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Bennef

Diploma in Commercial Skydiving, NZ, skydivingnz

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I hope people are paying attention so they don't repeat the right royal fuckup you clowns in NZ have made of the sport there.



corporate greed is a real everywhere in the world, New Zealands currnet situation is simply in a bump in the road. The 10's of millions of dollars the dz owners have made from the growth of adventure tourism in New Zealand is a very real part of the problem and a part of the solution also.

Over time the sport will win, the dzo owners got greedy and the sport has lost out in the short term, over time however things will change, that I can assure you. It will take time but sport sydiving in New Zealand will become stronger than it has ever been before over the coming years.

Adventure tourism is a high percentage of NZ's GDP. tandem factories grew at a much higher percentage than sport skydiving over the past 2 decades, the sport is simply lagging behind. slowly but surely...

We don't have litigation like most places so at least there is a proponent that is positive in relation to the rest of the world.

you'll see!
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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Do you really think sport skydiving will win in Nz on business skydiving?
To be honest I dont think so, too few dz owners are welcoming sporty and the only reason they would accept more sporty is if they have slots left in the plane, which is not happening.

The issue is that NZ want to developp a highly professional skydiving field and make a clear line between sport and business (which for many reason make sense in today world fuckedup philosophy).
Lets face it if there is a sport scene in NZ it is because there are skydivers that want to have fun after work...

Back to the school : I still did not get the licence from them, and from the latest update I got you definitely don't want to go there!

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Its an expensive experience as well, very expensive!


so how much did you pay for your;

AFF
A License
B Licence
gear rental
and first 200 jumps?

How long did it take you and were you employable shortly afterwards as a commercial skydiver at a DZ where you could progress on to make a good living?

expensive is in the eye of the beholder.

If you are a half empty type with no desire to excell, then yes it will be an expensive experience, but if you have desire, aptitude, common sense and a hint of professionalism, it is expensive not to, as a skydiver.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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You forgot to add in travel, accomodation, flights etc, which are not usually incurred at your home dropzone.

So given the current currency conversions it is an expensive option for overseas students.

Nothing to do with drive and determination to succeed.
Journey not destination.....

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You forgot to add in travel, accomodation, flights etc, which are not usually incurred at your home dropzone.



Too true, I also failed to mention that if you are from the UK or Australia you can also get student loans to do it, and I beleive (don't quote me) that Austalians get a subsidy from thier government as do New Zealanders.

the NZ government paid for half of my course which equated to NZ$7k at the time, the other half I had to pay back later.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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Who is the Part 149 organiation that issues the licenses? I'm not sure if ParaNZ still exists or not. A few weeks ago I heard that ParaNZ had thrown it's toys out of the cot. I have since heard that it is now back on the playing field. Anyone know what the true status is?
2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

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I have a paraNZ operators certifecate but we changed to the NZSA due to the shenanegans that was going on, we have not heard anything from ParaNZ but mybe they have given up on us?

I wouldn't worry about the school being grounded, they have the choice of 3 part 149's to choose from, and our NZSA changover took less than 4 days!
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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Its an expensive experience as well, very expensive!


so how much did you pay for your;

AFF
A License
B Licence
gear rental
and first 200 jumps?

How long did it take you and were you employable shortly afterwards as a commercial skydiver at a DZ where you could progress on to make a good living?

expensive is in the eye of the beholder.

If you are a half empty type with no desire to excell, then yes it will be an expensive experience, but if you have desire, aptitude, common sense and a hint of professionalism, it is expensive not to, as a skydiver.



You sound like you work for steve and Kirsty constantly following and replying to anyone who dares question their school and i know for fact they get people to do that to counter any critisism that ex students have of the course and there are plenty!

Anyway, if your not from NZ or Australia it will cost you about 40,000USD all in. So in the opinion of an ex international student and NOT an obvious paid up member of NZSS it IS expensive. In fact to even question the expense to an international student is quite frankly ludicrous as you have no idea of the total cost.

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$40,000? Please explain as that sounds ridiculous. I actually can't imagine how it would cost $40,000 USD.

Rhys does not work for steve and Kirsty. Rhys represents new Zealand at world meets with his wife in sport skydiving and is an asset to new Zealand sport skydiving. He owns his own dropzone in new Zealand and has no loyalties to steve and Kirsty other than being on the course in 2003 along with his wife who was on my course back in 2001.


