This summer I had my first job as a commercial pilot! I randomly emailed a skydiving company to ask if they needed pilots and a few days later I had a job!
To get started, I spent a few days at the company's main drop zone, a couple hours south of where I live. I met the other pilots and flew along with them in the Piper Navajo to see how they did the skydiving flights. Then I did some training in the Cessna 182 that was to be "my" plane at their sister drop zone north of Edmonton, my home. I had a lot of fun during my couple days of training. Skydive flying is exhilarating.
After my training, I ferried the 182 to the drop zone that would be my base. My job was to fly on weekends, taking tandem jumpers up to 10,500 feet above ground (12,500 feet above sea level). I took two pairs per load. It's busy flying because it's all climbing and then descending and landing. There's really only about two minutes of level flight and during that time, I was lining up, opening the jump door, and watching the jumpers exit to be sure they left safely. The climb had to be managed efficiently so it took as little time as possible. The "jump run" - the whole point of the flight - involves leveling off and getting into position over the drop zone on the right heading to accommodate for the wind. I used a GPS to set up the course to fly - so much easier than doing it visually by watching for the airport so far below, especially when there were clouds. It took me a few flights to get the timing right but after a couple of weekends, I managed to cut a few minutes off my climb and jump run time.
The jump run requires focus and control. After lining up, the door is opened and the jumpers move into position. It's loud and it feels like the side of the plane is missing. I was buckled in and wearing a parachute myself but you definitely feel like you're on the edge. The jumpers jostle the plane around as they move into position, sit on edge, and then suddenly go. Sometimes I took solo jumpers up and they would hang off the wing strut before letting go and stand on the step so they could jump together. It isn't really hard to control the plane during that phase but it does have to be managed. I would watch to be sure that their rigs weren't caught on anything in the plane and that their parachutes were properly tucked in. Pilots and jumpers can die if the chute opens early and gets caught on the plane.
Closing the door after the jumpers were gone involved slipping the plane hard (basically flying it side-on to the wind to use the airflow to push the door down) and then securing the latch. As soon as the door was closed, I would begin a fast and steep descent in a big circle, slowing it down just in time for a nice final approach and landing. I loved the descent phase - just a few minutes alone to enjoy the flight before taxiing around for another load.
 |
| Enjoying the view on the descent |
It was a learning experience to work in my first job as a pilot. I challenged myself to get faster and more efficient. I learned to judge the weather differently than before and know when it was still OK to go. I learned about managing customer expectations and I felt the responsibility I had for their safety. I found it very stressful at first. I wanted to be good at it right away and I felt the pressure of everyone's expectations. I got the hang of it, though, and came to enjoy it. It was an exciting, crazy environment and I watched a lot of people experience the thrill of their lives. And then the summer was over before I knew it.
Being a skydiving pilot made me feel badass. I would do it again.
