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Are you still having fun? If yes, then keep jumping. Between bad weather, lack of money, and scheduling conflicts with my work (a prerequisite for making money to jump!) I took almost 2 years and 45 jumps to get my A license. But I don't regret it a bit. I had fun every time I went to the DZ. At the end of the day, that's all this sport is about--having fun. We don't NEED to jump out of planes, we WANT to. Sure, you're not going to make as much progress as somebody who is hammering out 6 or 8 jumps every weekend, but who cares? As long as you understand it'll be a slower pace and are ok with that, by all means, keep chipping away at it.

Reminds me of a funny story.. I recently met a person who left their job to get their pilot's licence in pursuit of their dream of becoming a captain on an airliner. That licence is in the pocket, but I know that doesn't mean they have enough hours to fly an airliner, or even something like a Caravan. So I told said person that they might like to become a jump pilot and that way build some more hours and work their way up to bigger aircraft. The person gave me a condecending look and literally said "that no airline would take a guy seriously who spent their time on a job like flying skydivers" or [towing advertisements] or for that matter any other kind of GA. They then went on to say that the first thing to do was to find a job with an airliner and then start building hours while flying for them. Since this person was easily over thirty (conservative estimate) I just shook my head at them and walked away. Well, there might have been some miscommunication between the two of you, but in general, I'd side with that guy. Flying skydivers isn't very useful towards the end goal of flying for an airline. I've done several jobs in aviation (including flying jumpers, and now, working for an airline), and I'd say the jumper flying was probably the most simple, brainless flying I've done in my 7-year career. Not to say it wasn't fun, and educational in some respects, but I don't consider it a job that takes much skill, relative to most other jobs in aviation. It's 180 degrees different from the airline world. If I'm ever on an interview board for an airline and an applicant comes in with lots of jump pilot time, I'd have a lot of fun shooting the breeze with them about skydiving, but I wouldn't necessarily respect them for their flying skills. I'd want to see other experience along with it.

Pilots in the skydiving industry cover the entire spectrum of personalities and professionalism. I don't even try to generalize. I've met some really excellent, highly trained, professional aviators in the front of jump aircraft. But I've also met a few who couldn't fly their way out of a wet paper bag to save their life. The only reason I was willing to get in the plane with them was because I knew if I could make it through the takeoff and initial climb, I'd probably live by just bailing out if anything went wrong. I didn't trust them to do *anything* correctly in case of an emergency. They weren't even flying to private pilot standards. The only reason they kept working is because the DZ couldn't find anyone else to cover the shift. This lack of training/professionalism at some DZs is an industry-wide problem, IMO. You'd never see it in an airline or military environment, but then again, those genres are funded entirely differently than DZs. Mix shoestring budgets and very little oversight, and you'll get unpredictable quality. Back to the matter at hand--no matter who you're dealing with, the same rules for social interactions applies just as much to pilots as anyone else. Keep your cool and try to get them to understand where you're coming from. If they still don't get it, you have two options: Keep jumping anyway. Or not. It's your choice. In one case, I was jumping with a pilot at a Cessna DZ who would consistently fly jump run at 110 knots--not really dangerous, but super annoying. He was terrified of stalling. We talked to him on numerous occasions but we couldn't get him to slow down for us. But for some reason, he'd slow it down to a nice, reasonable 80 knots for static line students. Once I found this out, every jump I went on, even though it was the same as any other jump, I'd always tell him, "Hey, we're trying a new type of exit, can you fly jump run like we're static liners?" Worked like a charm. I felt like I was talking to a monkey, but it worked.

Indeed! I've played the "fly to a DZ" game before in my Cessna 140. Lots of fun. Unfortunately I put my plane in storage because I found I wasn't flying it enough during the cold months to justify keeping its inspections current. Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I have some very promising ideas now. Let me know if there are any other options which haven't been mentioned yet.

