Student can't perform in ground practice, what to do?

[stayhigh 2]

I was being serious.
There is lots of dz that only operates with one AFFi, and they work.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

My rules:
-must be able to do it in the classroom prior to manifesting.
-must be able to do it at mock-up prior to boarding.
-must be able to parrot it back to me in exact order prior to putting them in the door to exit.

I've scratched from the load with the props turning because the student could not do it right at the mock-up and I've also landed with the plane (a number of times) when they could not parrot it back to me after final JMPI at 8000 feet. It's VERY, VERY dumb to do otherwise. If you do, you are not only risking the life of the student, but your own safety and the reputation of the dropzone.

Chuck Blue, D-12501
AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, S&TA

[Krip 2]

I scratched from a load at LP on the 10 minute call.

I wasn't very current, couldnt do the left hand donute thing in the last dirt dive waiting for the plane.

Wasn't fair to the other peeps on the load, or myself.

One Jump Wonder

[Baksteen 84]

At my DZ, if a student fails the hanging harness test we hand them to a different instructor because sometimes it's just that the student and instructor do not 'connect', so to speak. Other times the stress and fatigue of the FJC combined with exam fear are too much for the student.

The student may choose to sleep on it, do the second HH test immediately or walk away entirely. It's up to them. If they also fail the second HH-test, I guess we'd be forced to send them away, but I've never been in that situation.

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[JackieEllis 0]

I've had students who were picture perfect on the ground go kittens in the dryer on exit or deer in the headlights during the skydive. Performance on the ground, however, is usually indicative of how someone will perform in the air. Our rule is 2X perfect on the ground before we will even consider the jump. As has already been discussed, not everyone is cut out for this sport.

[fencebuster 7]

That is the way we do it at my DZ. If they have practiced and practiced and can't get it right, we suggest a tandem CAT A. FOr many it is the apprehension of jumping out of a plane and if they do it successfully on a tandem, we'll practice some more and take them on a CAT A AFF. Most of the time, we get them good to go in the FJC on the ground and they have successful CAT A's (to varying degrees of course).

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[JohnMitchell 14]

Well guys, had it today. A Level 2 student, trained by someone else, got to the mockup with everyone filing out to the plane and couldn't do the dive flow. I ran in and told manifest to scratch us. We spent the next 30 minutes training and training until she could do the dive.

Result? A very nice level two, instead of a soup sandwich.

I heard all your voices telling me "scratch, scratch, scratch".

[jackwallace 3]

JohnMitchell

Well guys, had it today. A Level 2 student, trained by someone else, got to the mockup with everyone filing out to the plane and couldn't do the dive flow. I ran in and told manifest to scratch us. We spent the next 30 minutes training and training until she could do the dive.

Result? A very nice level two, instead of a soup sandwich.

I heard all your voices telling me "scratch, scratch, scratch".

At least you didn't have to beat the instructor with a 2x4!!

U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

[JohnMitchell 14]

jackwallace

At least you didn't have to beat the instructor with a 2x4!!

Yep, or go sky wrasslin' with a freaked out student that had no clue.