KevinLizard 0 #1 January 23, 2008 Is it true pilot for jump plane earn $20 per hour? It must be good wage! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Unstable 9 #2 January 23, 2008 Wow. Generous Dropzone. We pay ours $5 a load, but they are club members. Even if they didn't fly, the would come out and bs with us all day. =========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KevinLizard 0 #3 January 23, 2008 That's mean pilot's responsible for pay a fuel too? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zing 2 #4 January 23, 2008 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh, that was a serious question? I meant, Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... etc.Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KevinLizard 0 #5 January 23, 2008 Yes, it's serious question about employee's wage. I want to take pilot course for jump plane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites asmund 0 #6 January 23, 2008 On a busy day in the Caravan I can make as much as $50/hour, but only for a few hours at a time, and not every day. So it comes out to half of the national poverty level wage.I like subway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Unstable 9 #7 January 23, 2008 Nah Man. We pay for Breakfast, lunch, dinner, fuel, and $5 per load. Like I said, we are a club man. It's not like anyone out there is trying to pay for their mortgage or their 3.4 kids.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KevinLizard 0 #8 January 23, 2008 $5 per a load? That's realllllly low wage for risk to fly a plane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Unstable 9 #9 January 23, 2008 Yeah, but we make it up with our fair share of high-fives and "Go get em, Tiger." We treat our pilots well, and we have never had a hard time finding good, experienced jump pilots fly for us. Because we are NOT a commercial operation, we have a lot of leeway.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AllisonH 0 #10 January 23, 2008 Last season our 182 pilot got $6/load and our Caravan pilot got $10/load. They did have some sort of arrangement for minimum pay on slow days (maybe equal to about 10 loads?) but I don't know enough about the details to say for sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #11 January 23, 2008 Better DZs pay a "show up" fee to pilots and instructors even if it rains all day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #12 January 23, 2008 Quote Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh, that was a serious question? I meant, Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... etc. Says Zing ~in retirement, while lounging by the pool at the mansion on his private island in the Bahamas. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #13 January 23, 2008 Jump pilot pay ranges from zero to the almost the same as a commuter pilot flying the same type of airplane. Most jump clubs pay their pilots zero. But everybody is happy because the pilot banks hours towards a real job. The best clubs provide pilots with lunch and a beer at the end of the day. Mind you, one time I had to threaten to shut down the airplane - in the middle of a busy Sunday - before anyone would bring me a sandwich. Tee! Hee! Commercial skydiving centers tend to pay near the bottom of the industry standard for pilots flying similar airplanes, just because they have learned the hard way that pilots who are only worth minimum wage tend to break airplanes. Turbine-engined airplanes are far too expensive to risk in the hands of minimum-wage pilots. Mind you, most jump pilots are paid by the hour/load and most jump pilots fly fewer hours per day and fewer days per week than a commuter pilot. Most jump pilots need daytime jobs to earn a living. Jump pilot is considered an entry-level job in the aviation business. Most entry-level jobs (in any industry) pay minimum wage. If you are a good jump pilot, you can use your jump pilot experience to step up the ladder to a real-paying job as a junior co-pilot with a commuter airline. For example, Pacific Skydivers routinely hires young commercial pilots (350 hours, multi-IFR, etc.) every spring. By the end of the season, they have twice that many hours (on single-engined Cessnas) and are ready to look for "real" jobs. One of our former pilots flies executive jets out of Texas. Another flies Dornier 328s on scheduled runs. Another flies light twins in Eastern Canada. Another flies King Airs in Northern Alberta. Last thing I heard, one of our former pilots was hired by LOT (Polish) Airlines. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 643 #14 January 23, 2008 If you tell us where you live, we can tell you which DZs pay the best wages. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites wildfan75 1 #15 January 23, 2008 Quote$5 per a load? That's realllllly low wage for risk to fly a plane. You'd then be really shocked to hear that my dz doesn't pay our pilots at all. Heck, we don't even pay our "coaches", we don't pay our packers to pack student rigs or to teach students to pack, and we don't even pay *gasp* manifest (who 90% of the time happens to be me). We are a non-profit club dz. Pilots are paid in the form of their "free flying" hours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites goobersnuftda 0 #16 January 23, 2008 Our club too pays $5/hr for our 182. The biggest thing to all pilots as was mentioned here is for them to gain flying hours. What this does is have them use our plane and it costs them nothing to fly (flying club is $180/hr to rent). Many of our pilots have used us to gain hours and have moved on to full time commercial work because of that. Many of our pilots are from the military as the training base for the air force pilots is just outside the city. One of the current Canadian Snowbirds aerobatic team was one of our old skydive pilots. A symbiotic realationship that benifits us all.....oh that is what symbiotic means :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #17 January 23, 2008 Just curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Andrewwhyte 1 #18 January 23, 2008 QuoteJust curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. Jumpship time is good because it is Pilot in Command. It usually is done within the framework of a corporate structure; this tends to indicate that there is pressure for efficiency as well as experienced oversight. It depends on where, but often the work includes flying in a variety of control environments not generally encountered during flying club rental flights. What it lacks is cross-country and poor weather experience and decision making. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #19 January 23, 2008 QuoteQuoteJust curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. Jumpship time is good because it is Pilot in Command. It usually is done within the framework of a corporate structure; this tends to indicate that there is pressure for efficiency as well as experienced oversight. It depends on where, but often the work includes flying in a variety of control environments not generally encountered during flying club rental flights. What it lacks is cross-country and poor weather experience and decision making. That's what I thought...their reasoning back then was that diverdrivers had a bit of a cowboy fandango image that corporate wouldn't like. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Andrewwhyte 1 #20 January 23, 2008 Quote That's what I thought...their reasoning back then was that diverdrivers had a bit of a cowboy fandango image that corporate wouldn't like. The two maintenance related 182 crashes in US last year probably don't help that image to be sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites FlyinDawg 0 #21 January 23, 2008 Quote. We are a non-profit club dz. non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane?Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog "To understand is to forgive, even oneself." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Andrewwhyte 1 #22 January 23, 2008 Quote non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane? Fuel is a cost; it comes out of revenues, what is left over is profit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites kallend 2,106 #23 January 24, 2008 QuoteQuote non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane? Fuel is a cost; it comes out of revenues, what is left over is profit. OT - I have worked for a not-for-profit for the past 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me the way many people don't have a clue what "not-for-profit" means.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites wildfan75 1 #24 January 24, 2008 We actually don't pay enough to pay for the fuel and maintenence of the airplanes. In the last two years, the plane's owner has taken about $30,000 out of his pocket to keep them running. I'm very appreciative that he's worked hard his entire life to be in the position to be able to do that for us, and continues to give to the sport instead of taking from it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jakee 1,563 #25 January 24, 2008 QuoteWe actually don't pay enough to pay for the fuel and maintenence of the airplanes. In the last two years, the plane's owner has taken about $30,000 out of his pocket to keep them running. I'm very appreciative that he's worked hard his entire life to be in the position to be able to do that for us, and continues to give to the sport instead of taking from it. Yikes. How long is he going to be able to keep doing that for?Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 1 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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Unstable 9 #2 January 23, 2008 Wow. Generous Dropzone. We pay ours $5 a load, but they are club members. Even if they didn't fly, the would come out and bs with us all day. =========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KevinLizard 0 #3 January 23, 2008 That's mean pilot's responsible for pay a fuel too? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zing 2 #4 January 23, 2008 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh, that was a serious question? I meant, Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... etc.Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KevinLizard 0 #5 January 23, 2008 Yes, it's serious question about employee's wage. I want to take pilot course for jump plane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
asmund 0 #6 January 23, 2008 On a busy day in the Caravan I can make as much as $50/hour, but only for a few hours at a time, and not every day. So it comes out to half of the national poverty level wage.I like subway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 9 #7 January 23, 2008 Nah Man. We pay for Breakfast, lunch, dinner, fuel, and $5 per load. Like I said, we are a club man. It's not like anyone out there is trying to pay for their mortgage or their 3.4 kids.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KevinLizard 0 #8 January 23, 2008 $5 per a load? That's realllllly low wage for risk to fly a plane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 9 #9 January 23, 2008 Yeah, but we make it up with our fair share of high-fives and "Go get em, Tiger." We treat our pilots well, and we have never had a hard time finding good, experienced jump pilots fly for us. Because we are NOT a commercial operation, we have a lot of leeway.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllisonH 0 #10 January 23, 2008 Last season our 182 pilot got $6/load and our Caravan pilot got $10/load. They did have some sort of arrangement for minimum pay on slow days (maybe equal to about 10 loads?) but I don't know enough about the details to say for sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #11 January 23, 2008 Better DZs pay a "show up" fee to pilots and instructors even if it rains all day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #12 January 23, 2008 Quote Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh, that was a serious question? I meant, Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... etc. Says Zing ~in retirement, while lounging by the pool at the mansion on his private island in the Bahamas. