So you must be one hell of a drop zone tart if you can equivocally say that the majority of skydiving ops are dodgy, big call mate. I agree that there are rogue operators in the industry but the broad brush statement doesn't help anyone.
Fair point j3pipercub but this is one of those rare occasions where I can speak from experience. Yes - I have worked at a number of dropzones in the past but I've also had the pleasure(?) of jumping at many more of these places (with the exception of Tasmania & WA). There are plenty of DZs where I just won't jump at because of the questionable aviation practices there. The sad fact is that the majority i.e. more than half of the DZ operators engage in dodgy aviation practice either deliberately or out of ignorance.
Unfortunately, as with any industry (trucking comes to mind) rogue operators do give the rest of the industry a bad name.That doesn't mean that there aren't good operators out there.
I also think that there is sufficient anecdotal evidence of a poor level of compliance amongst DZ operators. Incidents that I have
seen include:
- Unbriefed formation flying with unqualified pilots
- Dropping through cloud (in places not approved for that particular practice)
- IMC without appropriate licences
- IMC without appropriate clearances
- IMC in aircraft not fit for IFR operations
- Dodgy maintenance releases and practices
- SEVERE pressure on pilots to 'bend ze rules'
- Flight in the flight levels without access to or use of supplementary oxygen
- EXTREMELY low flying and beat ups
- dropping within CTAF(R)s on the live side of an active circuit
- tandems being hung up on the outside of an aircraft for 20 mins because the pilot wasn't carrying a hook knife to cut them away
- Flight with far less than min reserves
- Severe overloading - A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE
And these are just the things that I've thought of in the last minute.
The Australian Parachute Federation only requires that pilots have: not less than 200 hours total aeronautical experience, of which not less than 100 hours must be as pilot in command and have not less than 10 hours aeronautical experience as pilot in command of the aircraft type from which the descent is made. The result is a lot of low time pilots (read PPL level) begging for hours who are flying without the supervision and guidance of a chief pilot. Given that a very large proportion of jump flying these days is carrying paying members of the public as tandem 'students' , you have to wonder why CASA continues to allow this to happen. These are effectively commercial operations and should be treated as such. But I digress
I stick by my assertion j3pipercub that the majority (ie more than half) of the skydiving operations do pressure pilots into 'bending the rules'. There are always plenty of other low time pilots willing to step into the breach to take your place which is why these operators don't hesitate to apply the screws.
Stick to your guns, respectfully explain why you can't and won't break the rules and if you get fired, move on.