Yoshi 0 #1 February 11, 2004 ok, here is the deal. I am currently working on getting my tandem rating (6 more jumps to go before I have the rating). I, like many others, am on the eturnal quest to cut away from my "normal" job. I am currently in a banking position where I make a modest $30k annually and I have to get some tytpe of "proposal" together for my wife to show her how this could be beneficial for us. yeah yeah yeah I know the money isnt always there, more likely it is almost never there, but my question is, for all of you full time instructors, what kind of money do you actually make? As most places I will be considered self employed (1099'd) so this, to me, opens several possibilities. The write offs are what jsut may make this beneficial. My wife is a pharmacist, and makes a very decent living. We are married, no kids, no house, and virtually no writeoff on our taxes at this point. I would like to get some type of "proposal" together so I have some ammunition when going into this discussion with her to show her it may not be a totla loss. I don't expect to make a hell of alot of money, but, like I said, the tax write offs may make it worth it. If you could, I would appreciate some sort of average of income on an annual basis, how you do your taxes (write offs, filing jointly or single, etc...)..how much do you get paid per jump? how many jumps do you do in an average week, month, year? This is not something I plan to jump right into (although I am occasionally spontanious I want to get a good idea of how this will change my life as well as my wife's. Any tips, ideas, comments, and or criticism is greatly appreciated. Thanks yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #2 February 11, 2004 look, tell christy that she's just going to have to be your sugarmomma and that you want to skydive. just be like look, i'll make like 10 grand a year, i'll be able to pay for gas, and we can go have a nice dinner once a week off what i make, and you pay the rest. hey, i only speak the truth. j/k, i don't have a clue, but it sounds good huh. lata Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #3 February 11, 2004 Quotei'll make like 10 grand a year, i'll be able to pay for gas, and we can go have a nice dinner once a week off what i make, and you pay the rest. You forgot the "And I'll give you SWEET lovin after havin HOT CHICKS on my lap all day." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #4 February 11, 2004 yeah thats about what I am thinking too, but I want to really look into it seriously to see what I can actually make of it. when you comin to visit? -yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #5 February 11, 2004 Quotewhen you comin to visit? the second tuesday of next week . i'm not sure, i have to come up with some $$ first, and the whole school thing too. and if you look at the place in las vegas, that dude says you *can make like 40 a year. but i'm not sure how that is for other dz's. lata Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #6 February 11, 2004 Who taught your course, I'm assuming you're getting RWS rated? I was just wondering, since there's not too many TM Course Directors in the state and Todd hasn't done a TM course in the past couple months.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
burbleflyer 0 #7 February 11, 2004 Look at it this way. If your doin good you'll make a thousand jumps a year at 30-35 bucks a jump. Thats 35 grand a year at best. BUT.....you may spend less on skydiving because you get your fix working. Anyway everything you spend on skydiving now becomes a tax writeoff. Form a generic skydiving corp and write EVERYTHING REMOTELY RALATED to skydiving off. Rantoul, jumpsuits, jumps, gas to boogies, parachutes, video cameras, goggles...EVERYTHING! How much are you spending on that now? If your wife makes a decent living you will easily hold up your end. Be careful though, she will still see things like parachutes as toys but they will now be tools of your business. Hire your wife to pack. Keep the money in the family. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #8 February 11, 2004 yeah, you're lucky you have a sugarmama with a pharmacist... you'll at least survive. Ed seems to think i'm his sugarmama despite knowing i'm just a teacher making barely enough to pay the rent. even with him full-time at elsinore, it's not enough... especially with everything we've been through in the last 6 months. it's not enough. what has Jason told you? peace lewhttp://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muenkel 0 #9 February 11, 2004 Yoshi, not to be an arrogant asshole...well why not? But I make a hell of a lot more than you, and I'm on disability. Anyway, it is my understanding that pharmacists are pretty well paid. You seem to have minimal expenses (well, except the Infiniti) and no kids. Why not do it for a while? You can always change your mind. Good luck bro. Tandem Masters serve a very good purpose. Chris _________________________________________ Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
downwardspiral 0 #10 February 11, 2004 Quotewhat has Jason told you? I haven't told him anything....yetwww.FourWheelerHB.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #11 February 11, 2004 Mostly....if you skydive for a living you'll be a poor Ramen eatin bitch with $30K worth of gear. Is it worth it? That's your decision. It isn't to me....I'll be honest. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KrisFlyZ 0 #12 February 11, 2004 QuoteMostly....if you skydive for a living you'll be a poor Ramen eatin bitch with $30K worth of gear. Is it worth it? That's your decision. It isn't to me....I'll be honest. Why not try working as a Tandem instructor on weekends before taking the leap? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sneaky 0 #13 February 11, 2004 think carefully bro... its not as easy or pleasurable as it seems.Start by working a weekend gig and take it from there..get some Tandem experience first then decide if you want to cutaway... The money can be good...sometime it can suck. Dont burn out...Hope we meet on the circuit one day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #14 February 11, 2004 QuoteMostly....if you skydive for a living you'll be a poor Ramen eatin bitch with $30K worth of gear. Is it worth it? That's your decision. It isn't to me....I'll be honest. That about sums it up. Nearly every single "full-time" skydiver I know lives in a camper on the dropzone and lives a meager existence at best. I am fine with that, so that is what I did for the whole last year. I made just over 12 grand skydiving and that was doing full-time AFF, tandem, and managing the school. Lucky for me, I am retired with a pension. Nobody on my dropzone made as much money skydiving as I did, but the packers made more. Simply having a tandem rating is not going to cut it, bro. Believe me. Don't think that you are going to be able to just saunter up to a big, busy dropzone and say "I am here to work." There is a very, very long pecking order to get hired on as full-time staff. Hell, you will do good as a junior TM to get into weekend rotation. Think I am kidding? I am not. There are HOARDS of very-experienced skydiving instructors, largely foreigners, who follow the sun and have "ins" with the major dropzones. Most of these folks are very territorial. That said, yes, you can get on at a busy dropzone if you have the right qualifications, but it might not be at a place that you like. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #15 February 11, 2004 To get the tax write off you have to spend the money earned. Most TM's are lucky if they make more then 7k a year. 10k+ is possibile only at a few DZ's, and the wait to be full time at those is quite long. To write off the 7k you have to spend it all at the DZ, basically explain to the wife that from this point on you would'nt drain the bank account anymore jumping but you also are not going to make any more money for the family either. Most Part time TM's I know will pay for some of their fun jumps with their tandem money, but they never come close to breaking even and spend way more then they make. Most full time TM's don't have enough spare cash to go fun jump since Ramen and PB&J gets old and they are saving for that luxury dinner of Spam.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #16 February 11, 2004 Thanks for all of the replies. Lew: havent really talked to jason much about it yet... I definately am going to take it slow...who knows I might not even like doing the tandems enough to do it full time. I do pack (occasionally) and video (but I need to get my still set back up and prove myself to the spaceland crew before I can be on the vid staff). Most likely I will be at least working part time somewhere other than the DZ to have some type of "steady" income. At this point I dont even have my rating in hand...6 more jumps:)... so I dont plan to quit this week or anything. The money isnt a huge deal (luckily I have my wife that helps me out on that side), but I dont want to be in the negative of course... I figure if there is a way I can make somehwere in the range of what I make now, love my job, and help out by being able to write off a few extras, then why the hell not. I have enough mortgage experience I could easily get a far better position that what I am in now, and it is always something to fall back on. (that and my wonderful bachelor of fine arts degree HA!) thanks again_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #17 February 11, 2004 Have you got a DZ that's going to work you full time in mind? Remember you're probably going to be a contract worker, and on a "when needed" basis. The DZ's not doing well neither are you. Oh and those instructors that seem to be real friendly right now? Don't be surprised when your relationship with them changes, because they see you as "cutting in" on work they could be doing. Not saying it happens eveywhere, there are some great DZs/Schools out there, but it does happen.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #18 February 11, 2004 QuoteNot saying it happens eveywhere, there are some great DZs/Schools out there, but it does happen. I've seen it, to some degree or other, at EVERY DZ I have ever been to. When people are depending on the income tensions can rise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #19 February 11, 2004 >When people are depending on the income tensions can rise. Should read as: When people are depending on the income tensions will rise. Also as a part time TM be prepared to take the jumps that no one else wants to. The Sunset loads after all the full timers are worn out and you want to be fun jumping, the overweight people, the annoying people, basically... anyone that a full timer passes over is handed of to the part timers.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #20 February 11, 2004 that is something I am definately willing to deal with. I dont mind annoying people (hell many consider me annoying so we should get along!:)) as far as overweight, though, I am not sure about that yet. of course once I have a few hundred tandems under my belt I will be more apt to taking the physically impaired along. as for now I am sticking with what I am supposed to do..with my exit weight my max is roughly a 220 lbs passenger (I think it is supposed to be somewhere aroung 450lbs total exit weight) As far as people getting snippy for the amount of work...well at this point I will be on an "on call" basis...so I wont be taking away from anyone really... but I can see how that will be an issue. I guess Ill deal with it when the time comes.._________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #21 February 11, 2004 Ask yourself one more question. What will you do for income if you get hurt? Do you have insurance? What about the bad weather days when you're sitting on the ground not making any money? Sorry, that was more then one question.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 February 11, 2004 QuoteThe Sunset loads after all the full timers are worn out and you want to be fun jumping, the overweight people, the annoying people, basically... anyone that a full timer passes over Should read as: Don't even think you are going to take hot chicks on tandems. Reminds me of many a comment at my last DZ. " Dammitt....that asshole ALWAYS gets the hot chicks and I get the big fat bastards! What's up with that?!?!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #23 February 11, 2004 if I were to get hurt I can always fall back on the mortgage side of things, and I do have insurance...Bad weather is something that I am taking into consideration as well, that is why I am wondering an average of jump numbers for tandem I's in any given period of time as well as what type of DZ, experience levels, etc... as far as the hotties...yeah Ill take them ALL, j/k it doesnt really matter to me...I am not doing this to meet girls...I am married... dont get me wrong it beats having some fat sweaty old guy, but its not a really "smell good" sport anyways..._________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boxingrrl 0 #24 February 11, 2004 If you're thinking you want to keep making what you make now, then you should keep your day job. You will be hardpressed to make anywhere close to 30K, even as a full-time AFF, tandem, videographer, and rigger and packing in your spare time. On the weekends, you can do tandems and video-- and still write off all your expenses and other jumps. You may come out ahead at tax time that way, and spend less of your regular income skydiving. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunman 0 #25 February 11, 2004 If you haven't already done so, look at the employment section of the classifieds on this web site. Right now the only work being offered is seasonal. For right now I would keep the job you have for another year or two while you do as many tandems and videos as you can. Get your AFF rating if you can. Keep your eyes open on the classifieds and pounce on a good one when you see it. Don't expect it to be easy. I probably have the cushiest full-time skydiving job in the world and even I feel broke most of the time. You will not make as much money as you do at the bank. Having said all that, I have to say that skydiving for a living is still the coolest fucking thing in the world, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. One more thing. You will not make as much money as you do at the bank. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
