pre7117 0 #1 August 26, 2005 I was wondering if you could live good just off the money made off skydiving. I see a lot of people do it but is it a comfortable life or just a day to day meager existanceHELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #2 August 26, 2005 You need to define comfortable living. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pre7117 0 #3 August 26, 2005 QuoteYou need to define comfortable living. Well, being able to have a house and a decent car and some money in my pocket to be able to take the old lady out.HELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hobbes4star 0 #4 August 26, 2005 If you want to make a small fortune at skydiving you need to start with a large fortune. if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #5 August 26, 2005 QuoteWell, being able to have a house and a decent car and some money in my pocket to be able to take the old lady out. Don't quit your day job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spizzzarko 0 #6 August 26, 2005 No you can NOT make a decent living. Think about health benefits. Oh yea there are none. How about the retirement? Not one of those either. If you get hurt, no money. If the weather is bad, no money. Do you really want to haul meat (be a tandem master) all your life? Skydiving is fun, but I just don't see how people make it their sole source of income. These people have a disease, as they let skydiving engulf their entire life. It's an addiction, and just like smoking you can quite it. So do yourself a favor, and go and get a college degree, or if you have one get another one, and don't let skydiving absorb you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GravityGirl 0 #7 August 26, 2005 QuoteQuoteYou need to define comfortable living. Well, being able to have a house and a decent car and some money in my pocket to be able to take the old lady out. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Oh. My side. mmmm. Yes you can be comfortable, but it takes a while. If you have a strong stomach and like van, truck or tent life, you'll do fine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #8 August 26, 2005 Alot of us choose to keep our day jobs and work weekends at the DZ. You end up working quite often but you can also make between $200-$400 a weekend during the peak season. Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skykat108 0 #9 August 26, 2005 QuoteIf you want to make a small fortune at skydiving you need to start with a large fortune. Bah! you took my saying!! yeah, if you work in skydiving, expect to live in an old trailer, car barely holding together, and no insurance. but it's fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #10 August 26, 2005 You have 200 skydives and haven't figured out the answer to your questionMay your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #11 August 26, 2005 QuoteI was wondering if you could live good just off the money made off skydiving. I see a lot of people do it but is it a comfortable life or just a day to day meager existance I heard a joke one time from an AFF/Tandem Instructor. Q: What's the difference between a pizza and a skydiving instructor? A: A pizza can feed a family of four. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
windcatcher 0 #12 August 26, 2005 I would think those who work in skydiving AND jump get more easily burned out; dude find yourself a real job! ( not meant to offend those who work in skydiving--I'm sure it's very hard work!!--just trying to talk some sense into this guy) Mother to the cutest little thing in the world... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jedeisurf 0 #13 August 26, 2005 Hi when I was unemployed I was a professional video dude, the pay sucked I could just barely pay the bills but what the hell I was jumping for a living for 3 months at a 182 DZ. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pre7117 0 #14 August 29, 2005 QuoteI would think those who work in skydiving AND jump get more easily burned out; dude find yourself a real job! At this time I have my own business and was planning on selling and retiring. I see a lot of guys who work in skydiving and thought it might be a good way to keep me busy. I would have a good nest egg to back me up if it was needed.HELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sistaluv 0 #15 August 29, 2005 For me it was a good summer job/hobbie best summer of my life actually but not a life year round (snow sucks too) Blue Skies and Terminal Memories 4 Life Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Amanduh 0 #16 August 29, 2005 QuoteYou have 200 skydives and haven't figured out the answer to your question I was wondering the same thing, Mar!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Trae 1 #17 August 29, 2005 inreply to "I was wondering if you could live good just off the money made off skydiving. I see a lot of people do it but is it a comfortable life or just a day to day meager existance " The pay is peanuts and they've got monkeys. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Monkeyb 0 #18 August 29, 2005 QuoteQuote I heard a joke one time from an AFF/Tandem Instructor. Q: What's the difference between a pizza and a skydiving instructor? A: A pizza can feed a family of four. hahaha thats a good one Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #19 August 29, 2005 The fact a full time skydiving instructor can't make a decent living has bothered me for a long time. Instructing is one of the most important aspects of this sport. Even as we watch the accident rate climb we are still in the Stone Age as far as how Instructors are treated. Being a part time skydiving Instructor, which for so many is the only way to go about it, is just wrong. How many of you would seek the advice of a part time doctor? DZOs have been sucking off the work of good Instructors for far too long, Instructors who gave up family life, ate Top Raman noodles, and lived in their cars to do what they loved and were good at doing. Every year we lose too many of these experienced Instructors who give up the profession in frustration, only to be replaced with less experienced Instructors, and that's what keeps the level of teaching from steadily growing. I taught skydiving almost my entire adult life, I slept under a lot of packing tables, always drove a car that was falling apart, and it was the happiest time of my life. But, those days are gone. You can't survive these days doing it that way. Yet, we are still essentially asking today's Instructors to do the same thing . . . The general lack of support for Instructors is a problem of perception. Ninety percent of the people that Instructors interact with don’t stay with the sport and aren’t around later to sing their praises. It's the reason we tend to forget how good most Instructors really are, while we endlessly hear about some load organizer who's the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, I know many DZs are shoestring operations, but there is no reason the larger and more successful one can’t pay a living and ever increasing wage to their Instructors with benefits. And I also think an Instructor with twenty years experience should make more money than another with a month's worth of experience. I've seen many good instructors who put student safety first, bypassed or fired by DZO's in favor of younger Instructors who aren't so careful, or are too afraid to speak up. I'm not picking on Perris, but by way of example, they didn’t go out and buy a wind tunnel and a DC-9 with the money earned on up-jumpers . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NWFlyer 2 #20 August 29, 2005 Devil's advocate and an honest question from a (relative) newbie... Do you believe every instructor *wants* to do it full-time? Or do they instruct part-time so that they don't burn out on the sport? I would be willing to bet there are probably quite a few people who would gladly give up their "real" jobs to work in the sport full time (and I know many have). But I wonder if there are not just as many who have maintained their non-skydiving jobs in order to maintain balance in their lives. I, personally, would rather be taught by a part-time instructor who still truly loved the sport and instructing than by a full-time instructor who had burned out. (I don't necessarily disagree with you that instructors are underpaid, though)."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #21 August 29, 2005 I don't agree with the premise that Instructors burn out teaching students as much as they burn out on working for "beer and gas money" wages and from a general lack of respect from the skydiving community at large. Being an Instructor is full of positive re-enforcement from sending students home happy after a first jump or stewarding others through a full course and seeing them go on to be good skydivers. The only problem is you can’t eat positive re-enforcement. NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #22 August 29, 2005 Yes Nick, You can't eat "positive reinforcement." I also agree that 20 year instructors deserve to paid better than recently-certified staff. My current boss pays part of my medical benefits .... but I am starting to worry about retirement .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Trae 1 #23 August 29, 2005 Cheers Nick ...good to hear an experienced voice of reason. As to the burn out issue that'd only be because these dedicated types get severely overworked trying to maintain decent standards. A major problemo apears to be that there is always a ready supply of less experienced people who are prepared to do the job for lower pay and conditions for a short while thereby sabotaging the more experienced and dedicated professionals who truly deserve a better rate of pay. In other industries this 'scab labour' problem has sometimes been resolved with union activity or guild type protections. Mention this type of protection in skydiving world and you're booed of the stage by the DZO minions who happily stand in line to pick up any crumbs available. In the skydiving industry the transient nature of a lot of the participants heavily affects the employment dynamics . Some of these characteristics are very simialr to what happens in certain illegal substance distribution networks...ie a ready supply of addicted people who'll do anything for a free hit. Skydiving as a potentially profound sporting activity deserves to attract the best professional trainers and standard bearers possible. Other industries have proven this can only happen if the pay matches the talent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nanook 1 #24 August 29, 2005 Personally, I think unionisation would have a disasterous effect on skydiving. Price would be way too cost prohibitive. . .if you can unionize this type of recreation._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #25 September 1, 2005 Too many enthusiastic amateurs are willing to work for free. That is one of the reasons that I don't do outside video. Handy-Mount pays the same wages for far less wear and tear on my gear. The best professionals hold a variety of ratings. That is the only way to stay fully employed. For example: last week I dropped: static-line, IAD, first freefall, PFF and tandem students. I also repacked 29 reserves and sold a bunch of Handy-Mount videos. I admit to being a coward. I learned to sew so that I could hide behind a sewing machine when all the other jumpers are whining about the weather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
