Giving up your life to skydive full-time

[Skylark 0]

How many people here have managed it and how did you do it? How does one skydive professionaly? Surely one would need several hundred jumps before being taken on as, say, a camera flyer and lots of training to become a jumpmaster.....how does one do that when they have a full time job etc?

"Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

[skybytch 273]

Giving up your life? Not at all. Giving up a solid, reliable income - yes. That's the sticking point for most people.

If you think you want to do it, start packing and working toward a riggers ticket. Get a coach rating (or equivalent). As soon as you reach the experience level for the next instructional rating go get it. Start flying camera at 200 jumps or so too.

The more things you are capable of doing the more likely you are to be able to make a livable wage. If you want to do it full time, plan to move to where they jump year round (if you don't already live in one of those areas). You'll get more work, and therefore make more money, if you can get on at a larger dz.

Getting the experience when you have a full time job... be out at the dz every weekend and vacation day. Make it your life on your off days before you make it your life for real.

[Tonto 1]

Perfect advice from Skybytch!

You need to be hungry. Start packing now, and learn as much as you can from anyone (you respect) who will teach you. Coach, then Camera then Tandem, then AFF. Add a SL or IAD rating in there if you're at a smaller DZ now. Travel. Go to boogies, make friends - they're the best contacts. Work hard, and it'll work out. When it does, you may be hungry somedays, but the other days will be the envy of the rest of the planet, and you will smile long after sunset. Never stop learning. Add a riggers ticket and a pilots licence if the oportunity presents itself. Good luck!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

I must also add that the opportunities for such an existance are few and far between on these misty isles, so you may want to include manifest work, general handy man type duties, toilet cleaning, working in the bar/canteen etc etc.
Oh, and consider a move to the US.

Yup Tonto I am stalking you!

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

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

[kansasskydiver 0]

hahah haven't you seen the movie cutaway lol

blue 's

[riggerrob 643]

Did that 11 years ago.
Skybytch is right. Get a rigger rating as soon as you can. I have earned more money rigging than with all my instructor ratings combined. Over the winter I keep busy sewing and packing while the rest of the staff search for "real" jobs.
And the more ratings you have the merrier. I do IAD, PFF, tandem and coaching. I used to fly the plane and am now studying for my commercial pilot license so I can get back in the pilot's seat.
About the only thing I have not done professionally is video. My DZ is short of videographers AGAIN, so I am trying to convince them to go with wrist-mounted video, but if that fails, will strap a camera on my head.
Develop a reputation for hard work and calm professionalism. Earn a reputation for being the guy who ensures there are enough parachutes packed for the first load tomorrow morning, before you start partying. Set your standards high and don't back down. Sure it means that you will lose some work, but in the long run people will respect you. Let the loud-mouths spout off all they want. In the long run the money goes to those who work the hardest.

Oh and keep your daytime job until you own two rigs, a camera, a camper trailer and multiple instructor ratings.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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My DZ is short of videographers

That's surprising!!! My DZ must have at least 1/2 dozen regular tandem videographers with several more trying to break into the business (not counting all us crazy freefliers who jump camera as well). I'm still 2 years away and 270 jumps away from being able to fly tandems, but that's something I could see myself doing down the road (as well as being a videographer). I understand the need to become a rigger, but I'm not sure I'm the right sort of person to do such a job. But I am detailed oriented with my software development career (which I'm ignoring at the moment). So maybe I could become a rigger? I don't need the money made from packing in order to jump. But lately I have been thinking that maybe I should become a part-time packer as it could always come in handy if I was to find myself cutaway from my whuffo computer career and living on a DZ. And like riggerrob, I am also a licensed pilot and could pursue that aspect of the business if I was to become commercially rated. If only I had my three years in the sport and 500+ jumps, then I'd be tempted to cutaway now.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[rmsmith 1]

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How many people here have managed it and how did you do it? How does one skydive professionaly? Surely one would need several hundred jumps before being taken on as, say, a camera flyer and lots of training to become a jumpmaster.....how does one do that when they have a full time job etc?

What will you do for health insurance should you break your legs? How about keeping all of your teeth in good shape? You don't want the general public to be your benefactor do you? These and other questions are real life issues, so think it over carefully.

[dsbbreck 0]

Steve,

I don't think anyone wants you to pack for them after that slammer of an opening you had last weekend.

And Mile Hi still needs Video guys. The ones we have can't alway commit and no one is able to work weekdays.

David

"Socrates wasn't killed because he had the answer.......he was killed because he asked the question."

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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I don't think anyone wants you to pack for them after that slammer of an opening you had last weekend.

I don't blame them, I was very leary about making that last jump on Sunday.

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And Mile Hi still needs Video guys. The ones we have can't alway commit and no one is able to work weekdays.

Damm ... I wish I was more experienced.

Hey Dave, what time should I show up for the night jumps on Friday? I'll be sure to bring some beer as it will be my first night jumps.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[skybytch 273]

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so you may want to include manifest work, general handy man type duties, toilet cleaning, working in the bar/canteen etc etc.

