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Jump Pilot question

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cougar6903

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 2, 2002
Posts
276
Is there any unwritten rule on how long you are expected to stay at a DZ after being trained to be a jump pilot by them? If I were to accept a position at a mid size DZ for a Cessna 206, having never flown jumpers before, what is a fair amount of time to stay for them to recoup there training costs? The owner hasn’t mentioned any amount of time I’m expected to stay, but I don’t want to be know as the guy who goes for training then jumps ship asap. Steve
 
Well Since most of the "Training" Takes about a day or so.. I wouldn't worry about it so much. but I would at least give them a few weeks notice before jumping ship. A King Air, Twin-Otter, or 208 Job might be a little different but a 206 or 182 I wouldn't worry about. Most DZ's know they have a high rate of turnover...
 
How refreshing

It is nice to see someone thinking this way. However most DZ's know you need to move on eventually. I used to still help out at the DZ long after I moved on to better flying jobs. It can actually be a break from 121 type of ops. Plus we used to fly formation loads quite a bit and that was a lot of fun. Nothing like flying a good tight formation that puts the folks right into the formation as soon as they exit. That always was worth a few beers after the days flying.

The best thing you can do is give lot's of notice and be willing to train and maybe even find your replacement. This always gives a good lasting impression when it is time to move on in any job.
 
I wonder why you want to jump ship? If it's a safety issue then I would let them know and run don't walk away. If you just don't like the place or have something else in mind I would let them know ASAP and try to give them a little notice, until they can find someone.
 
cougar6903 said:
Is there any unwritten rule on how long you are expected to stay at a DZ after being trained to be a jump pilot by them? If I were to accept a position at a mid size DZ for a Cessna 206, having never flown jumpers before, what is a fair amount of time to stay for them to recoup there training costs? The owner hasn’t mentioned any amount of time I’m expected to stay, but I don’t want to be know as the guy who goes for training then jumps ship asap. Steve
I would think most operators or clubs would want you to stay for at least the season.

Over the last 12 years I have seen quite a few jump pilots come and go...some were great, some were asked to leave. I never heard much comment about any that left early.

If the DZ is business, the owner may want you to sign something, but I have never heard of this type of thing as DZ's are used to turnover.
 

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