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PhreeZone

Learning to rig: pay for own pack jobs?

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I know there are a lot of people out there learning to rig or teach students to rig. I'm wondering how payment issues are delt with either for the teaching or for the repacks. Specifically I'm wanting to know opinions on people that apprentence and not attend a crash course.

Specifically do you charge people to apprentence under you/ did you pay to learn under someone. Do you charge the student for repacking their own rig?
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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I apprenticed in 1982. Paid a flat rate for all instruction necessary. I've helped two people get ready for courses. Included 10 to 15 pack jobs signed off. One claimed he learned more from me than the course. The second almost as much. (I didn't spend as much time with him.) Both claimed they were leaving the area. Both became competitors.>:( Won't do that again.

These were friends and I didn't charge them. But, I spent 20 or 30 hours with them (maybe more). I won't do that again for nothing. I haven't chosen to completely train anybody and probably won't. But if I did I'd certainly charge a rate comparable to some of the courses. It's a lot of time out of my life. And they're going to make money with the rating.

Rigging is serious business and packing, well, is only part of it.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

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I never charged to train a rigger, although recently a guy I spent a lot of time with very kindly bought me some jumps and a dinner. I was surprised, and certainly didn't expect it. I always considered free training a fair return to the sport that has given me so much. I am not critical at all of a rigger who does charge though. I figured that creating more riggers just freed up my time to do weirder rigging stuff (like designing/building canopies...).

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

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None of the rigger's I've worked with have even suggested that I pay. I try to do the bs work for them, though. (canopy hookups, main pack jobs, cleaning up, etc.) The rigger I am currently working with (for the last 30 or so pack jobs) would never let me pay.

Thanks to the great folks here at DZ.com, we have both become better riggers, though. I have found when I teach packing classes, it works best to have two students-they learn from each other. My rigger and I are learning from each other-neither of us have too big of an ego to ask questions. Reading this forum has increased both of our knowledge tenfold-thank y'all very much.

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Nope, I never paid a dime to apprentice. I have "trained" under three different riggers; one the local DPRE. The way I see it is that the rigger is getting the benefit of an extra set of hands in his loft. When I was active in the military club, the great majority of the rigs were, and still are, packed by apprentices. There was a lot to keep up with and a fair variety of equipment, so it was a great learning experience. There was also a ton of scrap material and retired rigs laying around to sew on which was nice. I really need to get off my ass and take my practical now that I am running the school. I was an idiot for not getting the ticket when I was doing it all the time.

Chuck

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