent initial search for 'DHL' even though following a wider search I found a current thread in Freight Dogs & Cargo ! When this thread was running back in April I was incommunicado in Florida for a couple of weeks and didn't get to see it then ! I normally do set all the defaults for maximum search potential !

"As potential professional pilots, you are expected to be intelligent and resourceful, and use initiative, lateral thinking and logic in your efforts to become a pilot. If pprune Search defeats you, what hope for the rest of your career?" ………ouch !!

[MrHorgy]

As potential professional pilots, you are expected to be intelligent and resourceful, and use initiative, lateral thinking and logic in your efforts to become a pilot. If Pprune Search defeats you, what hope for the rest of your career?
Scroggs

Women Defeat me still, that's not gonna stop me trying to get married though :ok:

Thanks for your help all.

Horgy

[scroggs]

As a regular visitor to pprune this is the first time I've become aware that the search engine does not accept 3 letter words - and as far as I'm aware the first site that I've come across that is limited in this way !

It's a function of the latest version of this bulletin board, and something I believe we can't do anything about. Believe it or not, Search puts the highest load on our servers, so anything that cuts that load down is good news for our bills!

Scroggs

[Ingo1]

How much can you expect to earn flying a turbine on a busy dropzone in Europe?

[Will964]

Earn? You'll be lucky!!!

[EGBKFLYER]

I started training for a jump job and walked away. Not because I didn't fancy the flying (multi-turbine would be great hours building) but because I want to be a professional pilot, not just a pilot.

Remember that if parachutists could get up there without an aircraft, they would do so - 'planes are a means to an end, not the purpose of the operation so corners may be cut. There are also no requirements for licenced aerodromes, which may have implications on obstacle clearance (which is something to think about when heavy and multi-engined) and other operational matters.

This is not to say that all dropping jobs are death traps - there are some well-run operations out there. Just have your eyes very wide open and consider what you are being asked to do very carefully (which is pretty much the same for any 'bottom feeding' flying job I suppose).

Oh yeah - the money is cr*p, if you get paid at all, but then who gets into aviation for the money!?

[Canada Goose]

How much can you expect to earn flying a turbine on a busy dropzone in Europe?
An army bloke told me of a place in Germany where he was based (or near where he was based) that uses civilian pilots to fly turbines. It wouldn't have suited my circumstances so I didn't pay too much attention to what he told me, but he did say it was paid, albeit it poorly !
Believe it or not, Search puts the highest load on our servers, so anything that cuts that load down is good news for our bills!

Yes that does come as a bit of a surprise, but then on reflection not so ! Probably not helped any by the likes of me performing searches with default criteria set for maximum search potential ! ;-) At the end of the day though I appreciate that we users don't pay any subscriptions to use what is a great site ……… so no complaints here !!
This is not to say that all dropping jobs are death traps - there are some well-run operations out there. Just have your eyes very wide open and consider what you are being asked to do very carefully ..........True. You do have to have your wits about you and some DZ's are just rough grass strips in farmers fields with hazards all around ! Where I fly, the pilots word is final, but that said it wouldn't go down well if you said no every time a few clouds appeared !
CG.

[winch launch]

These are the standard pay in France for dropping

Piston, usually not paid, but some pay 8 euros per load
Porter, 10 to 12 euros per load at average size to big DZ
Twin otter, 22 euros per load

Many DZ pay well in europe but you need some skydive pilot experience to interest them which usually has to be achieved for free on pistons.
I found a job in the netherlands on a caravan after 70 hours of piston dropping I did for free (I was just a PPL anyway). I had no contacts there, just sent CVs. There is a shortage of experinced skydive pilots almost everywhere in europe, which is why I was was able to negociate a very descent pay, so it' s worth thinking about it and ringing piston operators. The job is a lot of fun, I am really glad I have done it but no flying on winter :*

Winch

[EGCC4284]

EGBKFLYER

That must of been hard to Swallow, like the joke.

I believe the runway was a challenge, well half of it was. Not sure if it was the left half or right half. Depended on the wind direction I suppose.

[An2]

Many DZ pay well in europe but you need some skydive pilot experience to interest them which usually has to be achieved for free on pistons.
:*
Winch

Mr Ingo1 is a very experienced meat-bomber! Shouldn't be a problem for him to squeeze some money from DZ-operators! ;)
Right, Ingo1?!?!? ;)

[Ingo1]

Thank's AN2!
I will certainly try to squeeze as much as possible!
I am still waiting for a certain dropzone to start up but if the pay is crap I'll stay at home.
How about you? Are you down in the sun?

[An2]

Aaah, so nothing from them, huh? That sux, I s'pose.
As for myself, well.....no sun for me as of yet. Company kept changing directions on me one time too many and finally pointed me in the direction of Eaglejet (as in pay for the line-training), so I told them to p*ss off. It worked, since they did!:E
I'm also thinking about going "para-pro" this upcoming season. This might happen in Croatia. Don't know for sure yet though. But it sure would be fun to be a professional meat-bomber!!
Anyway,...let's see what happens.
You see,... FlyMe gave me a call the other day..... ;)
...but I'll just give you a call regarding that one!!

[pg wing tips]

Hello EGBKFLYER,

Your post regarding jump flying has veins of truth in it. However, saying that it is not a good place to build your hours, because you want to be a professional and not just a pilot is a little unfair. :(

Its about utilising skills - handling, fuel load / burn, loading, wx, airspace flight planning and air law + BPA rules all help in building your own database of knowledge. You get landing and take off practice, on grass and hard runways at a range of airfields around the country.

Drop zone control, air traffic, other jump aircraft, airways controllers and the jump master can make for a very busy sortie. The very fact that you have to make sure that it is safe and legal makes you know, understand and apply what you have learnt in the classroom.

There are also commercial pressures especially at the bigger drop zones and it is your call at the end of the day. Overall, in some respects there are several of the pressures you are likely to face in the future, in larger operations.

On the flip side you are right, and there are some comedy operations out there, which have little regard for anything but the all mighty £. Although, I would say this further hammers home you knowing the law, aircraft and personal limits – thus enabling you to say no.

Just my 2ps worth
PG :)

p.s. How’s the waiting game going :ok: ?

[EGBKFLYER]

Hey PG,

Maybe I wasn't clear enough - my reference to wanting to be a professional was related to the job I walked away from and was definitely not a comment on meat bombing in general:). If you get into one of the well-run outfits - not dissimilar to the one you're familiar with - I think it's fab hours building for all the reasons you list.

As for your other question - still waiting (4 days now:{ ) and I've just bitten my last fingernail up to the elbow...

[Trislander]

As potential professional pilots, you are expected to be intelligent and resourceful, and use initiative, lateral thinking and logic in your efforts to become a pilot. If Pprune Search defeats you, what hope for the rest of your career?

-Blimey, someone thinks they're amazing... :rolleyes: