Skydiving career in 6 months?

[trig78 0]

OK, here's my plan:

Quit my job in april nex year. Go to the States for 6 months and skydive every day, get all the ratings i can and hopefully start doing it for living. It will take me a year to set up everything since it's a big plan that will require small pile of money. Obviously I need to find a 7 day a week operating DZ ( got some in mind allready) I checked everything you can find online, from DZ's to rating requirements. It seems doable. If I did 5-10 jumps a day with a day or two off here and there i can have anywhere between 600 and 800 jumps in 6 months. A thousand if i get really insane, LoL.

A bit of a biography,
Wanted to jump since I was a kid. 32 years old, coming from a small country with lower standard where skydiving is almost nonexistant. Did 19 jumps in Czech Republic in 2002, went back home and havent jumped untill this april when i visited the States for a vacation and got my A license. I've been flying paragliders since 2001.

I'd like to hear what skydivers think about this, especially ones that are doing it for living.
Is this doable? Can one live from skydiving alone?
Any input is appreciated.

And YES, I'm serious about this ;)

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[alp27 0]

hey man, im new to the sport so cant offer any advice on a career but I wish you good luck and it sounds like a hell of a way to live.

Everyone dies.... not everyone lives!!

[mircan 0]

If you`re going to stay in US and at all-year open DZ than it could be possible. If you`re coming back to Balkans after you get your ratings - no.
Apart from that, for most of the ratings you need certain amount of "time in sport" so that might be an issue.

As I was interested in similar life path and I talked to a friend of mine who went to the US from here to do skydiving job. He got his AFFI and TI ratings, he packed, worked hard, got his neck fu*ked up, and was struggling altogether. Not to mention immigration papers and associated problems... He was lucky, got married with US girl (real marriage
Better path is that you have "regular" job with good wage and spend that money on jumping.
my2c

dudeist skydiver #42

[DARK 0]

it is doable but there are pretty big barriers in your way

first one is the money, 500 jumps is going to cost you around 12,000dollars plus gear plus courses plus living expenses

this would be fine if you had a job over there but presumably you will be on a holiday visa and it would be illegal for you to work which makes it harder to get work although packing for cash is possible

5-10 jumps a day is tough going, especially during the week when there arent as many loads and fun jumpers around and if your jumping all day when the loads are flying how you going to earn money cause thats when the packing needs to be done?

dont know what its like in the czech republic but from ireland we can get a 3 month holiday visa for the states no problem, anything longer then that is more hassle so what visa are you planning on getting?

after you get all your ratings your still going to be hard to employ because your probably illegal

you would probably have a far easier time of it with jobs going somewhere like empuria or somewhere in france that a has a turbine

having said all that

as someone who goes from ireland to the states to work on a dz every summer (and who gets tojump fuck all cause f the work :p) if you manage to get a job its great craic and well wirth the effort

good luck

[rhys 0]

Quote

Quit my job in april nex year. Go to the States for 6 months and skydive every day, get all the ratings i can and hopefully start doing it for living. It will take me a year to set up everything since it's a big plan that will require small pile of money. Obviously I need to find a 7 day a week operating DZ ( got some in mind allready) I checked everything you can find online, from DZ's to rating requirements. It seems doable. If I did 5-10 jumps a day with a day or two off here and there i can have anywhere between 600 and 800 jumps in 6 months. A thousand if i get really insane, LoL.

Anyone that serious should consider the commercial skydiving diploma in New Zealand.

You will pay less, and gather the jumps and skills you require faster.

I did the course in 2002 and I have been working as a full time skydiver ever since.

You can earn good money being a skydiver , but just like you, you have to be willing to travel, receptive to new ideas and be prepared to part with about $15k.

i now earn about $80-100k per year and so does my wife. We are buying into our first DZ next week.

You make out of it what you are prepared to put in!

