We are on a two week shutdown so that we can take a good look at our equipment, make any updates that will prolong the life of the parachutes, give the aeroplane a little TLC and look at our options of buying our own aircraft.
Currently we lease a C-182 from Texas. She is a beautiful girl, built in 1957, proudly wearing a Texas Star. She has wing extensions and a standard 182 engine. Not the fastest climber, but she is steady. Well maintained and much loved.
I didn't really know anything about aircraft engines, tach times, climb and descent rates or ATC for that matter. I was one of those that always just climbed in the plane, let the pilot do their job, jumped out when they got me to the top and tried to get in the thing as efficiently as possible, so not to upset the owner by keeping their plane waiting while it was burning fuel.
I always thought the owners were just grumpy farts that liked to complain about how long it took us to get on board the waiting plane. Damn, I was paying for the privilege, what did it matter if I wasn't seated and belted up in an instant?
Now however, I'm all about the engine type, the climb rate, the decent's, the fuel burn, engine starts. I am the grumpy fart that stands there looking in disbelief as it takes five minutes for the staff to get their passengers situated and belted in. I am the one looking at my watch, thinking "come on guys, get it together!"
When you pay for a plane buy the hour, it is amazing how much those minutes add up and eat at your patients.
The hardest part of this project for me, has been getting the business in the door to begin with. If I had a dollar bill for every time someone has said to me "You know what you should do!" I wouldn't need to be working for a living any more. It is amazing how suddenly, when you own a business, everyone becomes an expert on how to run it!
If I get one more "You need a call to action!" I might just get into action and explode.
Of course, there are some great idea's out there and I don't mean to discard any good ideas that might come through, it's just the constant brilliance from those that didn't and don't have the gumption, passion or commitment to actually follow through and start a business of their own. They want to tell you how to run yours because you are new and don't, in their minds, have any idea of what you are doing.
While it might be true that I am new to business, I am not new to this industry. I have been skydiving for almost 30 years now. It has been my life, I have lived and worked within the industry for the whole time I have been jumping, I have over 10,000 skydives and I have lived and worked on skydiving centers all over the World.
My goal with this drop-zone is to bring all the things that I love about my sport and the people in it together, to create a little skydiving heaven of my own. I want to create a place that people can experience the exhilaration of overcoming their fears, gain self confidence and learn the gift of human flight.
Getting people to come out to jump...... now that is the challenge!
Sorry to comment the crap out of you, but are you taking crypto as payment for jumps? This could be a HUGE nitche to get some people in the door if you took btc but ALSO ether and a few others as payment for jump tickets! I'd gladly pay in etherium as with my gains and lack of need to pull it out in to USD I could jump for cheaper than Lodi! Add me on Facebook if we arnt already friends (Brian Sandö) ive only been working in the sport 4 years but I've been in crypto over a year and can give you some tips!
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Hey, thanks for taking the time to read my posts... I was beginning to think I was writing to myself... not that I mind, it's quite therapeutic!
We have considered the idea of offering payment in Crypto. At first we thought BitCoin, I hadn't thought Etherium, I will talk to my Husband and get that rolling. I think it is a great idea and yes, a great niche. I will let you know when we get it active. My husband is the Crypto guy really, I listen in and put in my two cents, or ten cents... he is looking at alt coins now... good money if you understand how to invest, so I am told.
I don't have much time for learning all the information to make fully informed decisions, I am too busy trying to work out all the SEO stuff, Ad words and understanding what the analytics really mean. Not to mention all the aircraft stuff and the manifest system, as well as the banking, merchant services, third party vendors and all the other advertising that goes with owning a drop-zone.
I will add you to facebook just now.... thanks again and I will follow you :)
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@skydivewestcoast Hey there welcome to steemit! Great to see a fellow skydiver here! I resteemed,liked and followed ;) I'm trying to help the skydiving tag get started here so I will like all your posts! Keep em coming!
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I have worked at a start up DZ and know the trouble getting those first few in the door, I can promise I'll stop by on my trip out west this summer! Let's send a few jumps!
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Hello skydivewestcoast,
@SteemEngineTeam would like to take the time to thank you for signing up and participating in our community. Your contributions and support are important to us and we hope you will continue to use our platform.
We plan to give back to our community members, so have an upvote on us
Thank you.
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@originalworks
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What is this?
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Congratulations @skydivewestcoast! You received a personal award!
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