What winds riggers up?

[rushmc 18]

The following request......

"I didn't realize it was out of date. Can you just sign it off so I can have it this weekend and then I will give it to you at the end of jumping on Sunday........"

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[riggermick 6]

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What happens? They come by about a month later to collect there stuff, with no guilt at all they just say "Thanks" and leave...

That's why "RUSH" work always costs extra.

I recall a sign in the rigging loft, when I first started jumping in the late 70's:

Reserve repacks: $15
If you watch: $25

Reminds me of the old sign we had on the wall @ the Perris loft.




Rush job policy:

You want it bad? You get bad.

The worse you want it, the worse you get it.

Mick.

[crwpj 0]

there was one guy that taught me not to answer too quickly:

Customer: "I just had a reserve ride, can you get me packed up in time for sunset load?"

Me: " Sure thing, it'll be two hours at most."

Customer: " Maybe I'll go look for my freebag while you're packing it."

pulling is cool. keep it in the skin.
options: it does a body good.

[rushmc 18]

That's a classic

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[AndyMan 7]

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Reserve repacks: $15
If you watch: $25

I've seen this sign with modernized prices.

That's unfortunate.

One of my favorite riggers had a margharita blender in the loft. Free drinks for the customer if they watched. She wanted jumpers to be knowledgable about gear, and she saw having them there when she did the work as a way to teach them.

There's a big difference between someone watching a repack to learn, and having it done as RUSH.

As a jumper, riggers who complain about unknowledgable jumpers, then don't go to any effort to help them learn - that's my pet peeve.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[stratostar 5]

riggers who complain about unknowledgable jumpers, then don't go to any effort to help them learn - that's my pet peeve. (quote)

Willing to learn is one thing, but if I got to give out free drinks and chips in order to get someone to take the time learn about their rig and or rigging, then those are the type of jumpers who need to stay out of the loft / sky. Any how much are they going to learn anyway getting shitfaced?

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Gravitymaster 0]

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riggers who complain about unknowledgable jumpers, then don't go to any effort to help them learn - that's my pet peeve. (quote)

Willing to learn is one thing, but if I got to give out free drinks and chips in order to get someone to take the time learn about their rig and or rigging, then those are the type of jumpers who need to stay out of the loft / sky. Any how much are they going to learn anyway getting shitfaced?

~

Bwahahahaha... Perhaps you could bring in a hairdresser and manicurist too.

[mjosparky 3]

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As a jumper, riggers who complain about unknowledgable jumpers, then don't go to any effort to help them learn - that's my pet peeve.

As a rigger it is not my job to take someone by the hand and lead them to do something that they won't take the time to do on their own. Riggers rig and very few that I know run a day care center for learning impaired jumpers who have not even read the label on how to wash their jumpsuit. The knowledge is there for those who want it. How do you think riggers became riggers.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[AndyMan 7]

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How do you think riggers became riggers.

I think most of them started by watching others. The word "apprentice" seems to pop into my head.

Now it seems that since so few riggers are interested in teaching others, we've got to pay Skydive Chicago a thousand bucks for a 5 day course.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Now it seems that since so few riggers are interested in teaching others,

In my experience, mosr riggers enjoy teaching others. The problem is they get tired of spending hours teaching and the person quit after a few reserve pak jobs. How many times do you expect a rigger to waste their time before they stop wasting their time?

Derek

[stratostar 5]

since so few riggers are interested in teaching others,(quote)

Well when you get your ticket start to train them then. I think you will find as the rest of have that 95% of the time you will be wasting your time with people who don't follow thur and you will be as sparky said so well, that your now running a daycare not a loft!
If someone really wants to get a ticket they will invest the money at a class like at SDC.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[mjosparky 3]

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How do you think riggers became riggers.

I think most of them started by watching others. The word "apprentice" seems to pop into my head.

Now it seems that since so few riggers are interested in teaching others, we've got to pay Skydive Chicago a thousand bucks for a 5 day course.

_Am

"You think and it seems." That sure enough proves your theory right.

How much do you think it cost riggers that are riggers to get the knowledge needed before there was a "5 day course."

I am not going to spoon feed anyone. If someone comes to me and wants to be a rigger and can't tell me the difference between Type VII and Type VIII webbing or even where to look for it, I am not going to waste my time. For every hour I spend teaching them they had better be willing to spend 2 to 3 hours learning.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Gravitymaster 0]

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How do you think riggers became riggers.

I think most of them started by watching others. The word "apprentice" seems to pop into my head.

Now it seems that since so few riggers are interested in teaching others, we've got to pay Skydive Chicago a thousand bucks for a 5 day course.

_Am

Anybody who thinks they are going to show up for a 5 day course and pass without doing quite a bit of study and research before the course is in for surprise. You will not learn enough at the course to even pass the FAA written exam nor the oral exam. I'd recommend studying both of Poyners books and the study guides a minimum of 40 hours before the course. It will also help to learn to sew at least a little and learn to tie the knots. You don't need a rigger to teach you this. Of course, thats if you want to start out right.

[flyangel2 2]

I think my rigger loves me, even though he doesn't really like my rig.

I tip him with a nice dinner, drink, and dessert. Even though he has to share the dessert with me and his g/f.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[cssriggers 0]

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or questions that start with "Do you have 5 minutes", because we all know that it take about three quarters of an hour to do a five minute job.

Love this thread.

One of my favorite quotes from an awesome master rigger who's taught us a lot over the years:

"Yeah, a 5 minute job. I have to take the main off, run over here, measure this, get the stuff, mark that, hotknife a piece, re-thread the machine, adjust tension, sew it and muck it all up, pick stitches and start over, while being interrupted 7 times. 5 minute job - right!"

Another quote from the same guy:

"I'm going to start charging people just to talk to them and give advice. I mean, lawyers do it!"

Seriously, many good points brought up. We've been pretty lucky here, customer-wise.

Things that set me off:

Someone pencil packing/forging my signature. Especially when their Cypres was out of date when they did it.

People who REALLY need their rig by the weekend ... then pick it up 6 months later and don't understand why they're out of date (and meanwhile I could have used that $45 they owed me.)

Someone who gets pissy when I ground their rig due to serious/bad harness damage ... I mean, WTF - do you have a death wish? People who don't understand why I don't want to repack their original Safety Flyer, or their YAK trainer rig.

Other than that, it's all in a day's work and we love our customers. We educate as much as we can.

Apprenticeships -- I second what Sparky said IN SPADES. If someone wants to sit with me, be helpful, and learn ... it's all good. Our loft has a big open door. I haven't seen any real serious commitment w/our apprentices. It takes time spent + dedication + learning/studying to become a rigger. People seem to think they can just do their 20 and test out. The only successful apprentice I've had (besides Dawn, my partner) ended up taking Dave Dewolf's course.

Alpha Mike Foxtrot,
JHL

[sunshine 2]

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If someone really wants to get a ticket they will invest the money at a class like at SDC.

You are right on!! Thats where i learned 4 years ago. With everything they teach, the time they put in, the materials they let the students use....it's a helluva deal. I'm sick of non-riggers complaining how us riggers won't just teach them for free. But of course those are the same people that don't realize rigging is actually work.

One of my other pet peeves are people that ask for a new closing loop or rubberbands for their main. WTF? Just cause i'm a rigger i'm gonna give away closing loops and rubberbands? Yeah, with all the money i make rigging i'm a millionaire!!

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[stratostar 5]

Someone pencil packing/forging my signature. Especially when their Cypres was out of date when they did it.(quote)

If someone brings me a rig they pencil whipped, everytime my name and seal is on there it will cost them 100 bucks or I won't give them the rig back.
I don't sign data cards I have a stamp.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[masterrig 1]

After 3 incidences of someone forging my name on a packing data card, I started using a rubber stamp, also. I haven't seen a case of it since. What chaps my butt is, someone asking me if, I will teach them rigging. In the same breath, they tell me they don't want to have to learn 'rounds' and don't want to have to sew! Well... DUH!


Chuck

[riggerrob 558]

What winds me up?
Rainy days when a half/dozen bored skydivers hang around the loft, asking dull questions, asking me to patch their jumpsuits, and dancing through my lines while I am trying to pack a reserve.

[GTAVercetti 0]

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What winds me up?
Rainy days when a half/dozen bored skydivers hang around the loft, asking dull questions, asking me to patch their jumpsuits, and dancing through my lines while I am trying to pack a reserve.

People ask you guys to patch jumpsuits too? Geez, I never ask my rigger to do anything with my suits. I figured that was MY territory.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[masterrig 1]

I 'think', folks ask us to repair jumpsuits because we can sew! Jumpsuits, can be a real pain in the butt. I'll work on jumpsuits though, they are not high on my priority list.


Chuck

[karenmeal 0]

One thing that kind of annoys me is that I always end up being the one to help people attach their mains. Its shocking that people with 1,000 jumps don't know their main is supposed to be hooked up!

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[livendive 8]

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I'm sick of non-riggers complaining how us riggers won't just teach them for free.

You'll never hear me make that complaint, but that's because riggers have taught me for free.
Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[masterrig 1]

Isn't that amazing? I have had jumpers who have asked me the same thing and when I ask why they don't know how, I'm given the response of; "That's what I pay you for!? They don't want to seem to learn, either!?


Chuck

[sabr190 0]

HEY! Are you pointing fingers???

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa