Jump Pilot requirement

[polair911]

Hi guys,

Just a quick question (or two) in regards to jump pilot position:

1) How likely is it for a fresh CPL holder with only Day VFR hours to score himself a job??

2) Does a jump pilot require to get any sort of endorsement in order to work for a company??

The reason I am only focusing on jump pilot is because with only Day VFR experience, charter company wouldn't really bother looking at your CV and offer you a job straight out.

thanks for helping out guys~~~

PA911

[Ipecac]

In NZ for insurance purporses they require you to have 1000hrs minimum if they operate turbines. Less if they're pistons. I don't know what it's like in Oz though sorry.

[NNB]

Jump Pilot Approval

Polair 911
go to the APF web site and read the jump pilot manual; the answers to your questions are in there.
Things have changed a fair bit including the requirement to have a "jump pilot approval" issued by the APF before you can fly jumpers these days.
You could go to your local drop zone and see how they do it; talk/ask the local drivers about the skill set required it is demanding flying, to become efficient at it, if you choose to develope your skills that way.
blue skies
NNB

[Ixixly]

Depends where you want to do it and whether your looking for something full-time or just casual. Plenty of casual guys out there operating 182s and 206s on weekends, they'll generally give you a go and then if your good enough help get you issued with your Jump Rating, its not needed straight away if I remember the regs correctly, but you DO NEED TO GET ONE to continue.

If your looking at doing it fulltime most places operate turbine aircraft these days, eg, most of the cairns/townsville operators seem to be using Caravans now so you'll need yourself a turbine endorsement on the PT6 before they even look at you and preferably some time on the Caravan itself.

Done a bit of jump pilot work myself and find it quite rewarding if a little under-rewarded! But thems the breaks, good luck with it, PM if you'd like any specific info.

[notaplanegeek]

1000hs? nah, probably because the operator didn't want to pay a high premium for his insurance.

[A37575]

Try Ballina. But don't expect to be paid.

[Fly-by-Desire]

Minimum requiements are a PPL with 250T/100PIC hrs? (from memory) or CPL, with 10hrs on type and a Jump pilot 'approval', issued by the Australian Parachute Federation (not CASA).

[faction]

3. HOW TO BECOME AN APF JUMP PILOT
3.1 Operational Regulation 6.1.1
(a) The pilot in command of an aircraft used for parachuting must have at
least:
(i) A private pilot licence without area restriction, and two hundred
(200) hours total aeronautical experience, of which at one hundred
(100) hours must be as pilot in command, or
(ii) An APF Certificate D, and a private pilot licence without area
restriction, and one hundred and twenty (120) hours total
aeronautical experience of which seventy (70) hours must be as a
pilot in command.
(b) 10 hours on the particular aircraft type or an aircraft type of similar
performance, weight and operational complexity.
(c) Effective from 01 June 2010, a Jump Pilot authorization, issued by the APF
(d) Approval of the DZSO and the Senior Pilot.

[kingRB]

^^^ this

its not needed straight away if I remember the regs correctly, but you DO NEED TO GET ONE to continue.

Nope, wrong. We've got pilots at the DZ I fly at who are now grounded because they still have not completed the jump pilot authorisation process with the APF. Cutoff was the start of July.

[LMNOP]

Commercal Ops

There is still a grey area with para-drops that has been debated and im sill unsure about so correct me if I am wrong. A display team is jumping into the local footy game and there isn't a DZ/jump aircraft available close to the location. How ever they manage to hire a C172 from the local flying club/school and remove the seats door ect so that it is converted to a jumpship. The demo is a commercial op as the display team is getting paid and making a profit and the hire of the aircraft is also a commercial op under the flying club/schools AOC. Now as it is not 'club' type skydiving operation the pilot only needs to hold a CPL and not the new APF authorisation.

[Ixixly]

Not really a grey area is it then? As I understand it, if you have an AOC and are doing skydiving operations you don't need the APF Jump Pilots Licence, if you are operating as a Private Operation then your required to have one!

[D-J]

Not really a grey area is it then? As I understand it, if you have an AOC and are doing skydiving operations you don't need the APF Jump Pilots Licence, if you are operating as a Private Operation then your required to have one!

Sure about that?

I think the case might be that, in order to have 'skydivers' being dropped from an aircraft you would have to operate under the APF rules. As far as casa is conserned it is the APF who administeres skydiving, so in the example given you would both need to hold a cpl & be operating under the schools AOC (which also may have to allow skydiving activites (not sure of the finer details in this respect)) and finally the pilot would need an jump rating.

[blackburn]

CAR 152 (1988) Parachute descents
(1) A person must not make a parachute descent if the descent is
not:
(a) authorised in writing by CASA; and

(b) conducted in accordance with the written specifications of
CASA.
Penalty: 25 penalty units.
(2) An offence against subregulation (1) is an offence of strict
liability.
Note For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.
(3) It is a defence to a prosecution under subregulation (1) if the
parachute descent was a necessary emergency descent.

I recall there are two organisations who are authorised by CASA under this regulation. The APF is one of them.

Blackburn

[D-J]

I wonder how casa might reply to a request to conduct skydiving ops not under the apf (or the other organisation's?) banner

might be like

[citsalcoryp]

Even if its a commercial op to do the demo jump, the skydivers would need to comply to the APF Rules about demo jumps. You can't be a skydiver and not an APF member.

Also, you're not going to get a pilot who has never thrown skydivers out of an aircraft, to randomly do a demo jump. Sure they'd have a Jump Pilot authorisation since being a jump pilot prior to that point.

[Super Cecil]

There has to be some ATC expirence in there as well. Last lot I heard recently dropping were asking people not to take off and to stay out of the circuit while the boys get their thrills for a couple of minutes. Went on for days on 126.7, South Western NSW.

[Cinders]

There is still a grey area with para-drops that has been debated and im sill unsure about so correct me if I am wrong. A display team is jumping into the local footy game and there isn't a DZ/jump aircraft available close to the location...

Sections 3 of the Instrument number CASA 405/09 defines a Jump Aircraft as

jump aircraft means any aircraft engaged in the dropping of parachutists in parachute training operations.

So assuming your theoretical display team are not carrying Tandem students, the pilot does not have hold an APF authorisation.

[Trying_]

Is there still a 165 hour requirement for CPL holders?

[Aussie Bob]

Probabaly the best and easiest way to get a start droping skydivers is to become one yourself. Choose a school that operates piston aircraft and trains AFF. Turn up and fit in. Skydive training operations are fun, a great way to meet people and always seem to have a party atmosphere. Social activities continue long after the last jump.

Wen a vacancy happens the bloke on the spot will get the gig, and having already jumped you will know all about it.

[sarge75]

Any Caravan pilots with instrument rating looking for work?

PM me