How old is too old?

[muff528 3]

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That was my thought as well....but I had a dropzone tell me that they cut off their training at 40....I thought it was strange. Wouldn't that be an individual issue?

What DZO in his right mind would disqualify a whole class of folks who, by the time they reach 40:

a) have possibly reached financial stability and are secure in their careers.

b) have shipped the kids off to college (or to their own homes).

c) have kicked the old man (or old lady) out and are ready to make the most of what little time they have left.

d) are fully engaged in "mid-life crisis" and have a pocket full of crazy money (a truly observant DZO knows the need to get this money before it gets blown on a Porsche or a motorcycle or a new ho or other such silliness. ...or worse yet ...a competing expensive crisis activity like SCUBA diving or sailing.)

?

Sounds like unabashed youthism to me.

[jumpsalot-2 2]

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No, they just think that at 55 you cant teach a old dog new tricks. The figure you can still do the old tricks you already know.

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Pat....................Pat Works................Where are you ?.............

Life is short ... jump often.

[leesamsiel 0]

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That was my thought as well....but I had a dropzone tell me that they cut off their training at 40....I thought it was strange. Wouldn't that be an individual issue?

IMO that DZ is out of touch. We have had healthy people in their 50's take the S/L course and continue skydiving for 15 or 20 yrs. On the other hand, if you smoke two packs a day and are 100 lbs overweight, you might not be fit to skydive safely at 50.

LS

[airtwardo 6]

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That was my thought as well....but I had a dropzone tell me that they cut off their training at 40....I thought it was strange. Wouldn't that be an individual issue?

IMO that DZ is out of touch. We have had healthy people in their 50's take the S/L course and continue skydiving for 15 or 20 yrs. On the other hand, if you smoke two packs a day and are 100 lbs overweight, you might not be fit to skydive safely at 50.

LS

I'd STILL like to hear exactly what dropzone that was...and give them a call to verify. ~just sayin'

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[gundoc7519 0]

At Elsinore there is a gentleman there that at the age of 67 decided he would like to learn to base jump and showed up one day and asked if anyone could teach him to base jump. They suggested he learn to skydive first and four years later he has 2900 jumps and at least ten base jumps. I want to be like him when I grow up. I am 55 now and have 65 jumps.

[Divinfool 0]

What DZO in his right mind would disqualify a whole class of folks who, by the time they reach 40:

a) have possibly reached financial stability and are secure in their careers.

b) have shipped the kids off to college (or to their own homes).

c) have kicked the old man (or old lady) out and are ready to make the most of what little time they have left.

d) are fully engaged in "mid-life crisis" and have a pocket full of crazy money (a truly observant DZO knows the need to get this money before it gets blown on a Porsche or a motorcycle or a new ho or other such silliness. ...or worse yet ...a competing expensive crisis activity like SCUBA diving or sailing.)

?

Sounds like unabashed youthism to me.

a) check
b) check
c) she still tolerates me
d) check...except for the money part lol
e) added..have a serious adrenaline habit

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[Divinfool 0]

Although it is not the DZ I went to, here's another interesting review of a local DZ.:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/dropzone/review.cgi?ID=272


Quote: "I took my family for an introductory tandem dive. All went very well and everyone enjoyed the experience. The were using the Skyvan and from 14,000 ft it was a great experience. I returned with my son to sign up for our AFF. He is 25 and I have just turned 60. I am in perfect physical shape and the chief pilot for a major corporation with over 1200 hours of flight time.I was disappointed that they would not allow me to take the course, simply because of my age despite the fact that there is no regulatory age limit. I offered to pay to have myself evaluated for physical fitness and awareness, but was flatly turned down. I find it interesting that I could not take the AFF course, but I could get my AFF certificate elsewhere and skydive in Deland the very next day. I interviewed several drop zones and was able to earn my AFF in two days, which included a (6) hour ground school and (7) jumps. I feel very strongly that they should not discriminate for age and that they could possible amend their policy if the individual is willing to submit and pay for a physical and mental evaluation. There are plenty of other drop zones in Florida without such restrictive policy."

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

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Maximum age Analysis of statistics compiled over many years indicates that incident rates tend to increase as student jumpers get older. This may be due to slowing reaction times and sometimes less acute senses as the years go by. Risk assessment suggests the tipping point to be when a person reaches their mid-fifties. On this basis, to avoid increased risk, the maximum age at which even a hale, hearty and healthy person can be admitted to start training for solo parachute jumping is before they reach their 55th birthday.

Hmmmmm..... I would live to see that analysis! A few thoughts cross my mind:

1. Not all injuries are the same.... Does a 56 year old with a fractured wrist count the same as a 26 year old with a fractured femur and pelvis?
2. My informal observation is that the older jumpers are LESS likely to be injured. This may be due to more conservative canopy choices and flight.
3. I would love to know when their data was collected... It is entirely possible that older jumpers of a different era might have been more fragile than the current crop of 50-60 year-olds who may have had better health and more active lives.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[topdocker 0]

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Maximum age Analysis of statistics compiled over many years indicates that incident rates tend to increase as student jumpers get older. This may be due to slowing reaction times and sometimes less acute senses as the years go by. Risk assessment suggests the tipping point to be when a person reaches their mid-fifties. On this basis, to avoid increased risk, the maximum age at which even a hale, hearty and healthy person can be admitted to start training for solo parachute jumping is before they reach their 55th birthday.

