getting rich skydiving

[greybeard 0]

How many people are making a living at the drop zone?

Twenty years ago, you could show up at the dz and count on almost anybody local or otherwise connected to fly with you in whatever disciple you chose. Free and for fun.

Today, it might cost you for the 'coach', his jump ticket, and the beer.

It seems today, that everybody and their brother wants to make a dollar off of you. How many dz's have more staff than customers?

The 'Big-way-camps' are especialy scary with what they charge to learn. The 'Big-way-events' are even more exspensive. The organizers are making a living by feeding our addictions.

*
All well and good to a point, expenses,etc, but trophy monetary rerwards are not what I love about this sport and the people in it.

*

The Cesna dz that I learned static line progression from, did not have much mentoring, but what they did, they didn't charge for.

Wingsuiting by 'Birdman Inc.' seems to have changed their direction lately and Scott Compos is touring with 'free first flight instruction'.

When was the last time you offered to do a two way or three way with some fresh A's.

Do It, Burn a ticket, could be fun!.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Yes, but why is the rum gone?

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[downwardspiral 0]

You are jumping at the wrong dz. I started at a small dropzone where people were friendly, invited you to jump all the time, even bought beer. I then moved to a larger dz thinking it would be good for my skydiving 'career.' I couldn't have been more wrong. The people there really soured me to the sport so I'm on a hiatus until I take care of some other goals. Once I do return I will be jumping at small dz's.

Savy?

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[Amazon 7]

Yeah the whole big way thing is a super put off...

BUt I guess unless you pay the professionals.. you are NOT going to get to play.

Expensive.. Time off those of us who work do not have( its not like the professional skydivers who are there EVERYDAY trying to figure out how to get rich)but hey it IS a capatalist country.

You can even give them the names of people who you HAVE jumped with on big ways.. and they do not even bother to call them and check. They want YOU.. in THEIR Camp...period

I like my little DZ..... the vibe is kewl.. and anyone and everyone will jump with each other. And coaching... is considered PAYING it forward in my mind...

[greybeard 0]

Coaching = Paying it forward.

I like that! Can I quote you?

Never mind, I'm gonna say I made it up myself.

You fly girl!

Mark

[quade 4]

Bull shit.

The sport is what YOU make it.

If YOU don't want to participate in the Big-way camps, then don't.
If YOU don't want to hire a coach, then don't.

There's no fuckin' law saying you ever have to set foot in a tunnel.
There's no fuckin' law saying you ever have to turn 20 points.

Nobody is forcing anybody to buy a wing suit.

People are paying the money because they WANT to pure and simple.

If you don't want to, then don't.

Meanwhile, the people that want to experience the very fastest or greatest will always be willing to pay a premium for that. Just like cars or airplanes or whatever.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[greybeard 0]

Bull shit.

Is that what you say? To what?

My sport is what I make it. That is my point, not yours.

Dude, you are so off base, I'm sorry you read this post.
Get a good night's sleep and help me look at it from tomorrow's perspective. You may have some helpful insights for me.

I ain't nothing but learning new every day.

Mark

[quade 4]

Guess I must have missed the finer point of your last sentance. Had to go back and reread it to see what I had missed and my apologies because sure enough, there it was burried in the last few words.

All the rest of which sounded like a typical bitch session about how expensive skydiving is -- but especially your subject line.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[CSpenceFLY 1]

those that want to and have it are spending it.Those that don't have it are leaving the sport.

[jgoose71 0]

I feel your pain....

At a lot of the DZ's I have visited, unless they are having a special event, I can't find a fun jumper to do a 2 way with unless I hunt long and hard. There is always someone willing to do a coach jump though.

The only thing that keeps me going most of the time is the pure adrenalin rush and the few people I have met that are in the same boat as me.... An A license and wanting to get out the door. They seem to get farther and fewer between though.

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[SBS 0]

I don't know if you've seen the amount of work that people put into organizing those events, but it is huge. It's a full time job, and I personally think people deserve to get paid for that. It's those people who enable bigways and world records, which I know many people value as something they really look forward to in their skydiving careers.

I would have to agree with you, though, that there are some who are looking to get their jumps paid for. Sometimes those are people who can't afford to jump otherwise, and if the jumps weren't paid for they wouldn't be around anyway...so either way, they are not available to jump with for free. Some, though, it's a matter of ego, and if you want to jump with them, you pay. Some of them are legitimately really super coaches and you will come away a better skydiver, and they get a return for the time and money that they have put into it.

Personally, I don't take money for coach jumps, and regularly jump with people who have few jumps. It's the way I can feel better about myself and feel like I am at least better than somebody...and for that I cover my own jump ticket.

_____________
I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

[ltdiver 3]

There are different people for different goals. Some like to 'just have fun', while others are out to learn to be part of a larger world (perhaps champions in their discipline).

I learned at a small DZ and absolutely loved it. The friends built there are friends for life. We still call each other on almost a weekly basis though we haven't seen each other in years (they live across the country).

However, after awhile my skydiving seemed to stale. How much can you learn jumping out of a 182, jumping after the tandem (and cameraflyer) who took up the other seats? Solos get boring after a time.

Yeah, I know 'smaller dz's' can have a larger plane that holds more than 4 skydivers. And that's great. If a skydiver wants to use a Caravan (for example) and have fun, then that's grand! Go for it! I'd probably have been happy doing that for the rest of my skydiving life.

Then there are those who want more. They reach for more. Perhaps we're more competitive? We want to learn more and more, and you know....people stay in -any- sport because they are still learning. They haven't peaked. Once someone believes they have learned it all they get bored and leave. Or change disciplines and continue learning. They can study and try it out, however the learning curve is alot faster learning from those who are already successful.

You can jump with friends, and learn. That's cool. Yet, IMHO, if a person wants to learn efficiently they go to the pro's. And if the pro's earn a living doing what you want to achieve, then I hope their students don't mind paying. The pro's still have to eat and put a roof over their heads.
Anyway, I'm rambling on and better stop. Something about putting food on my table is taking priority.....

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[1969912 0]

I'm certain that a whole lot more skydivers deserve to get rich (or even make a living at it) than actually do. The (very small number of) DZ's I have used were all run by people with regular day jobs who could probably have made more money selling Amway as a side job. They are deserving of thanks and beers!

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG