Skydiving has a whole host of career pathways available to people who love adventure. Read on to find out about some of the career opportunities available in the skydiving industry.
Tandem Instructor
You need a minimum of 500 jumps before you can do your course to become a Tandem Instructor. There are plenty of other roles you can do on the drop zone while you gain the experience you need.
AFF Instructor
AFF Instructors are essential for the progression of our sport. You need a Certificate D before you can do your course to teach others how to skydive solo. Becoming a B-Rel Coach and getting experience in briefing, leading and debriefing these jumps is a great way to prepare yourself for this!
Coach
Each discipline in skydiving has experienced flyers coaching others. Coaches are essential to the community so that others can progress. B-Rels, Freeflying, Wingsuiting, Canopy Piloting, Canopy Formation, Formation Skydiving - they all have specialised coaches.
Packer
There are no minimum jumps required to work towards becoming a parachute packer! To pack for students or tandems you'll need a Packer B. Speak to your Chief Instructor to find out how to go about working towards this.
Photographer/Videographer
Photographers are essential in the skydiving community. They show the rest of the world the beauty of our sport. You need a minimum of 100 jumps to be able to fly with a camera in Australia. Most drop zones offer the option of a dedicated outside camera flyer to tandem skydivers and most skydiving events have photographers. Competitive teams also require camera flyers for training and competition.
Display Organiser
Display organisers put on public skydiving displays. Often they fly large flags down to the landing area, and some also work with aerial pyrotechnics to put on a show!
Rigging
Riggers are qualified in fixing skydiving equipment and packing reserve parachutes. There are high standards that all skydiving equipment must meet. Riggers make sure they meet these standards and carry out any necessary repairs.
Manifest
Manifest staff work on the front desk of skydiving operations - checking people in, taking payments and ensuring the smooth running of the day by manifesting people on to the correct aircraft load. They also sometimes edit videos for tandem skydivers, which, at busier operations, is a job in itself. There are no minimum jump requirements to work in this role.
Ground Crew Controller
Ground crew controllers are responsible for liaising with the pilot (via radio communication) prior to every drop, ensuring clear air space and verifying weather conditions on the ground before skydivers exit the aircraft. There are no minimum jump requirements to work in this role.
Working in skydiving can open up a whole world of opportunity, for people from all walks of life with various skill sets.
If you're interested in working in skydiving, get in touch with your local drop zone to see if they have any vacancies!
[Photo Sources: Skydive Ramblers, Skydive Australia, Skydive Oz, TBH Media, Travis Heath, Skydive Jurien Bay, Cameron Puttee]