sistaluv 0 #15 August 29, 2005 For me it was a good summer job/hobbie best summer of my life actually but not a life year round (snow sucks too) Blue Skies and Terminal Memories 4 Life Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amanduh 0 #16 August 29, 2005 QuoteYou have 200 skydives and haven't figured out the answer to your question I was wondering the same thing, Mar!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trae 1 #17 August 29, 2005 inreply to "I was wondering if you could live good just off the money made off skydiving. I see a lot of people do it but is it a comfortable life or just a day to day meager existance " The pay is peanuts and they've got monkeys. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Monkeyb 0 #18 August 29, 2005 QuoteQuote I heard a joke one time from an AFF/Tandem Instructor. Q: What's the difference between a pizza and a skydiving instructor? A: A pizza can feed a family of four. hahaha thats a good one Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #19 August 29, 2005 The fact a full time skydiving instructor can't make a decent living has bothered me for a long time. Instructing is one of the most important aspects of this sport. Even as we watch the accident rate climb we are still in the Stone Age as far as how Instructors are treated. Being a part time skydiving Instructor, which for so many is the only way to go about it, is just wrong. How many of you would seek the advice of a part time doctor? DZOs have been sucking off the work of good Instructors for far too long, Instructors who gave up family life, ate Top Raman noodles, and lived in their cars to do what they loved and were good at doing. Every year we lose too many of these experienced Instructors who give up the profession in frustration, only to be replaced with less experienced Instructors, and that's what keeps the level of teaching from steadily growing. I taught skydiving almost my entire adult life, I slept under a lot of packing tables, always drove a car that was falling apart, and it was the happiest time of my life. But, those days are gone. You can't survive these days doing it that way. Yet, we are still essentially asking today's Instructors to do the same thing . . . The general lack of support for Instructors is a problem of perception. Ninety percent of the people that Instructors interact with don’t stay with the sport and aren’t around later to sing their praises. It's the reason we tend to forget how good most Instructors really are, while we endlessly hear about some load organizer who's the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, I know many DZs are shoestring operations, but there is no reason the larger and more successful one can’t pay a living and ever increasing wage to their Instructors with benefits. And I also think an Instructor with twenty years experience should make more money than another with a month's worth of experience. I've seen many good instructors who put student safety first, bypassed or fired by DZO's in favor of younger Instructors who aren't so careful, or are too afraid to speak up. I'm not picking on Perris, but by way of example, they didn’t go out and buy a wind tunnel and a DC-9 with the money earned on up-jumpers . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NWFlyer 2 #20 August 29, 2005 Devil's advocate and an honest question from a (relative) newbie... Do you believe every instructor *wants* to do it full-time? Or do they instruct part-time so that they don't burn out on the sport? I would be willing to bet there are probably quite a few people who would gladly give up their "real" jobs to work in the sport full time (and I know many have). But I wonder if there are not just as many who have maintained their non-skydiving jobs in order to maintain balance in their lives. I, personally, would rather be taught by a part-time instructor who still truly loved the sport and instructing than by a full-time instructor who had burned out. (I don't necessarily disagree with you that instructors are underpaid, though)."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #21 August 29, 2005 I don't agree with the premise that Instructors burn out teaching students as much as they burn out on working for "beer and gas money" wages and from a general lack of respect from the skydiving community at large. Being an Instructor is full of positive re-enforcement from sending students home happy after a first jump or stewarding others through a full course and seeing them go on to be good skydivers. The only problem is you can’t eat positive re-enforcement. NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #22 August 29, 2005 Yes Nick, You can't eat "positive reinforcement." I also agree that 20 year instructors deserve to paid better than recently-certified staff. My current boss pays part of my medical benefits .... but I am starting to worry about retirement .