At what cost

[StevieBoy 0]

I asked this question in an old post, BUT

I've Been thinking????

what if I sold my house & stuff to become an aff/tandem/ camera flyer ect.

How much do you think it will cost to get to that level given that I have around 40,000 pounds, taking into account that I would live on a DZ & do any work going ?????????
.
"Skydiving's a source, it'll change your life, swear to God"

it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

[PhreeZone 20]

In the US it seems to take most people about $18000-20000 total befroe they ever make a dime in the sport. Tandems are 500 jumps in the US, more in the UK I think(500*$20= $10000 in jump tickets) then your gear cost and ratign fees, camera setups start at 1500 for sellable stuff, 3000+ for good stuff, then another 300 on a suit. Aff needs 2 jump suits usually and lots of rating fees and probally travel too.

Even living on a DZ costs money, most DZ's ask for time or money for RV slots and someone has to clean the toliets. Then there are living expences.

Pretty much all the 40000 (if i under stand the exchange rates right) will be spent just getting your ratings before you can turn any money.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[sdctlc 0]

With Exchange rate as of today you get the following. Hope the 40000 is in British pounds and not Euros, much better exchange to USD!

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

40,000 British Pound = 63,920.0 US Dollar
40,000 US Dollar (USD) = 25,031.3 British Pound (GBP)

OR looking a the Euro

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

40,000 Euro = 41,152.0 US Dollar
40,000 US Dollar (USD) = 38,880.2 Euro (EUR)

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[StevieBoy 0]

Man O Man, cheers for the reality check.

I live in France so the costs are cheeper than the UK, I've never really done the sums before.

I'm a self employed builder here so the money is really good, but I think it's a time factor, i'm 35yrs & only 36 jumps, I'll need to dedicate a lot of time to the sport so this is why I am thinking of selling my house & doing cash work as well, I've thought about it long & hard & this is the way I would like to go.

If any of you have been down this road I'd like to hear about your story, would you do it again type of stuff.

It's going to be a life changing experience so any info, I'm all ears.

it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

[StevieBoy 0]

Cheers my friend, it's in British pounds.

Now the other factor??????????

Whats the best country, BTW, I love living in France.

.

it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

If you intend to make your full living from skydiving, with no pension from former employment, then you had better be ready to relocate with the seasons and follow the sun.

Chuck

[skreamer 1]

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Whats the best country, BTW, I love living in France.

Don't even bother with the UK. I've got some friends who work in the sport full-time here and they are going very hungry right now.

Seems like what you need is a busy DZ where they jump year round. Empuria would be the obvious answer. The states is probably out of the question (work permit, insurance etc.). But at least you have a trade you can fall back on when the pickings are lean.

Personally I don't want to depend on skydiving for my full-time income. Might lose some of the pleasure - ever notice how the fun jumpers always seem happiest to be in the plane? How many tandems are you going to film/jump before the novelty wears off and it becomes just a job?

Will

[tlshealy 0]

Steve,
Keep your day job, it's perfect, if you are self employed, you can plan your work schedule around jumping. Get some experience, work on your ratings, but keep it a hobby, you'll enjoy it more. I was on the Army Parachute team for 2 years 83~84, jumping every day for a job, after I got out I didn't really care if I jumped or not. I went for about 5 years without jumping at all. But now that I've started again and go a couple times a month, I can't wait to get to the DZ and get in the plane.
Just my $.02
Blue Skies
Tad

[riggerrob 643]

Keep your day job until you own a trailer, two rigs, two cameras, two ratings, two jumpsuits, a trailer and two or more ratings.
It will take three years and 500 jumps to earn a tandem instructor rating and that is the best-paying rating.
But avoid limiting yourself to being a one-trick-pony. Earn as many ratings as you can.
For example, rigging may sound boring, but remember that I am earning a salary for rigging while all of the other skydivers in BC are starving through the rainy season.
Your carpentry experience will endear you to DZOs, but ideally you can clean the toilets, repair the toilets, mow the lawn, repair the lawn mower, sew patches on parachutes, pack those parachutes, do all different types of instructional dives and video those dives. Oh and the DZO will want you to switch hats fast enough to hot load.
It also helps if you can migrate when the seasons change.
Some of the happiest professional skydivers I know jump 3 or 4 days out of the week, but do construction in the off season.

[kallend 2,150]

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Personally I don't want to depend on skydiving for my full-time income. Might lose some of the pleasure - ever notice how the fun jumpers always seem happiest to be in the plane? How many tandems are you going to film/jump before the novelty wears off and it becomes just a job?

Will

That's something I've noticed about the people I started with who went on to skydive for money - how infrequently many of them now make fun jumps.

On the other side of the coin, some of those having most fun are those who have let their ratings lapse and no longer jump for money.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[PhillyKev 0]

I got into the computer industry because screwing around with computers was my hobby.

I now hate computers and love skydiving. But I love the money I get from working with computers and it pays for skydiving. So, I'll leave things the way they are.

[tigra 0]

Rob,

I just have to say, you paint the most realistic portrait of a full time "professional" skydiver yet! Living in a trailer and scrubbing toilets. Its not all chicks and glory! (Just ask Rook Nelson!)

maura

[Waszir 0]

I met a few student AFF skydivers from the UK at Nagambie Sky Dive (Victoria, Australia) during this year on extended 'holidays' in Australia and getting their ratings at less than half the price on their UK wages than if they did in the UK and in better weather and conditions.

(http://Waszir.htmlpl

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anet.com )

Swimming is getting out of the boat,
and flying is ..........

[R00tj00se 0]

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I got into the computer industry because screwing around with computers was my hobby.

I now hate computers and love skydiving. But I love the money I get from working with computers and it pays for skydiving.

Amen to that!

[rmsmith 1]

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...what if I sold my house & stuff to become an aff/tandem/ camera flyer ect...

You will probably just survive, never developing asset. Even the airport (land) won't do it. You need to be the aircraft owner, eventually. Set your sights on an A&P ticket, a Cessna 206/350hp-turbo, and a Twin Otter.