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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Meet Mickey Nuttall the ultimate Body Pilot!

One of the perks of being a Jump Pilot is that I get to meet some unique and super cool people. On a recent trip to Dallas I was honored to meet Mickey Nuttall, one of the best skydivers in the world. He happens to be good friends with my girlfriend Renee, they went to high school together and he actually introduced her to skydiving over a year ago. He was in Dallas coaching at the iFly wind tunnel where we met up with him.

Photo by Marvel Studios - Mickey Nuttall in the film Iron Man 3

After he was done coaching Renee, the three of us went to lunch where I was able to ask him a few questions about his very interesting career in skydiving.

Mickey started skydiving 20 years ago and I could tell that he is still passionate about it after all these years, which I can relate to with aviation. He has numerous gold medals from US Nationals, holds world records and has performed stunt skydives in popular television shows such as CSI Miami, The Unit and the infamous Jackass rigless skydive! He has also performed stunt skydives in the film Iron Man 3 and doubled for Will Smith for the KCA 2012 awards show.

Mickey Nuttall at iFly Dallas

He also enjoys BASE jumping, wingsuiting and speedflying. He lives in Colorado where he also loves snowboarding. Mickey's home drop zone is Skydive Chicago but you can find him touring the country competing and coaching at wind tunnel camps. If you need a first class skydive coach or tandem instructor contact him on his site Body Pilots!

Clouds parting over the Grand Van

The strangest thing happened.  I rubbed her belly and the clouds parted!  I had been waiting for the clouds to clear up and decided to give "the girl" a little wash.  I happened to look up and see the pretty sun rays shining through the clouds and decided to take this nice pic!  Taken at Eagle Lake Airport, Eagle Lake Texas USA

Croft And Barrow 2-Pk. Airplane Woven Boxers (Google Affiliate Ad)

My corner office with a view!

My corner office with a view.  The new one after the last one... but not the last one :)  This almost 700 horse power C208B Grand Caravan will take up to 17 skydivers up to our normal drop altitude of 13,000 feet in about 12 minutes!  The Caravan is the most common turbine powered aircraft used to haul skydivers in the U.S. and it is the second most common jump plane in the U.S. overall, after the C182 Skylane.  Read more about ALL of the jump planes that are flown around the world in on our "Skydive Aircraft" page!

Keeping an eye on the kids!

Here's a photo of me at "work" at Skydive Houston awhile ago.  I have a small mirror that I use to keep an eye on those crazy guys behind me...lol  If you look carefully you will count 11 skydivers back there, a larger load for a "Mini Van" (smaller Caravan) during the Summer time.

Caravan Captain!

I made Captain of the beloved C208 Caravan, the most popular single engine turbo prop jump plane in the world!  To give you an idea of how large those blades are... I'm 6'3".  Thank you Richard and Eddie!

Skydive toga party! Texas style!

A group picture with me at a skydive toga party at a drop zone that I use to fly for down in Texas back in 2008!  Super fun night as you can imagine. Great memories. What happens at drop zones... stays at drop zones ... lol  Except the part where someone in that picture woke up on the runway the next morning. Thank God it is a private airport... lol  No, it was not me. They're in the front row... that's all I will say... lol

Dropzone fun! Marketing nights in Texas!

Here's a couple pictures of me having fun at a skydiving company that I use to fly for in Texas back in 2008. Every now and then a bunch of us would put on some jumpsuits, grab some company t-shirts and stickers and promote our skydiving company at local restaurants and bars in the local towns. As you can imagine, we attracted a lot of attention. Everyone loved the idea and had a lot of questions for us about skydiving. Perfect... that's what we came to talk about!... lol

When you're a small company you need to think outside the box when it comes to marketing. I miss "marketing nights", those were some fun times.  And even though I was far from home, my skydivers were like a family to me...... and still are anytime I'm down in Tejas!

Stephen about to skydive, doing a Bat Hang from the wing of a Cessna 182!

A cool picture of one my skydivers Stephen doing what's called a "Bat Hang" from a Cessna 182!  In case you can not make it out, he is hanging upside down by hooking his feet to the leading edge of the right wing!

TIP: If you're a Jump Pilot and your skydivers want to do this, hopefully they will ask you and the owner (DZO) first, it is very important to bank the airplane slightly to the right.  That way when they drop, they fall AWAY from the airplane.  If you have the airplane banked even a little bit to the left it is possible that they might strike the right main landing gear and/or step. Also, most skydivers are not able to do this and take some time to get into position. Do not compromise your other skydivers and let your jump run get too long for one persons benefit.