I think riggers earn really good money

[scp 0]

How much can a rigger make in a busy summer month? (DZ pay + gear repairs, modifications, repacks, etc..., to individual jumpers), if they are good and get themselves in a busy DZ or a parachute factory, they can be the best paid along with sponsored jumpers, pilots and aircraft mechanics (let's not forget the DZO who gets all the money from us adrenaline junkies haha)

I think being a rigger is a very very tough job, you also have to spend a lot of time and money in courses, equipment, sewing machines, materials, the loft rent,... but you get respect from everyone because you are usually the one with the most knowledge, skill and the most safety conscientious in the whole freaking DZ

HOORAY riggers! We love you guys! (no homo)

[skybytch 273]

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, they can be the best paid along with sponsored jumpers, pilots and aircraft mechanics

LMFAO!!! Haven't talked to many jump pilots or sponsored jumpers about their income, have ya?

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but you get respect from everyone because you are usually the one with the most knowledge, skill and the most safety conscientious in the whole freaking DZ

Haven't met many riggers yet either, have ya?

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HOORAY riggers! We love you guys! (no homo)

You don't have to be a homo to love a rigger. Girls can be riggers too.

[councilman24 37]

Boy have we got you snookered!

Not to burst your bubble but.....

I've seen lots and lots of bad riggers, riggers who weren't up to date and didn't know what they were doing, riggers who were sure they knew what they were doing but didn't have a clue, riggers that just didn't care. There are lots of jumpers and pilots who don't care either.

There are lots of good, conceiencious, thourogh riggers too. But even good riggers can disagree on issues. The best riggers are the ones who know what they don't know.

I became a rigger because a couple tried to kill me and I didn't have anyone in the area I trusted. It was cost effiecient too, I had three rigs.

Don't take what any rigger says as gospel. For gear recommendations, major accessories, major repairs or alterations, get a second or third opinion until your sure you and your rigger are in sync.

But thanks for the confidence.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[riggerrob 643]

Ha!
Ha!
Ha!
Ha!
Ha!

[aironscott 3]

Nice troll!

“God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

[tdog 0]

Lets see, a day at the DZ:

Tandem = 12 jumps * 30 = $360
Tandem packer = 40 rigs * 10 = $400
AFF = 7 jumps * 30 = $210
Vidiot = 12 jumps * 40 = $480

Rigger = 4 rigs * 45 = $180

(note, I don't know how some riggers do a full inspection and repack in less than an hour, it takes me 30 minutes just to inspect and do the paperwork before stuffing the fabric in the bag.)


So, Mr. SCP.... I appreciate the thank you (although I just pack a few rigs a week for friends and am not a DZ rigger)

But, if you want money - you have to follow the money - and it is in tandems and packing for tandems... Not reserves.

[Colson 0]

Your post reminds me of this classic piece of writing http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/i_want_to_be_a_pilot.htm

[Unstable 9]

When I'm up rigging all day, I usually eat those little lunchable things. You know, with a little stack of cheese and a little stack of ham and 5 crackers. I would buy a Coke, but I can't afford that. I go with Sam's Choice.

=========Shaun ==========

[hackish 8]

Being new and all to the craft I consider the 3-4h it takes me to completely inspect and repack a rig. Some places pay $45 to do this. While in time I will probably be quicker if you were able to do a complete I/R in 1h that's still pretty poor billing if you have expenses (running a loft). I didn't get into it because of the money. I mean doing a brake job a day would pay more than slaving to pack 2-3 reserves. The liability of rigging is probably greater as well - it's pretty hard to screw up brakes.

-Michael

[jdthomas 0]

I want to earn a little bit of that really good money..

where is the rigging loft thats making the fat cash and i am moving there of course it would not matter because if I do any rigging at all I give all the money away to animal shelters!

Evere hear the term lucky dog?

www.greenboxphotography.com

[jheadley 0]

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(note, I don't know how some riggers do a full inspection and repack in less than an hour, it takes me 30 minutes just to inspect and do the paperwork before stuffing the fabric in the bag.)

I know a few riggers who do repacks in less than an hour, by completely bypassing the inspection. As soon as they dump it out, they pack it back up again. They claim they inspect it as they pack it. That's BS

[Gene03 0]

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(note, I don't know how some riggers do a full inspection and repack in less than an hour, it takes me 30 minutes just to inspect and do the paperwork before stuffing the fabric in the bag.)

I know a few riggers who do repacks in less than an hour, by completely bypassing the inspection. As soon as they dump it out, they pack it back up again. They claim they inspect it as they pack it. That's BS

Yes, total bullsh*t.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[CrazyL 0]

BS for sure.

