Training plan management software suitable for skydiving.

[unkulunkulu 0]

Is there such a thing? Is there even such a thing for other technical sports, I was unable to google it. I mean, some place where you can conveniently store your recurring mistakes and generate some kind of plan to work on them on a particular day? Then evaluate your progress and lower/higher the priority of the mistakes. Even when under the supervision of a coach/instructor, there're still too many mistakes not to forget one during a jump.

Yes, we do have logbooks, but some mistakes just creep in jump after jump and sometimes reoccur later when we are focused on other aspects. Some other safety-related "desirable" behavior is difficult to instill because you just used to some routine (I totally forget to glance at my cutaway handle some time after opening, as an example, however, I want that habit).

Another aspect is some safety performance corrections you want to make after reviewing an incident report.

There are training plan managers for more physical/endurance oriented sports like fitness, running, cycling, etc. But that doesn't cut it. However, if someone knows of a really good example of that kind of software (online preferably), please chime in too.

[dthames 0]

Even if you find an ideal software there are two major things that will be required of you.
1. To gain awareness of what needs correction or attention (needs list)
2. To leverage that awareness by changing your behavior when you jump today or in the future (do list)

With awareness you want to record what you want to change, and then seek out that change. If you keep it that simple, you might find a way to do that even if you can’t find the ideal software to do it.

An Excel spreadsheet can be tailored to do some pretty interesting things. You could start simple, even with a notepad, have a section for issues/concerns/avoid and write the items down (needs list) that you have desire to change or avoid. Before you go to the DZ, get your list out, review it, go work on your behavior, come back, evaluate, update your “needs list”.

I think what you will discover is that when you spend the time recording what your needs are, you will be more likely to remember them when you jump the next time. I agree a normal log book does not pull together what you might need to do as you review your needs and get ready to go take on the Earth. Excel can filter data and change cell colors based on some conditional logic. I can see several ways a person might use Excel to help shine a light on items of a “do list”.

Merry Christmas.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[wmw999 2,122]

Quote

I think what you will discover is that when you spend the time recording what your needs are, you will be more likely to remember them when you jump the next time.

This. In project management, one of the reasons for active risk management is to just keep things that you want to focus on in sight, and not let them get forgotten. Works for many things.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

If you notice you're doing something, log it. Then review your logs periodically.

The DZ here gives you a tiny logbook which does not give you enough room for a proper log. I'm currently using a large notebook like you'd use in school. I can get between 1 and 3 log entries on a page depending on how routine the jump was. I just write the usual fields in. I've been using it since jump 26, and will need to get another one soon.

Log everything! Hard openings, malfunctions, things you think you could do better, who you jumped with. I even have the tail numbers for the planes I jump from on the first page of the book. If you review your logs regularly you may notice patterns that weren't evident at the time.

When I was starting out I had a list of things I wasn't very good at. Which, starting out, was pretty much everything. At various points I've wanted to improve my landings, tracking and exits in particular. I didn't have a plan, really, but often did have goals I wanted to work on that day. After I got my A license, I'd go to the DZ with those goals in mind and manage to work on them about half the time (The other half I usually ended up on group jumps, which were also fun!)

I don't know of any software to manage this. I could transcribe my log to an electronic format, but am not sure it'd be useful to do so. It would take more organization than I have to go back through every jump and develop a clear set of goals. The EMACS diary/todo tools along with the MIT remembrance agent would probably work best for that, but that's a little... TOO... free-form.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[GoHuskers 0]

I would think that golf has something similar to what you're looking for. There are so many moving parts to a golf swing that even after you modify the fields to a skydive you'd likely still have plenty left to delete.

Plus golf swings get fixed 1 thing at a time so that might make the priority of fixing easier to sort out.

[unkulunkulu 0]

I have no problem implementing a separate application for that in my free time, not a great fan of reimplementing/reinventing though, that's why I asked this question :)

[unkulunkulu 0]

Interesting, will look into that, thx.

[riggerrob 558]

I use one of those old-school, RW logbooks with only two jumps per page.
When I jump with freefall students, I include a half-page of notes on their performance.
One time a student forgot his logbook, so I handed my logbook to the instructor (who was jumping with him that day) and my notes were so detailed that the other instructor was able to coach the student on how to correct a couple of minor errors (on the previous jump) and assign new tasks for his next jump.