Thanks for the tip. Elsinore is a fantastic place. I made several jumps there last spring and was very impressed. I'd love to come back. What is the easiest way to contact possible carpools? Just to keep my options open, anyone know of an Elsinore-esque place in Florida I could get to? Florida generally has easier airline connections out of STL simply because it's only one timezone shift, rather than two, like out to California. But now I'm just getting picky ;-)

Here is my unusual situation: I just started working for an airline and now have the ability to travel almost anywhere, on any airline, for free (jumpseating). The problem is that I will be based in Marion, Illinois, about two hours southeast of St. Louis. Since I'm lowest seniority in the base, I'll be working almost every weekend. I don't think there are any DZs within easy driving distance that are open weekdays in the winter, so I figured I'd put my travel benefits to work and jumpseat out to a DZ on my days off. So I'm looking for a DZ, pretty much anywhere in the country, that meets the following criteria: --Close to an airport with a fair amount of commercial airline service...I need options to get in and out in case one flight's jumpseat is already taken. --Preferably accessible from said airport via mass transit or shuttle bus, so I don't have to rent a car. --Preferably has a bunkhouse so I don't have to get a hotel room. --Open for jumping on Wednesdays/Thursdays, even during the winter. I work Friday-Monday and have Tuesday-Thursday off. I know this is a tall order. Does such a place exist? There must be something in Florida or California, right? I'll go anywhere to get my knees in the breeze!

I moved to a new town and needed a job. The dropzone was the first place that would hire me as a pilot. I had absolutely no interest in jumping, but the DZ had a deal where they'd give their pilots a free jump for every 25 hours of flying if they wanted it. I'm a sucker for free stuff. Even though I had no interest in jumping, I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well go all out--so I asked if I could use the "free jump" credit for a first jump course rather than a tandem. They said I could. So one fine Saturday afternoon in April I found myself hanging from the strut of a Cessna, hooked up to a static line, scared to death. As soon as I let go, I finally understood why all these crazy people kept jumping out of my plane. I was hooked.

Yeah, I don't know much about the politics of professional skydiving. I imagine it's similar to flying. It's more about the attitude than the action. What I mean is, I really don't care if somebody decides to work for free. There have been times when I'll hop in the cockpit and fly a load or two for free because the paid pilot wants a break, and I don't want to bother filling out the paperwork for flying two loads. There are also pilots at my home DZ who have full time jobs outside aviation and only come out to fly in order to stay current and have fun. The DZ is willing to pay them, but they don't bother to fill out a time sheet. Cases like those don't matter. It's the whole, "I'll do anything to get ahead! I'll even work for free!" attitude that pisses me off.

Just a heads up to your friend--he should ditch the "I'll do it for free" talk. Not just for flying at a DZ, but for any aviation position. I've been working as a professional pilot (outside of flying jumpers) for the past seven years, and there are few things that make us cringe more than a new guy wanting to show up and do a job for free. Now, that doesn't mean he should demand high wages. That doesn't even mean he shouldn't work for free--I'd be lying if I said I've never flown for free. But the big difference is that it's unprofessional to use the "I'll work for free" line as a selling point to why a DZ should use your friend. It's as though the price for his skills is more important than the skills themselves. It's also telling to see how a pilot will approach their job when they offer to fly for free. It shows that they're probably more concerned about building time than being an excellent pilot. If I'm hiring someone, I don't want a pilot who is trying to get hired based on price--I want one who is trying to get hired based on skill. Offering to fly for free is a sign they don't respect themselves enough, or think they're good enough, to expect to be paid. You get what you pay for. Another point to consider would be the reputation of any DZ unwilling to pay their pilots. Is that really the kind of place your friend wants to work for? If they're not willing to shell out a few bucks an hour for the pilot, where else are they cutting corners? Maintenance? Equipment? A more professional approach would be for your friend to show up at a DZ and express an interest in flying for them. Talk to whoever is in charge of hiring pilots and find out what the job entails. Then, at the end, ask, "What does this position pay?" He might end up working for next to nothing, but at least he'll show some self-respect as he goes to do it. Money should be the last thing on his mind, not the first. He should view himself as a talented, limited commodity, and if he decides to "settle" for low wages, that's his choice to make.

