I'm really surprised to see some of the experience levels of people that have been hired, especially at Eloy. It's been many years, but I was a diver driver at one time, have several thousand jumps, and have done most jobs at a DZ from pilot to instructor to turning wrenches, and even did the requisite living in an RV at the DZ. In my time, the typical pilot had a couple thousand hours and a thousand plus jumps.

It's definitely a new world in aviation. I've kicked around the idea of getting back into jumping(only fun jumping though, not working) after a 6 or so year sabbatical, but it makes me think twice if most of the pilots are really low experience level these days. I've been involved in one mishap as a skydiver in the back of a jump plane, and gotten out of another bad situation down low(with a student) that were only survivable because of the skill and experience of our pilots at the time.

Those of you thinking about working at a DZ as a pilot need to realize that it's a tough environment. Very busy, on the ragged edge of performance on most takeoffs, responsible for far more than "just flying the airplane", and in the twins losing an engine down low will often mean putting the airplane down with partial power, not climbing away into the sunset on one motor.......

......but the parties at night after the last load can't be beat!