Even if a student did work for the course and said good things about them, there is nothing wrong with loyalty.

I am very interested in knowing how you came up with a figure of $40,000

Please bear in mind, rent, buying a rig, buying food and travel is all part f life and is not something you should include in the expense of doing this course as you would do this anywhere. Maybe travel is a fair expense but rent and food should not be covered.

The course is $15,000 nzd? That's what, about $8000 usd?

A rig is about $8000 usd as it is everywhere and to anyone who wants to skydive. Where does the rest of your $40,000 usd fit in here.

Just curious, not arguing, just would like to see a break down.


.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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$15000 nzd equals about $10000 USD right now. And "ignoring the food and room costs" is not possible to do. Rent and food costs are additional fees but they should still figured into the total costs just like at college. When you attend college the classes might only cost you $8000 a year but its another $6000 in room and board that you need to take out loans to cover since you are unable to work and cover all of that cost while still attending school. Sure at the end you might only owe the school $32000 directly but you are in debt for $48000 in the end and that is the figure that you need to repay. If the students are not afforded the ability to work enough through school to pay for all their living expenses then you absolutely have to count those living expenses into the cost of the course.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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The course when it began had more winners than loosers, this is going back some years. There company is designed to get you to part with your hard earned cash, either that or a big student loan.
And really when it began it was a brain wave, hats off to them.
My advise would be to anyone, find a busy, ie a DZ that has slots for fun jumpers, do your aff, buy a second hand rig, because your down size soon, and learn from the jumpers with experence, that will "save" you a fortune"
To get a student to splash out about 8 grand on a new rig, really says it all,
Like alot of people have said most leave there brains at the front gate when entering a DZ.

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Its an expensive experience as well, very expensive!


so how much did you pay for your;

AFF
A License
B Licence
gear rental
and first 200 jumps?

How long did it take you and were you employable shortly afterwards as a commercial skydiver at a DZ where you could progress on to make a good living?

expensive is in the eye of the beholder.

If you are a half empty type with no desire to excell, then yes it will be an expensive experience, but if you have desire, aptitude, common sense and a hint of professionalism, it is expensive not to, as a skydiver.



so there are places willing to hire these graduates at in or around 200 jumps as full time skydivers? or are you just talking about getting a job on a dz?

im in my third year of packing and want to get my riggers ticket in the next year or so and head to new zealand( i hear riggers are in demand) but id also like to jump video so i might hit you with a pm rhys and just get your general advice on a european ehading to new zealand for work in the industry

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I heard good things from my latest update.



So could anyone share them or at least PM me please?



All the politics and bullshit aside, as a newbie sport jumper, I can't imagine being made more welcome.

I've jumped with the students from around 5 course intakes over the last 15 months and they've all had a great commitment and attitude to everything they do.

The instructors have been awesome and fallen over themselves to help an old fat guy discover a new passion. Thanks to them all. We had to look for an alternate runway/landing area yesterday though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB7lv6ZJCDw
Ian Purvis
http://www.loadupsoftware.com
LoadUp DZ Management App
[email protected]

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so there are places willing to hire these graduates at in or around 200 jumps as full time skydivers? or are you just talking about getting a job on a dz?

im in my third year of packing and want to get my riggers ticket in the next year or so and head to new zealand( i hear riggers are in demand) but id also like to jump video so i might hit you with a pm rhys and just get your general advice on a european ehading to new zealand for work in the industry



This is actually Rhys here by the way I was logged in on the work account (skydivefj) when I hit reply...

Trying to get work as an inexperienced jumper in new zealand is not easy as you have 9 years of diploma course graduates drifting around waiting for jobs with more experience, you are better to come to New Zealand either as a Tandem instructor and that is it really.



There are lots of dropzones wanting graduates as part of the course is 3 months work experience, this is the problem that many have a problem with as they see it as slave labour, this is what I was talking about when i mentioned the half empty type...

You begin work placement with 170 jumps that you have completed on the course, you choose a dropzone (worldwide) many re taking students now from quite a few different countries now US, Spain, Oz...

It is up to you to show the dropzone you end up at that you are ther person to do that job but you have to have made sure you gained that from the 170 jumps that you had on the course, many will just goof around and will inevitably take longer. there is a dispensation from the normal 200 jump prerequeate to jump with a tandem to 150 jumps for the student as they do a coach rating or something, and you can get USPA coach rating i'm not too up to play with that stuff and there is a lot of trouble with the regulation of skydiving in NZ but that is all changing very soon with the new Part115 (adventure aviation) certification coming in over the coming months...

