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cphelan

Diploma in Commercial Skydiving, NZ

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OK,Thanks for answering.

If it is not one political drama with skydiving in NZ, then it is another one.

Such a shame as it is the only thing that ever gets talked about in these forums about NZ skydiving and skydiving in NZ is the best experience ever. Where else can you hire a entire island (slipper island) for a weekend and just skydive, or jump next to 7000ft of snow capped mountains, or jump over a massive volcano crater turned into a gigantic lake, or land on a glacier, or over a city, or on a beach.

Beautiful country, beautiful dropzones, ugly as hell politics.

I am sure at some stage NZ will get their shit together.

My vote says bring back Tim Fastnedge and the NZPF and his awesome NZPF weekends he use to put on!


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Of course they have a history, and a track record as well. Imagine one small country doing an insane number of tandem jumps. If the NZPIA did not have a history and were not doing their job then these forums would be full of incidents and dramas right? But no- there are hardy any? Why? Somebody or something must be doing their job damn right? So- why is it then that there are 'other' organisations? Answer is very obvious to me and should be to you too? They simply do not meet the high standards or professionalism to be allowed to join the main organisation- so they are forced to have to open their own Micky Mouse side shows? Sometimes the truth can be very hard to swallow. I suggest you go do a little research and place emotion last!;)

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Of course they have a history, and a track record as well. Imagine one small country doing an insane number of tandem jumps. If the NZPIA did not have a history and were not doing their job then these forums would be full of incidents and dramas right? But no- there are hardy any? Why? Somebody or something must be doing their job damn right? So- why is it then that there are 'other' organisations? Answer is very obvious to me and should be to you too? They simply do not meet the high standards or professionalism to be allowed to join the main organisation- so they are forced to have to open their own Micky Mouse side shows?



Codswollop.

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Over the last two decades several sport and recreational aviation activities have grown into significant commercial operations. In certain cases these activities have been advertised on Tourist Brochures available at Information Bureau’s throughout the country.




The rules for sport and recreation aviation activities were written for pure “amateur” sport and recreation activities, and were not designed for commercial operations. These rules comprise Part 149 Aviation Recreation Organisations – Certification, and the Part 100 series covering Operating Rules for various sport and recreation activities.
While most people operating under these sport and recreation rules act responsibly, the attitudes of some give rise to concern. There is pressure from within the civil aviation system for safety practices and administration to be improved.
Part 149 was never intended to be an operational rule and therefore has no provision for this commercial activity. In any case Aviation Recreation organisations certificated under Part 149, do not have the structure or procedures to be able to assure the Director that hire or reward activities can be, or are being, carried out safely.
In 2003, a further request from Industry and CIRAG to review the need for Part 115 was based on a concern that operational standards might not meet the same levels as Part 135.
In July 2006 the Director agreed to CAA policy recommendations that there is a need to introduce a new CAR Part 115 to regulate adventure aviation. In summary, the CAA policy is to:
• define a new category of aviation activity within the general aviation sector to be called “adventure aviation”;
• regulate the various activities that make up the adventure aviation sector through a new rule
Part 115;
• develop within the proposed Part 115, a set of general requirements for certification that are applicable to all adventure aviation operators with sub parts of the rule containing standards applicable to specific activities;
• include, as a key element of the proposed rule part, a requirement for individual operators to hold an aviation document issued under Part 115; and
• administer the proposed Part 115 utilising industry experience as much as is practicable, consistent with their level of capability and their desire to be involved.
5/CAR/1 Part 115 - Adventure Aviation Project Scope Statement
Civil Aviation Authority 2
“Adventure aviation” will cover any activity or combination of activities, where passengers are carried by air for hire or reward and the primary purpose of the activity is the experience of flight in the aircraft, or of engaging in the aerial activity itself.



www.caa.govt.nz/rules/nprms/NPRM_Part_115.pdf

So the NZCAA are not happy with the current format, sport aviation privileges are being abused for commercial gain (at the expense of the sport) and the rules are being are currently being re-written to address the ongoing concerns.

Why you don't hear about (most of the) incidents in New Zealand? Because the reports are not published (one of CAA's concerns) and the operators are also very good at sweeping them under the carpet, to protect the integrity of their commercial operations.

The NZPIA are the Mickey Mouse setup, they had the chance to control the industry, and they abused that privilege and ultimately blew it.

The CAA would not have issued any further part 149's if they didn’t feel there was a need for it.

Soon (November 2011) part 115 submissions will begin and then it will become very interesting....
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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Soon (November 2011) part 115 submissions will begin and then it will become very interesting....



Wondering if there has been any news on this front? I am looking into doing the diploma course next year. All of this part 115 stuff goes straight over my head, but I'm trying to understand it! Would also be good to hear from others who have done the course recently and what their thoughts on the experience were...?

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I am a student currently finishing a diploma at the school, and having been here for the last 5 months, can share with you my honest opinions and observations about the course.

I started in January this year, the courses are set up to overlap so that the junior students can learn off the senior students before they leave, which is good.
Currently at the school there are about 15 students, one asian, two australians, one from the U.S, and the rest are kiwis. As i had my A license when i started the course, I have done 145 jumps here and will do another 30 on my work placement.

When my course started, things were a little disjointed and unorganized in respect to the structure of our learning. This has changed massively for the better, just in my short time here, due to a new person taking over the running of the school, who is an extremely experienced skydiver of over 20,000 jumps and holds world titles in relative work skydiving. I have no doubt that after I leave the school will keep improving under his leadership.

The school is a great learning environment. Being around skydiving constantly for 6 months and jumping pretty much every sunny day, you really learn alot in a short space of time. Not just about how to fly in freefall, and how to be safe under canopy, but also we learn alot of things on bad weather days when we are stuck in the hangar, e.g. how to make closing loops, packing races to get quicker at packing sport rigs and tandem rigs, watching our landing videos to analyze landings so we can all improve our landings, gear checking tests (purposely gearing up the wrong way to see if people can find all the faults), learning about cameras and camera flying, etc.
Having an allocated number of 1on1 coaching jumps on the course is really good for allowing you to work on things you want to improve in your technique.

The best thing about the diploma is the people. The instructors are awesome and the students are awesome. The culture is really supportive, nobody's out to try and cut each other down, everyone just helps each other learn. Instructors dont yell at you for doing something wrong, they just use it as an opportunity for everybody to learn from, to make everybody here safer skydivers. You will make friends here that will go into the skydiving industry all over the world.

The setting for the school is also wicked. set at the foothills of the southern alps.. jumping here is beautiful, especially when snow falls on the surrounding mountains.

This week is my last week at the school and it is really sad to leave ! I can truly say ive had an awesome time, and while I am sad to leave the school, new adventures lie ahead in the opportunity of work placement.. and I definetly feel equipped and ready to tackle it with everything ive learnt about skydiving from the school.

Anyways, feel that ive blabbed on long enough, but I hope that for anybody that is wondering what its like at the school .. I may have just answered some of your questions.

One love

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He goes by the name of Gary Beyer B|gary has the creds and integrity....as did 2 other sa blokes ....dip school has to keep up the standard when they dont have a geoff or a gary etc ............its showed when they didnt and shows when they dont .....

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I am a student currently finishing a diploma at the school, and having been here for the last 5 months, can share with you my honest opinions and observations about the course.



Thanks heaps for sharing your experience at the school. Consider this a cheeky bump in case anyone else has experiences to share.

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I have to say that when I saw this school actually existed I had to laugh. It's a business. It's some people making some money off people by sounding like they have the 'secrets'. While also getting some labor out of the students for a time.

There's nothing that can't be learned just by getting in close at a dz. In the end, I bet you get more 'real' experience in the latter.
"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

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I have to say that when I saw this school actually existed I had to laugh. It's a business. It's some people making some money off people by sounding like they have the 'secrets'.



Doesn't that describe virtually every tertiary education establishment in existence? :P

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I have to say that when I saw this school actually existed I had to laugh. It's a business. It's some people making some money off people by sounding like they have the 'secrets'.



Doesn't that describe virtually every tertiary education establishment in existence? :P
not to mention he's 5 years late coming to the table to whine about it:S
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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I have to say that when I saw this school actually existed I had to laugh. It's a business. It's some people making some money off people by sounding like they have the 'secrets'.



Doesn't that describe virtually every tertiary education establishment in existence? :P


Sure does. Of course some professions are easier to learn. Simply because of what you have access to. But skydiving? By the time you're at the point you may consider it as a career you have the access.

The notion of a degree for this stuff is kind of ridiculous. But I add that to list if degrees and certifications. But then again, I've never cared for formal education.
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"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

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Ive recently finished this course. I was one of the coolest things ive ever done. I started it with 100 jumps and it has made a huge difference to my flying. You learn alota stuff that you wouldnt get to learn if you just did you AFF and then went into the world. The CI Gary Beyer is awesome, who doesnt want to get trained by a world champ.
For kiwis this is the best place to learn to jump the government will pay half the course and you get a student loan for the rest, they will also pay your living costs for the 9 months, they paid more than i did for the course. Pretty much every one gets offered a job after there placement.

Doing this course has given me a new look at skydiving, im much more safety conscious and confident.

Its an AWESOME course dont let any of these guys tell you any different, none of the people i did it with wanted to leave.

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