Do you tip?

[calphoto 0]

When I was flying for a wonderful small dropzone in Northern Virginia, I would occaisionally get tipped (Pilot dude here...)
Generally it was a rather classy gent who is an economic advisor to Presidents, regularly quoted in Newsweek, had a hot French jumper-babe for a wife, and had his first son at age 60. In Europe, appearantly, it is traditional to tip your ("He's got your whole life, in his hands...") pilot at the end of the day. Since I was going through a divorce at the time, that tip money was sometimes food for the week. A couple of students also tipped their Elevator Operator when they made A license.
Then again, there is ALSO the most wonderful tip a jumper-babe can bestow on her pilot (earning extra altitude for everyone in the process!) by making his day with an unveiling. Men, THIS (Those?) is/are what we are fighting for!
Anyway, feel free to tip the people who have made your moments in the air possible. It doesn't have to be a lot, 5$ to each or a six-pac. It lets them know that you appreciated their efforts, and I can guarantee you that that regular tipper got regular altitude "overshoots"
OOPS!
:)
Blue Skies all! Let your Elevator Operator know that you appreciate him/her.

Hartwood Paracenter - The closest DZ to DC!

[labrys 0]

I tipped on my tandem, but not on my AFF jumps

Owned by Remi #?

[crwmike 0]

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after my first tandem, my friend and I were both so overwhelmed that tipping didn't even occur to us until we were halfway home!

(but the guys did get plenty of beer after I finished AFF, so I guess I made up for it)

I wish they would put up a little sign saying "tips welcome, but not expected" or something like that, just to let people know its okay.

If one's ethic is that they are providing a tourist ride, then it's OK. If's one's ethic is to share and teach something they love, it most definitely is not OK.

Michael

[crwmike 0]

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Most people work harder if they know someone is tipping, I give everyone the same effort no matter what.

I totally agree with that! However, if someone I took had a great experience and they want to toss a little extra something my way, then I'm not going to stop them. If its a lot (doubtful) then I'll see if they'd rather just take that money and put it down for another skydive in Manifest.

Honestly, the coolest thing was the guy that gave me the cigar. He stuck around the rest of the day and hung out, watching the jumping and such. At the end of the day, we grabed some beer went outside the hanger and smoked our cigars, chatting about skydiving and all sorts of stuff.

That was most definately kick-ass! Oh, he's been back and is going through AFF with us now, too.

Good story. You know, this used to happen every weekend. Thing was, our students were well met. We spent the day teaching them, learned their names, took them to lunch and invited them to hang around the bonfire with us.

I'm not jumping your shit, personally. You work within a system that ...well certainly doesn't promote this anymore.

Michael

[crwmike 0]

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Besides, it always ends up in the beer fund or tipping the packers, so it goes to a good cause.

That's the way to do it. I was an office manager for five years at a busy Tandem DZ. Out of all the Tandem JMs only one would share his tips with us in the office by buying us lunch.

Where do you draw the line for tipping. Afterall, I would bust my ass to make sure the students got all the paper work done correct, and manifested. That's not easy in itself, having to figure out loads, JMs, are the rigs packed, do they need video, etc. What about the pilot that gave the tandem student a nice ride to altitude? What about that hard working packer? If JMs get tips, they need to spread it around, just like waitress do at restaurants, splitting their tips with the bartender and cook. That's the way I did it any way when I was a waitress.

Ah, my beloved skydiving.

"The sun and the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago ...had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands" -- Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923

Michael

[akarunway 1]

I always tip in one way or another whether it be cash, food, beer after a good day at either the DZ a restuarant or whatever as long as everybody did their best to help me in whatever endeavor i'm up to at the time. The best tip i've seen at a DZ was a an airline ticket (a round trip anywhere in the world) to a tm. He took a local trip w/ the ticket as far as i know.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.