I realize this thread has been stagnant for quite a while but just incase any other pilot or jumper reads this mess I might as well add my 2 cents.
Any pilot worth his ballast in the cockpit is worth the same on the ledger at the end of the day PERIOD! Based on your investment to become a hot shot jump pilot your pay should reflect it. I myself am sitting on over 80k in debt with a Bachelors, and living on McDonald’s wages. So yeah I’m a hypocrite but let me explain before you hang me high.
If you have been in this business for any amount of time you should have figured out that you will never meet a wealthy full-time jump pilot (The margins are just too thin). I myself have struggled with sub-standard wages and tardy payments. Compromises have to be made to get the hours you need or even just to pay the rent so you can party all week.
Currently, I still take a bit less then I should, but for good reason. The equipment I fly is hands down the best piece of aluminum graced with hauling meat to altitude. Never have I seen better maintenance, logs, operational procedures, and onboard equipment. For this reason I accept a few bucks less and make an idiotic commute.
That being said, it is wise for the DZO to pay to protect his baby. How does that affect safety? Well Mr. Jumper-man….At 250 feet and wheels up do you want your pilot thinking about how he’s going to make his car payment or noticing the signs of an imminent engine failure? Yeah that’s what I thought!
Both sides of this ongoing debate have merit in one context… to NEVER fly sub-standard equipment. This is quite hypocritical based on where and what I was flying to begin with but having a sibling pursue the same career I barred him from calling that DZ.
Remember it’s not just your ticket, it’s your life! And come on…not one of my pilot peers wearing a monkey suit gets Double D’s slapped in his face for an extra 1,000 feet, so write that on your 1099! "There is no problem so complex that it can not simply be blamed on the pilot" - Dr. Earl Weiner
