Featured Jump Pilot - Daniel with Skydive San Marcos

Meet our Featured Jump Pilot Daniel, a Caravan pilot with Skydive San Marcos. A drop zone just south of Austin Texas. This is not only a Drop Zone that I use to fly for, but the exact same airplane that I flew while I was there in 2012! Although, they have replaced the standard 675hp Pratt engine with a 900hp Blackhawk Modifications upgrade. I still have yet to fly one of these modified Caravans, but hopefully in the near future!

Age: 34

From: Australia

Total Time: 1350 hours

Company: Skydive San Marcos

Location: San Marcos, Texas USA

Years Flying Skydivers: 13 months

What do you like most about flying skydivers?

Being PIC! Landing and taking off  in 100 degree weather with dust devils. Trying to have perfect landings. Perfecting my jump runs. I could go on for an hour! I just love this shit! lol 

What are your career goals?

Flying bigger and faster aircraft in the most challenging situations I can find. I'm not in it for the money. By the time I'm 45 I would like to think that my experience is as such that I could freelance around the world in November tail numbers. If that doesn't work, then corporate flying.

What is your advice for younger pilots?

Hustle, to the point that some will love you for it or some will blatantly tell you to eff off. Never forget how lucky you are to have become a pilot. Most people can only dream of the opportunity. If you can pay for food and shelter while building hours, you are beyond blessed.

If you have any questions for Daniel, please post them below this article on the Skydiver Driver Blog!

Feel free to visit the Skydive San Marcos site skydivesanmarcos.com


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Jump Pilot Academy

Sky Diver Driver announces a partnership with Jump Pilot Academy!

Jump Pilot Academy is specifically established to train new FAA CPL holders with 250 PIC flight hours on how to fly for skydiving operations according to FAA CFR 105 and USPA recommendations.

The Jump Pilot Academy team consists of some of the most experienced jump pilots in the skydiving industry. They have tens of 1000's of flight hours as jump pilots on various aircraft and are specifically selected to pass on the much needed and valuable training to you.

For more information click here.

SkydiverDriver.com

The USPA Safety Day is March 10th

The United States Parachute Association (USPA) designates the second Saturday in March of every year to be its Safety Day and this year that happens to be on March 10th. Many of the skydivers are a little rusty from not jumping much (if at all) during the Winter months and is why it is held at this time of the year. Started in 1997, it is the day that all of the USPA drop zones around the country gather up their employees and skydivers to review safety issues in a group setting.

If this will be your first Safety Day at your DZ as a Jump Pilot, be sure and ask your DZO if it will be okay if you can speak at the general meeting.  Be sure and write down at least an outline of items that you want to speak about. Things that you want your Skydivers, Manifest and Ground Crew to know or be reminded of.  

As pilots we are taught that safety is priority #1, so do not simply stand up and say a couple words.  Take advantage of the fact that you have everyone's attention on the topic of safety.  Personally, the main topics that I always talk about are: Weight & Balance, Safety Belts, Emergency Procedures and Prop Awareness during hot fueling, just to name a few.

Remind the skydivers of the various emergencies than can happen IN an airplane. Explain what your actions as PIC will be in response to each emergency and what you want them to do (or not to do) ie. If there is an engine failure at 500ft AGL, they are not to be tapping you on the shoulder asking if they can jump out. Also, insure that the Aircraft Emergency Procedures are posted at your DZ so that all skydivers are aware of them.

The only problem with Safety Day is that it's only one day a year. If I owned a Drop Zone we would have safety meetings once a month. Even if it was a 15 minute safety review on a Saturday morning. But I don't plan on owning a DZ... I'm not a good babysitter ;)

My fellow Jump Pilots, please remember to review often and fly safe, so that you can continue to have fun!

For more information about Safety Day from the USPA's own site, visit their designated page on that topic here.

As always, if you have any questions or comments about this topic or any others relating to flying skydivers and/or our sites, please email me chris@caravannation.com and please visit our sites  skydiverdriver.com and caravannation.com


Blue Skies, 

Chris Rosenfelt

Looking for a job flying skydivers?

Pilots, 

Are you currently looking for a job flying skydivers? Most of the Jump Pilot hiring is done between now and May. Visit our "Jump Pilot Jobs" page here and check back often!

DZOs, looking for pilots? We have literally placed hundreds of pilots with Skydiving companies all over the world. We now have over 100K followers on our various Social Media channels, so your Ad will reach far and wide.

If you would like a Job Ad placed on SkydiverDriver.com and/or CaravanNation.com and linked to our Social Media pages and groups send a request to chris@caravannation.com


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