Working abroad + skydiving

[jrh 0]

I've come to the realization recently that I want to spend a year living abroad. The factors of time, money, job, family connections, and many other things have come together to make such an adventure possible.

I've decided that during a year outside the States, I absolutely must have access to a dropzone that has a good bunch of active fun jumpers...something more than a tandem mill for sure.

I'm not picky about the size or aircraft at the DZ. If it's a 182 DZ, that's fine with me as long as it has decent weather and fun jumpers. I don't really care about climate, aside from the fact that I don't want to endure a long, hard winter (Canada, Russia, etc.).

The question I have is, where should I go? My roommate spent a year working as an ESL teacher in and recommended the Czech Republic. Another mountain climber friend suggested going to New Zealand. Yet another friend suggested heading south to Belize, Nicaragua, or Panama.

I'm open to anywhere I can find at least part time work so I don't burn through all my savings supporting myself for a year. I'd love to work at a DZ, but I don't qualify for the jumping jobs (no instructional ratings or camera flying qualifications, although I hope to become a coach before leaving on this trip) and it's usually difficult to work as a pilot abroad because of legal hurdles with the governments (although I'm an FAA licensed pilot, 3000+ hours, and jump pilot experience). Therefore I'm thinking I'd work as something like an ESL tutor, hotel front desk clerk, etc. and jump on the weekends.

If you were me, where would you go? What resources are out there to start planning something of this nature? Googling the topic is overwhelming and I barely know where to start.

I'd like to leave the US this January and spend most of 2012 wherever I end up going. So I have plenty of time to make plans, connections, file paperwork, pile extra cash into savings, and so on.

[jumpsalot-2 3]

Do you speak any language other than english ?

Life is short ... jump often.

[jrh 0]

Quote

Do you speak any language other than english ?

Not really. I have a very basic understanding of Spanish, but I'm far from fluent. I can read it well enough to get the general idea of say, a newspaper story, but don't speak it well. I'm not able to carry on a conversation.

That's one of the reasons I'm attracted to living abroad for a year. I know I'm weak with languages and I'd like to pick up a deeper knowledge of one, regardless of which one it is.

[jumpsalot-2 3]

How about Brazil ? ( Portuguese ). Tourists ( work ), skydiving, topless women at the beach.......sounds great.

Life is short ... jump often.

[jrh 0]

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How about Brazil ? ( Portuguese ). Tourists ( work ), skydiving, topless women at the beach.......sounds great.

I would definitely be open to it. Do you have any further advice? Know anyone who's done something similar in Brazil?

[JerryBaumchen 1,372]

Hi jrh,

Quote

skydiving, topless women at the beach

I've been to the beach & the two major dropzones in Brazil. The dz's are a looonnng way from the beach.



JerryBaumchen

[riggerrob 643]

Who did you impregnate?
Hah!
Hah!

I applaud your desire to improve your language skills. That makes you brighter than 90 percent of Americans!
Hah!
Hah!
The only way to learn a language is to listen to it for thousands for hours , study it a bit in a classroom, then go out and practice for a few thousand hours.

Start by limiting your search to first-world nations that have serious sport-jumping communities.

I have jumped in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Puerto Rico and the USA.

Most European Union countries have decent skydiving, but South Africa (and maybe Namibia) are the only African countries with significant skydiving.

Forget about jumping in Krea or Taiwan, as they have almost no sport aviation. Japan may allow sport flying, but their airspace is so crowded, you have a snowball's chance in hell of staying current.

[airtwardo 7]

The only way to learn a language is to listen to it for thousands for hours , study it a bit in a classroom, then go out and practice for a few thousand hours.

[dirtbox 0]

The thing with being an ESL teacher is this - you can make awesome money in countries with little in the way of sports or you can make a little money in countries with a lot of awesome sports.

Poland is my next stop, after a year of holidays in the States/Canada, as it is the best place for teaching English legally (head east for a visa in Poland, further west you are the less likely you will get a work visa) as it is the best pick for skydiving and an income to support it.

I have just finished a second year in South Korea and other than a few jumps in Seoul at $80 a pop and a 2 week stint in Thailand my rig has mostly sat in its bag. I could stay here longer (I have a fantastic job and earn a lot more than the average cat with a lot more holidays) but the lack of cycling and skydiving have pushed me to leave.

Basic breakdown is

Korea/Japan - 2,000-3500 USD/month + housing + health
Rest of Asia tends to pay poorly but there are a few gems if you can find them.
S. America (Argentina/Porto Rica) ~800USD/Month + nothing
Western Europe - Pay = to cost of living (varies greatly but is = to the cost of living in the Area).
Eastern Europe - ~1200 USD month (~30% greater than cost of living) + nothing
Middle East ~ 3500USD month (need a fair bit of experience) not tax + housing and good holidays.

Now do a dropzone search for those areas and Poland Czech look the best (you earn enough to jump and you can get to a dropzone)

Good luck,

Dave

[Andy9o8 2]

Don't forget that many other countries' immigration and visa laws affect your ability to legally work in that country. Going to a country on a tourist or student visa might not necessarily give you the right to legally work at a DZ in that country. Don't presume that this will all be winked at, either. Do all (and I mean all) your homework in advance; and be careful: if you're charged with violating another country's laws, there's very little the US can do about it, especially while you're on non-US soil.

[pincheck 0]

Quote

I've come to the realization recently that I want to spend a year living abroad. The factors of time, money, job, family connections, and many other things have come together to make such an adventure possible.

I've decided that during a year outside the States, I absolutely must have access to a dropzone that has a good bunch of active fun jumpers...something more than a tandem mill for sure.

I'm not picky about the size or aircraft at the DZ. If it's a 182 DZ, that's fine with me as long as it has decent weather and fun jumpers. I don't really care about climate, aside from the fact that I don't want to endure a long, hard winter (Canada, Russia, etc.).

The question I have is, where should I go? My roommate spent a year working as an ESL teacher in and recommended the Czech Republic. Another mountain climber friend suggested going to New Zealand. Yet another friend suggested heading south to Belize, Nicaragua, or Panama.

I'm open to anywhere I can find at least part time work so I don't burn through all my savings supporting myself for a year. I'd love to work at a DZ, but I don't qualify for the jumping jobs (no instructional ratings or camera flying qualifications, although I hope to become a coach before leaving on this trip) and it's usually difficult to work as a pilot abroad because of legal hurdles with the governments (although I'm an FAA licensed pilot, 3000+ hours, and jump pilot experience). Therefore I'm thinking I'd work as something like an ESL tutor, hotel front desk clerk, etc. and jump on the weekends.

If you were me, where would you go? What resources are out there to start planning something of this nature? Googling the topic is overwhelming and I barely know where to start.

I'd like to leave the US this January and spend most of 2012 wherever I end up going. So I have plenty of time to make plans, connections, file paperwork, pile extra cash into savings, and so on.

could try England they occasionally speak this English you speak off but better going to the others ones wales Scotland Ireland better English there

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[jrh 0]

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Don't forget that many other countries' immigration and visa laws affect your ability to legally work in that country. Going to a country on a tourist or student visa might not necessarily give you the right to legally work at a DZ in that country. Don't presume that this will all be winked at, either. Do all (and I mean all) your homework in advance; and be careful: if you're charged with violating another country's laws, there's very little the US can do about it, especially while you're on non-US soil.

For sure. I've seen enough of Nat Geo's "Locked Up Abroad" to know better. That's why I'm starting the ball rolling now, six months before I want to actually step in to the country.

I think I'll focus my research on the Czech Republic and Puerto Rico. Those two seem like the most promising for what I'm wanting.