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[trig78 0]

Thanks for replies i got so far.
Money should not be an issue. I should have enough to dedicate all my time to jumping and not to worry about work. Since I'm a contractor for amerian military in Iraq visa is normally not an issue. I looked at all major DZ's in the states, Perris, Eloy, Esinore, Spaceland, Dland....
With fleets they have it's hard to imagine they don't have enough loads when ever weather alows. I might be mistaking though but all the planes, facilities and staff cost tons of money. I have yet to call some drop zone and hear how they work first hand. I'm kinda attracted to Spaceland. They have some cool things and living in Texas is much more affordable that living in Cali or Florida. I'm curently working in Iraq so i'm more than willyng to travel :) and I was always attracted to New Zealand. Never been there but i have some friends from there and i did a lot of reaserch. I'm planing to go there for vacation next January, Quinnstown probably and maybe some other places. So NZ sounds awesome, i just have to check the options. Europe just seems too expensive and except from Empuria I havent ran into any major DZ's anywhere else in EU. Any links anybody?
Alp27 - thanks bro.
Mircan - i got u among friends on FB and we will deffinitelly meet in August when i go home since we are from the same town i believe ;) Hopefully we will jump together too.
Dark - I know it hard mate. I'm from Bosnia and we need visa to get anywhere and it sucks.
Rhys - I'd love to hear more about NZ option. I'll wait to go there and see for myself but it pretty much seems like a country of my dreams :)

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[DARK 0]

Quote

Thanks for replies i got so far.
Money should not be an issue. I should have enough to dedicate all my time to jumping and not to worry about work. Since I'm a contractor for amerian military in Iraq visa is normally not an issue. I looked at all major DZ's in the states, Perris, Eloy, Esinore, Spaceland, Dland....
With fleets they have it's hard to imagine they don't have enough loads when ever weather alows. I might be mistaking though but all the planes, facilities and staff cost tons of money. I have yet to call some drop zone and hear how they work first hand. I'm kinda attracted to Spaceland. They have some cool things and living in Texas is much more affordable that living in Cali or Florida. I'm curently working in Iraq so i'm more than willyng to travel :) and I was always attracted to New Zealand. Never been there but i have some friends from there and i did a lot of reaserch. I'm planing to go there for vacation next January, Quinnstown probably and maybe some other places. So NZ sounds awesome, i just have to check the options. Europe just seems too expensive and except from Empuria I havent ran into any major DZ's anywhere else in EU. Any links anybody?
Alp27 - thanks bro.
Mircan - i got u among friends on FB and we will deffinitelly meet in August when i go home since we are from the same town i believe ;) Hopefully we will jump together too.
Dark - I know it hard mate. I'm from Bosnia and we need visa to get anywhere and it sucks.
Rhys - I'd love to hear more about NZ option. I'll wait to go there and see for myself but it pretty much seems like a country of my dreams :)

thats cool sounds like your all set man

maybe something to consider is to not spend all the time in the one dz

facilities wise during the summer skydive chicago is second to none, you can always go to cali or arizona or florida when they close and the more places you go the more contacts you will make and the greater the chance of finding a job after

[trig78 0]

I forgot this, i checked theratingscentre.com and it seems that only Vector/Sigma tandem instructor reqires time in sport, 3 years in this case. All other just require certain number of jumps and/or free fall time. 100 and B licence for coach, 6 hours free fall time and Clicense. Except for tandem, everything else is acheivable in six months...if there's no hidden requirements of any kind. I'm happy with coach and AFF. Can't have it all at once :)

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[trig78 0]

thats cool sounds like your all set man

maybe something to consider is to not spend all the time in the one dz

facilities wise during the summer skydive chicago is second to none, you can always go to cali or arizona or florida when they close and the more places you go the more contacts you will make and the greater the chance of finding a job after

[mircan 0]

Quote

Mircan - i got u among friends on FB and we will deffinitelly meet in August when i go home since we are from the same town i believe ;) Hopefully we will jump together too.

