What to expect in a coach course?

[YISkyDive 0]

Hey guys,

I am going to the Chambersburg,PA(sp) coach course in about 2 weeks, not even.

I have read the SIM and IRM with the syllabus and recommened/ required readings, but i dont know what to expect, exactly. 8am to 6pm class hours? and then a free jump period weather permiting or something?

Just wondering what your experinces in coach courses has been, thanks guys.

also, any tips on surviving the course? I'm assuming its excellent practice to everything by USPA recommendations, wearing a helemt at all times in the plane, and this like that.. but ya, i just have no idea what to expect.

any help is appreciated! Thank guys!

-dave.

[dropzonefool 0]

There is a high probability your going to learn how to teach using principals of adult learning.[ 80-20-8 ] More than likely your going to have homework to include a presentation out of the ISP cat G or H. Familiarize your self with Cat A, G, H because that is the role of the coach. Since you have the IRM now would also be a good time to look up the answers to the test. The coach test is in the IRM and if I remember correctly it is an open book test. Know where to find the BSR's and FAR's in the SIM's. I took mine over 3 years ago so it all a little fuzzy, but I remember the examiner I had for the jumps misrouted a legstrap, and folded under his cutaway handle, so figure a logical way to do gear checks for students. I use top to bottom, back to front. Good luck and have fun. hope this helps.

[AggieDave 6]

For the gear check, check EVERYTHING. The packing data card, sure it might be in date, make sure its the right card for that rig.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[YISkyDive 0]

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For the gear check, check EVERYTHING. The packing data card, sure it might be in date, make sure its the right card for that rig.

I woulda NEVER thought of that.

How hard is the course anyway? just survive the test, and the test dives, and be on your merry way? Or is it as unmerciful as i hear the AFF courses can be (granted no one can be expected as a coach to up hold what aff consists off) merely just wondering the likely hood of passing/ failing with 2.5 hours of tunnel time, 111 skydives, and pre reading the material.

Thanks for the replys, they helped.. as i would have obviously failed the card check.

[indyz 1]

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How hard is the course anyway? just survive the test, and the test dives, and be on your merry way? Or is it as unmerciful as i hear the AFF courses can be (granted no one can be expected as a coach to up hold what aff consists off) merely just wondering the likely hood of passing/ failing with 2.5 hours of tunnel time, 111 skydives, and pre reading the material.

I've taken the coach course twice because I got busy after the first one and never did the evals, so I took it again (about 9 months later). The first one was a cake walk. The second was more difficult and I felt a better course overall. It wasn't easy but not difficult either.

From what I've heard, the difficulty of coach courses varies widely... I've heard of some that are basically "gimmes" and some that are incredibly difficult, failing a majority of the candidates.

Your best bet is to talk to people who have taken the course from the same director. Find out what he/she wants to see in class and in the air. Practice the air eval if possible. The more prepared you are before you go into the course the easier it will be.

[tombuch 0]

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How hard is the course anyway? just survive the test, and the test dives, and be on your merry way? Or is it as unmerciful as i hear the AFF courses can be (granted no one can be expected as a coach to up hold what aff consists off) merely just wondering the likely hood of passing/ failing with 2.5 hours of tunnel time, 111 skydives, and pre reading the material.

It shouldn't be a tough course, but with that said, practice your gear checks with an instructor, and practice teaching short segments in front of your peers. Then relax.

A good Coach Course Director will establish a high standard, but will then do everything he can to help you relax and meet the standard. That's the same approach any instructor should take with any course.

Most of the candidates that I have put through the Coach Course do very well. The exceptions are jumpers who are not ready, and they always figure that out pretty quickly. When I have a candidate that isn't ready, the course becomes something of a prep program to help them pass it next time, and everybody goes home happy.

Based on your listed experience, I'd guess your flying is OK, and that you will need some work on critiquing students in the air, and teaching on the ground. It sounds like you have already read the material, so that gives you a leg up on the professional knowledge part of the course. Look to the evaluators for guidance and training throughout the program, and work well with the other candidates. The course will be fun if you approach it that way.

Keep in mind that in this setting you will be a student, and that the evaluators are instructors. Watch how they work, and how they present and extract information. Think about how you "feel," and how the different techniques used by the trainers help or hurt your progress. There will be some examples of great teaching/evaluating, and probably some examples of poor teaching too. Whenever I take a training or evaluation course I always come home with a new appreciation of what my students go through, and how to help them learn.

Have fun with the Coach Course, and enjoy your new role as an instructor.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[jgarango 0]

I did it a couple of years ago. The gear checks are very important. Be sure that everything is correct and I mean everything (RSL, chest strap, AAD, goggles altimeter, helmet, etc, etc...). My evaluator told us that if we would allow any of our "students" to get on the plane with something wrong with the equipment we would fail the jump. You are allow to repeat at least one jump if I remember correctly.

The air evaluations are not too difficult if your flying skills are ok. They will emphasize that if you touch or bump your student on freefall, you fail. Also remember that it is not an AFF course, so it is more about teaching and learning how to brief and debrief your student for and after a jump.

I hope this helps.

Good luck and enjoy it.