At the end of the day you walk out of an 8 month course In many cases having no jumps whatsoever (as was my case and my friends) and 8 months later you have 200 jumps up to 100 with camera (if you have one!) and 3 months work experience (packing, editing, driving, stuff! and if you have the skill and they need you then you will be employed, I emptied trash cans and mowed the PLA etc. for months before working as a camera guy, but by the time i had 2.5 years in the sport, I had 2000 jumps, an aff rating and about 1400 camera jumps. I also moved to astralia to get my first camera job and returned back later.

Travel is almost essential as the NZ industry is very easy to stagnate in as there is a serious lack of sport skydiving and for many it is just a job... that is not to say there are not some amazing flyers that do many fun jumps but, you know it is the staff and maybe a couple of fun jumpers if you are lucky among many tandems...

Camera flying is epic, and was in higher demand 8 years ago, handicam is rife these days. Something to consider, but outside camera is far from dead and handicam outside combos are the new big dollar earner...


You decide if you are going to do it and you and your desire alone determines the outcome, the informaton and opportunity is definately there.

I was fortunate in the end due to perserverence, I definately have not had it easy the whole time though, there are some dodgy operations out there once you start travelling around and you just use your common sense to decide whether to stay somewhere or not.

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$15000 nzd equals about $10000 USD right now. And "ignoring the food and room costs" is not possible to do. Rent and food costs are additional fees but they should still figured into the total costs just like at college. When you attend college the classes might only cost you $8000 a year but its another $6000 in room and board that you need to take out loans to cover since you are unable to work and cover all of that cost while still attending school. Sure at the end you might only owe the school $32000 directly but you are in debt for $48000 in the end and that is the figure that you need to repay. If the students are not afforded the ability to work enough through school to pay for all their living expenses then you absolutely have to count those living expenses into the cost of the course.



The course was origonally intended for New Zealanders, when it was still the Christchurch Parachute School CPS in Christchurch City, at Wigram areodrome.

it has since become the New Zealand skydiving school andakes many applicants from around the world.

The course for New Zealand applicants is subsidised by 50% from the government, the other half you can student loan if you wish, and you are given a student allowance if your parents do not earn enough to pay for you (no repay) and this to live on by 'work and income' the government labour department. The allowance is paid while on the course and work placement, the dropzones are not supposed to pay for the work done as the government pays the allowance and you are essentially at school while, packing editing, jumping...

It all adds up, it just depends on how much somebody wants something.

English and Sustralian students also get assistance from their governments. The indusry is growing faster than the supply of sport skydivers can produce instructorsin NZ..., and work visas are going to foreigners to fill the slots. The tax money then leaves the country so it is in the best interest of the government to pay the $7.5 k subsidy and the $5k allowance as they get that back in tax when the instructors pay tax.

If you only work a season as a foreigner for less than 6 months in New Zealand you get your tax back... and as skydivers are generally contactors, you don't even pay it in the first place...

There are reasons for everything but some want to feel like they are getting ripped off, this stuff all costs alot of money, whichever way you do it.

When I started the course I had a couple of grand to buy gear and that was it...

Most of us were working class that would not usually have had the opportunity to participate in such an expensive industry.

Subsequntly the course was quite successful in giving people that do want to be commercial skydivers to do just that, in the shortest time available.

Many say, that simply doing AFF and getting experience is a better way to go about it, but how many people have you seen become full time skydivers in a period of 1 year from their very first jump?

Many have travelled from overseas to do this, I could never have done that but plenty can... and it is very much like university, more a technical college.

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Hi All,

This thread is quite inactive now but i found it because i am interested in this course.

After reading this i am unsure.

I have never done a Skydive but have always wanted to and i know i can do it. I also feel a career in Skydiving would be what i am looking for.

I am currently have a good career and have money saved. my concerns are -

Does the course provide recognised certification to allow me to be employed after course?

Is it really a career option or is it just a fun job with low pay?

What is the current state of the course? Is there anyone who has taken it recently?

Can i do it with no experience?

If anyone could help with any of these concerns i would apreciate it.

I am from UK so i could benefit from a student loan

Cheers

Wes

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