Occupations

[dp1l 0]

Hello

Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum.

I have achieved a life long dream by completing a tandem jump on Saturday, and am now making plans to complete the AFF training.

I was wondering what jobs people on this forum do (apart from sky-diving).
I have always wanted to be a sky diver, but am worried that my normal day to day life will seem really boring if I do take it up. It is really hard sitting behind a desk all day, after only one jump!

I was also wondering if anyone could recommend a school in England that I should use? There are so many on the net, and I don't know how to rate them.

thanks
Phil

[quatorze 1]

First let me say, Welcome to the sky!! Yahoo

Second, I am a materials/logistics specialist for a heavy maintenace facility for a regional airline... and yes it is as boring as it sounds.

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[ernokaikkonen 0]

I'm a webmaster for the Provincial State Office of Southern Finland. Yes, this as well, is as boring as it sounds. The good bit is that since pretty much nobody here understands a thing a bout what I do, I can hang out at DZcom all day.
I also do part time work as a PHP-programmer.

Erno

[bluefingers 0]

Good luck with AFF, let us know how it goes ...
I'm managing editor for a health and slimming mag - and it's NOT as boring as it sounds

Kerry

[grega 0]

i'm working as a programmer behind a desk at least 8 hrs a day. But believe me that every true skydiver had a thought how would it be possible to live in a dropzone jumping all day long and making enough money to have a decent life...
If you think of a way please let me now

"George just lucky i guess!"

[ernokaikkonen 0]

>every true skydiver had a thought how would it be possible to live in
>a dropzone jumping all day long and making enough money to have
>a decent life...

The trick is to redefine "decent life"...

[fly 0]

Welcome to the dark side Phil!

My favourite DZ in the UK was Sibson, just outside Peterborough. About an hour by train, then a short ride in by Taxi or you can take the hourly bus to Wansford (the busdriver will drop you off at the airfield if you ask nicely).

Now that the European winter is approaching it might be worth your while to do your AFF in Spain or even at a US DZ.

Have fun!

G

PS I have a (sometime) boring job pressing buttons and watching computer screens.

"Thou shall not take thine altitude for granted for the earth shall rise up and smite thee."

[huffermoose 0]

For skydiving my job is pretty cool

I work 6 months a year on offshore oil rigs and then spend the other 6 months skydiving

yeehhha

[grega 0]

How do you survive for 6 months without a jump?

Can you at least base jump from an oil rig on a raft or something like that?

"George just lucky i guess!"

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum."
You are in the right place to gibber about skydiving.

"I have achieved a life long dream by completing a tandem jump on Saturday, and am now making plans to complete the AFF training."
Welcome to our world, and I'm pleased you are bitten.

"I was also wondering if anyone could recommend a school in England that I should use?"
You don't say where you live, and at teh end of teh day, its location that will probably dominate our decision making process, I might enquire at the DZ where you did your tandem.
All parachuting centres in the UK operate under BPA guidance.
Go here to find a map of affiliated DZs
http://www.bpa.org.uk/dropzone/dzone.htm
Or, if you let us know where you are at, we can help you with your choices.
Once again, welcome, hope to see you aroundD

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[dp1l 0]

Hello

Thanks for all the encouragement.

I did my jump at Chatteris (North London Parachute Centre) - I found the people really friendly and helpful! I would like to do the course there, but thought it would be good to check my options first.

Unfortunately, I can only think about doing the course in November (exams and stuff).
Is training in winter an option, or should I think of trvelling elsewhere?

The guys I jumped with all want to do the static line course, but I would prefer the AFF.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

>Unfortunately, I can only think about doing the course in November
>(exams and stuff).
>Is training in winter an option, or should I think of trvelling elsewhere?
>
>The guys I jumped with all want to do the static line course, but I would
>prefer the AFF.

Doing AFF in the UK in November? Good luck... I'm pretty sure the weather will keep you on the ground enough to make training a pain. This time of year, I'd recommend travelling to someplace warmer and sunnier.

Keep in mind that if you get your licence in another country, it's not necessarily that easy to jump with that license in the UK. I don't really know about that, but I'm sure the UK residents here will inform you.

Erno

[TheBile 0]

Yo dude.
I'm a desk jockey too, in the field of IT. The day job actually becomes easier when you take on the AFF because you spend most of the day dreaming about the next jump and going through the routine in your head, rather than that crappy paperwork the bosses want you to do.
I started my AFF course in Tilstock, Shropshire. Although the personel there were very professional and friendly, the weather during the summer months wasn't. I travelled up there three weekends on the trot before the weather gave me a break to do my first jump. It also took me that long to learn to avoid the woman who organises the administration. She's a miserable bitch. A rare breed amongst the skydiving ladies out there.
I would strongly recommend you save a little extra and do your course abroad. Most UK DZ's organise winter trips abroad to Europe. This is advantageous for 3 reasons.
1) Your not so much at the mercy of shit weather.
2) You can complete the course much quicker
3) The BEER is much cheaper.
Let us know how you get on. As was mentioned before, your work colleagues will not understand the full extend of what it's like to skydive, so trying to explain your experiences to them will be frustrating. We've all been there and appreciate hearing someone elses account of their first jump.

