Hold tandem student during opening?

[riggerrob 558]

[TALONSKY 0]

I keep my hands out of reach of my student on opennings. I had one student who was rather large and strong grab my arms momentarly on openning so from that point forward I keep my hands up and out of the students reach.
Kirk

[JohnMitchell 14]

Heck no, that's what the harness is for. Your hands should be ready on the risers to steer, release brakes, or even cutaway and pull the reserve. I figure you know all this. Are you trying to make a point to a new TM?

[efs4ever 3]

I don't usually warn them. I tell them ahead of time what opening feels like, and to grab their harness. I'm pushing their hands away from me and telling them to hold the harness as things quiet down. Their arms tend to come up, and I don't like them near the handles. By pushing the backs of their hands, they aren't in a position to grab me.

Russell M. Webb D 7014
Attorney at Law
713 385 5676
https://www.tdcparole.com

[slotperfect 7]

I tap the student on the shoulders so they can bring their arms back into the "safety position" before I pull. I have told them on the ground that "it's safe for me to deploy with your arms in the free fall position, but most people simply like to have a place to put their hands."

I do not hold the student on opening. I continue to fly through the opening until we are completely sitting up, at which point I look up and grab my rear risers up high.

This is consistent with what I have been taught. The only thing I do to support the student on opening is to pu my legs together and hold them up under the knees. In the event of a hard opening, the straightening of both sets of legs absorbs a lot of the whack. I cannot recall ever having a hard opening on the Sigma 370 canopies we jump.

Arrive Safely

John

[jimoke 0]

as the bulk of my jumps are tandem videos, I have had the opportunity to film 30-40 different tandem masters in many locations. I have 504 tandems.
one of the most experienced TM's i jumped with, I observed at pull time wave off, pull, and hold the students forehead as the canopy deployed.
i had never seen this before. a few tandems later I had a harder than normal opening followed by the students head smashing into my mouth giving me a nice fat lip......all of a sudden it became clear to me, as my mouth filled with blood. I adopted this routine as well.
I have had students reach up and grab my forearm which was actually pretty easy to deal with by saying "please let go of my arm" in a stern tone.
I have since witnessed many hard openings by other TM's and as the student looks at the ground which is more likely with out video, their head seemed to hyper flex or extend, whiplash. when the TM holds their forehead actually in the prefered position there was no issue.
I guess it is what you are personally comfortable with.
stay safe, Jimoke

The ground always, remembers where you are!

[sid 1]

okay - I clicked forehead, BUT I have my hands in that general area, sometimes I hold nothing, sometimes I just pull'em in close, sometimes I wrap'em up like a christmas gift, depends on what I feel needs to be done. No hard and fast rule. The only one I won't grab is breasts. When I loosen the chest strap I ask them to put my hand on the buckle and I am VERY careful.

ps: all three tandems I did today, when I said I was going to loosen the chest strap after opening said "Are you sure??????????"

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[Mixoligist 0]

none of the above

..................................
Better you than me
..................................

[riggerrob 558]

Are you trying to make a point to a new TM?

[Trae 1]

Recommendation

Absolute minimum interference with the passenger.

It is often their only skydiving experience and don't need a touchy feely pilot.

[skydiverton 0]

NO

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

[livendive 8]

I don't warn my student when I'm going to pull, and I generally don't grab them. Occasionally, I'll grab their forehead and hold their head against my right collarbone, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[peek 20]

Does anyone do anything like that to an AFF student?
No?
Then don't do it to a Tandem student.

(Disclaimer: Rhetorical questions for effect.)

It amazes me some of the things that people think they need to do with Tandem students.

[OSOK 0]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but reading this made me think of something... at our DZ every tandem student goes through a routine they are told will happen, which at the end consists of the TI showing the student their altimeter when pull time comes and then giving them the option to pull. My question is, is thing something only we do at our DZ? What made me think this was the "do you tell your student when you're going to pull" part of the original question.

[bob.dino 0]

Your answer...

[birddog 0]

i do nothing, just keep their arms out in front where you can see them.I dont pull their head back nor give them any warning of opening coming up. Done 3000 tandems and have not had an incident on opening yet, but after posting this iam sure iam going to now!

Deal with it

[AndyMan 7]

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It amazes me some of the things that people think they need to do with Tandem students.

I'm amazed at the 9 people who hold their students breasts during opening. Am I missing something here?

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[flyer299 0]

You need an option for Leg Wrap. I pretty much as a matter of happy lock their legs with mine in the trap door. I've watched one too many videos of students kicking instructors in the head (or atleast almost). That make the trap door just too scary. So I try and control them that way. But I always keep my hands available for emergency or steering.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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I keep my hands out of reach of my student on opennings. I had one student who was rather large and strong grab my arms momentarly on openning so from that point forward I keep my hands up and out of the students reach.
Kirk

My tandem students generally are too busy deploying the parachute to grab onto my hands. If they are not a "training" tandem though, no, I don't ever grab them. I don't even give them any signal that I am going to deploy the parachute. The instant my droge is released, I am looking up at my deploying parachute and reaching for the risers.

[johnny1488 1]

I put my hands on my students upper arms during opening (not hard) so they can not accidentally grab anything or put there hands where I dont want them. When the canopy is done inflating I tap them and begin talking to them. They usually dont notice.

I was tought to "contain and buffer" the student. Meaning not letting them anywhere that would put them in harms way or anywhere where I didnt know they were going to be 2 steps before.

I have also been instructed on how to deal with the elderly and para/quad passangers by holding their legs back with mine and their forehead so that in the case of a hard opening, their head does not fly foreward and their legs dont fly up, both of which could cause extreme discomfort and/or bodily injury.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[DanglesOZQld 0]

If possible most times when NOT doing handcam I support the students head during the opening.

No doubt there are and will be a lot of pros and cons but this is just my personal thing. My CI btw also does the same thing where possible.

Early/low number tm's need to be sure their "holding" arm does not drop or waiver from a normal position though as early on if I were to do the same as above I think I would be doing more harm than good. Be sure about the strength in your arm and its position otherwise don't support the students head...you may be doing more harm than good.

And of course THIS IS just my own personal opinion.

BSBD!! -Mark.

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[birddog 0]

3000 + tandems,never have, never will, whats the point?

Quote

Deal with it

• Quote

[douwanto 22]

I dont hold anything on my students eather. I dont see the need for it.
As for showing them My altimeter I would not do that eather. Just gives them something bright and shiney to grab and hold.

Uncle/GrandPapa Whit
Unico Rodriguez # 245
Muff Brother # 2421

[karlm 0]

As I reach back for the golf ball (drouge relaese) I hold the passangers forhead, main reason being the FAT LIP I had while working in NorCal this summer, from a less than perfect opening. Thanks Doc

Last thing i want is to be knocked out or have a busted nose from a head butt .... it also makes sure that if we have a harder opening than expected there is less whip lash.

I then return my hands and arms to a position just below the toggles, so i can relaease them and make sure we have a 100% flying canopy

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[swoopgaz 0]

If it's an older person i will hold their forehead otherwise i don't