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Tiger6513

Is it benefitial to have the same instructor through AFF?

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I believe that it's a good thing to have the same instructor all the way through most any course of instruction. I think the student learns better with the consistancy of everything down to the use of words and phrasiology. Not all instructoes relate well to all students. After AFF is when it's time to put a foot out in the world and see how other people do it, talk about it, and explain it. All of this presuposes an approach of positive reinforcement concentrating of the things done correctly.
Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done.
Louis D Brandeis

Where are we going and why are we in this basket?

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Every AFF instructor is different. Some people tend to belive it is better to stay with 1 rather than have many different. I personally don't care but my girl much preffers to know and build trust with her instructor to help with Her own confidence.
Travis Roy Foundation. At very least its a tax write off

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I agree with that completely, personally I am able to get along with and learn from any personality type so for me having little consistancy hasn't been an issue. My girlfriend really wants to stay with familiar instructors for her it builds confidence to have the same instructor for several jumps.

I think you can also benefit from several intructors by having the same information presented in many different ways. just a matter of how you feel comfortable learning.
Travis Roy Foundation. At very least its a tax write off

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With a student like your girlfriend, I will not let her jump with just the same instructor... I see this more with girl students than guys, but some girl students will feel safer and more comfortable with one instructor, they trust in the instructor rather than trusting in themselves. Skydiving is all about depending on yourself to save your own ass, believing in your own skills. At our DZ, we very actively ensure that students are not jumping with only one instructor for this reason.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

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I had one instructor for 4 of my AFF jumps. When they switched up I was nervous about a new instructor, but after the jump I was so glad to have a different instructor. I learned new things that the other instructor had not taught me, and gained a different perspective on skydiving.

g
"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?"
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Just wondering what everybody thinks, I am neither for nor opposed actually B| but I am sure there are some good view points on both sides out there!



I tried to stick with the same instructor through AFF. It came down to communication for me. After AFF1 I felt like I had my instructor "wired". When I tried jumping with two different instructors, the communication got all confusing. So I went back to the original instructor and stuck with him through the rest of the program.

Unfortunately, in doing so I missed out on some instruction. I realized that later... I think I just got complacent and didn't ask as many questions.

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Whatever makes "You" more relaxed!

AFF is not a time to be adding tension to your thoughts...Granted there is much to be learn from different instructors, But, if you find that "one" that makes you relax, and think more about your skydive, then by all means stick with them!

My Wife felt more relaxed with Jim Wallace, And John Mihchell , so we always waited till she could schedual with them.

It is your money, and your education...Go with what makes "you" feel right!

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YES!
The more relaxed you are the more comfortable you are the more at ease you are the better the learning experience.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Peregrinerose- Thats very interesting that your DZ actively mix matches students and Instuctors, it seems like that happens at our DZ also if maybe not on purpose. (btw my girlfriend hasn't had the same instructor more than twice yet through level 5) Simply making the point for comparison and discussion. you make another great point ... We will always be out to save our own asses ;)

Travis Roy Foundation. At very least its a tax write off

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With a student like your girlfriend, I will not let her jump with just the same instructor... I see this more with girl students than guys, but some girl students will feel safer and more comfortable with one instructor, they trust in the instructor rather than trusting in themselves. Skydiving is all about depending on yourself to save your own ass, believing in your own skills. At our DZ, we very actively ensure that students are not jumping with only one instructor for this reason.



Bingo. What she said.

I see it as a bit of a red flag to have a student who insists on a specific instructor. Self reliance comes from working with different instructors, and from a quality of education standpoint, it helps to monitor what is being taught.
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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I don't know if the mixing instructors was on purpose at Monroe or just the way it worked out but I think being exposed to different styles of communication helped me to understand what points were really being stressed. I do think that communication between the instructors is important. Before every AFF jump I made (except 1 and 2-same day, same guys) the instructor that was working with me would go TALK to an instructor that had already worked with me. That was such a great staff out there.
You are only as strong as the prey you devour

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Just wondering what everybody thinks, I am neither for nor opposed actually B| but I am sure there are some good view points on both sides out there!



I would say that during the two instructor phase of AFF (whether that takes three jumps or more) each jump should consist of one AFFI the student has worked with before and one AFFI who is new for the student. On the first jump one of the two AFFI's should be the same person who taught the FJC. This provides both continuity for comparison purposes and introduces the student to new instructors. After the student drops to one instructor, the student supposedly is becoming increasingly self sufficient so it would be better to introduce them to as many new instructors as possible.

Most skydivers are going to jump with many, many people throughout their skydiving careers and allowing new skydivers to become to attached to a single AFFI's approach is probably not a good precedent to set at the beginning of a skydiving career. It seems to me that a big part of safety in this sport rests on being able to quickly adjust to jumping with new people.

I also presume that, when there are two AFFI's, and one is very senior and the other is a new AFFI, that this decision is also partly at the discretion of the senior AFFI based on how the new AFFI him/herself performed on the jump.
"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

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With a student like your girlfriend, I will not let her jump with just the same instructor... I see this more with girl students than guys, but some girl students will feel safer and more comfortable with one instructor, they trust in the instructor rather than trusting in themselves. Skydiving is all about depending on yourself to save your own ass, believing in your own skills. At our DZ, we very actively ensure that students are not jumping with only one instructor for this reason.




Good answer.

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