ISIA

[riggerrob 558]

December 21, 2004

ISIA NEWS
Hello Everyone,
This mailing is intended to update all of you as to what has been happening with the development of the association. Back in late August I traveled to Germany in order to meet with Frank & Dany Carreras in Eggelkofen and have some ISIA planning sessions with them as well as to travel to Zurich to visit the PADI Europe Headquarters. That’s the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, for those not familiar with them, and they are the largest company that issues licenses and ratings to scuba divers. Our goal was to learn how PADI is structured and organized so as to learn from an established and successful firm that operates in a parallel sport. Their Member Services and Quality Management Manager, Roberto Raffaeli, was very gracious and gave us about three hours of his time. We didn’t waste that time. Afterwards, we drove back to Munich, stopping at the DZ at Leutkirch (it was still raining) and, of course, talked ISIA talk. Friday, August 27th and Saturday the 28th were spent at Klatovy, Czech Republic, where we made some skydives from the Pink Skyvan and talked ISIA talk at the airport restaurant in the evening over some excellent Czech beer. More planning was done over the next few days.
Our intent is to structure ISIA in a similar way. PADI has been able to preserve intact its original goals for over 25 years and currently has over 350,000 members worldwide. However, PADI is by no means a “democratic outfit”- they are commercial in nature and both Frank & I agree that we should, and will, mimic the best features of PADI in the organizational structure of our association.

Statement of Purpose:
ISIA is an association comprised of instructional rating holders whose purpose is to establish a common international standard of progressive ground and in-air instruction necessary to safely and effectively train student skydivers.

Concept:
There are many instructors throughout the world who often need to posses similar ratings or instructional licenses in two or more different national skydiving organizations. This does not pass the common sense test. There must be an international organization that would establish one’s teaching and air skills qualifications so as to be able to teach students anywhere within the skydiving community. Limiting instructors to their own national system restricts our ability to teach and train when opportunity presents itself elsewhere in the world. The willing compliance in the acceptance of our standards and our ratings/licenses by the various national federations, aero clubs and associations is strongly encouraged. The conduct of instructional rating training courses within our own structure is also a function of ISIA.

Teaching students how to skydive safely and then seeing their eyes light up is really why we do this sort of thing. It’s fun, and should always be so.


More Things in Progress:
 Logo and shirts- the first sales item that we plan to offer is an ISIA polo shirt. A very limited supply of these will be available at the PIA Symposium in January. It’s a bright yellow-gold 65/35 short sleeved “Blue Generation” with a pocket and the ISIA logo and name above the pocket. They will be sold to anyone who is currently or becomes a member at a significant discount. Naturally, we would sell them at retail to anyone who wants to purchase a shirt. Orders will also be taken.

 The PIA Full Member renewal fee of $300.00US for October 2004-October 2005 has been paid by Franky & I.

 PIA Symposium 2005- members are encouraged to attend the event, to be held in Jacksonville, Florida, USA from January 14th-18th at the Adam’s Mark Hotel on the riverfront. There is no specific ISIA presentation or meeting planned, but I am doing a presentation on behalf of the organization discussing “Hand Deployed Pilot Chutes and Students- Lessons Learned”. Input from this seminar will also be offered to USPA. The schedule hasn’t been posted by PIA as yet. An impromptu social gathering is also a possibility one evening. The target of this Symposium is recruitment of new members.

 Rating structure- This is a three tiered concept. First a new member without instructional ratings would attend the Assistant Instructor Course (most closely resembling USPA’s now-defunct B.I.C.) graduates would at that time be licensed as Assistant Instructors. After a minimum of one year’s field experience they may then apply to attend an Instructor Training Course (ITC) and become a rated ISIA Instructor. If the individual so desires, future attendance and satisfactory performance at an Examiner’s Rating Course (after meeting respectable experience and seasoning requirements) would result in their appointment as an ISIA Examiner. Those joining ISIA with equivalent ratings or licenses in their own national program would be granted ISIA rating(s) providing those national ratings are deemed to meet our standards by what we would call the Examiner Board. The Examiner Board for now should be Barry Chase, Frank Carreras and Mark Baur, if they accept. If necessary the size of the group could be adjusted later, but I would hesitate to ever have more than five members on a committee or board. It’s more or less a given in business that smaller groups are often far more efficient and require a good deal less time to accomplish a given task. Less talk, more action. It’s my intent that these courses will be scheduled on a recurring basis at regular intervals at the best locations possible for the conduct of each course. A standard written contract with the host will be mandatory and will ensure that facilities are appropriate for the conduct of our courses. All courses will be scheduled centrally.