Gerb

I stir feelings in others they themselves don't understand. KA'CHOW !

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"Is training in winter an option"

Its an option, but if you only have a small 'window' to train in, its likley to be frustrating.
Skydiving is heavily dependent on the weather gods, even more restrictions apply when you are a (skydiving sense) student.
AFF is certainly the way to go if you are limted in time etc, and its the way I would recommend anyone in the UK hoping to progress within a reasonable timeframe.
If I were you, I would think about training abroad, especially in november, as you know the weather here sucks in winter.
Of course its more expensive, if funds allow, its best to contact a few outfits that run AFF in America, France or Spain, if this appeals let me know and I'll sort you out some contact details.
I'm at work right now, but can look them out later.

Static line in november is not liklety to be a good idea, your progression will be slow, and because of the frequent weather holds, you will not be able to make sufficient jumps to remain 'current' with your newly developed skills.
I started static line in Scotland, and finished my progression in America out of sheer frustration.
D

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[skymut 0]

Welcome to the sky!!
It seems that any job would be boring compared to skydiving. You're right, it is hard to sit behind a desk. All you do is think about when the next dive will be.
I work as a net admin for a public school system. The good side of it is that I have 4 or 5 campuses to cover, so I never stay in one place too long (unless I want to), and therefore get to be outside for small stretches of time. The bad part is, when the weather is great, like it has been the past week and a half, I'm always thinking about what kind of skydive I would like to be doing.

Matt
A well-informed person is somebody who has the same views and opinions as yours.

[flyhi 24]

I fly the thing on the right. We stop things like that on the left. It's not boring.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[skydiverbrian 0]

I'm a paramedic. It's awesome!

In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal

[nacmacfeegle 0]

BTW, I'm an engineer, I design, build, and modify the oil rigs Huffermoose spends half his life on......

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[nws01 0]

I am a General Manager of a hotel. I am considering doing something different though. I am thinking about going back to school and becoming an Air Traffic Controller and then work as a Skydive Instructor on weekends. I need a lot more jumps and some schooling before this happens so we will see.

[Sassy 0]

I own a small, travel agency. And I LOVE it!!! I love my clients and the challenges that every phone call brings. Does not pay much but I love walking in that door every morning and to me that's the most important thing. Why get up and go to a job you hate everyday?? UGH
I've only done 2 jumps but think about more all the time. It doesn't help that I have huge windows in my office and I can sit and stare at the beautiful blue sky all day.
And dropzone.com does not help with my productivitiy level either, but oh well, it'll all get done.
Sassy

[Dumpster 0]

First let me say WELCOME to the greatest playground ever!

I work as a maintenance technician/supervisor for a thermoplastics compounding company- We make the stuff that makes the nice, soft cushy grip on your toothbrush handle, and stuff like that- (Like the new torso for the Barbie dolls, too-) We helped give her a belly button!

My job is great, I get to play with all sorts of machines, I wear lots of hats- Mechanic, electrician, welder, pipefitter, etc- Seldom gets boring.

Blue ones, Friend!

Easy Does It

[f1freak 0]

Welcome...
I am a programer, systems admin, what ever else the want me to do...
But the pay is good so i can jump my ass off...
(and i get to play on dz.com all day...)

HAVE FUN...
...JUST DONT DIE

[sar911 0]

Pararescue K-9 Search Specialist for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Urban Search & Rescue FL-TF2.
The picture below is my K-9 partner "Cara" searching building 4 WTC.

P.S. Clay, don't even think about it !!! There is no sheep in her background

[Galen 0]

Way to go dude.
I'm a Mfg. Engineer/Quality Manager for a place that does injection molding/ CNC modifying/ and decorating or plastic parts. It is boring and contributes nothing to humankind. However, I don't sit at the desk all day (sometimes wish I could) and I'm pretty much unsupervised since our corp. HQ is 1200 miles away and I get to wear several hats. I also maintain the computers and network here because I know how to check e-mail. I tell the Plant Mgr. that I'm debugging the internet when I'm haning out on DZ.com.

Good luck - from another sky newbie.

Respect the Dolphin

[Luke 0]

Quote

Second, I am a materials/logistics specialist for a heavy maintenace facility for a regional airline...

That's an impressive job description! You're not a baggage handler, are you?