First day as a jump pilot....

CaptChris

CaptChris

New Member
As some of you know I am a CFI at a 141 school (university). Time is adding up at about 60 hours per month, but primarily on weekdays. So I decided to pursue something on the weekends to help speed things up a bit. So I called up a dropzone about 35 minutes away from my town, and was offered a job.

Today was my third day of work, but first day flying a full load of jumpers myself (we use both C-182's, and a Twin Otter). Both planes are awesome to fly, the 182 is stripped down to ONE seat and I am required to wear a parachute while acting as PIC. Today I flew 4.2 hours in 6 loads. At our dropzone we takeoff, fly to 10,500 (C-182)/14,500 (Otter) and while climbing calculate winds, and generate a gameplan for when to deploy the divers. Today I kept track, my six loads in the C-182 ended up giving me 4.2 hours total, at about 35 mins/load.

This is awesome experience, we take off heavy with minnimum fuel, climb, deploy jumpers, and land for fuel while they load us up again. For those of you looking to add some time to your logbook this summer, think about a dropzone. I only worked half a day, just to think what tomorrow will bring!
 
[ QUOTE ]
As some of you know I am a CFI at a 141 school (university). Time is adding up at about 60 hours per month, but primarily on weekdays. So I decided to pursue something on the weekends to help speed things up a bit. So I called up a dropzone about 35 minutes away from my town, and was offered a job.

Today was my third day of work, but first day flying a full load of jumpers myself (we use both C-182's, and a Twin Otter). Both planes are awesome to fly, the 182 is stripped down to ONE seat and I am required to wear a parachute while acting as PIC. Today I flew 4.2 hours in 6 loads. At our dropzone we takeoff, fly to 10,500 (C-182)/14,500 (Otter) and while climbing calculate winds, and generate a gameplan for when to deploy the divers. Today I kept track, my six loads in the C-182 ended up giving me 4.2 hours total, at about 35 mins/load.

This is awesome experience, we take off heavy with minnimum fuel, climb, deploy jumpers, and land for fuel while they load us up again. For those of you looking to add some time to your logbook this summer, think about a dropzone. I only worked half a day, just to think what tomorrow will bring!

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Sweet. That sounds like loads of fun. What school do you work for, btw?
 
How do you calcualte the winds for the divers? Is it every 5 knots they go a quarter-mile with the wind or something like that, or is it all based on judgement.

Sounds like a great job.
 
Congrats!

It's fun flying... just be careful... YOU are the PIC! Not the Drop zone owner. If the plane isn't legal, or the weather won't let you get on top legally, or the jumpers will have to jump through a cloud, it's YOUR certificate on the line.

But that said... jumper flying is some of the most fun flying I've done...
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Strange to have someone open the door at 10,500 and say "Thanks for the ride... Byeeeeeeeeeee"
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I'm thinking of heading down to Florida and seeing if any DZs down there are hiring. Gotta have a plan B if the CFI thing doesn't work out.
 
Right now I work for Bowling Green State University in Ohio. For any of you CFI/CFII's out there looking for work they are doing some hard core hiring in the fall. If you're looking for something PM me and I will give you contact info. We fly a brand new fleet of 172R's, an Arrow, and Seminole.

As for me---I can't take the Ohio weather anymore so I am outta here in August. The dropzone flying is a blast. The first time the door flew open I about lost it!! The planes have minnimal equipment, take off heavy with minnimum fuel, but IF anything were to happen I A) Have a parachute on and B) Am usually right over the airport.

To calculate winds for the divers, we go 4 knots=1/4 mile. So if winds at 10,000 are 270 at 15 we shoot to drop them 3/4-1 miles off of the airport. As I learned my first run.... 1 mile away from the airport is practically right on top of it from 10,000 feet. With winds aloft at ~40 I dropped them about 1.5 times the width of the wheel away from the field.... and they ended up having to walk about half a mile. Needless to say I've been VERY careful not to make that happen again----the jumpers were waiting for me when I got down
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At any rate---its a great job flying scrapped, barely legal aircraft up and down all day.

Like I said 35 mins a load, $10/load, and you can do anywhere from 12-20 loads sunrise-sunset on a good day! Exhausting.... yes, somewhat boring.... yes, an element of danger.... yes, pay=Peanuts.... yes, but this is some of the most fun flying I've ever done once you realize that it is completely normal to have people hanging from your strut and then dropping like flies.
 
Kell, there is a nice one ( I believe SkyDive USA ) at the Belle Glade airport on the Lake. They have a nice twotter there, and they seem to have a solid operation.
 
Jumpers are some of the greatest people I've ever been around. They are living large. If you think it's strange having someone hang off your strut, try doing it yourself.
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Congrats on getting the job!

One of the CFIs at the airport where I'm spending my summer as a line assistant was a Jump pilot on a kingair for a while down in texas. He said it was really good experience and a change to build twin turbine time. BUT.. he said that since all of his time was spent flying at ONE airport, he has missed out on A LOT of part 135 xc time. Sure he is glad he got to do the flying, but now he's scrambling as a c172 CFI trying to build the xc time so he will be ready to apply for a charter/airline job. .. Just something I'd consider while building time as a Jump Pilot.

And that brings me to this question.. Since its a 135 cross country minimum. Does that also apply to 121 (airline) flying? Or is there a seperate minimum for xc time logged to apply for airline rather than ondemand 135 operator.

Many thanks,
-Adam
 
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