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dragon2 2
Reality check: in Norway, I very much doubt you could make a living of being an skydiving instructor.
Basically, if you want to make a job out of skydiving rather than just a hobby, you want to be multi-rated. So we're talking staticline jumpmaster, AFF instructor, tandemmaster and preferable video and even rigging as well. This wil set you back oh EUR 30.000 or so. Might be (much) more in Norway.
Then, 1000+ jumps down the road, you need to get those jumps in where you're actualy getting paid. That means you need good weather year round, plus customers. That wouldn't work in most countries in Europe, you'd need to go jump in NZ or California or similar to make some money off jumping.
If you want to make some money off skydiving, becoming a packer might be your best bet 
For now , just start jumping and be prepared for it to cost you half your free time and half your salary in return for a whole lot of fun 
ciel bleu,
Saskia
Deelay 0
Stop assuming... I never said how to or if I want to make money out of it... in Norway or any other country.
I have a businessidea, but I never said how I will use this certification.
The only thing I wanted was ideas and suggestion on how to become an instructor and how long time it will take...
But now I got the answer and thx so much for that!
I have a businessidea, but I never said how I will use this certification.
The only thing I wanted was ideas and suggestion on how to become an instructor and how long time it will take...
But now I got the answer and thx so much for that!
rehmwa 2
In today's world, I'm not a big fan of people becoming instructors with less than a 1000 or 2000 jumps.
1 - big DZs and big airplanes takes away a LOT of the personal responsibility that jumpers had when they needed to spot, mix it up with various skills, help newbies because they had to, work with the pilots, hang out and get to know the experienced people and why they survived
2 - So many skip becoming VERY proficient in belly work and focus on single disciplines that aren't as useful for teaching - and the attitudes that go with it
3 - people go to "Coaching" early for the jump credit and pay instead of because they love "coaching"
4 - skipping early to go-pros, skipping early to small canopies, I think maturing (attitude, not mechanical proficiency) in this sport takes a LOT longer than it used to {{maybe this is just the summary of my points}}
5 - there are so many disciplines, a good instructor should really be familiar with multiple disciplines - (good at a discipline is like 1000 jumps dedicated - EACH)
6 - tunnels get people skilled faster, but that doesn't shorten the experience one gets over time
7 - short exposure to watching new people learn means you tend to teach from only your own experience - this is short sighted, people make the same mistakes for different reasons. If you only have experience with one cause, you do a disservice to a student that is having his problem for a totally different reason than you did.
I sound like an old timer, but, frankly, I love the tunnel, I am proficient in multiple disciplines, I do love to teach, I do love to surf my canopy.
and I do think the best way to be a good instructor that actually understands and cares about teaching just plain can't really be done "fast" - it takes numbers, it also takes years - and, actually once you get a rating, your learning curve just starts (as I'm learning)
of course, if one just wants to be a cookie cutter instructor and chunk out customers on the production line, then you can likely get there in a year or two if you push it. Just follow the progression.
...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants
1 - big DZs and big airplanes takes away a LOT of the personal responsibility that jumpers had when they needed to spot, mix it up with various skills, help newbies because they had to, work with the pilots, hang out and get to know the experienced people and why they survived
2 - So many skip becoming VERY proficient in belly work and focus on single disciplines that aren't as useful for teaching - and the attitudes that go with it
3 - people go to "Coaching" early for the jump credit and pay instead of because they love "coaching"
4 - skipping early to go-pros, skipping early to small canopies, I think maturing (attitude, not mechanical proficiency) in this sport takes a LOT longer than it used to {{maybe this is just the summary of my points}}
5 - there are so many disciplines, a good instructor should really be familiar with multiple disciplines - (good at a discipline is like 1000 jumps dedicated - EACH)
6 - tunnels get people skilled faster, but that doesn't shorten the experience one gets over time
7 - short exposure to watching new people learn means you tend to teach from only your own experience - this is short sighted, people make the same mistakes for different reasons. If you only have experience with one cause, you do a disservice to a student that is having his problem for a totally different reason than you did.
I sound like an old timer, but, frankly, I love the tunnel, I am proficient in multiple disciplines, I do love to teach, I do love to surf my canopy.
and I do think the best way to be a good instructor that actually understands and cares about teaching just plain can't really be done "fast" - it takes numbers, it also takes years - and, actually once you get a rating, your learning curve just starts (as I'm learning)
of course, if one just wants to be a cookie cutter instructor and chunk out customers on the production line, then you can likely get there in a year or two if you push it. Just follow the progression.
...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants
Best way to become a GOOD instructor-
Get a real job
Make lots of money
Teach something for a few years
Do a bunch of skydives
Do a bunch more skydives
Then do it if you truly love teaching and like skydiving
Fastest way to become AN instructor-
Get a real job
Make lots of money
Spend it on skydives and tunnel time
Get a rating and instruct until you burn out or get kicked out
There are many other ways, and most of us probably used other ways. These are the best and fastest.
If you're doing it for the money-don't.
If you have a business idea-be the manager, not the labor.
If you want to make money-go to school and get a real job.
If you have to ask-well...if you don't know how to do research and find your own answers and resort to an internet forum to ask questions that can be solved by a simple search...
Get a real job
Make lots of money
Teach something for a few years
Do a bunch of skydives
Do a bunch more skydives
Then do it if you truly love teaching and like skydiving
Fastest way to become AN instructor-
Get a real job
Make lots of money
Spend it on skydives and tunnel time
Get a rating and instruct until you burn out or get kicked out
There are many other ways, and most of us probably used other ways. These are the best and fastest.
If you're doing it for the money-don't.
If you have a business idea-be the manager, not the labor.
If you want to make money-go to school and get a real job.
If you have to ask-well...if you don't know how to do research and find your own answers and resort to an internet forum to ask questions that can be solved by a simple search...
wmw999 2,444
I believe there's a program in New Zealand that takes you through the paces all the way to being an instructor.
But I agree with everything everyone else said, too. There are things that exposure teaches, not book learning.
Wendy P.
But I agree with everything everyone else said, too. There are things that exposure teaches, not book learning.
Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)
Andy9o8 2
QuoteIn today's world, I'm not a big fan of people becoming instructors with less than a 1000 or 2000 jumps.
I don't disagree with you, especially at turbine DZs where "the regulars" can make a lot of jumps per year. But I think you'll agree that are still a lot of smaller, one-Cessna DZs, where a lot fewer jumps per year are made (especially up North), where out of necessity they "grow" their instructor staff by nurturing their students to stay and be regulars, and their regulars to stay through attaining their D licenses; and then once they get their Ds, they turn them into instructors. For those type of DZs, waiting until people accrue about 1,000 jumps until they become instructors just might not be practical.
cpoxon 0
wmw999 2,444
Thanks for the clarification; that's what I get for posting without actually researching.
Wendy P.
Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)
This is true, but every jumper planning to make more than one more jump shares the goal making their next jump a safe one.
What I'm suggesting is that becoming an instrucor is the end of a long journey with many challenges along the way. Don't downplay the journey, it's all part of the experiences that 'create' a skydiving instructor.
You'll have a better chance for success (and fun) if you reign in your goals a little, and focus on something you could accomplish in the next 6 to 10 months. Do the work, and make the jumps, and the experience and skill will appear on it's own.
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