Tell me flying Jumpers
 

I am taking this up as a side job and was wondering the typical day of a jump pilot.

PM rickt86 (if you can).
He seemed to have been vocal about flying jumpers in the past.

USMCFLYR

There are several year old threads here on this. I do not think RickT is going to reply any time soon. We have not seen him here since January. The answer depends on the size and type of drop zone you work for. If it is a mom and pop affair then the hours could be quite minimal, the pay almost nil, and the aircraft slow (182/206). Most of the mom and pop outifts do not even attempt to keep any pilots around. They will have a cadre of hobby pilots to tap and pay is nearly nothing. Also, beware of ads that say "skydiver pilot wanted, do not apply unless you are within 50 miles of Podunk" or something similar. This means the job is not livable.

If on the other hand you find work with a large outfit they may have Otters and King Airs, they will definitely work long hours to keep the high-cost airplanes flying, and they will pay just enough to keep the pilots around without having to moonlight. $20k a year is a typical figure for salary. The minimums will be about 1200 to apply and you will face lots of competition. It might be easier to just go to an airline. Frequently these outfits will let "pilot trainees" work for nothing as chute packers, low level managers and desk clerks in the name of a chance to get trained, but don't believe anything they tell you about upward mobility because they are notorious for leading innocent people along with such claims which go unfulfilled. Go in as a pilot in title and job function, or do not go in at all.

Check out DiverDriver.com: The Jump Pilot's Information Resource and Dropzone.com - The single best source for skydiving information

To be honest I am not doing it for pay, just for fun on the side. I currently make a good yearly salary with a 91 company flying King Airs. Just looking for some solid info on the operations. I know it will be in a 182.

I used to do it on the weekends just for fun. Mix of 182s/206s. It takes a certain kind of pilot for sure, and there are your better and worse operations out there.

]Is the job salary or per load? How busy is the place, are you a full time guy, ie the main guy?

If you can be the main guy at a fairly busy place, you can get like $400-$500/week salary if its busy, and then just ask for rain days off, also ask if you can get a packer to help you wash the plane in exchange for jump tickets.

The diverdriver website is awesome, but let me know if you have questions about working at a DZ, you can end up working your butt off some weeks and not flying at all others due to WX, that is why I would really try and get salary.

I just read your second post, but left my last one because maybe it can help someone else. Just go do it, it really is one of those things that is hard to explain everything about, but make sure you feel good about the plane, they will always be POS, but you should still feel the engine and airframe are solid. Its really fun flying, but super dangerous if you do not know what to watch for, so listen closely when your being briefed by the fulltime pilot. That website listed is also really awesome. Let me know if you have any questions.

Also get paid at least $10/load or dont do it, because you just wreck it for the low time guys if you go fly for free. The owner is making bank, you deserve at least $10/load.

GREAT advice! There are many pilots who depend on some kind of pay while trying to build time. Just because you personally may not need the money doesn't mean no one else does. Never work for free.