Opinions from experienced TM's wanted

[speedy 0]

We have recently purchased new overalls (suits) for our tandem passengers. They look very pretty with bright colors and all that stuff.

They are not a lot different to freefly suits with lots of free material around the arms and legs.

What do the experienced tandem masters out there think about this. Would you object to jumping with a passenger with lots of loose material around the arms and legs? Or do you prefer the passengers to clothed with tighter fitting suits.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[GreenMachine 0]

Disclaimer: I only have 100 tandems.

I am tall and usually don't worry about the attire of shorter passengers.
However, I would NOT allow a passenger who is close to my height or
taller to wear a suit that could outfly mine, especially given my limited
experience doing tandems.

Rigger, Skydiver, BASE Jumper, Retired TM

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Strong recommends that TMs wear medium loose jumpsuits and students wear medium tight suits. The number one job of a TM is no never get outflown by their student; I think giving students baggy suits is a bad idea.

[Laszloimage 0]

Lot of places the priority is the price and the durabilty is the most about student (tandem) jump suits. I think the "baggy style" is not always the best idea from the TM I's aspect. It deffinetly can make the jump more difficult than it needs to be...
In case of short and heavy passengers it deffinetly makes easier to the camera guy.
-Laszlo-

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I prefer non-booty, spandex arm RW suits (with leg grippers) for passengers.

[diablopilot 2]

I personaly don't care. The suit is not going to make the difference between me having control or not.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[mattaman 0]

Speedy, if you tandems go nude, You'll never have to worry.

Those stuck in maya, seek to be seen.

[Gary73 8]

Usually the suit doesn't make a big difference, but I definitely agree with Strong's recommendation (mentioned above), especially with light or tall students and especially with less-experienced TIs.

Fortunately it isn't hard to take in a jumpsuit (i.e., make it tighter), so if your TMs find them to be a problem, almost anybody who knows how to sew can fix them pretty quickly.

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." - Carl Sagan

[piisfish 135]

Quote

Speedy, if you tandems go nude, You'll never have to worry.

WRONG, skin is slower than tight nylon

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[speedy 0]

Quote

Quote

Speedy, if you tandems go nude, You'll never have to worry.

WRONG, skin is slower than tight nylon

Actually I am a Vidiot, so tandems going nude will just give me something different film

That's why I am asking you guys for the heads up, I am not a TM.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[Revillusion 0]

I prefer my students to be in a somewhat tighter jumpsuit.

And, I recommend you wear something baggie, just like Strong recommends. As Chuck mentioned, the leg grippers on a students jumpsuit can come in really handy. But, always concentrate on flying yourself first and the student second.

VIRTUS JUNXIT MORS NON SEPARABIT

[riggerrob 558]

Tandem students need suits that are loose around the waist - to fit a variety of sizes of students - and progressively tighter towards the wrists and ankles.
It is nice to have suits baggy enough in the legs to allow students to don suits without removing shoes.
We tried Velcro cuffs at the bottom, but students don't seem to be bright enough to understand Velcro without additional instruction.
So elastic cuffs on the bottom of legs work better.
Similaly, the average student is not bright enough to figure out velcro cuffs on sleeves, so elastic cuffs are better.

[pchapman 261]

The DZ I'm at (with Cessnas and 7 Sigma rigs) seems to do just fine with coveralls for students, available in various sizes, somewhat colour coded by size. No cuffs at the bottom of the legs, so they're easy to slip on. (Perhaps the most popular is the orange one with "D.O.C. Transport" on the back.)

Whether good or bad, we've never worried about the extra 'control power' students might have with something other than a tight jump suit. That being said, we always want to pick a suit that's not excessively baggy. We happen to also have a few old RW style suits for small women, that are tight enough to help keep the speed up a little when there's a videographer.

[peterpan 0]

I agree.
Just do your job, If you need to be concerned about what the person on the front is wearing you have bigger things to be worried about.

Regrets are just unfulfilled dreams

[douwanto 22]

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

[matthewcline 0]

Partially true. Part of your job is to set things up for you to be successful in. This success can be aided by the right outer garment for you and your student. If your skill is better (or as it gets better) the outer garments become less of the success equation.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[marks2065 0]

i personaly don't want a student to have a bagy suite because to much could cover the important handles ( as i found out the hard way ) it is important to not have the students jump suit blowing back and covering the cutaway or reserve handles

[JohnMitchell 14]

Quote

i personaly don't want a student to have a bagy suite because to much could cover the important handles ( as i found out the hard way ) it is important to not have the students jump suit blowing back and covering the cutaway or reserve handles

This is true. More than once I've done my handle checks (still do them on every tandem) and found them hiding under a bunch of passenger jumpsuit. It could be a problem.

[billeisele 122]

fly yourself first then worry about the student but...

don't make your job harder by putting the student in a baggy suit

also seems like the videos folks always want more speed

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

[speedy 0]

@ all

It seems that in the end it was only an issue with one TM. It wasn't that he thought it was a major problem, it more as you guys said, "why make it harder than it needs to be?"

so no changes will be made to the suits.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl