Best path to ratings

[Deisel 35]

In most professions there is a logical progression through several stages of profeciency. All that I can think of go from initial education to practical experience to instructing others. This eventually leads to one becoming some type of master, instructor, professor, examiner, etc. There are many, many disciplines associated with skydiving to get involved in (belly RW, FF, CRW, tunnel, etc). And since it takes a minimum of 500 jumps to be an instructor (and 3 years for tandem masters), I pose the following question:
How would you recommend that someone invest those 500 jumps and 3 years before being eligible to become an instructor?

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[tetra316 0]

fyi - There are no jump number requirements for an AFF instructor. Only 6 hours free fall time (about 360 jumps min).

[tombuch 0]

If your goal is to become an instructor, I’d suggest focusing on RW for a while to develop a really strong flat flying base. Team RW is ideal because it instills discipline and focused performance, and it’s fun. Then after a couple of hundred jumps branch out into just a bit of freefly to add versatility.

Find an instructor or two who will mentor you. That guidance will help you get integrated into the teaching mindset, and will help guide you as you build skills and experience. Many instructors will be happy to support you even if you have just a few dozen jumps, as long as you are willing to help them out with grunt work around the school (ie: packing, greeting students, paperwork, manifesting at small DZ’s).

When you feel you are ready, add a Coach rating to get your feet wet in the instructional environment. Part of that is assisting established instructors so you get a solid handle on real-world modeling, and part of it is actual hands on teaching with a focus on event management.

Along the way you could try to get your riggers ticket. Although that isn’t strictly speaking an instructional necessity, it does help to understand the equipment, and the rating will help you move along the DZ ladder even before you qualify as an instructor. You don’t need any jumps to be a rigger, but in the sport world I’d suggest 50 as a minimum, plus you will want to have a close learning relationship with an established rigger. Getting that rating is a good way to stay focused on skydiving through the winter.

For the most part stick close to home and really focus on your home DZ, but do some traveling too. It really helps to know how your DZ and local instructors stack up to the competition, and how the whole industry fits together. Plus, traveling to other DZ’s is fun.

Someplace between 400 and 600 jumps you should be ready for the AFF rating, and at some point around 500 jumps (and three years in the sport if you live in the U.S.) the tandem rating. Be cautious of the tandem rating because it can really suck you into the “hauling meat” mindset, even if you swear it never will. AFF doesn’t pay real well, but it is a kick-ass good time.

So that’s my suggested progression. Build yourself a checklist and a two year plan, and enjoy the ride. I’ll quickly add that you should avoid getting too serious. Skydiving is supposed to be fun, so along the way make sure you are having a blast!

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

[steveorino 7]

I started filming tandems around 300 jumps -- did that and coach until 1000 jumps. Got my TI then Did another 500 jumps and got my AFFI at 1500 jumps. Worked for me.

steveOrino

[feuergnom 22]

as a side note: select your course directors/teachers carefully. try to learn from the best, even if their classes are the hardest to pass. shopping for answers is encouraged and once you run into a teacher of inferior qualities you'll know what i am talking about. luckily they are the minority, but they exist.

as for the best path on a more psychological/philosophical level: never forget that you are the one whose influence forms the "next generation" of skydivers. with that in mind, your path should be clear

@tombuch:

Quote

Skydiving is supposed to be fun, so along the way make sure you are having a blast!

what you said

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[ufk22 32]

You're already a coach.
Decide what raing you want and focus on coach jumps in that area(I know, doesn't work for tandems).
Doing great RW with people who are good at it will make you a great RW flyer, but jumping with students and low timers will give you a different kind of skills that you need for teaching.
You'll never get the chance to side-slide 100 yards, drop or gain 25' in altitude and dock doing "good" RW.
You'll never learn to recognise what the problems are jumping with people that fly well.
And most importantly, learn to take a deep breath and exhale slowly before debriefing someone that has just scared you to death.

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[Rover 9]

Tought you needed 500 jumps before you can jump with a tamdem in the US...

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[steveorino 7]

Quote

Tought you needed 500 jumps before you can jump with a tamdem in the US...

That is "some" manufacturer's recommendations. Not sure that was even in place back then as when I earned my D it was 200 jump.

steveOrino

[ozzy13 0]

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Tought you needed 500 jumps before you can jump with a tamdem in the US...

