Building knowledge

[buba07 0]

Hi,

My AFF instructor has told me that my lack of knowledge shows a lack of real interest in the sport. I disagree, i'd say that paying out nearly 2 grand shows an interest! However I agree I need to get going on studying. I don't really know where to start.

Can anyone give me a list of the basic things I should really be reading up on. Given a stating point i'll research completely.

Thanks.

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[slotperfect 7]

Didn't your AFF Instructor give you some suggestions as to where you should start?

Where are you in your AFF progression?

Arrive Safely

John

[jverley 0]

Spending two grand does not really show an interest. There are a lot of folks with more money than brains.

Studying skydiving has many options. One is the Skydiver Information Manual from USPA. You should be looking into to the rules that apply to you as a student skydiver and the things you need to understand an prepare for in your pursuit of a license.

There are many books out there about skydiving. Parachuting - The Skydiver's Handbook by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff is one that helped me early in my career.

You can also pick up good information here on Dropzone.com but be very cautious on who you take advice from.

Bounce anything you learn on your own off your instructors to make sure you understand the information and are applying it correctly. Ask lots of questions. Hang out even when you are not jumping. Show that you are an eager student.

John
Arizona Hiking Trails

[slotperfect 7]

He is from UK, so he is better off with BPA's version of the SIM (I don't know what it's called).

Arrive Safely

John

[slotperfect 7]

I would be interested in hearing what the rest of the conversation was like so I can put his comment into context. I am sure there are other things that were said that would make his statement more relevant than trying to establish that from the statement standing alone.

Arrive Safely

John

[AKCrash 0]

What kind of lack of knowledge did your instructor refer to?

Paying a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean you are interested in the sport. Maybe you are interested in something you are getting out of the sport, such as thrill etc.

I can relate to this because I too was accused of the same thing. I didn’t realize how true that was until I broke my leg for the second time.

I too dropped nearly 2 grand on my AFF and post AFF jumps. But on my 16th jump, my instructor was shocked when he found out that I didn’t even know what RSL stood for. Not to mention, I graduated AFF not knowing what to look for when checking the gear.

Luckily, I had great instructors who contributed significantly to my safety.

Not knowing about what your instructor meant about your lack of knowledge, I would suggest you educate yourself generally about skydiving. Read the SIM manual. Read safety articles on this website. Seek help from more experienced jumpers.

Your instructor probably has thousands of jumps and experience coaching skydiving, I would definitely think that it would be great to listen to him.

If you want to educate yourself, LISTEN to experienced skydivers around you!! I learned that after 7 screws, a plate, and two Fibia breaks. I hope you educate yourself before something like that happen to you.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Franklin

[jsaxton 0]

Start here:
http://www.makeithappen.com/spsj/index.html

[buba07 0]

Hi,

I've done ten RAPS jumps and then switched to AFF. I agree that I should have knowledge of the canopy, lines etc. However, up to this point I have just been enjoying the aspect of doing, rather than learning.

I have to get a greater knowledge of all the parts and want to learn to pack asap.

I was told this weekend that I musn't have listened on my RAPS course. With all due repect that was a quite intensive day and I would challenge anyone to learn after eing shown something completely new in one day.

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[buba07 0]

Hi all,

I have just read the responces and massively appreciate the input. My AFF instructors are awesome, really good, informative blokes. They are very highly skilled and in that respect turn into mentors.

As a teacher I think that I pay too much attention to the manner that my main instructor has. I doubt that he does actually think I am dedicated to learning about the sport. I am however at this point in a time when I have to balance family life as well.

I am going to learn and read and listen. I want to do the ground work now so that when the kids are older I can dedicate more time to the sport.

Please don't get me wrong I have the upmost respetc for my instructors in terms of their talent. Yes I think for me skyiving so far has been about the buzz rather than the practicalities.

Thanks

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[slotperfect 7]

The BPA Operations Manual is the UK equivalent of the USPA SIM.

Arrive Safely

John

[iluvtofly 0]

Are their any peices of your equipment that you don't know what they are or how they work? If so ask someone. What if you're in an emergency situation and something isn't working right? You need to know how everything works if you're going to be forced to improvise in the middle of the air.

Here is a great question my rigger asked me one day that really got me thinking....
Say for some reason your pilot chute is unreachable (i.e. the hackey is shoved so far into the pouch you can't get it out). At the same time your reserve handle became dislodged and with all the wind you are unable to find it. What do you do?

[malarame 0]

Ask a lot of questions. I've become known at my dz as "that guy who asks questions about everything", but I've learned so much. Any time I see someone do something new or interesting, I ask them about it. Any time I see something go wrong, I talk to the person and find out exactly what happened, why, what the best response would be, what they did, etc. Remember, people tend to love to talk about themselves, so if you frame the question in a way that they get to talk about what they think and what they do, they're almost always happy to answer any questions you have.

[davelepka 4]

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I was told this weekend that I musn't have listened on my RAPS course. With all due repect that was a quite intensive day and I would challenge anyone to learn after eing shown something completely new in one day.

There's your answer. Sit through the first jump course again. If you do it at the DZ where you are learning, and explain to them that you feel behind the learning curve, I can't imagine that they would charge you to sit through the class again.

That would demonstrate your level of dedication.

