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dgw

"Currency" in different countries

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I am curious about what comprises 'currency' (in jumps per annum) in different countries.

I am often surprised at the numbers American posters put forward as minimum jumps per annum to be 'current'.

I am, therefore, interested to hear what posters in other countries, as well as USA posters, regard as minimum jumps per annum to be 'current'.

I appreciate that 'currency' might be considered to depend on discipline. Can responders please state country and, if relevant, discipline?

Thanks!:)

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In the U.S.

A. Students

Students who have not jumped within the preceding 30 days should make at least one jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor.

B. Licensed skydivers

1. Skydivers returning after a long period of inactivity encounter greater risk that requires special consideration to properly manage.

2. Care should be taken to regain or develop the knowledge, skills, and awareness needed to satisfactorily perform the tasks planned for the jump.

3. Jumps aimed at sharpening survival skills should precede jumps with other goals.

C. Changes in procedures

1. If deployment or emergency procedures are changed at any time, the skydiver should be thoroughly trained and practice under supervision in a harness simulator until proficient.

2. Ground training should be followed by a solo jump which includes several practice sequences and deployment higher than normal.

3. The jumper should repeat ground practice at short intervals, such as before each weekend's jump activities, and continue to deploy higher than normal until thoroughly familiar with the new procedures.

D. Long lay-offs

1. Jumpers should receive refresher training appropriate for their skydiving history and time since their last skydive.

a. Jumpers who were very experienced and current but became inactive for a year or more should undergo thorough training upon returning to the sport.

b. Skydivers who historically jump infrequently should review training after layoffs of even less than a year.

2. Skydiving equipment, techniques, and procedures change frequently.

a. During recurrency training following long periods of inactivity, jumpers may be introduced to new and unfamiliar equipment and techniques.

b. Procedures change to accommodate developments in equipment, aircraft, flying styles, FAA rules, and local drop zone requirements.

3. Returning skydivers require thorough practical training in the following subject areas:

a. aircraft procedures

b. equipment

c. exit and freefall procedures

d. canopy control and landings

e. emergency procedures

A License
USPA A-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within 60 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a currently rated USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating altitude awareness, freefall control on all axes, tracking, and canopy skills sufficient for safely jumping in groups
B License
USPA B-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding 90 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license.
C and D License
USPA C- and D-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding six months should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license.

All this info came from the SIM here

http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section5/tabid/168/Default.aspx#970
Never give the gates up and always trust your rears!

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I think the words "currency" and "proficiency" sometimes get mixed together. There are many situations in which someone's level of currency meets requirements but their level of proficiency really doesn't. In those situations - almost always - there is a higher level of assumed risk.

Hypothetical example: Let's say a USPA Tandem Instructor that works near sea level goes to a high elevation DZ (4500 FT above sea level) for the summer to work. When he leaves his sea level DZ he is doing tandems every weekend and is both current (manufacturer and USPA requirements) and proficient. 25 days later he shows up for work at his new DZ - he is still current, but his proficiency has degraded some since he has not jumped in nearly a month. The first tandem student he is assigned is extremely large and there is zero wind. In this situation, the level of risk is much higher than if the TI had been working at the DZ for years and had just made several tandems the day before (a higher level of proficiency).
Arrive Safely

John

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I think that is a really interesting point.

A counter-view might be that if you only do 'straightforward' dives, your 'proficiency' might not require the same level of 'currency' required to be proficient for Instruction work or group freefly jumps, for example.

I was really mainly interested in what skydivers from different countries regard as sufficient jumps to be current per annum. In the UK, I would be lucky to get 100 odd jumps in per annum, given the weather and the fact that three/four jumps per good jumpable day is enough for me.

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Personally, I think that the question needs to be focused on "Current for what?". Not all jumps are the same. I might be current with belly flying but not have done something else (CReW, freeflying,) for a long time. So just because a jumper has made 20 jumps in the last ten days, he or she might not be "current" in the skills needed for the next jump.

Unfortunatelly, I see currency usually defined as "___ jumps in the last ____", without specifying discipline.
The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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