[SCR10480 0]

The most difficult part for me was the "role playing" portion. Learn to become an actor, because to "teach" a student that has 6000 jumps and treat them like they have 10 or 11 takes a pretty good imagination! And, like the others here have told you, watch those gear checks! If it can be screwed up, your student WILL screw it up.

Good luck, and welcome to Instructing.

[AndyMan 7]

How hard the course is depends entirely on the course director.

Expect 2-3 full days of classroom instruction, and you'll may do the jumps on your own time.

The only advice I can give is to completely swallow your pride. Expect to be treated like a dog by your course director, and allow them to have as many ego trips as they desire. It's what they do.

My advice is ignore what the SIM and IRM say, and pay attention only to what the course director teaches. Throw out every piece of knowledge you've ever learned and be prepared to repeat back whatever the C.D. tells you verbatim.

Hopefully this isn't applicable to your situation, but be prepared.

Personally, my experience in the coach course completely turned me off ever getting any more ratings. Since then I've met a few better course directors who've made me reconsider.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[AggieDave 6]

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The only advice I can give is to completely swallow your pride. Expect to be treated like a dog by your course director, and allow them to have as many ego trips as they desire. It's what they do.

Heh,sounds like you had a crappy course.

The course I went through was very educational for me and it motivated me to become a better skydiver so I could be a better coach and a better instructor.

So, pick your course directors very wisely or YMMV.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[velvetjo 0]

Go over the Coach card in the IRM and get everything out of the way that you can before you go. Check out the evaluation sheets in the IRM too, they'll give you a great idea of what to expect.

Helping teach first jump courses was good prep, and I learned so much from the other instructors at my DZ during that process. Also, going through the dive flows from the SIM in the air with a "bad student" before the course was helpful. Know your minimum altitudes and breakoff procedures, and practice giving your "bad student" hand signals in freefall as well as your recollection skill for debriefs.

Like other folks mentioned, practice gear checks with your local instructors and develop a logical sequence for them. If you're more comfortable with it, you may even want to develop a written checklist.

Andyman, my coach course was a very positive experience. Sorry to hear that yours wasn't. I was really impressed by both Elly & Bram Clement if you're looking for any future ratings.

Lance

[AndyMan 7]

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I was really impressed by both Elly & Bram Clement if you're looking for any future ratings.

Actually, it was talking with Bram last summer that got me thinking about ratings again. Both he and Elly are excellent teachers.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[jgarango 0]

Agree. I got both my coach and tandem ratings with Bram. He's a great evaluator.

www.skydiveratings.com is his website.

[dropzonefool 0]

Agreed. Got my Tandem with Bram, excellent teacher, going to look him up when ready for AFF.

[dropzonefool 0]

Funny story when I went through my coach course several years ago. On my second evaluation jump, at the 20 minuet call I went to find my evaluator. He was hanging out and talking with some other jumpers, not wearing a rig. He looked at me and said "Ok, lets just say the first gear check is done, I meet you at the boarding area. Later when he arrived he was not wearing his rig, instead he was test jumping another jumpers rig who was complaining to him it was new and had a built in turn. Also my evaluator was a rigger. So I started with "time in". I reviewed the winds and where he should be at 1000 ft and proceeded to give him a gear check. First thing was the seal was broken on his reserve. He said your kidding, I said we were going to scratch the load, he said no if everything else was OK with the rig. He jumped it like that, no big deal to me either I thought it was a test, but it turns out it was not a test. He actually didn't perform a gear check on the rig before putting it on. Nothing eventful happened on the jump, except for the fact that I learned even evaluators with thousands of jumps make mistakes.

" do as I say, not as I do"

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[kturnau 0]

Dave you beat me to the post. My wife and I will also be in the coaches course in Chambersburg and I was wondering the same thing you were about what to expect. I don't know if you are aware but I spoke to J.R yesterday and he said that the course starts at 9:00AM on Friday, April 29. Looks like we'll all be missing some work that day! The classroom portion is scheduled to last all day long Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday with the evaluation jumps. J.R said he hopes to have everything done by Sunday evening. It's going to be a long weekend! I'll see you up there.

-Kevin

FALLATIO #13
PELT HEAD #20

[YISkyDive 0]

Cool Kevin,

where are you crashing? on the DZ or in some motel, or at your place? i'm still trying to figure out what i am doing, i'm probably gonna crash in my car/ or a tent.

catch ya there man

dave

oh and did JR say it starts at 9 or 8? i was told 8. beats me? im 2.5 hours away, so ya know.

[kturnau 0]

Dave, I was told 9AM by J.R just a couple of days ago when I called but if you want to verify with him you can (717)264-1111. We'll probably be there between 8 and 8:30 I'm guessing depending on when we can get up! We're about an hour and 45 minutes away. As far as where to stay, there is a bunk house that we usually use when we spend the weekend up there. We'll be in there again. There are 4 sets of bunk beds inside with mattresses and space heaters. You'll need to bring pillows and blankets if you want to stay in there though. Just an FYI Chambersburg loves bonfires and beer and we owe plenty from last weekend so we'll be covered! See you up there!

Kevin

FALLATIO #13
PELT HEAD #20

[YISkyDive 0]

haha

nice, JR said he wants us there 8am, class is starting at 9. but its to fill out waviers and things like that, so i am sure your coverd..

oh, and they dont ask for ID at the fire do they

-dave