How do I become a tunnel instructor/ progress

[NicolaM 0]

Hi all!

I'm just writing up this post to get information on how to become a tunnel instructor.

At present I'm a 20 year old 2nd year Law student so I'm guessing waiting until I have graduated and completed my masters is a good idea.
However, seeing as Law is currently overpopulated and I probably won't get a job in the legal sector should I just drop out and move to England and get trained as a tunnel instructor? Or, stick with Law and build my finances working for a few years (until I'm 24/25) to prepare myself for the shitty pay that tunnel instructors get.

Additionally, is there any way that I could progress with skydiving at a better pace? I've been in the sport now since June 2014 and I still have not got my A Licence. This is definitely down to Weather (I live in NI), a small DZ which only operates on the weekend from a small plane, work commitments and Uni.

I was thinking of going to USA or AUS over summer on a working Visa.. I was planning to work/skydive all the time.

Is there any advice you can give me or your own experiences?

Thanks,
Nicola

[tred 0]

packing helps

[NicolaM 0]

Hahaha! Good shout. I've yet to get my packing cert. Our DZ only allows flat packing on the student kits :(

[wan2doit 6]

You pose serious questions.

In the USA I think the legal profession always has many openings in the profession. They don't call us the most litigious place on earth for nothing. I'm sure Skyventure hires lawyers.

From a mature perspective it's a no brainer - get your education, establish yourself in a career and then go fly all u want in the sky and tunnel.

Another outlook could be to follow your dreams and passion especially while young which is also valid which means u email Skyventure or some other tunnel group today.

Also remember you may get old some day so think about how to put money away for those days to supplement minimal government benefits and still be able to fly in the tunnel and sky.

[NicolaM 0]

Good point.

It will definitely be a long road then since I will need to get qualified and practice. Hopefully then I can sit the bar exams for USA Law.

I would love to be a tunnel instructor though.. I know Law is a better fall back and therefore it would be better to do the degree but I have seriously lost all interest in it which is sad.

Are there such things as part time tunnel instructors? Maybe I could practice in the UK and fly part time

[wan2doit 6]

Remember it is a very big decision - I have to admit if I were in your place knowing what I know now at 65+ - having a career you have a passion for is worth a lot.

Check into this article from June 2015 - http://tunnelflight.com/news/want-to-be-a-flight-instructor

[mx19 0]

How long do you have for your degree?

I'd personally say stick with the degree, work/pack part time to keep around the sport then make your decision when you have a fallback (your degree).

This is coming from someone who started working in skydiving full time at 21, I'm now coming up 28 and don't have anything to fall back on so my only options when i decide to stop doing tandems and video full-time are to coach, go back to an entry level job as a 17 year old would get, or start a business, the latter is the direction I will probably take with coaching and tandems to help the pay initially. I do wish I had more options and qualifications though.

That being said, I worked for a law firm for a year as a paralegal/"trainee lawyer". It was the most stressful year of my life!!

[NicolaM 0]

Ok so I guess finishing my degree, doing a masters and practicing for a couple of years is the way to go.

Just read the article. The only problem with the job openings being in the USA is that I've been told America doesn't employ people outside the UK to do a job an American Citizen could do. Basically, they put their own people first. Seeing as I have zero ratings I guess UK is a good start.

[wan2doit 6]

OK I didn't know that.

[NicolaM 0]

My degree finishes in 2017. However, if I want to do a Masters that will take me to 2018. Then getting qualified and also practicing. It could be around 24/25 before I am finically secure considering I will have to pay for all these exams and to fund living costs etc. That's why I was wondering if it's even possible to be a tunnel rat/instructor part time.

I'm glad to hear your story though. Shows me what life could be like for me if I do drop out.

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

wan2doit

You pose serious questions.

In the USA I think the legal profession always has many openings in the profession. They don't call us the most litigious place on earth for nothing. I'm sure Skyventure hires lawyers.

From a mature perspective it's a no brainer - get your education, establish yourself in a career and then go fly all u want in the sky and tunnel.

Another outlook could be to follow your dreams and passion especially while young which is also valid which means u email Skyventure or some other tunnel group today.

Also remember you may get old some day so think about how to put money away for those days to supplement minimal government benefits and still be able to fly in the tunnel and sky.

No, oh god no, we are oversaturated here too. My particular area of law--pharma contracts--always needs help, but it's a very niche market. Law schools out here are a business, and will accept very nearly anyone who they think could potentially pass their state bar, and they pad their employment statistics by including those who are underemployed or not working in the legal profession.

If you can get through legal studies debt free or with minimal debt, it can be a very rewarding profession. But if you don't have a passion for it and will have to incur a mountain of debt for it, it's not worth it.

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[radical_flyer 0]

I don't know how it works but I believe you'll have to drop 6k for a basic spotter course. Someone who knows can correct me if I'm wrong, I think I remember that from an episode of radio skydive UK. On tunnelinstructor.co.uk/course-material they have some good videos for class A and class B spotting.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Whatever else you do, complete your undergraduate degree. Law degrees are highly respected and you can take it to virtually any profession.

If you're already burnt out on law though, I would seriously reconsider entering the profession. Competition is exceptionally vigorous and there is a significant squeeze on all areas of law in the current austerity driven political climate. You really have to want to be in it or it really is not the career for you.