The Hard Work Finally Pays Off: I Have a Job!

I am at a loss for words, unsure of how to begin this post, so I’ll simply say it: it appears that I have landed a flying job!

I joined the local skydiving club, and not as a jumper, but as a pilot. How did this come to be? To be frank, I still find it hard to believe. Now, I have gained a reputation as the guy who “showed up and refused to leave until securing a job.” While not entirely accurate, it does highlight the level of persistence I demonstrated.

It’s not a stroke of luck, though. I knew this day would eventually arrive. I submitted applications to literally all the dropzones across the country. I even had an interview with one of them, but they hired a pilot with prior skydiving experience. I cast my applications far and wide, reaching out to every aircraft operator I could find. Care to guess how many responses I received?..

But I refused to give up. Determined, I began knocking on doors in person. I focused my efforts on dropzones located near major cities since relocating to a remote area wasn’t preferable at the moment. Actually, no one offered me a flying position in any remote location yet.

I must admit that luck played a part in my success. I kept showing up at the nearest dropzone which potentially did not fill up all the pilot positions yet and from which I did not get a definitive “NO” by email or in person.

I engaged in conversations, and eventually, I had the opportunity to meet the chief pilot. I spent an entire day at the dropzone, despite my wife’s frustration at what she saw as a weekend wasted. However, I managed to take a few flights, at that moment as a passenger, familiarizing myself with the landmarks and company procedures. Days later, I received a call. Thankfully, my wife forgave me as well 🙂

Today marks the start of my company training and PCC (Pilot Competency Check) for the Cessna 182. If I succeed, I will be flying skydivers!

(Note: PCC stands for Pilot Competency Check, which is a process to ensure pilots meet the necessary requirements and maintain their proficiency in flying.)