Oct 25, 2001, 1:57 PM
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Atmosphere Dolphins Training
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Wassup! I was looking Olav's school site, does anyone know if the training is recognize by a federal agency? I was also trying to find info on locations and prices on the web site but...... ( I must be blind "only when i'm not flying :-)"). So if anyone could help i'd apprecite it. Thanx! "seul un parachutiste sait pourquoi les oiseaux chantent"
PhreeZone (D License)
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Oct 25, 2001, 2:33 PM
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Exactly what do you mean by a Federal Agency? The training and testing is great for learning precise freeflying. Plus having an AD A licence is required if you want to enter in the Space Games. Having an AD licence is the only way some DZ's will let you play with a Spaceball. Plus earning your licence is a good way to be invited on bigway Freefly attempts. Last year the school was at Skydive America Palm Beach, but I'm not positive its still there. Last I heard the testing fee was like $100 per test you took.
Other then being reconized by freefliers that you can do a few things with a Spaceball, I'm not really sure there is a real application for the licence. (Unless you want into the Space Games)
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work
does anyone know if the training is recognize by a federal agency?
Actually, Olav's licenses only mean anything if you are wanting to fly in one of his sanctioned meets. They are not recognized by any federal agencies. While I think the skills required to pass his tests are a good baseline for someone wanting to "prove" their skills (if they feel they must), I think it is a complete crock that Olav and his school charge what they do to administer the test. It is a classic case of one person and his few followers making a killing off the masses. The fact of the matter is that if you are a decent freeflyer then you are going to get invited on good freefly loads. It's just like big-way RW in that sense and there is nobody out there charging hundreds of dollars for a "big-way RW license".
I can't wait until USPA goes ahead and starts issuing freefly achievment awards, like they do for big-way, CRW, and RW. $20 bucks is a reasonable price to pay for a license, but that's about it.
< there is no one out there charging hundreds of dollars for a big way RW license.
Maybe not hundreds of dollars, but have any of you heard of the Bob Buquor Memorial Awards? Star Crest Recipient SCS Night SCR Canadian Ten Man USPA's Falcon and Eagle Awards La Clube des Grands Etoiles etc.?
I think it is a complete crock that Olav and his school charge what they do to administer the test. It is a classic case of one person and his few followers making a killing off the masses.
What is even more of a crock is that Olav has decided that he and his school are the only ones allowed to teach Freefly™
Sadly, as you point out, the AD test is an excellent benchmark of advanced skills, one that I hope to reach one of these days. At the moment there is no other recognizable standard of achievement. But $100 just to take the test is wrong.
As I think I originally relayed, yes, we have those benchmarks of RW achievement, but there is nobody forcing us to spend the money on those awards in order to compete or participate. Having people "know" your ability is what gets you on good skydives. That, and simply showing your logbook to people at a new DZ has always worked for me. Generally, it only takes a couple of jumps at a new DZ to get in the right crowd.
As for the other comment about Olav and his school trying to "trademark" freefly training, they can bite me. That reeks of the "Skydive U" formula. I am not about to pay a private company or individual one red cent to give me a worthless piece of paper saying I am a "certified" relative work coach or Instructor or whatever. The USPA ratings that I possess grant me all the authority I need to teach skydiving to unlicensed students. Technically, the only reason we need that is to cover our asses insurance-wise. As far as teaching advanced skills to licensed jumpers goes, anyone with the right experience and teaching skills can do that. A third-party "certification" does not make them one bit more qualified in my opinion, regardless of discipline they practice.
