If one were to get hired as a pilot for a skydiving outfit, how many hours could you expect to fly per week (or day, or month)? What kind of pay? is it per flight hour, pre flight or per hour clock in/out?

Same question, this time.... "glider tow pilot"?

Of coarse this all depends on getting hired, location, size of operation, etc...

I would like to hear anyone's experience with this, perferebly in the currnet economic situation.


Jeff
Richmond, VA

 

I have a friend who works for a skydiving outfit using the C208. It is his second job because they don't jump every day, mostly during the weekends. I believe and it would make sense if he gets payed by the flight hour, I am guessing more than $20h/r but I can't be certain. You are right in saying it depends on the operation because it does.

 

Most jump pilots get paid by the load..... I know one guy who gets paid a flat rate for the day.....

 

I also know jumper pilots who get paid nothing because "they get to log the flight hours" which is like being paid "$150 dollars an hour!!!!!"... yeah.

 

It isn't current information sorry (late 80s) - but when I did fly jumpers I got paid $10 a load and would usually fly 10 loads a day or so. I did the free fall guys from 12,000 so it took me a little longer to get turned around. I only flew on the weekends in C-206s.

USMCFLYR

 

Thanks for the responses so far.

But, how many hours are you guys getting? (per week/month/season)




Jeff

 

The pay and hours are highly variable mostly due to the local weather. Look very carefully at the local weather if you want an idea how much the DZ is actually working. A couple of weeks ago I flew 21 straight loads at my local DZ; pay is by the load ($8) so you can make say a hundred fifty bucks on a good day. For most people that is not enough money to justify doing it full time. Even if the money were good the business is so weather dependent you can't really count on it. That's why most DZs will advertise "pilot candidates must live within an hour of the Drop Zone". We have had a bad streak of weather here the last few weeks, and the drop zone has been all but shut down. Looks like we are going to do a few hop and pops today, but the weather prevents any serious business right now.

Some good things about it:

1) you can build quality flight time.
2) meet lots of unique people.
3) do some serious stick and rudder flying

Some bad things:

1) highly weather dependent
2) hard on your eye-ear-nose throat
3) fairly dangerous type of flying

So to give an hour per day, week, or month would be misleading. It could be anything from nothing to 100 hours a month. If a drop Zone is highly successful they will tell you up front and how many hours they can guarantee. High volume drop zones only hire Part 135 pilots, and they have to pay them enough to keep them around. Hope this helps.

 

I'm one of them. You can fly up to 8 hours on a good day.