Same reason as Skymama--I wear glasses and hate the feeling of goggles over top of glasses. At least that's why I started jumping my Z1 as a student. Having the added protection from getting bumped in the face is nice, too. Never been hit really hard, but the possibility is always there. Plus it's less of a hassle for fogging on the plane ride up. When everyone around me is tipping their goggles up, trying to get them to defog, I'm happily sitting there with my visor open. Just slide up to the door, click the visor down, and out I go. Very hassle-free. The final reason I like them is for added protection in the event I ever land off. Knock on wood, I've never landed in a corn field or tree, but I've heard that having a full face in such circumstances can keep one's face from getting scratched up.

I would consider Portland, Oregon. It's kinda like Seattle, except better. Skydive Oregon has a very nice Caravan. Not sure if they jump year-round or not, but I had a great time jumping there in the summer. The city is very bike friendly, and the weather is drier than Seattle. Good skiing can be found in the mountains an hour or two's drive away.

For sure. I've seen enough of Nat Geo's "Locked Up Abroad" to know better. That's why I'm starting the ball rolling now, six months before I want to actually step in to the country. I think I'll focus my research on the Czech Republic and Puerto Rico. Those two seem like the most promising for what I'm wanting.

I would definitely be open to it. Do you have any further advice? Know anyone who's done something similar in Brazil?

Not really. I have a very basic understanding of Spanish, but I'm far from fluent. I can read it well enough to get the general idea of say, a newspaper story, but don't speak it well. I'm not able to carry on a conversation. That's one of the reasons I'm attracted to living abroad for a year. I know I'm weak with languages and I'd like to pick up a deeper knowledge of one, regardless of which one it is.

I've come to the realization recently that I want to spend a year living abroad. The factors of time, money, job, family connections, and many other things have come together to make such an adventure possible. I've decided that during a year outside the States, I absolutely must have access to a dropzone that has a good bunch of active fun jumpers...something more than a tandem mill for sure. I'm not picky about the size or aircraft at the DZ. If it's a 182 DZ, that's fine with me as long as it has decent weather and fun jumpers. I don't really care about climate, aside from the fact that I don't want to endure a long, hard winter (Canada, Russia, etc.). The question I have is, where should I go? My roommate spent a year working as an ESL teacher in and recommended the Czech Republic. Another mountain climber friend suggested going to New Zealand. Yet another friend suggested heading south to Belize, Nicaragua, or Panama. I'm open to anywhere I can find at least part time work so I don't burn through all my savings supporting myself for a year. I'd love to work at a DZ, but I don't qualify for the jumping jobs (no instructional ratings or camera flying qualifications, although I hope to become a coach before leaving on this trip) and it's usually difficult to work as a pilot abroad because of legal hurdles with the governments (although I'm an FAA licensed pilot, 3000+ hours, and jump pilot experience). Therefore I'm thinking I'd work as something like an ESL tutor, hotel front desk clerk, etc. and jump on the weekends. If you were me, where would you go? What resources are out there to start planning something of this nature? Googling the topic is overwhelming and I barely know where to start. I'd like to leave the US this January and spend most of 2012 wherever I end up going. So I have plenty of time to make plans, connections, file paperwork, pile extra cash into savings, and so on.

I sent in the paperwork this afternoon to get my B license. I'm not very experienced and I mainly worked towards the B license because I like having goals to shoot for and an excuse to keep improving my skills. Now, aside from the obvious reasons listed in the SIM (qualify to earn a coach rating, pull lower, etc.) what are some of the cool jumps I'll have access to as a B-licensed jumper that I wouldn't be able to do with an A? I think I remember at a boogie last summer, the high altitude jumps were only open to B-licensed and better jumpers. What else have you seen only open to B and better?

Bring a laptop and surf the internet. Watch TV or videos. Play video games (my DZ has a Wii connected to a projector). Read magazines. Take a nap. Play solitaire. Pick the brains of any experienced jumpers who happen to be hanging around. Ask them anything you want to learn more about. If the weather is nice, other than being windy, play frisbee, throw a football, etc. Fire up the BBQ and start cooking. Oh, and of course all the practical things that have already been mentioned, like learning to pack or perform regular gear maintenance.