[firstime 0]

pull the rsl

[iluvtofly 0]

Quote

pull the rsl

HOORAY...someone else who thinks like my rigger and I. Yes, going down the cable house to your reserve cable would work. But after I said that he gave me the scenario that I still was unable to find my reserve handle and had to do something else. That was my answer. Pull the rsl. He got a gigantic grin on his face and said I was one of the few people to even think of doing that.

[skr 1]

> Ask a lot of questions. I've become known at my dz as "that guy who asks questions about everything", but I've learned so much. Any time I see someone do something new or interesting, I ask them about it. Any time I see something go wrong, I talk to the person and find out exactly what happened, why, what the best response would be, what they did, etc. Remember, people tend to love to talk about themselves, so if you frame the question in a way that they get to talk about what they think and what they do, they're almost always happy to answer any questions you have.

----

This is a good answer.

It is hard to formulate experience into written words.

And even when you do get a verbal description
that is close to what you mean, you don't know
what meaning those words will generate in the
reader's mind.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about how things
work, but I also watch and listen to people, sometimes
directly and sometimes just in general eavesdropping
mode. I get a packing trick here, a new viewpoint
there, or sometimes a response to some situation
I've never thought about.


Of course I have a certain depth of background so
I can filter out a lot of the weird babble and brain
foam that makes the dropzone so entertaining.

Picking good mentor and role model type people
to learn from is perhaps the most important thing
a new jumper can do.

Skr

[shropshire 0]

Quote

pull the rsl

..... If you have one!

Fight... fight.... fight untill ADD fire (if you have one). NEVER Give up.


Also, gear check before you leave the plane.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Baksteen 84]

Quote

pull the rsl

I'd be afraid the student (me) would accident'ly disconnect it. I'll stick with tracing the reserve ripcord from the housing.

But I'd like something clarified: with "dislodged" do you mean it's actually flying loose, or just 'in a different position than usual' but still on the velcro?

"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

[airtwardo 6]

lack of knowledge shows a lack of real interest

Quote

Either that or if the student failed to learn, the teacher failed to teach!


Here's one for ya...happened yesterday during the 60 ways.

Jumper bumps the door hard enough to open a side flap and release a brake.

Sees the toggle floating as he prepares to dock.

Takes off early to get plenty of separation, but when he pulls the hacky the toggle has become tangled with it.

What now?

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

[crashtested 0]

I agree with about teaches not teaching well enough.

Unfortuntly people become Insrtuctors becasue they enjoy the sport and want to jump more often, rather then being a good teacher who would like to become a skydiver and then instruct.

People learn in different ways, some by doing some by seeing, some by reading, some by being told. etc etc....

Unfortuntly even the basic teaching methods are missed by some Instructors due to them not being taught.. its quite ironic really

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

I agree with about teaches not teaching well enough.

Unfortunately people become Instructors because they enjoy the sport and want to jump more often, rather then being a good teacher who would like to become a skydiver and then instruct.

People learn in different ways, some by doing some by seeing, some by reading, some by being told. etc etc....

Unfortunately even the basic teaching methods are missed by some Instructors due to them not being taught.. its quite ironic really

Back when I was an Instructor and a Tandem Master...

I use to try to sit in occasionally on other people's classes, to get a different perspective and add to my course.

You are right, they okay ya to 'teach' but don't necessarily tell ya HOW to teach.

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

[jsaxton 0]

Quote

pull the rsl

And what if the rig is not equiped with an RSL?

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

But on my 16th jump, my instructor was shocked when he found out that I didn’t even know what RSL stood for. Not to mention, I graduated AFF not knowing what to look for when checking the gear.

Luckily, I had great instructors who contributed significantly to my safety.

Assuming your post is true...
Sorry, but your instructors were not "great". Your instructors flew in the air with you...apparently they did not teach you anything about skydiving safety along the way like they are supposed to.

Evidently, you didn't take charge of your own learning...maybe you sat back and waited for someone to TELL you instead of taking care of your own learning.


Glad to hear that your are now filling in the blanks. Keep it up, big guy...you can never learn too much.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

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I've done ten RAPS jumps and then switched to AFF. I agree that I should have knowledge of the canopy, lines etc. However, up to this point I have just been enjoying the aspect of doing, rather than learning.

Better late than never, I guess.

Quote

I have to get a greater knowledge of all the parts and want to learn to pack asap.

May I suggest learning about skydiving safety...just in case you ever need to save your own butt?

Quote

I was told this weekend that I musn't have listened on my RAPS course. With all due repect that was a quite intensive day and I would challenge anyone to learn after eing shown something completely new in one day.

I will take that challenge...as will most of my students.

Knowledge is power. Maximize your power.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[denete 2]

Quote

Quote

I was told this weekend that I musn't have listened on my RAPS course. With all due repect that was a quite intensive day and I would challenge anyone to learn after eing shown something completely new in one day.

There's your answer. Sit through the first jump course again. If you do it at the DZ where you are learning, and explain to them that you feel behind the learning curve, I can't imagine that they would charge you to sit through the class again.

That would demonstrate your level of dedication.

I felt like I caught everything alright in my FJC, but I sat through part of another a few weeks after mine anyway. What harm could it do to hear the information again? It reinforced what I learned the first time.

SCR #14809

"our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe"
(look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch)