What's the most used parachute drop aircraft in Australia?

[dabz]

I went to a para drop place on the weekend who ran a c206 and after talking with the owners I found it's a waste of time introducing yourself for a job when you don't have a rating on the aircraft the operation uses.

I plan on getting a rating on a widely used drop aircraft but I need to figure out what that aircraft is.

I've been doing a bit of research on a few drop places but can't seem to come up with any answers.

Would any pilots in auzzie know of the most used aircraft for para dropping/charter work?

Also what do you all think about asking for a job at an operation when you don't have the rating for the aircraft in use?
Should pilots go out themselves and get the rating? or should that operator assist to give the pilot the rating?

Any help's greatly appreciated!

[heywatchthis]

Cessna 182 would be the most used jump machine, followed by Cessna 206.

[tail wheel]

In Australia you do not need a "rating" to fly a C206. Are you talking ME rating or aircraft type experience?

[dabz]

In Australia you do not need a "rating" to fly a C206. Are you talking ME rating or aircraft type experience?

Aircraft type ratings. It's going to be an expensive game running around getting different type ratings :(

[aileron_69]

A type rating in NZ on a 206/182 or any similar single is pretty straightforward. As long as you can drive a Cessna you shouldnt have too much trouble getting the rating. You only have to do 1 hour.
If you were looking to do flying in Aussie, as Tailwheel says, they dont have individual a/c ratings here, Its single engine, Constant speed, tail dragger, and retrac endorsements and you're away laughing.

[FullySickBro]

G'day Dabz,

From memory there is a 10 hours on type requirement from the Australian Parachute Federation (APF) plus the operators insurance company may require more hours on type.

If you don't have many hours, I'd try get a few hours on C182, C206 or if you are cashed up a C208 endorsement? The 206 and 208 were also fairly widely used in charter ops up northern Australia last I looked.

Plus there is no parachute rating in OZ- I believe NZ does something along those lines?

Its been 5 years plus since I hung around drop zones so someone else might like to confirm these details.

Chur Bro :cool:

[I wish]

From http://www.apf.asn.au/documents/pdf/Manuals/Jump_Pilot_Manual_05.pdf

The Op regs are being rewritten but not this part I think.


3.7. PILOT QUALIFICATIONS
3.7..1 An APF member must not make a parachute descent unless the descent is conducted from
an aircraft in which the pilot in command:
(a) is the holder of at least a private pilot licence, valid for that type of aircraft, which is
not endorsed with any condition limiting him or her to flying within a specified
distance from an aerodrome; and
(b) if the pilot in command is the holder of a parachutist certificate “D” or higher — he or
she has not less than 120 hours total aeronautical experience, of which not less than 70
hours must be as pilot in command; and
(c) if the pilot in command is not the holder of a parachutist certificate “D” or higher — he
or she has not less than 200 hours total aeronautical experience, of which not less than
100 hours must be as pilot in command or is the holder of at least a commercial pilot
licence valid for that type of aircraft; and
(d) has not less than 10 hours aeronautical experience as pilot in command of the aircraft
type from which the descent is made. For high-wing Cessna aeroplanes, time accrued
on the more complex types may be credited for the less complex types in accordance
with Appendix 3 (of this manual); and
(e) if the descent is made from a balloon — is the holder of at least a commercial pilot
(balloon) licence or a Private Pilot (Balloon) Certificate issued by the Australian
Ballooning Federation, and has not less than 75 hours aeronautical experience as pilot
in command of balloons.

[j3pipercub]

Also what do you all think about asking for a job at an operation when you don't have the rating for the aircraft in use?
Should pilots go out themselves and get the rating? or should that operator assist to give the pilot the rating?

Dabz, they're a DZ and without starting another huge argument, good luck finding ANY that will help you obtain the rating/required amount of time on type...apart from the fact that you are probably a fair ways back in the que in order to actually get a gig at a lot of the DZ's these days...

However, if you have the money and are willing to go through all the 'fun' experiences a DZ pilot has to (sleeping in caravans in winter with no heating, getting abused by fun jumpers, slashing the strip in between loads, doing the 50 and 100 hrlys on your days off etc) then by all means go out to Toogoolawah and get yourself a van rating. Don't say you weren't warned though...

No offence though dabz, but I have friends here who have close to 500 hours jump trucking in 206's and 208's and they can't get work. You're chances are going to be even slimmer...and please for god's sake don't work for nothing. It doesn't have to be award, as long as it's something...

j3

[DH 200']

What's the most used parachute drop aircraft in Australia?Check out the APF Dropzone locator here (http://docs.apf.asn.au/index.php/Dropzone_locator). As heywatchthis has said, the C182 is the most widely used aircraft in Australia for para drops. There is also talk of the APF introducing a parachute drop rating for pilots in the future however I'll believe it when I see it.

[Howard Hughes]

It doesn't have to be award, as long as it's something...
It needs to be at LEAST the award, the award is a minimum, not something to aim for in the future...:rolleyes:

[Goat Whisperer]

I'm with Howard...

if DOES have to be the award. At the minimum. That's what the award means.

Shell doesn't give them free avgas, Cessna/Lycoming doesn't give them free parts, why would you give them free pilotage?

[j3pipercub]

So Both you lads flown Skydivers then??

[the air up there]

I'm pretty sure we've been down this track in another thread (payment of skydivers).

For what it's worth guys, I've done meat bombing and yes I was payed. Not much, and not the award. But it wasn't free, wasn't a full time commercial operation and I was better paid than most meat bombing pilots on the east coast at the time from the conversations I had with those pilots.

That was many years ago now but.

[D-J]

There is also talk of the APF introducing a parachute drop rating for pilots in the future however I'll believe it when I see it.

as of 01/07/10 you'll have to believe it..... jump ratings & class B maintenance

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/rules/miscinst/2009/casa405.pdf


Also Struggler, in oz the simplest way to cover the 10 hour requirement is use a
C210, as most DZ's will accept time on a more complicated machine to cover the
simpler types, in other words 10hrs 210 will cover the 206 & 182 and it'll also
come in handy to have the 10hrs 210 if you end up going north for that first
charter job

[toolowtoofast]

If you do the 206 or 182 rating in NZ, it is much more valuable for you in Oz, as no DZ is going to train you from scratch. I have seen someone do a 206 rating and about 5 hours total in it, go to Oz then pick up work straight away (not dropping though - charter work)

Even in NZ no one is going to let you loose in their 206 (especially if it's a turbo) unless you have had an instructor do a TR in it, and you have a drop rating. PM to discuss if you want.

[Horatio Leafblower]

as of 01/07/10 you'll have to believe it..... jump ratings & class B maintenance

D-J, perhaps you can tell us what other sort of maintenance you would have on a Jump ship? :confused:

[D-J]

D-J, perhaps you can tell us what other sort of maintenance you would have on a Jump ship?

Well most jump ship's are in the PVT category currently, which allows a owner to
run the engine 'on condition'
whilst not a lot of jump ships exceed TBO & can continue 'on condition' without considerable work, but class b charter category will remove that option

[framer]

Taupo pays good money to its pilots (at least it did a few years ago), all the other drop zones I have worked at in both countries were amateurs in comparison.

[dabz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't Taupo drop operators use a FU-24?

Where do you go for a rating on that? must cost an arm and a leg!

and even if you do get a rating on that aircraft the chances of them letting you in on some of the piloting in their operation would be pretty slim?

[toolowtoofast]

No piston FU24's being used for dropping anywhere.

There's Turbine Fletchers at Rotorua, Motueka, Pudding Hill, and I think one at Queenstown though :)

Taupo uses a Cresco (the pink one), and a few XL750's. Similar to a Fletcher, but not quite the same.

[aileron_69]

Wanaka have a Cresco, ZK-ROK and pay pretty damn well. Mate of mine has done a bit for them and was pulling in around the 5-700 dollars a day mark on a good day. I think its about $12 per jumper or thereabouts.
Obviously thats not really a first job straight out of flight school kind of gig but it does show that there are a few operators who know how to get past the gorse in their pocket.

[D-J]

think its about $12 per jumper or thereabouts.
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


I think you'll find it's closer to $12 a load..... so maybe $120 a day & 500-700 for a good week

[the air up there]

around the 5-700 dollars a day mark on a good day.

I think its about $12 per jumper or thereabouts.


:eek:

For that, I'll chuck in my job and take up meat bombing again. Surely wires have been crossed.