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #13 January 23, 2008 Jump pilot pay ranges from zero to the almost the same as a commuter pilot flying the same type of airplane. Most jump clubs pay their pilots zero. But everybody is happy because the pilot banks hours towards a real job. The best clubs provide pilots with lunch and a beer at the end of the day. Mind you, one time I had to threaten to shut down the airplane - in the middle of a busy Sunday - before anyone would bring me a sandwich. Tee! Hee! Commercial skydiving centers tend to pay near the bottom of the industry standard for pilots flying similar airplanes, just because they have learned the hard way that pilots who are only worth minimum wage tend to break airplanes. Turbine-engined airplanes are far too expensive to risk in the hands of minimum-wage pilots. Mind you, most jump pilots are paid by the hour/load and most jump pilots fly fewer hours per day and fewer days per week than a commuter pilot. Most jump pilots need daytime jobs to earn a living. Jump pilot is considered an entry-level job in the aviation business. Most entry-level jobs (in any industry) pay minimum wage. If you are a good jump pilot, you can use your jump pilot experience to step up the ladder to a real-paying job as a junior co-pilot with a commuter airline. For example, Pacific Skydivers routinely hires young commercial pilots (350 hours, multi-IFR, etc.) every spring. By the end of the season, they have twice that many hours (on single-engined Cessnas) and are ready to look for "real" jobs. One of our former pilots flies executive jets out of Texas. Another flies Dornier 328s on scheduled runs. Another flies light twins in Eastern Canada. Another flies King Airs in Northern Alberta. Last thing I heard, one of our former pilots was hired by LOT (Polish) Airlines. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #14 January 23, 2008 If you tell us where you live, we can tell you which DZs pay the best wages. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildfan75 1 #15 January 23, 2008 Quote$5 per a load? That's realllllly low wage for risk to fly a plane. You'd then be really shocked to hear that my dz doesn't pay our pilots at all. Heck, we don't even pay our "coaches", we don't pay our packers to pack student rigs or to teach students to pack, and we don't even pay *gasp* manifest (who 90% of the time happens to be me). We are a non-profit club dz. Pilots are paid in the form of their "free flying" hours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goobersnuftda 0 #16 January 23, 2008 Our club too pays $5/hr for our 182. The biggest thing to all pilots as was mentioned here is for them to gain flying hours. What this does is have them use our plane and it costs them nothing to fly (flying club is $180/hr to rent). Many of our pilots have used us to gain hours and have moved on to full time commercial work because of that. Many of our pilots are from the military as the training base for the air force pilots is just outside the city. One of the current Canadian Snowbirds aerobatic team was one of our old skydive pilots. A symbiotic realationship that benifits us all.....oh that is what symbiotic means :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #17 January 23, 2008 Just curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #18 January 23, 2008 QuoteJust curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. Jumpship time is good because it is Pilot in Command. It usually is done within the framework of a corporate structure; this tends to indicate that there is pressure for efficiency as well as experienced oversight. It depends on where, but often the work includes flying in a variety of control environments not generally encountered during flying club rental flights. What it lacks is cross-country and poor weather experience and decision making. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #19 January 23, 2008 QuoteQuoteJust curious...when looking for a 'real job', would the time flying jumpers be considered a good thing? I know years ago some jump ship driver friends would list the hours on a resume...but not 'what' they did to get the hours. Jumpship time is good because it is Pilot in Command. It usually is done within the framework of a corporate structure; this tends to indicate that there is pressure for efficiency as well as experienced oversight. It depends on where, but often the work includes flying in a variety of control environments not generally encountered during flying club rental flights. What it lacks is cross-country and poor weather experience and decision making. That's what I thought...their reasoning back then was that diverdrivers had a bit of a cowboy fandango image that corporate wouldn't like. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #20 January 23, 2008 Quote That's what I thought...their reasoning back then was that diverdrivers had a bit of a cowboy fandango image that corporate wouldn't like. The two maintenance related 182 crashes in US last year probably don't help that image to be sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyinDawg 0 #21 January 23, 2008 Quote. We are a non-profit club dz. non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane?Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog "To understand is to forgive, even oneself." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #22 January 23, 2008 Quote non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane? Fuel is a cost; it comes out of revenues, what is left over is profit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,106 #23 January 24, 2008 QuoteQuote non-profit? Then how can you afford to pay fuel for a plane? Fuel is a cost; it comes out of revenues, what is left over is profit. OT - I have worked for a not-for-profit for the past 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me the way many people don't have a clue what "not-for-profit" means.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildfan75 1 #24 January 24, 2008 We actually don't pay enough to pay for the fuel and maintenence of the airplanes. In the last two years, the plane's owner has taken about $30,000 out of his pocket to keep them running. I'm very appreciative that he's worked hard his entire life to be in the position to be able to do that for us, and continues to give to the sport instead of taking from it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,563 #25 January 24, 2008 QuoteWe actually don't pay enough to pay for the fuel and maintenence of the airplanes. In the last two years, the plane's owner has taken about $30,000 out of his pocket to keep them running. I'm very appreciative that he's worked hard his entire life to be in the position to be able to do that for us, and continues to give to the sport instead of taking from it. Yikes. How long is he going to be able to keep doing that for?Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