Oh, and don't forget the dirtiest job in skydiving.... gear sales...

[dsbbreck 0]

Blow off work and come jump all day on Friday.

I'd be at the DZ by 7:30pm though.

David

"Socrates wasn't killed because he had the answer.......he was killed because he asked the question."

[SkySlut 0]

Along with everyone else's advice...I will give you this.

In order to make it you need at least one or more of these values:

1) Be extremely motivated-enough to live in a tent and eat pasta everyday for a year or more.
2) Be extremely talented-if you arent, get coaching to get your skills up to par.
3) Be independantly wealthy-be ready to deplete that to support yourself for a while.
4) Date or marry someone who is wealthy or can at least pay the bills and is EXTREMELY understanding and supportive. (I am not going to give tips on how to get that attribute)
5) Be Lucky-Be in the right place at the right time and grab those opportunities once they present themselves.

I did my first AFF jump July 1st 2000. I started getting paid to coach about the same time a year later, got my AFF rating January 2002. I have worked in gear stores/manifest, etc. I have been a fulltime skydiver for almost 2 years now. I think that I have posessed all the qualities above to get me where I am today. I still have a long way to go too. Good luck!!!

[CrazyIvan 0]

1) Be extremely motivated-enough to live in a tent and eat pasta everyday for a year or more.

I'm single, no girfriend, at the present time, I'm waiting for my brand new rig, that's expensive, my current diet is Crackers and Cup O' Noodles, therefore, no problem eating pasta everyday, living in a tent? COOL, no 'cleaning house' day.


2) Be extremely talented-if you arent, get coaching to get your skills up to par.

I'm getting there, I'm still new and learning, but, I know I have what it takes.


3) Be independantly wealthy-be ready to deplete that to support yourself for a while.

I'm single (like I said), I make decent money, I have a few cents saved, getting 'side jobs' is no problem (I do that sometimes)

4) Date or marry someone who is wealthy or can at least pay the bills and is EXTREMELY understanding and supportive. (I am not going to give tips on how to get that attribute)

I'm not the 'marrying' type, but you never know, also, I like to pay my bills and not to depend on someone else.

5) Be Lucky-Be in the right place at the right time and grab those opportunities once they present themselves.

I have those lucky strikes sometimes.

Conclusion: I think I can make it. what do you think?

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[BenGriffiths 0]

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1) Be extremely motivated-enough to live in a tent and eat pasta everyday for a year or more.

No Problems there!!!!!

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2) Be extremely talented-if you arent, get coaching to get your skills up to par.

Not enough jumps to have truly evaluated my talent

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3) Be independantly wealthy-be ready to deplete that to support yourself for a while.

Ahhh - Major sticking problem - Might have to drop the Pasta and start on Baked Beans (Hey at least it'll make the plane more spacious when no-one else will fly with me)

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4) Date or marry someone who is wealthy or can at least pay the bills and is EXTREMELY understanding and supportive.

Happily do that - but not married yet

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5) Be Lucky-Be in the right place at the right time and grab those opportunities once they present themselves.

Never been a lucking sort of fellow. Although I did win £8 on the horses today
Ah well I can dream anyway

----------
Ben G
Still Sinking :-(

[DaGimp 0]

  Quote

How many people here have managed it and how did you do it? How does one skydive professionaly? Surely one would need several hundred jumps before being taken on as, say, a camera flyer and lots of training to become a jumpmaster.....how does one do that when they have a full time job etc?

or you can just rob some millionare and be set.

"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas

[billvon 3,075]

Also be aware that it may not be all you think it will be. I used to work at a DZ 2-3 days a week; 5-6 student jumps a day, teaching the FJC etc. I was actually making decent money at it. I considered quitting my job for a while and have Amy support me while I just jumped (in case I couldn't make enough from jumping.)

I'm glad I didn't. I got burned out on tandems first. Hauling a steady stream of paying customers up and down through the sky all day got old pretty fast for me. Hello, how you doing, do that arch thing and don't touch anything, did you like it? see you later. All day long.

I still liked AFF (and I really liked teaching) but it got to the point where that's all I ever did. I started getting to work and looking around at the students with something like dread. Uh oh, the sweaty guy who always grabs me in freefall - and I know I'm going to be with him all day again, because he's going to have to repeat three jumps.

And shortly after that I realized that I was considering my weekends as "going to work." It was fun for a few thousand jumps, but for me, that was more than enough.

