TunnelExaminer 1 #1 Posted October 8, 2019 I have seen this industry grow in the past 20+ years from 1 skydiving simulator, to over 70 now. There are a lot of growing pains this industry has gone through. I have watched coaches try many different techniques, some that have worked, some that have not, while some were safe, and some were not. Teach only what you know is safe and productive. I would love to see us share information, growing to become safer and more productive! JW 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blouberg 0 #2 October 18, 2019 I'm pretty new to this, have only been in one tunnel. Looks like the crew there have sound and safe routines. Are there many injuries in the industry? Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TunnelExaminer 1 #3 October 23, 2019 (edited) I believe some tunnels try their best to be safe. Basic skills can be taught safely, more advanced skills can become more dangerous. We all know that the spotter/instructor can be experienced.. or not, and with the fast growth of the sport, there are a lot of instructors that have only a couple of years of experience, learning to fly very well, yet putting minimal effort into different spotting techniques. The unfortunate part is, their training may have been rushed, and some companies don’t want to properly invest in their instructors. Some facilities are in litigation with lawsuits from customers and instructors. Some times ego can slow the learning process down, because instructors think they have it all figured out,(much like I did, when I had only 5 or 10 years of experience), but we need to listen to different techniques and even the newest of instructors, because they too have opinions, and the more tools we have in our tool box, the more valuable we become to this industry. We are stronger together! I like having two instructors in on advanced training, it’s safer, and allows us to gain more experience. Sometimes we have to spend money to save money. I have seen instructors take flyers through unnecessary progressions because they didn’t want to spot a big flyer, because they were not sure if they could control them and keep them safe, or didn’t feel like working hard or being dragged around the tunnel. But crazy enough, would never ask for help. After all, the instructors don’t make more or less money if you come back or not, and they are not the ones who are in a lawsuit if you are hurt, so they may not work very hard for you, and you may have to fly on your back for 5+ hour$! So as the customer, you are the boss, make sure that YOU are happy with the plan! Edited October 23, 2019 by TunnelExaminer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
