0
gale

Another Unrated Instructor Question

Recommended Posts

I was just wondering...

What could happen if an unrated person takes up a tandem and something goes wrong? Be it a twisted ankle on landing, or worse...

(I'm in Canada if that matters.)

Lawsuits, CSPA stuff, dz responsibility...

Seems like tandem ratings are complex (issued by the manuafacturer IIRC) so I'm just curious if anyone knows.

Gale
I'm drowning...so come inside
Welcome to my...dirty mind

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Well.. you have to be under the supervision of an examiner to take up experienced jumpers to earn the rating, but you don't have the rating yet at that point. All TM's did a few jumps with out an actual rating while in their probatitionary peroid and stuff.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Yeah, and riggers in training pack reserves before they have their riggers ticket.

The point is, they're both things you have to actually participate in to eventually get your rating/ticket. That's why, under the supervision of the I/E, TMs take C licensed jumpers up for the first few jumps. To show the ability to perform how the TM has to perform.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
But are you allowed to take up paying customer's with the Tandem Examiner there? Or do you need the actual rating for that. (That's the question, sorry if it wasn't clear.)

Gale
I'm drowning...so come inside
Welcome to my...dirty mind

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Nope, can't take paying customers until you atleast reach a certain point in your probationary perioud. And I think its different for different tandem rigs (each manufacture has a different rating structure).

Even though it was only a couple months ago, I'll be damned if I can remember the exact number of jumps you have to do with a C-licensed jumper first, but its quite a few, before you can take a paying customer.

Someone not being rated doing tandems is scary, if they understood the risks being a TM (if they read the tandem fatalities), then they'd probably stay away until they were properly trained.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It's 10 jumps with a licensed skydiver. I got my Strong rating and USPA rating a little over 2 years ago. You have to be certified by the manufacturer to even jump their equipment. Anyone doing tandems without that certification is opening themselves and any DZ that lets them do it to law suits. USPA tandem program ratings are not mandatory but the tandem master has to have a current USPA license. We were lucky enough to have an instructor who did the course and then followed up with the USPA course the same weekend.
Blue Skies and Safe Landings!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

What could happen if an unrated person takes up a tandem and something goes
wrong? Be it a twisted ankle on landing, or worse...



It's been done and the results were not good.

I'm going from memory here so specific details might be incorrect.

Around the early or mid 1990's there was a guy that took a passenger on a tandem. I do not remember the details of the 'problem' but the passenger died from the landing. The TM suffered injuries too, but recovered. This happen at a small central CA DZ (Arvin?- IIRC).

The family of the deceased sued EVERYONE!
eg: the TM, the tandem rig owner, the pilot, the DZ, USPA, the tandem Mfg (Strong) etc

The TM was NOT rated by Strong - even though he used a Strong tandem rig. I believe he did have a RWS tandem rating (or did have one at one time). This was when the FAA wavier was still in effect. There was no USPA tandem rating. USPA also had TMMI (aka student insurance) at the time.

Months & months go by with all parties spending TONS of money to 'get out' of the case.

USPA's insurance company 'paid off' even at the request of the organization NOT to do this. This made it even harder for Strong to show that they were not responsible for this accident. [An innocent paying off looks like admitting guilt.]

Strong went to court hearing after hearing trying to convince the court that this guy was NOT Strong rated nor the owner of the rig and therefore Strong was NOT liable.

In the end, after lots of money was spent (~several hundred thousands of dollars) Strong was found something like '10%' liable. They had to pay more money.

IIRC, the reason for this '10%' liability was something to the effect:
'You have the wavier that says you monitor your TM/owners in the field. You did not do this adequately, otherwise the tandem rig owner would have never let an un-rated person use the rig.'
.
.
Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0