But maybe that's a good way to approach it. Get all the ratings and become invaluable at your DZ. Do that for a few years; make thousands of jumps, get paid a little, and have fun. When you finally do get burned out (if and when it does happen) you can always go back to the real world - but at that point you'll have a few thousand jumps and some good stories.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

That's a good story Bill and I think the moral of the story is that we can get burnt out at any job that we do (no mistake in that working at a DZ is a job). I was a volunteer ski patroller for three years and a pro ski patroller at Lake Louise for another year. So when I wasn't assigned hut duty, I purposely avoided the accident prone runs because I didn't want to deal with that aspect of the job. I knew with that bad attitude I developed in my last year (burn out), it was time to stop. I miss the skiing aspect of the job, but I don't miss the carnage.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[CrazyIvan 0]

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the moral of the story is that we can get burnt out at any job

That's absolutely true, you need to 'escape' from time to time, I love computers and technology (I've been in this business around 20 years) but when you realize is a 'job' things change, that's the reason why I'm a skydiver.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[DaGimp 0]

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I think the moral of the story is that we can get burnt out at any job that we do

I also agree, i tried to turn skydiving into a job and it did feel more like work then fun but i think its one job that i would enjoy doing more then the rest.

"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas

[SkySlut 0]

Yeah, sometimes it can feel like a job, but then I think back to when I had a real job wearing a suit and tie, kissing ass to customers and bosses that didnt know their ass from their elbow and then I get a grip on myself and a big grin on my face. I have the best office in the world!!! So many people would kill to have my job, I finally got to where I wanted to be...I feel really stupid sometimes about bitching about it. Out of all the things in the world, what would I rather be doing for a job??? This. I agree people get burned out and its unfortunate for the student, the sport and the instructor...everything is good in excess moderation I guess.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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Yeah, sometimes it can feel like a job, but then I think back to when I had a real job wearing a suit and tie, kissing ass to customers and bosses that didnt know their ass from their elbow and then I get a grip on myself and a big grin on my face. I have the best office in the world!!! So many people would kill to have my job, I finally got to where I wanted to be...I feel really stupid sometimes about bitching about it. Out of all the things in the world, what would I rather be doing for a job??? This. I agree people get burned out and its unfortunate for the student, the sport and the instructor...everything is good in excess moderation I guess.

I have fond memories of going up the chair lift on a sunny weekday morning thinking to myself that I could be stuck in an office in front of a computer (LOL ... like I am now), but I wasn't and I would then decide what run to ski down. But what attributed to my ski patrol burn out was two fold. First off many of my friends who I patrolled with quit the year before my last year and the politics of the patrol ate at me. Dealing with accidents was serious business (and I took it serious when I dealt with them), but ultimately I was there to have fun. Of course as a pro patroller I got paid shit ($7/hr) and spent way more money on gear, food, accommodations and beer than I ever made. So when I look back I couldn't keep working as a full-time patroller. But I'm sad to say that the politics drove me away from the volunteer job. Of course if I was still a volunteer ski patroller, I likely wouldn't be in CO and likely wouldn't be a skydiver. So it's all good.

But I can see where Bill was coming from in terms of dealing with tandems day in and and day out. I've seen it with some of the full-time tandem masters at my DZ. If you were lucky enough to be their passenger in the morning, you got a nice experience. But if you were a passenger at the end of the day when the TM was tired, you were just along for the ride.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[billvon 3,075]

>Yeah, sometimes it can feel like a job, but then I think back to when
> I had a real job wearing a suit and tie, kissing ass to customers and
> bosses that didnt know their ass from their elbow and then I get a
> grip on myself and a big grin on my face.

I guess it's all in what you do. I have a 'real' job now but I can pretty much do whatever I want, wear whatever I want etc as long as our team does their jobs. There have been some lows in this job (being on the fifth consecutive cancelled phone project) but also some real highs - last year I flew all over the world in a company jet to demo a system I designed for homeland security.

I think I might feel the same way you do, though, if I had to wear a suit and be nice to customers. I knew that years ago and managed to avoid that fate.

[slayer21016 2]

I started working at my DZ when i had 13 jumps packing on the weekends. the next year i started working full time at my DZ after a falling out with the company i was working for and i needed to eat. i was lucky because there was not allot of people working there at the time so i was able to make enough to get by. i got my tandem rating and my aif jumpmaster cert when i hit 500 jumps and that really helped with the income and now i was able to travel to warmer climates during the winter and keep on skydiving. but then i had to go and buy a house last year and had to get a real job to pay the mortgage i now have.

But to work full time means giving up allot i worked full time because i love to skydive and i was generally broke all of the time but i was happy. I'm not happy right now because i can't work full time skydiving.

And your not giving up your life your just taking it in a different direction.

Good luck if you make that choice.

[gatorbait 1]

This is something that has been the topic of alot of discussion between my husband & I ever since I started jumping too. We have a small screen-printing business dedicated to skydiving apparel that is our main staple, my husband is REAL close to his coach rating. Our big issue is that we have 4 kids all 7 & under. What we have disscussed is selling our house & our truck & getting a nice motor home. They are several big ones that would accomodate us just fine & all of our screen-printing equipment is portabel so we could keep doing that out of a storage facility close-by. I would like to see what ya'lls opinion is on this. If you think it would be hard on the kids or so on. But I would love to do it.