Imagine if every got paid $12 per head. That would be a decent pay, and pay would increase with size of the aircraft. It would be like a utopia, where rivers run with beer that doesn't give hangovers.

[Howard Hughes]

pulling in around the 5-700 dollars a day mark on a good day
If this were the case, people would be leaving the airlines and flocking to Wanaka!:E

[aileron_69]

Im serious, it IS around $12 a head, not per load. There is no mix up. Its not Australia where they shaft you senseless. These boys like to keep their staff a bit longer, and they do. That plane is flat out too so 500 a day isnt hard to make. Getting paid per head makes sense, you basically get paid a %age commission of the take.

[SM227]

$12 bucks is a pretty good commision then, i imagine they are charging around $30 per jump ticket? that doesnt leave much for operating costs and other wages, still cant believe it :ooh:

[framer]

The truth lies somewhere in between.
The most I ever earnt in Taupo was $576 in one day.
It was $18 per load, not $12 per jumper.
This is only for a month or two in the busy season when you are flying non stop from sun up to sun down. But even in the off season pretty good money can be made.
Also, I have never flown in Wanaka so they may be slightly different and times may have changed a bit.
Framer

[aileron_69]

not $30 no, According to their website, its $395 for a 15000ft drop and $295 for a 12000ft drop. Not sure ho many tandems they take in the Cresco, 5 or 6 is it?? And around 20mins a load at a guess? that would be just shy of $6000 an hour based on 5 tandems a load, 3 loads and hour. Plenty of fat in the system to pay the pilot 12 bucks a head.


From what I have heard Wanaka are pretty much the best payers out there. I had heard the boys in Queenstown are on similar cash to the Taupo mob.

[framer]

i imagine they are charging around $30 per jump ticket?
Nah, it's not like in Ausi where its mostly fun jumpers, in NZ its 90% Tandems who are forking out big bucks for their experience of free fall.
It is still cheap for them though 'cause they are spending Euro's and pounds mostly.

[toolowtoofast]

There's no way it's $12/head. At 3 loads/hour, with a short load of even 3 paying customers per load, that's $100/hr.

Sorry mate but no skydive pilot is making that. A good few airline pilots make less than that per flying hour.

I could believe $3/paying customer/load or even $4/head, but not $12.

[framer]

Sorry mate but no skydive pilot is making that.

I don't know if they still are, but like I said, the most I ever made in one days flying jumpers in NZ was $576.

They treat you well also. Pilot makes all the appropriate calls on when to stop etc unlike in the Ausi outfits I worked for.

[aileron_69]

Why is $100 an hour to fly a cresco so out of the way? I get just over that in my 210 and I can assure you i didnt dream it up. I personally know a jump pilot who as there last summer who told me what he was getting and hes a no nonsense bloke, plus I had also heard the same figure earlier from another of their former pilots. Its a very busy commercial operation and thats just what they get.

[toolowtoofast]

Tandem masters run at $50-$60/load, but they have chutes to pack and look after, and they are the ones with the most to go wrong. I don't know what the cam/photo guys get - maybe a cut of the DVD/photos

[framer]

but they have chutes to pack
Not in Taupo they don't, that would be the job of the full time packers getting about $10 per chute....it's a slick operation that runs at a very fast pace. Thats how they can punch out close to 400 tandems between the 3 companies (one now) on the Taupo field in one day.

[the air up there]

Why is $100 an hour to fly a cresco so out of the way? I get just over that in my 210

Are we talking about a Cessna 210??

[aileron_69]

Are we talking about a Cessna 210


Indeed so, but no, not flying charter :-P

[toolowtoofast]

true - they do too.

[troppo]

I wouldn't have thought that there would be that many dumb people that would want to jump out of an aircraft :confused:

[knox]

$12 bucks per head in Wanaka - I too have heard the same and that was a couple of years ago too.
When I was dropping I was getting $25 and $35 per load, depending on type of flight, so I guess that means I was getting $12.50 and $17.50 per head :)


Knox

[Dick N. Cider]

Most used parachute aircraft?

VH ZVM - P750 seems to spend about 5 nanoseconds on the ground between drops any fine weekend in the Hunter. Then it flies bank runs all week. Pilot must get out and maintain between waypoints!