Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

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Sibongile
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by Sibongile »

Easy... stick with the Job you have Fly jumpers in the 206. More options at the end of contract with time in a 206 than a 152
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gooseinbc
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by gooseinbc »

You’re already trained up at your current company and get to stay at home? I’d stay right where you are man. Not worth having a record of screwing over a company like that, especially to make a sideways move to be doing essentially the same thing. Cessna time is cessna time, but there are a lot more companies out there running 206s.

700 vs 500 hours isn’t going to make you any more hireable after working your first job for 5 months, and either way you at least have some PIC time that isn’t from instructing.
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7ECA
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by 7ECA »

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

You've got a flying job now - do you enjoy the job? Is there any appreciable reason why you'd want to quit? Is there some glaring issue being able to live at home, etc...?
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lownslow
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by lownslow »

Start putting out feelers for your second job today. Let them know you’re on a contract as well as the end date and right now any company worth working for will hold a spot for you if they like you.
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lownslow
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by lownslow »

Both operations are single pilot VFR. Whichever way you go it’s important to demonstrate that you’re a safe and reliable employee. The rest is details.
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Diadem
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by Diadem »

References and reputation are more important than a hundred hours. If you leave the skydive job a few months in, they aren't going to give you a good reference. Even if the people at the photo job give you a good one, future employers might wonder why you left the skydive job so soon after starting and call them up, regardless of whether you listed them on your application. If you decide to change jobs, talk to your current boss first and find out how he or she would feel about it.
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praveen4143
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by praveen4143 »

Also, living out of hotels can get real crappy real quick!
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laserstrike
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by laserstrike »

happyflying wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 9:37 am I accepted a job offer a month ago for a Skydive Pilot position about an hour drive away from my house. I have just finished the training and have started flying skydivers recently. I just got another job offer for an Aerial Photography pilot position however and I am confused as to whether I should leave the Skydive Pilot position for the aerial photo job or not. The Skydive Pilot position is supposed to get me about 250 hours of flying time for the season vs. the Aerial Photo position is supposed to give me double that 500 hours total for the season. It is possible however to get just over 300 hours of flight time with the Skydive position and the aerial photo position may only provide 400 hours which is now only a 100 hour difference. They are both 5 month long positions. The Aerial photo pilot position involves travelling across Canada taking photos while flying a Cessna 152 and living out of hotels for 5 months. The Skydive Pilot position I am currently flying a Cessna 206 which is a constant speed prop and I am able to live at home.

Which experience is better to have on my resume as my first pilot position? The Skydive position allows me to fly a more advanced constant speed Cessna 206 however the Aerial photo job allows me to get experience flying to different airports across the country building cross country time. With either position I will definitely have over 500 hours total time after the 5 months and there seems to be enough jobs only requiring 500 hours total time to apply. I am concerned about leaving the Skydive position I just started since I don't want to have a bad reputation of jumping from one job to another.
I'd stick with what you have. Maybe talk to the photo place and say you've committed to the jump job and they've trained you up so you want to keep your word and finish the season with them. I'd bet that will nearly %100 get you a "let us know when you're done we'll have a job here for you" when you tell them that. 250 vs 500 isn't really going to make that much of a difference in the long run, but having a good reputation and good references for sticking to your word will be more valuable.
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laserstrike
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by laserstrike »

happyflying wrote: Thu May 30, 2019 6:46 am Thank you everyone for your replies. I appreciate the feedback. I am definitely happy at my Skydive position however I believe the quality of the flight hours I would get with the aerial photo job would be better which makes this a difficult decision. The Aerial Photo position involves traveling across the country to different airports vs the Skydive position is the same flight over and over again at the same airport however you get to do a lot of take off's and landings. They are both day VFR jobs though so maybe I am overthinking this.

From the perspective of the quality of the hours is it better for me to take the aerial photo position? I am already a month into the Skydive position however which complicates this decision so I don't want to burn bridges with my current employer.
Quality of the hours really don't matter for the first 500. What matters more is the type of aircraft. I'd sooner say 206 flying in a skydive operation is more valuable than 172 pipeline flying. By the end of the summer you will qualify for any right seat medevac job in a King Air. 700 hours vs 500 hours won't matter for finding a job like that.
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trey kule
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by trey kule »

Ask the photo ops folks to give you a guarantee in writing of 400 hrs for the season. Or pay you the difference if you do not fly 400.

If they won’t do that it tells you a lot about their confidence. And I am pretty certain they wont.

You took a job. Keep your word . This is why companies have bonds.

Btw. 152 time is just for log book filling.
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jt8d
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by jt8d »

I am concerned about leaving the Skydive position I just started since I don't want to have a bad reputation of jumping from one job to another.

You answered your own question... be grateful they took a gamble on you and trained you up as a 250TTer... well unless it's Joe Chow and YOU paid to get trained up... F that guy and his outfit
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Quinny
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by Quinny »

Flying with the door open and people hanging off of the strut, having to know what to do if a pilot chute goes over the tail etc IS NOT quality flying hours? I would say that it is far superior to putting around in a 152 and staying in hotel rooms.
Building relationships and connections at the drop zone and airport, walking away at the end of the contract/season with great friends and references. Come on dude....what exactly are you thinking?
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kendallwb1
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by kendallwb1 »

Hi to OP. I was just wondering how you got that first job as a skydive pilot? I'm looking to build time, I currently have my CPL 400 hours and a group 3 IFR rating.
Thanks in advance!
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skydivepilot
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Re: Jump Pilot or Aerial Photo Pilot?

Post by skydivepilot »

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