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

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 !!

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

Thanks for your help all.

Horgy

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

pay
 

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

Earn? You'll be lucky!!!

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!?

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 !
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 !!
..........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.

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

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.

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

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!!

Jump Flyin....
 

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: ?

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...

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