Staff Jump Discounts?

[dsbbreck 0]

Just curious for those Drop Zone staff out there. Do you get discounts on your fun jumps?

Please be specific. Free jumps, discounted jumps? How much?

What do you do to earn them. Work full time, part time, so many days a month, etc.

What dropzone do you work at?

Thanks for the info.

David

"Socrates wasn't killed because he had the answer.......he was killed because he asked the question."

[meatbomb 0]

At my DZ (a club not a commercial operation),
WARP Instructors get free WARP jumps,
Category System Instructors get free jumps,
Category System Basic Instructors get free followouts,
and Tandem Instructors get two free personal jumps a weekend, as well as free Tandem jumps!

---
Swoopert, CS-Aiiiiiii!
Piccies

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

At my last dropzone, as school manager, I got heavily discounted fun jumps and sometimes organized for free slot (when I was not hauling meat or doing AFF). Problem was, I rarely had time to "fun jump". I know several other major dropzones that have free jumps for staff, but they all have the same problem: no time to fun jump.

[sid 1]

I get free fun jumps and my boss said he's going to let me "pay for them" kneeling on the carpet instead of on the parkling lot asphalt this year

woohoo - a raise!

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[weegegirl 2]

no. it's kind of a bummer too. even when i was fulltime staff last season there was no discount at all. hopefully that will change this year.

on the other hand, in defense of my kickass dzo, he allows just about everyone in the world to be on staff. so if he had to give discounts to ALL STAFF, that would be like everyone at the dz.

[jeremyneas 0]

I work at 2 DZ's currently.

Skydive the Rockies is the most generous in all the DZ's i've ever worked at. I have gone to the DZ some days and the scheduled work didn't show and the DZO didn't charge me for any of the fun jumps I made that day. Little perks come here and there.

Mile-Hi Skydiving Center (as you very well know) give staff a $2 discount per jump, and busy days can lead to "staff loads" (but usually we're all so damn beat at the end of those days we don't take advantage of it)

I've never worked at a DZ where the staff didn't get any equipment from any manufacturer at over cost to the DZ. (In other words, I've never paid retail for any equipment since I started getting paid to jump)

I won't get into beniees from different DZ's about Tax season, it's too complicated to chat about. California DZ's I worked at were the absolute most benificial to work for when it comes to this subject.

[flyangel2 2]

Quote

I've never worked at a DZ where the staff didn't get any equipment from any manufacturer at over cost to the DZ. (In other words, I've never paid retail for any equipment since I started getting paid to jump)

Lucky you, but I've seen it happen. Then the jumpers had to wait for ever for the gear to show up, and in the mean time they were both charged for rental. I think if they are working at the DZ and have ordered their equipment from the DZO and work there, even part time. Gear rental should be free, and a discount on the price of the gear should be passed down to them.

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

[DanglesOZQld 0]

Yeah we get fun jumps at less than half price of a normal fun slot if you are staff. Had a few months last year also after a promo when the "boss" let us jump for free BSBD! -Mark. Good for morale for the working jumpers if nothing else!

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[divnswoop 0]

Quote

kneeling on the carpet instead of on the parkling lot asphalt this year

Uh....thanks for the awful image of you and Kinger with his tight shorts pulled down aro.......... AHHHH!!!

[Paige 0]

Pilots jump for free at my home dz. I think Staff that live on site get a greater discount than staff that live in the neighborhood for their fun jumps. Ask Boxingrrl for definate answers, she's staff.

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[stratostar 5]

NOPE, none, the big goose egg !
the last dz I worked at the dzo was such a
tight ass they charge all the staff to get into a
boogie to work at it.... How's that for treating
your staff right?

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[foxyroxtail 0]

Staff, pilots and maintenance folk at the DZ where I jump all get some sort of discount - varied by DZO discretion.

I've seen many a person abuse the "free organizer" slot thing, though, at the expense of those being organized. My pet peave on the subject:

Organizer: You guys are the base, you guys dock here, here, and here, and I'll dive out last and dock here.

Oh, yeah, you can really teach people and help improve their skills through organizing that way!



I truly believe the actual staff (read:instructors, regular manifest help) earn every dollar of discount the DZO can muster.

Rox

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[skybrat68 0]

People that work in the skydiving industry deserve to get discounted jump tickets. Not too many people in the industry get paid a lot. I would consider discounted jump tickets almost like part of their salary.

[SkyPsycho 0]

the dz i worked at for 3 years a while back (which is now closed after 30 years in op) let me jump free any time in between work jumps as long as i was packed and ready to go with my other rigs for any student/tandem jumps. damn i miss that place.

_______________________________
HK MP5SD.........silence is golden

[TrickyDicky 0]

Anyone who puts themselves into the DZ control rota at my DZ (generally only cover it 1/2 a day per weekend) you get £3 off all your jumps anytime. Aslong as you are around to cover it regularly

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[skydivart 0]

"I know what I'll do is organize this well organized load of high time jumpers and anounce that I am organizing. I'll have a wonderful time and the dropzone will carry me again. It's not that they need the money or anything."

Most people that get a slot are hard working folks and don't get to use their slot as much as we would like. Keep up the good work.

touch someone today

[riggerrob 558]

Full-time staff at my DZ can jump any time the airplane is launching with an empty seat.
My problem is that there is ALWAYS another paying project laying around the loft, so I have to chose between a fun jump or paid rigging. Considering how small my salary is, I dare not pass up any chance for a bonus. Most of the time I devote my energy to the paid rigging.

[lopullterri 0]

try this one on for size...You get a $4 discount per skydive, but you are so busy doing video, selling gear, measuring people for jumpsuits or dealing with gear issues (minor maintenance), that you rarely have time to "fun jump". Then the complaint is that you don't jump enough with others and you only jump when you get paid. So...the co-owner (who has never made a single skydive) comes up with a plan. Everyone has to rotate into a organizer slot (one weekend per month). Your jumps are paid for, but you are not making any money. Now... you are supposed to go along with this and be a "team player", which works in the corporate world, where you are making a salary, but not so well in this industry, where it is imperative that you "make hay while the sun shines". Of course if you are the only one to complain (you are the only full timer), you are not a "team player".

~"I am not afraid. I was born to do this"~

[SkySlut 0]

$16 per jump, thats a $4 discount...plus, employee of the week gets 5 free jumps and we give free jumps for staff when we see a paying customer doing a solo..."hey, get on that load and teach them something" 10 people minimum to get on the load and 8 people to spin it.

[riggerrob 558]

lopullterri,

Your dilemma reminds me of a couple of DZOs who expected me to rig for free. The first one expected me to pack reserves for free because he liked to toss in a free pack job every time he sold a rig.

In comparison, EVERY reserve I packed for Square One appeared on my paycheck.

Another DZO expected me to pack reserves for free because he had trained all the local riggers and they all owed him favors. Too bad I earned my rigger's rating long before I started working for him.

In the long run, I found that the easiest way to handle "free" rigging is to put it aside until all the paid rigging is completed.
Hmm! That "free" sky tube has been gathering dust for three years now. .... wonder why?

Isn't this a wonderful industry?