AFF Instructors - when were you first punched on the mainside at pulltime

[tdog 0]

Ok - so I am still in that hard learning curve as an AFF-I... So I thought this would be a fun whimsical thread, but with some seriousness to it that perhaps people can learn from too.
So yesterday - I went up on a level two with a guy who I was told on his level one was so "excited" that he not only did his practice touches, but he did six of them in three seconds.

Level two was a little slower... Exit funneled, reserve side let go. 1st COA - went well, maybe I could have told him to arch more, but I was happy that we were falling straight without the other instructor, so I gave a thumbs up.

Practice touches went real well.

Turns were not turns and would have been barrel rolls if we were not holding on, so he will have to redo the level.

But then pull time came... He reached slowly and calmly, but grabbed my hand, so I used my other hand to gracefully move his pull hand, which I soon realized I did not need to do because he was figuring it out... He gracefully put his hand on his hacky... Then, quicker than I have ever seen anyone do anything, POW... Square on the nose.

Lesson learned, even when you have pop up and over to use your right hand to help with the pull, don't be 'there'.

The rest of the canopy ride was checking to see if I had a nose...

Still sore this morning, but nothing hurt... Not even my pride, I am still laughing real hard - but upset my camera was out of juice and did not record it...

I landed and every instructor started talking about "their first time they were punched" and their avoidance techniques...

So anyone wanna share the first time a student punched you???? Do you take boxing lessons on high wind days to practice your ducking techniques. What other techniques do you have to not be in the line of fire, especially when you are close because you are helping the student find the PC.

[GravityGirl 0]

The first time I jumped with the throw out system vs. the rip cord. It was a different angle than I was used to. I also go PC in the face. It hasn't happened again.

What is worse, at the begining of my AFF "career", I took a knee to the head on reserve side at opening. The is more of a danger. That can knock you out and/or kill you. I learnt pretty quickly to rotate my body into a defensive position.

The other one is the spinner. I like to put my forearms in front of my face when I go in on those. I sort of hover above and wait for it to come around and drop in between the arm and leg with my arms up to block my face. That's been the most sucessfull for me.

AFF can be fun. I've had fat lips, split lips, bruised cheeks, bruised forearms, um... I think that's it.

But the reward of making new jumpers is priceless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[koppel 3]

Went from a DZ with Ripcords to Throw-Aways. On my very Pre-Second Jump I was JM1 to a girl who is in the forces and was very into BodyBuilding. Come pull height she reaches, locates and then lays one square on my chin. The bruise was there for a week at least. Landed and promptly ordered a second AAD for the second rig. Cost had been an issue up until then. Bugger the FOOD,BILLS,RENT etc

I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.

[djmarvin 2]

Never been punched while on the main side. I have been punched in the nose by a flailing student while on the reserve side though.

DJ Marvin
AFF I/E, Coach/E, USPA/UPT Tandem I/E
http://www.theratingscenter.com

[billeisele 122]

it sure is nice to be 6'2" with long arms, i also slide to the left at pull time to reduce this risk

my worst scare was with a 130 lb spinner, I'm 200 lbs, caught a knee in the head, was dazed for 1000+ feet

this was when the Cypress had first come on the market, ordered one that day

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I caught a knee at pull-time on reserve side WAY sooner than I got my nose bloodied on main-side. Nowadays on main-side, I am rotated way back with my forearm alongside their right leg when they are going for the hackey.


Chuck

[bodypilot1 0]

Shit happens, be tough or stay on the porch......



Be safe
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[riddler 0]

Exactly why I'm getting a full-face for AFFI

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[Dutton 0]

Instead of wearing a big scary full face helmet, its best to focus on not getting hit, just stay out of the way when they pull. Full face helmets limit your ability to communicate with the student in freefall. It really helps when a student sees you smiling and happy, it relaxes them. AFF is dangerous, if you feel the need to wear a helmet, try a protec with a aftermarket liner, they are very comfortable. Good luck and happy hunting.

[livendive 8]

Quote

Instead of wearing a big scary full face helmet, its best to focus on not getting hit, just stay out of the way when they pull. Full face helmets limit your ability to communicate with the student in freefall. It really helps when a student sees you smiling and happy, it relaxes them. AFF is dangerous, if you feel the need to wear a helmet, try a protec with a aftermarket liner, they are very comfortable. Good luck and happy hunting.

I used to do AFF in a frap hat, and a couple years ago I was on main side with a fairly large guy...230 lbs and reasonably muscular. It wasn't going terribly, but it was sketchy enough to hang on, and the fall rate was brisk. Reserve side was struggling to stay down, which wasn't much of a surprise, but I was quite surprised to suddenly see him in a sit, docked with his right hand on the student's left wrist. Well, in his sit he sank out, but he didn't let go before rolling the student on his back under me. I picked up the arm grip and started to shake the guy out like a sheet, but a fair amount of my attention was on the reserve side guy, who was now on his belly 10-15 feet below us, dearched, and coming up blind and *fast*. As I was trying to slide myself and the student back, out of the collision path, I got the student on his belly and he decided he'd had enough and wanted a parachute (6000 feet). I saw stars as the student's elbow caught me *very hard* on the chin, and a second later I found myself staring at his PC out in front of us and his bridle wrapped under my right arm. I dropped that grip, held through opening, then shook my head and tried to clear the fog as I tracked off. I no longer jump a frap hat on AFF, opting instead for a Rat-Hat (picture attached). It provides some chin protection, and the student can still see my smile. Next on my list is an AAD.

Blues,
Dave

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

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Quote

Next on my list is an AAD.

Smart move. We are required at Raeford to have an AAD in our "work" rigs and I have no problem whatsoever with that. I too have been clocked with "enthusiam".

Chuck

[Flying-Wench 0]

I didnt belt my instructor, but almost gave him a swift kick when he managed to get underneath me as i was in a flat spin (came in to steady me and missed!).

The look on his face was priceless, "whoooooaaa, close one" - i was horrified!

Needless to say, im doing Stage 4 for the THIRD time (AFF) and im back to 2 JM's until i learn to stop turning!

Its a dangerous job you guys are doing!

[Tonto 1]

About 400 AFF dives.. and it wasn't even on a real pull!

The student had really struggled to find their ripcord on the practice touches after COA, and I had my hand on his, with my face right there.

I managed to turn my head sideways and took a cracker to the jaw.

I thought I'd shut my eyes, but the Instructor on the other side said they were open, and he was ready to dump the student out and get to me before "I came back online."

Exciting stuff. I tend to hang back closer to the legs during the pull and practice touches now. They can't generate very much power there.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[mustard 0]

At Mile Hi in Longmont, we get a fair number of Air Force Cadets who have done "490" training, with a ripcord, at the Air Force Academy. (It's 5 jumps from around 4K with a week of training, they exit solo with an AAD on the main and on the reserve. They wash out if either one fires.)

But some of them decide they like freefall and skydiving and decide to continue in the sport. But they don't always throw away the "ripcord" (read throwout) because of the intense training they had during that week.

I was main side for a 490 student doing his first AFF jump. I'm not very tall and have short arms, and as I tried to help him put his hand on the P/C at pull time, this 6'3" cadet punched me HARD and I fell off from the blow (with full face helmet). There I was on my back looking up at the student with his P/C at arm's length and not letting go.

Fortunately, he finally did, once he realized his mistake. It's almost impossible for R/S to do much in this situation. The student looked at him for guidance, and he mouthed "let go!" which he did.

Very scary skydive, and not much that I could do to fix it, once I was gone...

***
DJan

[Sky15 0]

Mine was a small girl on I think a Level 2. She had a slightly harder pull on a ripcord, came straight out to the side and broke my goggles when she hit me.

Funny thing we really hadn't ever had hard pulls on that equipment, and she had just asked about a hard pull situation before the jump. Of course we discussed it but I also told her "we never have hard pulls on this equipment". Guess never say never, maybe I jinxed myself.

Because I have short arms I do fly tight and at times tend to get bumped a bit on occasion during practice touches but nothing bad.

Edited to add: The only other time I've ever been hit hard was on a ride through and reserve side. Well into opening after a PC hesitiation (again r/c, and big guy with a big burble). He got funny with his feet and as he was being pulled away I got his foot directly under my face. Thankfully I was already sitting up some so it was more of a glancing blow, but it knocked me back several feet and my husband (main side) started to come after me til he knew I was ok. Got it on video, and it was my 1,000th jump. Well I guess it's memorable! My husband told me to always keep an eye on their feet as well during ride through.