Candidates may earn the USPA Tandem Instructor rating
who have met all the following requirements:
a. reached the age of 18 years
b. holds or has held any USPA instructional rating
c. earned a USPA D license or the FAI equivalent
d. logged 500 jumps on a ram-air canopy
e. three years in the sport
f. presented a current FAA Class 3 Medical
Certificate or the equivalent
(1) USPA will issue a Tandem Instructor rating,
even if the medical certificate will expire prior
to the expiration date of the rating.
(2) Each USPA Tandem Instructor is responsible
to keep his or her medical certificate current.
g. demonstrated five practice tandem cutaways
wearing tandem equipment and with a simulated
student in the student harness in the presence of a
USPA Tandem Instructor or Tandem Instructor
Examiner.
h. completed the USPA Tandem Instructor
Proficiency Card
i. satisfactorily completed a USPA Tandem Instructor
Rating Course, registered with USPA headquarters
and including training for at least one
manufacturer’s brand model (type) of tandem
jumping equipment

Never give the gates up and always trust your rears!

[riggerrob 558]

Pre-levels depend upon how desperate the DZO is for vidiots.

[riggerrob 558]

First of all, don't give up your day-time job with the Marine Corps because it pays way better than professional skydiving. Think about medical, dental and retirement benefits.

Secondly, look at the syllabus for Skydiving Colleges in New Zealand. That country is desperately short of tandem instructors , so they have developed college-level programs that take youngsters from sweeping up, to driving the bus, to manifesting, to packing, to editing videos, to dressing students, to escorting students to the airplane, to doing outside video, to coaching, to tandem instructor, to doing tandem with hand-cam and eventually to AFF Instructor.
It is a long course, but you can acquire the same skills on your local DZ. Just focus on one skill per year until you have accumulated them all, along with a trailer, camera helmet and three or more rigs. About that time, your Marine Corps pension will kick in and you can "live the dream!"

[Lok 0]

Nice post, nice advice!!!

I got first my coach rating, then senior rigger, now
I am doing camera, packing tandems in my local small
weekend aeroclub.....hope one day I'll try for my AFF rating, beacause I really like to help new people who want
to skydive.

Skydiving is a dream!

[PhreeZone 15]

The requirement to have 500 jumps before videoing a tandem has been in place since the beginning of drogue fall tandems. Some DZ's overlook it if they need video flyers more then they want to follow the manufacture requirements.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[fencebuster 7]

I received my AFFI rating last week at Orange, VA.

I worked to get the Coach rating as soon as possible after I completed the A license because I love jumping with students and new skydivers. Since I becme a Coach, I spend alot of time jumping with students and new A license holders. That really helped me because fall rate was my weak point. I did some RW to work on slot flying, but mostly, I would do 2 way or 3 ways with new A license holders and work on simple stuff, being careful about my fall rate adjustments (I am a big guy and slow fall is not my forte) and trying to fly a good close position.

At about 5 hours of free fall, I bought the IRM and started looking at the AFFI rating requirements and practicing the skills required to get the rating. I did alot of fall rate jumps with AFFIs with large ranges of fall rate, bought a better suit with more drag and then practiced some more.

I bought alot of slots to get the instructors to jump with me, but I learned a heck of alot. I also invested in taking vidiots along when they were available. I was fortunate that I had a group of great instructors who were willing to help me learn, practice and critique me.

I received my AFFI rating with 435 jumps and look forward to continuing to Coach and instruct new jumpers.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[Gato 0]

Here's how I'm going about it:

A-license last October @ 32 jumps (After 2 yrs. around the DZ!)

Sr. Rigger's ticket this past January

B-license next week!

Coach rating sometime in August or September, hopefully.

After that, I'd like to try the wingsuit, once I'm into the 200's - provided I'm ready for it. Then I'll most likely go after an SLI rating. Who knows?

T.I.N.S.

[WatchYourStep 0]

Quote

The requirement to have 500 jumps before videoing a tandem has been in place since the beginning of drogue fall tandems. Some DZ's overlook it if they need video flyers more then they want to follow the manufacture requirements.

Eric-

Are you sure? I know UPT has a jump number but Strong does not have a required jump number to jump with tandems. At least that was the case last year when I called Tom at Strong for clarification... Just curious if you've read (and if so can reference) Strong's requirement...

Thanks

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."