I have a job offer to drop jumpers in a 182 but they say the "training" is unpaid. In fact, they want to bill me $25 per training flight (which would be about 5 or 6 flights total) because that is the amount of money they are loosing by taking the spot away from a paying solo jumper. I don't have to pay them out of pocket though... after training I just work off the amount. Pay rate once training is over, which only takes a couple days, is $10-$20 per tack hour. It's a sliding scale... A day of consistent fast runs (.3's and .4's) get the $20 rate, slower runs (above .4's) get the $10. Even if you're at the higher pay rate that only works out to about $8 per load. A typical day consists of 4-5 hours of flight time for the jump pilot.

My gut tells me to stay away, but I'm interested in some other opinions.

 

I got $10 a load in 1989.
Doesn't sound like pay has kept pace with inflation (or the years!)
RickT if he is still around might be a good person to ask (or PM).

USMCFLYR

 

I am not a commercial pilot, so take this is with a grain of salt.

Have you flown jumpers before? Is there a syllabus for what the training consists of? Any chance of reducing/eliminating the training flights if you're sierra hotel?

What's the normal flight schedule? Dropping $150 once, to earn $500/weekend might make sense.

I see their concern turning a newbie loose with shock-cooling and min-fuel (starvation) a possibility, but I'm sure you'll hear from guys who say "you never pay for training".

Good luck - let us know which way you go. Wait, that did not sound right.

 

There's another place on the other side of town that uses turbine C-208's and pays the pilots $15 per load. Pilot there told me he runs 20 or more loads a day in the summer but the problem is that DZ will only hire a guy with some jump pilot experience (which I don't have). I'm wondering if this stepping stone would be worth it just to get in the 208 across town. They don't have any "training" costs over there either. But again, they wont take me right now.

So I feel kind of stuck here. I have read all the opinions on the pay for training including the article sitting right over this thread, and I agree, but it seems like those conversations are always revolving around big blocks of twin time for higher amounts of money (like 500 hr blocks for a few thousand). This only amounts to about $150 or so but still, it's the principle of the thing. Paying ANY amount for "training" after you have already payed your ass off for the required training to become a commercial pilot is just wrong isn't it? Or is the point about the risk involved in letting a relatively (relative to the babied, hold your hand style world of pilot training) untested "newbie" loose in a $50,000 airplane a valid one?

I thought about refusing their terms to be charged for training, and if they tell me to get lost, well... why not set up an old fashioned picket line right in front of their hanger? I might be the only one in the line, but any other pilots that walk along sniffing like starved dogs for any scrap of flying someone will throw their way, I'll try to get them to join me. Think that would work? But then again, whenever I try to look at it from their point of view I get mixed emotions again... They are a pretty small DZ and I know they are not making much profit, if any. Everybody there, owner included has another full time job outside of skydiving to keep food on the table.

*Yes, I know how to spell tachometer... (in case anyone noticed in the OP)

 

I takes one flight to learn the ropes, maybe 3 flights to build up to the .3 or .4 speed.

You'll have 2 tandem passengers paying $200 a piece for a 20 minute flight burning 5 gallons of gas. There are DZs all over the place that will train you for free. When I was flying jumpers, finding a 250 hr commercial pilot to fly the second plane was harder than you would think. The most I made in a week was $1300.

But if the DZ is close to home, I say go for it. It's a ton of fun and great experience. As long as your safe and legal, you can only better yourself. If you feel you're not paid what you deserve, leave.

 

That line about "loosing" money is no more than just a line (it's losing by the way.) They aren't losing money by getting another pilot trained to fly the airplane; no pilots = no money.

 

Go to dropzone.com and you will see all the DZ's that fly 182's. There are tons! Quite a few require 500tt for insurance tho. Call up the one's you are interested and find out! Was offered 4 jobs within my first week when I did that while having under 350TT. I landed at a place where its free housing/utilites including internet and sat. tv, somewhat common for jump pilots, with 10 bucks a load. Bringing in 500+ bucks a week while only having car/phone payments isnt bad living for a single guy. Oh you also get tipped too in this sport so thats an added perk. First time I have heard of pilots paying for training in jump planes but sad to say - doesn't surprise me...

 

I flew jumpers in the 90's.... I got my first gig with 250 hours, 2 days after my commercial pilot checkride. I got my high performance sign-off in C-182 the first day. We went up and did some basic air work, followed by a simulated jump run and proper descent technique to avoid shock cooling the cylinders, followed by 3 landings on a grass field. Pay was $10/load.

Looks like things haven't changed much in terms of compensation since the 90's

 

No I don't think it would work and you could probably use the time in a more meaningful way like trying to find a job.

USMCFLYR

 

No way you should need more than 1-2 runs to learn the jump run. As long as you know how to do slow flight and recover from a stall/spin, you should be good. I went up for one run and they set me loose. The hardest thing for me was learning how to shut the door :P