Hmmmmm..... I would live to see that analysis! A few thoughts cross my mind:

1. Not all injuries are the same.... Does a 56 year old with a fractured wrist count the same as a 26 year old with a fractured femur and pelvis?
2. My informal observation is that the older jumpers are LESS likely to be injured. This may be due to more conservative canopy choices and flight.
3. I would love to know when their data was collected... It is entirely possible that older jumpers of a different era might have been more fragile than the current crop of 50-60 year-olds who may have had better health and more active lives.

More than likely, bssed on statistics from the 70's!

Maybe we can get USPA HQ to throw out some stats fro us.

top

Jump more, post less!

[kuai43 7]

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Although it is not the DZ I went to, here's another interesting review of a local DZ.:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/dropzone/review.cgi?ID=272


This'll help... and I learned how to hot-link on DZ.com after I turned 50.

Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess

[JohnRich 4]

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More than likely, bssed on statistics from the 70's!

I could see how this rule might have had validity back then when students were all pounding in under T-10's. But that no longer applies, as student landings these days are quite soft when done properly.

So now we need someone to tell us if this BPA rule is an old leftover from bygone days, or something new the nannny-state folks have implemented more recently.

[obelixtim 100]

BPA are probably still plodding through a review of the rules set back in the 50's.

The 70's rules are still too fresh to waste money on a review.......

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Remster 24]

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More than likely, bssed on statistics from the 70's!

I could see how this rule might have had validity back then when students were all pounding in under T-10's. But that no longer applies, as student landings these days are quite soft when done properly.

So now we need someone to tell us if this BPA rule is an old leftover from bygone days, or something new the nannny-state folks have implemented more recently.

You obviously havent seen 1st jumps SL operations in the UK. They were still using rounds mains with belly mounted reserves in 2001ish when we were there.

Remster

[JohnRich 4]

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You obviously havent seen 1st jumps SL operations in the UK. They were still using rounds mains with belly mounted reserves in 2001ish when we were there.

I had no idea. I assumed that such a modern country would be using ram-air parachutes like the rest of the developed world.

[Remster 24]

I had no idea either when we visited our 1st DZ when we moved there! I was going "what the hell are all these WWII re-enactment guys doing here"... Nope, it was a 1st jump course! lol

I think they stopped this silliness since then...

Remster

[dragon2 0]

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I had no idea either when we visited our 1st DZ when we moved there! I was going "what the hell are all these WWII re-enactment guys doing here"... Nope, it was a 1st jump course! lol

I think they stopped this silliness since then...

They mostly now moved over the pond to our DZ
We regurlarly have British (and various other nationalities too) doing FJC SL round at our DZ. They did a whole documentary on one of these courses this year, a group of British "problem youths" who came to our DZ (some with ankle bracelets on!) to make at least their first jump, so they could then go on to do the re-enactment jump @ Arnhem the next weekend. And they did
Don't know if it helped any, maybe we could chuck the current bunch of British trouble youth out of an airplane

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[obelixtim 100]

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I had no idea either when we visited our 1st DZ when we moved there! I was going "what the hell are all these WWII re-enactment guys doing here"... Nope, it was a 1st jump course! lol

I think they stopped this silliness since then...

They mostly now moved over the pond to our DZ
We regurlarly have British (and various other nationalities too) doing FJC SL round at our DZ. They did a whole documentary on one of these courses this year, a group of British "problem youths" who came to our DZ (some with ankle bracelets on!) to make at least their first jump, so they could then go on to do the re-enactment jump @ Arnhem the next weekend. And they did
Don't know if it helped any, maybe we could chuck the current bunch of British trouble youth out of an airplane

I've recommended Holland as a place to do initial training to quite a few British friends.

No way I'd feel comfortable recommending friends to a British DZ after observing 4 or 5 of them in action.

Incompetant would be a mild way of describing what I saw. The fact that all of them gave me concern, suggested to me the ethos on display was standard for Britain.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Divinfool 0]

Wanted to update this post.... I just completed my AFF and now have 13 jumps. Many huge thanks to the instructors at Skydive DELAND. You guys are true professionals. Great DZ...great aircraft...great instructors.
The other Florida DZ that rejected me because of age will soon be seeing me jumping at their DZ...just ONCE for spite!

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[Martini 0]

Less than ten? BWAHAHAHAHA

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[Divinfool 0]

Did AFF in 8 jumps....but have since done 4 more. Man I love the smell of diesel fumes in the morning! lol

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[beowulf 1]

It's Jet A fuel and I think it's more like kerosene.

[raff 4]

I'd STILL like to hear exactly what dropzone that was...and give them a call to verify. ~just sayin'

[Divinfool 0]

Read carefully... I never mentioned the DZ. I do not wish to malign anyone. But I did feel as if I was not treated fairly. I have no dog in this fight.

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[Martini 0]

My post was directed at Rob and his <10 chin-up brag.

Congrats on the AFF though. BTW when you have 200 jumps reward yourself with a wingsuit! Also diesel aircraft are rare and stinky captain.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[Divinfool 0]

Oops....

Thanks on the congrats....

All that fuel smells the same to me... but for some reason when I'm smelling diesel fuel it reminds me of getting prepped for a skydive and my heartrate increases! I love this sport.

Wingsuit? That looks insane.... I'll concentrate on safe docking, tracking , canopy control and landings for now, but I rule nothing out. lol

Fear is the thief of dreams.....