I mostly lurk on these forums, but I'm curious about something... When I see references to a person with "lowish" jump numbers jumping a camera, what is considered "lowish"? I'm aware of the SIM recommendation to have at least a C license, therefore 200+ jumps before jumping a camera, but what are you guys referring to as low? Sub-200? < 500? < 1000? I'm assuming a brand new C license is considered a minimum. What do experienced camera flyers recommend as a "comfortable" amount of jumps, rather than a minimum? Sorry if this has been covered in other threads. I did a quick search and couldn't find any mention of specific numbers.

Paradise Skydives in Vinton, Iowa flies a Caravan.

I really enjoy spotting. Everyone talks about it from a safety perspective, but beyond that, I just think it's fun. It's a challenge to see how good I can get. Kinda like accuracy landings. Part art, part science. I do the majority of my jumping at a small, single 182 DZ so we always spot for ourselves. When I've gone to bigger DZs and boogies, I missed spotting. I still check the spot, but don't expect to give any corrections to the pilot.

It all depends on the specific type of aircraft. Position and design of the engine, door, tail, control surfaces, etc. all play important roles. What type, specifically, do you want to jump? Would it be a single jumper exiting, or multiple jumpers at once?

I jump an almost new Sabre 2 and use an aluminum "packing stick" to help hold the s-fold in place. I literally can't control the fabric without this thing. It's basically a long, flat, smooth aluminum paddle that I borrowed from my rigger. I see one in Para Gear, Item S7175, for $15. I place it about halfway up the canopy, make the first fold on top of it, then fold the top of the canopy like usual. So the packing stick is basically stuffed inside the pack job. It's hard to describe without showing you a picture. I get one corner in the bag, pull the stick out, then cram the second corner in. Without the stick adding some rigidity to the pack job, all the folds shift around and come undone before I can get the corners in the bag.

Something I haven't seen brought up yet is how the guy really might have seemed like a jerk, even by most conventional standards, when in his own mind he had no intention of doing so. When I started hanging out at my dropzone, there was one very experienced jumper who I'd talk to on occasion. He always seemed kind of short and snappy, like he was always impatient and wanting to cut to the chase. I'd fly him and after a jump ask how the spot was, and he just say something like, "Yeah, it was fine, we got back fine," and then go back to packing or whatever. Not a lot of interaction. The longer I hung around, the more I saw that this guy wasn't at all a jerk, it's just the way he communicates. He talks to his close friends the same way. Now that I've known him for several years, I don't think anything of it. So my point for the OP is, keep observing the guy in the future and see what happens. Maybe he really is a jerk, or maybe he just came off that way in the moment.

I moved to a new town and needed a job. I'm a pilot, so I started banging on every door at every airport I could find. The local drop zone was the first place that hired me. I had absolutely zero interest in jumping, but I liked collecting a pay check. They offer a deal to all of their pilots. For every 25 hours you fly for them, you get a free jump if you want it. After flying for 25 hours, I still had no interest in taking it up as a regular hobby, but I'm a cheapskate and can't pass up anything that's "free." Curiosity got the best of me. I had to try it out and see what the big deal is. I took the FJC and did a static line jump, all for free. As soon as my hands left the strut, I was hooked. Between money, weather, and time, it was a slow progression, but I finally got my A license about 2 years after my FJC. Now my standard response to the DZ manager when he asks me to fly is, "You know I'd rather be jumping. But call me if you can't find anybody else." Thankfully they've found enough pilots that I'm able to jump more than fly nowadays

I had a fair amount of experience as a pilot before I started jumping. Like 5 years and a couple thousand hours as a pilot. Flying and landing a canopy seemed very intuitive and easy, except for days with strong winds aloft. In a plane, you basically *always* have at least *some* forward drive, no matter how light the plane and how strong the winds. With canopy flight, it seemed strange to turn into the wind and come straight down. Thankfully I haven't landed off yet!