[CrazyL 0]

If I tried I bet I could pack a reserve canopy into and close the reserve container in under 20 minutes. Havent ever really tried. Thats not what matters. It still takes me on average 1.5 hrs per inspection and packing of the reserve, add another 45 minutes to 1hr for main inspection and main packing. Add atleast a half hour of visiting with the rig owner/user. These times are if all goes well.

[Gene03 0]

Add 45-60 minutes for a "cheap and dirty" reserve trim check and what do you have?

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[Unstable 9]

I ride my bike everywhere cuz I can't afford gas half the time. I need to get a Sam's Choice water bottle rack for my bike, but that's also out of my price range. I think I'll just mooch some duck tape from the DZ and make a bottle rack out of that.

=========Shaun ==========

[fcajump 164]

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If I tried I bet I could pack a reserve canopy into and close the reserve container in under 20 minutes. Havent ever really tried. Thats not what matters. It still takes me on average 1.5 hrs per inspection and packing of the reserve, add another 45 minutes to 1hr for main inspection and main packing. Add atleast a half hour of visiting with the rig owner/user. These times are if all goes well.

As a newbie rigger (9 years), I'm about the same. But I've always been a slow packer, so give me 30 minutes for PEP and 1hr for Skydive reserve packing (after the aforementioned Inspect, etc)

I figured my hourly rate once.... ONCE... (I'll never to THAT again....)

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[dumstuntzz 0]

i think riggers make good money....get respect..etc...
ARENT DRUGS FUN???

[billvon 2,991]

Let's see -

Good day for me doing AFF at Otay - $300
Good day for Amy rigging - $200

[davelepka 4]

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Let's see -

Good day for me doing AFF at Otay - $300
Good day for Amy rigging - $200

On top of the money thing, you spend the day skydiving, and she spends the day stuffing, and pulling, and struggling, and maybe dodging a reserve pilot chute to the face (or two).

My favorite thing about riggers is that I'm not one of them.

[kenneth21441 0]

+You mean I can quet that day job....

Not likly.

Rigging to me is more deep, in depth of learning without costing a life, muchless my own.

Will I ever get rich, well sure if you can keep the wife off those PCH sweepstakes.....

You have to love what you love to do........

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[CrazyL 0]

OOOOoooo the hourly rate when its all said and done? Big $$$ right? My day job pays better. Occasionally rigging pays decent. It's not really about the money. Atleast that's what I remind myself.

[fcajump 164]

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OOOOoooo the hourly rate when its all said and done? Big $$$ right? My day job pays better. Occasionally rigging pays decent. It's not really about the money. Atleast that's what I remind myself.

Yea, but don't tell my wife that... She thinks the nights and weekends at the loft are actually a high paying respectable gig... like piano player in the whore house...

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[popsjumper 2]

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AFF = 7 jumps * 30 = $210
Vidiot = 12 jumps * 40 = $480

There's something drastically wrong with that picture.

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But, if you want money - you have to follow the money - and it is in tandems and packing for tandems... Not reserves.

Rigging is a lot of work for peanuts...better to be an elephant in the circus. Add on the responsibility and the accountability and you get your balls/tits on a chopping block for what?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[mdrejhon 8]

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AFF = 7 jumps * 30 = $210
Vidiot = 12 jumps * 40 = $480

There's something drastically wrong with that picture

I have a interest in someday doing video because it is something I love to do as a deaf individual (maybe in a year or two, when I can afford it), I talked to some people. My interest in video isn't earning money at this time (yet?) but I heard of some interesting stuff about what vidiots earned...

From what little I know, a dropzone often charges almost $100 for a video to a tandem student (i.e. $75 or $95, etc), which is often split three ways between DZ, the lift, and the vidiot (but not exactly). Some dropzones are having lots of difficulty retaining vidiots who are trusted to video tandems, and may be giving them more money than doing AFF. Especially if there's a very busy AFF day and there's a history of not having enough vidiots around. The money split gets adjusted to fit the dropzone, vidiot get paid a bit more, dropzone gets a little less, etc...

Also, there might be a benefit clause where in AFF, some dropzones might offer a longer 'contract' in exchange for less pay (At some dropzones, you're nearly guaranteed to be the same AFF instructor for that same student for say, 7 or 8 prepaid jumps at $30 apiece, while vidiot are one-off events at $40...) And the instructor being paid separately for classroom stuff (if he/she is part of it). I really think this varies by dropzone...

I think it has something to do with supply and demand, sometimes that monetary pressure out-prices the danger-pay aspect of the jump... Petty Economics 101 stuff.