Careers within Skydiving

[morales 0]

Hello Everyone,

I'm about to graduate with a degree in mechanical and materials engineering and have started to look for industries I may want to get a job in. My question is, is there anyone on here that is currently employed at a skydiving equipment manufacturer (be it design or manufacturing)? How did you become involved in the industry?

Any info would be greatly appreciated,

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Of all the industries you could work in with that degree, skydiving probably would pay the worst. Of course, pay is not the only consideration.

Consider getting a senior rigger's ticket too, it can only help your chances. Good luck in the search.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Here is something interesting for you. Too bad it isn't a perfect match of engineer type (mech vs elec). It is several months old, but gives you a place to start your hunt.

http://forum.altimaster.com/showthread.php?1003-Electrical-Electronics-Engineer-Job-Opportunity

I would simply explore all the domestic manufacturers of skydiving stuff (canopes, harness/containers, electronics, helmets, goggles, hook knives, etc)... and see what you find.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[riggerrob 558]

The best place to rub-elbows with parachute manufacturers is the PIA Symposium in Reno, Nevada, in February.
That will give you a chance to shop your resume around and feel-out who is hiring.
You will also get plenty of feedback about realistic career expectations in terms of salary, hours, projects, etc.

[mjosparky 3]

Outside of management of some of the larger equipment companies there are no “careers” in skydiving only jobs. To make enough to pay the bills and eat is really tough in this industry.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Hvance 0]

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Outside of management of some of the larger equipment companies there are no “careers” in skydiving only jobs. To make enough to pay the bills and eat is really tough in this industry.

Sparky

It's not that big a sport relative to others. Just not as much money changing hands.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

[airtwardo 6]

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Outside of management of some of the larger equipment companies there are no “careers” in skydiving only jobs. To make enough to pay the bills and eat is really tough in this industry.

Sparky

Make a Skydive...Get a Check!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[rhys 0]

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Outside of management of some of the larger equipment companies there are no “careers” in skydiving only jobs. To make enough to pay the bills and eat is really tough in this industry.

Sparky

I was earning AU$80k as well as my wife being a tandem instructor in Aussie before coming back home to NZ to start my own DZ.

I know that in Hawaii, Guam, Taupo, Queenstown, Wollongong + many others. you can earn more than 70k per year.

So your information is incorrect.

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

[mjosparky 3]

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I was earning AU$80k as well as my wife being a tandem instructor in Aussie before coming back home to NZ to start my own DZ.

You say you make NZ$80K a year that comes to about $59,230 US. How many jumps do you make to earn the amount? As near as I can figure TI in the Us get around $35 for a tandem and a little more for packing, teaching and such. So let’s give them an average of $50 per jump. For a TI to make $59,000 + he would have to make close to 1,200 jumps each year. If you are paid NZ$75 per jump you are making about 1,100 jumps a year. That many jumps slinging meat is a lot of work. It is not a career it is a job.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[rhys 0]

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You say you make NZ$80K a year that comes to about $59,230 US.

No I was making $80k AUS which is about $75k US.

I did around 1100+ jumps per year there. We still had a lot of spare time, and 2 rostered days off per week.

We did the evil and corporate handicam that only selfish and self centred greedy dropzones do, while disregarding all safety and disrepecting every customer with a less than par product. [/sarcasm]

I also packed reserves. but not mains and no editing.

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If you are paid NZ$75 per jump you are making about 1,100 jumps a year. That many jumps slinging meat is a lot of work. It is not a career it is a job.

8 years ago, I did my first jump at the skydiving diploma course in my home town, a year later I was jumping camera, a year after that I was AFF rated, a year after that I was a TM, then I spent 5 years travelling the world and looking for a suitable position that payed well and offered a nice lifestyle. I did that for a while and an opportunity came up. I bought into a new DZ and am curenty building it into a successful company.

If that is not a career, tell me what is?

I suppose I could go to school for 10 years, then spend the rest of my life slicing people open and smelling their sick and dying insides all day then stitching them back up again?

How about grinding (and smelling and breathing) rotten teeth all day?

or getting dangerous criminals off the hook by finding loopholes?

What is your defintion of a career?

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

[skyrider 0]

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Outside of management of some of the larger equipment companies there are no “careers” in skydiving only jobs. To make enough to pay the bills and eat is really tough in this industry.

Sparky

I was earning AU$80k as well as my wife being a tandem instructor in Aussie before coming back home to NZ to start my own DZ.