I don`t jump there anymore except when they call me to do some video work for them. Still, It would be nice to meet and jump somewhere... Vrsar?
Anyway, good luck dude!

dudeist skydiver #42

[trig78 0]

Yeah, I didn't plan to jump in BL either. Vrsar, Mali Losinj, ZG, BG...wherever :)

Thanks, Igor

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[airtwardo 7]

I'm kinda attracted to Spaceland. They have some cool things and living in Texas is much more affordable that living in Cali or Florida.


~That's my 'home' DZ, look forward to meeting you down the road!
Good luck!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[BIGUN 1,424]

It's better to try and fail; than to not try and succeed.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[trig78 0]

Thanks. Seems you have a good team there and a good DZ. I'll probably call somebody there soon to make sure i got everything straight. Wouldn't want to plan whole year and then show up to hear something like: Look son, it doesn't really work that way!

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[trig78 0]

Quote

It's better to try and fail; than to not try and succeed.

Yeah, that's how I see it too!

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[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Suggest you get rigger rating early.

IN US:
--no minimum jumps for this rating
--you can pack mains without supervision
--rigger can make money in bad weather

instructional ratings (except tandem) make money only if students are jumping. Thus if wind is too strong for students... No $. However the camera jumpers can make money from experienced jumpers too. Really good camera guys can get paid to jump camera for teams.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION LAWS IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE US!!! Recent political events in the US have made this a HOT topic. We may see greatly increased enforcement of immigration laws in the near future. Arizona is the center of this political storm right now.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[jumpwally 0]

Yes,,,sounds like a good plan...make sure you take that learn " To Fly 747's " class also. In between skydiving you can fly to Europe and back,,its where the money is,,,quick turns and all....

Don't forget to order The Magic Bullet,,,3 easy payments....you can make smoothies between loads

If you are thinning on top,,we have spray on hair..

Instant pudding is also popular here....

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[trig78 0]

Thanks for the tips.
Yeah, i'm pretty aware of immigration laws. Reason i would like to do this in the States is that most big year round DZ's are in the south States. It's cheaper than Europe too. After i get what i need i would maybe stay if i can get work visa and if not i don't mind working seasons or full time anywhere else, NZ, Australia, Europe....

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[trig78 0]

Quote

Yes,,,sounds like a good plan...make sure you take that learn " To Fly 747's " class also. In between skydiving you can fly to Europe and back,,its where the money is,,,quick turns and all....

Don't forget to order The Magic Bullet,,,3 easy payments....you can make smoothies between loads

If you are thinning on top,,we have spray on hair..

Instant pudding is also popular here....

Hahahaha, like i said, any input is welcome. Sarcasm is pointless though. If u think it is not posible to do please explain

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[Southern_Man 0]

I believe USPA just instituted a one-year as coach requirement before you can go for an AFF rating. I don't remember all the details but that would seem to be pretty significant for your plan.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[trig78 0]

Quote

I believe USPA just instituted a one-year as coach requirement before you can go for an AFF rating. I don't remember all the details but that would seem to be pretty significant for your plan.

That would kinda kill the plan!

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[mircan 0]

Quote

Quote

I believe USPA just instituted a one-year as coach requirement before you can go for an AFF rating. I don't remember all the details but that would seem to be pretty significant for your plan.

That would kinda kill the plan!

It would not. You can do packing/rigging and video while you pile up jumps for AFF and tandem rating. Just get coach as soon as you can. Your plan is to have lots of cash to start with anyway, isn`t it?

dudeist skydiver #42

[Southern_Man 0]

one year as a coach or 500 jumps, more details here:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3803914;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[trig78 0]

:) I guess i can do Coach quick. To be good enough for camera work i would guess i need at least 200 jumps. That would come quick too. Some extra cash would come handy. I'll have decent amount of cash but probably not enough to jump and live for a year.
If it's required to have a year between Coach and AFF i'll have to modify the plan but it will still be doable and I will still go for it.
I have more than enough time to adapt since i'm sure there will be more obstacles.

Thanks ;)

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[PhreeZone 20]

Work visa's for skydiving are almost non existent since there is not a demonstrated lack of citizens to fill the job openings. Talk to the DZ's first to see if they would even be willing to hire you with out a work visa.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

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