 Instructors insurance- We are in contact with the Zurich Insurance people. They will work on a proposal for liability insurance for ISIA Instructors. However, first we will have to provide them with some statistical information that we are currently compiling.

 Other items in the works- hard plastic membership cards (like many driver’s licenses these days) with digital photo and bar code imprinted; fixing the web site (mail links are not functional); constructing and developing an ISIA document database online; and more to come.

That seems to be enough for right now. I will be looking forward to your comments.

Clear Skies,
Don Yahrling

[cpoxon 0]

ISIA would be the International Skydiving Instructors Association

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I think Uncle Don has a good idea there. That system would be particularly useful for those travelling gypsy skydivers.

Chuck

[skydiverjerry 0]

hi ther
respect this is a great idea as a gypsi this is just whta i need but will it be approved by other orgs such as uspa bpa et? and will dzs accept it.

i am sure you have thought it out im just currios?

blue skies and respect for your hard work on our behalf

life is a journey not to arrive at the grave in a pristine condition but to skid in sideways kicking and screaming, shouting "fuck me what a ride!.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Quote

hi ther
respect this is a great idea as a gypsi this is just whta i need but will it be approved by other orgs such as uspa bpa et? and will dzs accept it.

The short term answer is no they will not. The longer term answer is maybe, with a lot of persuading they will. I don't think this is a quick fix, but rather a long road worth travelling. It will benefit gypsie skydivers and DZO's alike.

[skydiverton 0]

Great idea.

I first had to my Instruction rating and tandem in the netherlands.
After that re-examenin belgium
and 2 years later re-examen in germany.

(I life in the netherland rather close to both the belgium and german border)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habit,
Especially when you are jumping a sport rig

[riggerrob 558]

 Rating structure- This is a three tiered concept. First a new member without instructional ratings would attend the Assistant Instructor Course (most closely resembling USPA’s now-defunct B.I.C.) graduates would at that time be licensed as Assistant Instructors. After a minimum of one year’s field experience they may then apply to attend an Instructor Training Course (ITC) and become a rated ISIA Instructor. If the individual so desires, future attendance and satisfactory performance at an Examiner’s Rating Course (after meeting respectable experience and seasoning requirements) would result in their appointment as an ISIA Examiner.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Great concept.

To simplify translation, may I suggest an alphabetic or numeric labelling system.
Labelling the first level as "A", the second level as "B" and the third level as "C," etc.

This parallels FAI skydiving licenses.

It also parallels the Canadian system where new skydiving instructors start with a Coach 1 Course. C1C focuses on "methods of instruction" similar to USPA's old BIC and is administered in cooperation with the Coaching Association of Canada. CAC in turn runs coaching theory courses for dozens of other amateur sports.

The second step for Candian skydiving instructors is to attend a method-specific (S/L, IAD or tandem) Instructor A Course. After a couple of years experience - and training "X" number of students, they attend an Instructor B Course, etc.

What we are trying to avoid is repeating the FAA's error in labelling entry-level staff as "Senior Riggers."

If ISIA adopts an alphabetical or numerical system for classifying instructors, it will vastly simplify translation and speed the adoption process.

A single INTERNATIONAL rating system for skydiving instructors is long overdue.

[riggerrob 558]

Quote

hi ther
respect this is a great idea as a gypsi this is just whta i need but will it be approved by other orgs such as uspa bpa et? and will dzs accept it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

According to their website, ISIA already recognizes instructor ratings issued by: USPA, BPA and the German Parachute Federation.
However, it will take longer for national organizations to recognize ISIA ratings.
Senior levels of national organizations include some pretty big egos and some pretty big fish in small ponds.

• Quote

[superwhuffo 0]

Uncle Don has a great concept going here. It is ridiculous to have this thing going the way it is set up. There is so little difference in the teaching criteria in this sport in the different countries that this needs and should be addressed. What little differences there are could be dealt with specifically, such as cloud clearance rules for example. I think something also needs to be addressed in the area of licenses. I had the experience of helping a girl from another country that had a D license and over 600 skydives, yet she was having to start over and go though the A license for the USPA and get everything signed off again. This does not make much sense to me. Why not just deal with the specific differences in information and have them learn this, with maybe a review of what they already have learned and know. ISIA makes nothing but good common sense, where the other scenario has many things to question.

We take risk not to escape life, but to keep life from escaping._______________________
It is noble to teach oneself; it is still nobler to teach others. Mark Twain