Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I have just done mine with Jay Stokes. It was all done "by the book". Nothing was glossed over and every aspect was covered.
The practice jumps were hard but fair, doing exactly what real students would do. There were no contrived actions designed to "dick" the candidate (as I have seen here in the UK). The evaluation jumps like wide.
I found Jay to be open, responsive and a great teacher. He was very enthusiastic and obviously still enjoys teaching.
So you can take it as read that I would highly recommend him.
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I highly recommend Glen Bangs.....we actually teaches you good technique and simple tricks of the trade to make the eval jumps easier on you. Also his eval jumps are very fair, not exactly easy but fair and you are scored fairly. If you get your rating from Glen you definitly know your stuff and are ready to go out with students.
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I've heard great things about Bram Clement down in Zhills
I can also highly recommend Bram as well. He is all of the things you posted --Personable, Fair,Honest, Consistent, Available.
I have also heard good things about Jay Stokes and Kip Lohmiller. For Jay, Kip, and Bram I have heard the emphasis is on helping to teach versus trying to fail. However, for these instructors they do maintain high standards and the rating will be earned.
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I took mine with Kip Lohmiller, and he was excellent. Very much an emphasis on knowing your strengths and weaknesses, keeping the former, and working the latter. Very personalized, although I had the advantage of being in the course by myself (however I also took the coach course with 7 other people, and he still managed to personalize that to the degree possible).
He'll make you work your ass off no matter how good you are, and won't give you a rating if you don't deserve it. That said, if you're not ready, he'll work with you a ton.
Can't say who else in the midwest is good or bad, but I can say there are definately some people around here who shouldn't have ratings... so far none of the people I have that opinion about got their rating from Kip.
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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Anybody willing to provide input on who is a good AFFI course Director and who might not be?
I would like to have a good one. Billy Rhodes was NOT what I was hoping for. I'm looking for personable, fair, honest, consistent, and available.
Suggestions on a good one?
If you're not comfortable with expressing publicly , a PM will do nicely...confidentiality guaranteed.
Bram Clement is one of the finest instructors that I have ever worked with. He is everything you have mentioned above and more. His instructional method is very concise, by the book, and very enjoyable. Bram TEACHES you how to teach. His curriculum follows the ISP as the USPA would have him teach you. He shows you what is to be taught and then gives several examples of how it can be related to real life. As far as the flying goes. He offers a pre-course where he will evaluate your flying and tell you exactly what he expects during the course. He's very fair. Bram Clement is top notch.
Also, depending on the time frame you are looking at, you might also keep an eye out for Mike Wadkins. Mike is currently petitioning the USPA for an AFF Course Director appointment I believe. I have had the pleasure of working with Mike the past two years. Mike is an outstanding instructor and a VERY stand up guy. I believe he will also make ONE HELL of a course director. Mike's 9 to 5 job is as an instructor for the army. He's been instructing people in different areas for the past 20 years or more. He's been an AFF instructor for damn near that long and as you can well imagine has "seen" it. I'm lucky. I get the opportunity to watch Mike "teach" whuffos and skydivers every weekend. It's an absolute pleasure because he's so good at it. I find myself sitting in on, or helping out with his classes any time I can just to pick up additional knowledge. Anyhow, if he's got his appoinment by the time you are in the market, well you couldn't go wrong with him either.
Re: [tinay] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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There were no contrived actions designed to "dick" the candidate (as I have seen here in the UK).
I don't suppose it could be that you would find the UK system a little bit too difficult for you to be successful would it?
I do hope you said that tongue in cheek? Otherwise we could be having a few words.
My point was that some UK evaluators pride themselves on doing some crazy in air stuff to gain kudos from other evalutors rather than to test the candidate. I didn't find this on the course I did with Jay.
The flexibility of the US system meant I could take the course when it suited me. Rather than a fixed schedule during the time I make my most money. This being my main reason not my ability to pass.........
Re: [skydog] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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My point was that some UK evaluators pride themselves on doing some crazy in air stuff to gain kudos from other evalutors rather than to test the candidate.reply]
After what you wrote, I asked several BPA Examiners if it was true and they said that they had never heard anything like it! They actually said that it is a myth, put about some who have been unsuccesful. They said that no examiner/evaluator can simulate what some students are capable of doing, they said not many skydivers have those skills, because no matter how bad an evaluator acts, that evaluator will eventually do something to save his/her life - a student may not!
Skydog - do the course rhen comment and if you believe it then, I'll accept what you say.
Re: [UDSkyJunkie] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I highly recommend Kip Lohmiller as well. He's challenging, but encouraging. He'll work with you both on the ground to talk about how to teach and assess students while they are still on the ground, as well as in the air to make you a better flyer and challenge your skills. He's also a great mentor even after the course. I know the people that went through the course with him with me still seek his advice about student stuff from time to time. And he's also accomodating based on when and where you're available for the course.
Re: [tinay] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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Sorry, but where are you? and who have you been talking too? I have hard video evidence showing what can only be descibed as "outrageous" manoeuvres.
I have to say it has been only a couple of examiners, but 2 is too many, don't you agree??
Also, I been sat listening to conversations during a course about who was going to do what to who adn how much practice it has taken to perfect the manoeuvre............calling me a liar?
I haven't failed the course, so have no axe to grind on that count. But I know which examiners I would rather be examined by and those I wouldn't.
How many current UK examiners do you know and have regular contact with? and who are they? PM me if you don't want to publicly say.
I would very much doubt that any examiner would admit to it. So why would they tell you?
BUT what your also doing is calling into question my motivation for posting what I wrote, which is a bit cheeky, as you have no idea who I am.
From your previous posts you seem to have an axe to grind reference AFF instruction other than BPA, which is strange because your not even a BPA member?
Just becuse you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist................Do you know categorically that it has never happened??
So try and whale on someone else's ass........
And if your calling into question my skills then what your doing is questioning the course director, Jay Stokes, who passed me. Is that what your saying??
PM me to discuss further if you have any hard evidence otherwise.
(This post was edited by skydog on Dec 21, 2007, 1:24 PM)
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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Kip from Air Rage. 4 of the Military Teams use him now, and they want the best training they can get. I was very impressed with his ability to go from candidate to candidate switching teaching style and technique as needed, and as a Course Director in several other instyructional Techniques I recomend him to any one who wants to be known as one who earned it.
I never attended any other AFF course and hold no opinion for or against any of the other AFF-I CD's.
Re: [skydog] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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Getting a bit touchy ain't you?
Have you spoken to the course director(s) - the national coach or Technical director, do you think they would be pleased if their evaluators were not doing the job properly?
The reason I like the BPA system is that the BPA AFF instructors I've met have ALL been very proffessional and the standard to attend is very high - 1000 jump minimum and have to achieve the standard in 5 jumps, not six!
If there are some bad eggs - tell someone, don't just winge about it.
Re: [Aprilfly] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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I agree Rob Laidlaw of Sdu does a very good course, I know at least 4 people who went on his course and had excellent reviews. 1 of them did not pass the course and still praised it.
Re: [popsjumper] Rate the AFFI Course Directors
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Most people will tend to rate their own examiners or buddies highest and I'm no exception in that regard. I did my AFF course with Jay Stokes and found it to be informative and even a teensy bit fun despite being quite challenging. The word "course" can imply a couple of different things, one being a learning environment in which things are taught then tested, another involving nothing more than a series of obstacles to overcome. Jay's AFF course is the former...he teaches. I've heard (but not experienced) that others go for the latter approach, and simply give you a series of opportunities to fail and if you don't, you pass.
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