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
?