I know that in Hawaii, Guam, Taupo, Queenstown, Wollongong + many others. you can earn more than 70k per year.

So your information is incorrect.

70 k is not a career...that is a job...Careers you can retire from comfortably...70 wont cut that!

[virgin-burner 1]

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I was earning AU$80k as well as my wife being a tandem instructor in Aussie before coming back home to NZ to start my own DZ.

You say you make NZ$80K a year that comes to about $59,230 US. How many jumps do you make to earn the amount? As near as I can figure TI in the Us get around $35 for a tandem and a little more for packing, teaching and such. So let’s give them an average of $50 per jump. For a TI to make $59,000 + he would have to make close to 1,200 jumps each year. If you are paid NZ$75 per jump you are making about 1,100 jumps a year. That many jumps slinging meat is a lot of work. It is not a career it is a job.

Sparky

all i know is that a TI around here makes about 80$ per jump, so it adds up to about 8k per month, but only for a couple months tough, since our season seems to be rather shortish..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[rhys 0]

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70 k is not a career...that is a job...Careers you can retire from comfortably...70 wont cut that!

I hope my company is worth more than 70k, in fact is is... I estmate it will be worth millions in years to come. regardless of the company;

My wife and I earned that amount, we can live on $40k.

I don't see how we can not retire easily on that sort of money when we are still young.

We don't need a palace.

I don't want this thread to get de railed as well because others disagree with my experiences, which are different to theirs.

So that is my input for now, My advice to those wishing to pursue a career in skydiving, be dedicated and dont listen to the bullshit you are given by those that you see on a good wicket that wsh to pull the ladder up behind them.

If you see them on a good thing, and they say it is too hard or make it difficult for you to get there, then there is a good reason for that.

Give it your all, be prepared to travel, and there are plenty of opportunities out there.

You can even create your own.

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

[mjosparky 3]

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8 years ago, I did my first jump at the skydiving diploma course in my home town, a year later I was jumping camera, a year after that I was AFF rated, a year after that I was a TM, then I spent 5 years travelling the world and looking for a suitable position that payed well and offered a nice lifestyle. I did that for a while and an opportunity came up. I bought into a new DZ and am curenty building it into a successful company.

If that is not a career, tell me what is?

These observations on my part are based on 30 years experience in the sport and having worked and having worked at various positions in the industry.

You have a right to be proud of your accomplishment in such a short period of time. You no doubt have put in some long hard hours to get to where you are now. But I think you will have to admit there are very few people that are ready or willing to be as dedicated to their dream as you have been. Sadly long range plans for many younger jumpers is how to get to the DZ next weekend with enough money to jump. Again, what you have done is commendable but I think a rare exception.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[freestyleleigh 0]

[rhys 0]

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These observations on my part are based on 30 years experience in the sport and having worked and having worked at various positions in the industry.

You have a right to be proud of your accomplishment in such a short period of time. You no doubt have put in some long hard hours to get to where you are now. But I think you will have to admit there are very few people that are ready or willing to be as dedicated to their dream as you have been. Sadly long range plans for many younger jumpers is how to get to the DZ next weekend with enough money to jump. Again, what you have done is commendable but I think a rare exception.

Sparky

Thanks sparky,

I truly do appreciate the kind words, I have put alot of energy into my skydiving career.

Not only commercial sydiving but I have competed for my country 4 times in that time too.

I have to mention however that this rate of progression is not uncommon around here.

I actually have less jumps than a few that were in my year of the skydiving diploma course because I travelled and ended up at dz's where I only did 500 jumps in a year rather than 11, 12 or 1300.

Some guys that stayed put have many more than me, and a frind of mine that started only a year earlier than me now has over well 10000. I know quite a few that have achieved 1600 in a year.

Things are definately different now from when I was learnng only 8 years ago, so I can only begin to imagine, from watching old vhs tapes , what it was like 30 years ago when tandem factories did not exist.

I come from the world of the tandem factory, I was bred to be a commercial skydiver from before my first jump, my government paid for half of it because it benifits them financally having Kiwis doing the jumps in New Zealand, rather than foreigners coming and leaving paying minimal tax. Just think 100,000 tandems a year give or take in our country alone, and only a handful of kiwi skydivers...

Only because of my travels can I relate to the world of sport skydiving only DZ's with minimal tandems and plane loads of sporties.

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