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Trae 1 #23 August 29, 2005 Cheers Nick ...good to hear an experienced voice of reason. As to the burn out issue that'd only be because these dedicated types get severely overworked trying to maintain decent standards. A major problemo apears to be that there is always a ready supply of less experienced people who are prepared to do the job for lower pay and conditions for a short while thereby sabotaging the more experienced and dedicated professionals who truly deserve a better rate of pay. In other industries this 'scab labour' problem has sometimes been resolved with union activity or guild type protections. Mention this type of protection in skydiving world and you're booed of the stage by the DZO minions who happily stand in line to pick up any crumbs available. In the skydiving industry the transient nature of a lot of the participants heavily affects the employment dynamics . Some of these characteristics are very simialr to what happens in certain illegal substance distribution networks...ie a ready supply of addicted people who'll do anything for a free hit. Skydiving as a potentially profound sporting activity deserves to attract the best professional trainers and standard bearers possible. Other industries have proven this can only happen if the pay matches the talent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nanook 1 #24 August 29, 2005 Personally, I think unionisation would have a disasterous effect on skydiving. Price would be way too cost prohibitive. . .if you can unionize this type of recreation._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #25 September 1, 2005 Too many enthusiastic amateurs are willing to work for free. That is one of the reasons that I don't do outside video. Handy-Mount pays the same wages for far less wear and tear on my gear. The best professionals hold a variety of ratings. That is the only way to stay fully employed. For example: last week I dropped: static-line, IAD, first freefall, PFF and tandem students. I also repacked 29 reserves and sold a bunch of Handy-Mount videos. I admit to being a coward. I learned to sew so that I could hide behind a sewing machine when all the other jumpers are whining about the weather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
Monkeyb 0 #18 August 29, 2005 QuoteQuote I heard a joke one time from an AFF/Tandem Instructor. Q: What's the difference between a pizza and a skydiving instructor? A: A pizza can feed a family of four. hahaha thats a good one Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #19 August 29, 2005 The fact a full time skydiving instructor can't make a decent living has bothered me for a long time. Instructing is one of the most important aspects of this sport. Even as we watch the accident rate climb we are still in the Stone Age as far as how Instructors are treated. Being a part time skydiving Instructor, which for so many is the only way to go about it, is just wrong. How many of you would seek the advice of a part time doctor? DZOs have been sucking off the work of good Instructors for far too long, Instructors who gave up family life, ate Top Raman noodles, and lived in their cars to do what they loved and were good at doing. Every year we lose too many of these experienced Instructors who give up the profession in frustration, only to be replaced with less experienced Instructors, and that's what keeps the level of teaching from steadily growing. I taught skydiving almost my entire adult life, I slept under a lot of packing tables, always drove a car that was falling apart, and it was the happiest time of my life. But, those days are gone. You can't survive these days doing it that way. Yet, we are still essentially asking today's Instructors to do the same thing . . . The general lack of support for Instructors is a problem of perception. Ninety percent of the people that Instructors interact with don’t stay with the sport and aren’t around later to sing their praises. It's the reason we tend to forget how good most Instructors really are, while we endlessly hear about some load organizer who's the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, I know many DZs are shoestring operations, but there is no reason the larger and more successful one can’t pay a living and ever increasing wage to their Instructors with benefits. And I also think an Instructor with twenty years experience should make more money than another with a month's worth of experience. I've seen many good instructors who put student safety first, bypassed or fired by DZO's in favor of younger Instructors who aren't so careful, or are too afraid to speak up. I'm not picking on Perris, but by way of example, they didn’t go out and buy a wind tunnel and a DC-9 with the money earned on up-jumpers . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NWFlyer 2 #20 August 29, 2005 Devil's advocate and an honest question from a (relative) newbie... Do you believe every instructor *wants* to do it full-time? Or do they instruct part-time so that they don't burn out on the sport? I would be willing to bet there are probably quite a few people who would gladly give up their "real" jobs to work in the sport full time (and I know many have). But I wonder if there are not just as many who have maintained their non-skydiving jobs in order to maintain balance in their lives. I, personally, would rather be taught by a part-time instructor who still truly loved the sport and instructing than by a full-time instructor who had burned out. (I don't necessarily disagree with you that instructors are underpaid, though)."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #21 August 29, 2005 I don't agree with the premise that Instructors burn out teaching students as much as they burn out on working for "beer and gas money" wages and from a general lack of respect from the skydiving community at large. Being an Instructor is full of positive re-enforcement from sending students home happy after a first jump or stewarding others through a full course and seeing them go on to be good skydivers. The only problem is you can’t eat positive re-enforcement. NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #22 August 29, 2005 Yes Nick, You can't eat "positive reinforcement." I also agree that 20 year instructors deserve to paid better than recently-certified staff. My current boss pays part of my medical benefits .... but I am starting to worry about retirement .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Trae 1 #23 August 29, 2005 Cheers Nick ...good to hear an experienced voice of reason. As to the burn out issue that'd only be because these dedicated types get severely overworked trying to maintain decent standards. A major problemo apears to be that there is always a ready supply of less experienced people who are prepared to do the job for lower pay and conditions for a short while thereby sabotaging the more experienced and dedicated professionals who truly deserve a better rate of pay. In other industries this 'scab labour' problem has sometimes been resolved with union activity or guild type protections. Mention this type of protection in skydiving world and you're booed of the stage by the DZO minions who happily stand in line to pick up any crumbs available. In the skydiving industry the transient nature of a lot of the participants heavily affects the employment dynamics . Some of these characteristics are very simialr to what happens in certain illegal substance distribution networks...ie a ready supply of addicted people who'll do anything for a free hit. Skydiving as a potentially profound sporting activity deserves to attract the best professional trainers and standard bearers possible. Other industries have proven this can only happen if the pay matches the talent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nanook 1 #24 August 29, 2005 Personally, I think unionisation would have a disasterous effect on skydiving. Price would be way too cost prohibitive. . .if you can unionize this type of recreation._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #25 September 1, 2005 Too many enthusiastic amateurs are willing to work for free. That is one of the reasons that I don't do outside video. Handy-Mount pays the same wages for far less wear and tear on my gear. The best professionals hold a variety of ratings. That is the only way to stay fully employed. For example: last week I dropped: static-line, IAD, first freefall, PFF and tandem students. I also repacked 29 reserves and sold a bunch of Handy-Mount videos. I admit to being a coward. I learned to sew so that I could hide behind a sewing machine when all the other jumpers are whining about the weather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
NickDG 23 #19 August 29, 2005 The fact a full time skydiving instructor can't make a decent living has bothered me for a long time. Instructing is one of the most important aspects of this sport. Even as we watch the accident rate climb we are still in the Stone Age as far as how Instructors are treated. Being a part time skydiving Instructor, which for so many is the only way to go about it, is just wrong. How many of you would seek the advice of a part time doctor? DZOs have been sucking off the work of good Instructors for far too long, Instructors who gave up family life, ate Top Raman noodles, and lived in their cars to do what they loved and were good at doing. Every year we lose too many of these experienced Instructors who give up the profession in frustration, only to be replaced with less experienced Instructors, and that's what keeps the level of teaching from steadily growing. I taught skydiving almost my entire adult life, I slept under a lot of packing tables, always drove a car that was falling apart, and it was the happiest time of my life. But, those days are gone. You can't survive these days doing it that way. Yet, we are still essentially asking today's Instructors to do the same thing . . . The general lack of support for Instructors is a problem of perception. Ninety percent of the people that Instructors interact with don’t stay with the sport and aren’t around later to sing their praises. It's the reason we tend to forget how good most Instructors really are, while we endlessly hear about some load organizer who's the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, I know many DZs are shoestring operations, but there is no reason the larger and more successful one can’t pay a living and ever increasing wage to their Instructors with benefits. And I also think an Instructor with twenty years experience should make more money than another with a month's worth of experience. I've seen many good instructors who put student safety first, bypassed or fired by DZO's in favor of younger Instructors who aren't so careful, or are too afraid to speak up. I'm not picking on Perris, but by way of example, they didn’t go out and buy a wind tunnel and a DC-9 with the money earned on up-jumpers . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #20 August 29, 2005 Devil's advocate and an honest question from a (relative) newbie... Do you believe every instructor *wants* to do it full-time? Or do they instruct part-time so that they don't burn out on the sport? I would be willing to bet there are probably quite a few people who would gladly give up their "real" jobs to work in the sport full time (and I know many have). But I wonder if there are not just as many who have maintained their non-skydiving jobs in order to maintain balance in their lives. I, personally, would rather be taught by a part-time instructor who still truly loved the sport and instructing than by a full-time instructor who had burned out. (I don't necessarily disagree with you that instructors are underpaid, though)."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #21 August 29, 2005 I don't agree with the premise that Instructors burn out teaching students as much as they burn out on working for "beer and gas money" wages and from a general lack of respect from the skydiving community at large. Being an Instructor is full of positive re-enforcement from sending students home happy after a first jump or stewarding others through a full course and seeing them go on to be good skydivers. The only problem is you can’t eat positive re-enforcement. NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #22 August 29, 2005 Yes Nick, You can't eat "positive reinforcement." I also agree that 20 year instructors deserve to paid better than recently-certified staff. My current boss pays part of my medical benefits .... but I am starting to worry about retirement .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trae 1 #23 August 29, 2005 Cheers Nick ...good to hear an experienced voice of reason. As to the burn out issue that'd only be because these dedicated types get severely overworked trying to maintain decent standards. A major problemo apears to be that there is always a ready supply of less experienced people who are prepared to do the job for lower pay and conditions for a short while thereby sabotaging the more experienced and dedicated professionals who truly deserve a better rate of pay. In other industries this 'scab labour' problem has sometimes been resolved with union activity or guild type protections. Mention this type of protection in skydiving world and you're booed of the stage by the DZO minions who happily stand in line to pick up any crumbs available. In the skydiving industry the transient nature of a lot of the participants heavily affects the employment dynamics . Some of these characteristics are very simialr to what happens in certain illegal substance distribution networks...ie a ready supply of addicted people who'll do anything for a free hit. Skydiving as a potentially profound sporting activity deserves to attract the best professional trainers and standard bearers possible. Other industries have proven this can only happen if the pay matches the talent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nanook 1 #24 August 29, 2005 Personally, I think unionisation would have a disasterous effect on skydiving. Price would be way too cost prohibitive. . .if you can unionize this type of recreation._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #25 September 1, 2005 Too many enthusiastic amateurs are willing to work for free. That is one of the reasons that I don't do outside video. Handy-Mount pays the same wages for far less wear and tear on my gear. The best professionals hold a variety of ratings. That is the only way to stay fully employed. For example: last week I dropped: static-line, IAD, first freefall, PFF and tandem students. I also repacked 29 reserves and sold a bunch of Handy-Mount videos. I admit to being a coward. I learned to sew so that I could hide behind a sewing machine when all the other jumpers are whining about the weather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
nanook 1 #24 August 29, 2005 Personally, I think unionisation would have a disasterous effect on skydiving. Price would be way too cost prohibitive. . .if you can unionize this type of recreation._____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #25 September 1, 2005 Too many enthusiastic amateurs are willing to work for free. That is one of the reasons that I don't do outside video. Handy-Mount pays the same wages for far less wear and tear on my gear. The best professionals hold a variety of ratings. That is the only way to stay fully employed. For example: last week I dropped: static-line, IAD, first freefall, PFF and tandem students. I also repacked 29 reserves and sold a bunch of Handy-Mount videos. I admit to being a coward. I learned to sew so that I could hide behind a sewing machine when all the other jumpers are whining about the weather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
