Summary of Refresher Course

[Di0 1]

Hello Everybody!
New Coach here (ratings for less than a year or so) and this time of the year I've been really busy giving people the so called Refresher Courses. I wanted to share what I usually go through with a Refresher, hoping to get some feedback as in stuff I might be missing and/or overlooking. I've seen a couple of AFFIs at my DZ give refreshers last year and I based mines on those, I tried to balance the need to tackle the most important or dangerous aspects that are more easily forgotten with the fact that a refresher is not a FJC and shouldn't be meant as such: it shouldn't be actual training or teaching but more making sure you have everything you already knew ready and clear on top of your mind when you get back in the air. Needless to say, this is for short layoff, people that just recently went out of currency but doesn't work for re-training, long lay offs etc for which you need an AFFI.

I generally start by asking the guy how many jumps he has, and when was his last jump. Also, if he has been in an hanging harness recently.

Generally speaking the ground work goes like this:

SUMMARY:
- airplane emergencies and procedures
- 3 frefall priorities
- discussion about frefall emergencies
--- total scenarios
--- partial scenarios
--- two out scenarios
* if he hasn't done the hanging harness, I take him to the hanging harness at this point
- ask about decision altitudes, how to pick and off field landing and when.
- 3 landing priorities
- discussion of common landing obstacles
--- trees
--- water
--- buildings
--- power lines

Usual stuff follows: mock up the exit, walk the jump a couple of times, discuss current landing pattern, sit through the first gear check together, whether it's rental or not, and then it's on from there.
Then as for the jump, I usually let the guy pick the type of exit and if there is something he wants to work on, also depending on how many things we want to do depending on his experience, but generally speaking if I see controlled motions, stopping turns, if I don't feel he's about to take me out at any point, and I see a straight track into a stable, clean deployment at the right altitude, that's good enough for me regardless of the maneuvers we decided or were able to do.

Any input?
Beside the safety aspect: I am surprised about how many people forget the "priorities" even after short lay offs (I suspect mainly because they don't repeat them to themselves once they are done with the "classes") and are confused by them, but also I know these refreshers are expensive so I want to give back to people as much as I can...

Feedback? Important stuff I am missing? Things you wouldn't do in a refresher? Etc. etc.?

So far it's been pretty good and I am very happy with the refreshers I've done and how the jump went, very little work required on my side in the air except for one or two cases, and I am extremely grateful that the DZ lets me work so much with other jumpers so if there is anything I can improve on, I want to find out!! :) :)

Thank you guys!

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Pretty good outline of what needs to be refreshed. I also include just the usual opening flow of line twists, hung up slider, and closed end cells.

One technique I use in doing refresher training is to ask the student to "tell me about obstacle landings" or "show me what you do after you deploy". This lets them actively demonstrate, always a better refresher than passively listening. You can observe and correct, filling in any knowledge gaps, without boring them with the whole lesson plan they may already know. Saves a lot of time.

What are the 3 Freefall Priorities? I'm unfamiliar with that phrase.

[tred 0]

1.pull
2.pull at correct altitude
3.pull stable

??

my guess

[JohnMitchell 14]

tred

1.pull
2.pull at correct altitude
3.pull stable

??

Possibly. I've never really liked that convoluted statement. I've always said "When it's time to pull, PULL!" Then I might add "It would be nice to be stable, but it's more important to pull."

BTW, that advice goes double for reserve ripcords. ..

[Di0 1]

JohnMitchell

Pretty good outline of what needs to be refreshed. I also include just the usual opening flow of line twists, hung up slider, and closed end cells.

One technique I use in doing refresher training is to ask the student to "tell me about obstacle landings" or "show me what you do after you deploy". This lets them actively demonstrate, always a better refresher than passively listening. You can observe and correct, filling in any knowledge gaps, without boring them with the whole lesson plan they may already know. Saves a lot of time.

What are the 3 Freefall Priorities? I'm unfamiliar with that phrase.

Ah-ha, John! Thanks for the feedback, I'll add the problems that aren't immediate emergencies, so to speak. And I'll try to make my refreshed more interactive, great points, thank you.
As for the 3 Freefall priorities, yes, tred is right: I was referring to:
- PULL
- pull at right altitude
- pull at right altitude and stable

I know they might not be the best way of wording them but that's how they are written in the SIM and how they were taught to me, so I try not to modify important things like priorities.
http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section4/CategoryC/tabid/239/Default.aspx
If I see that the guy is confused, I usually elaborate by saying "basically it means that if you loose altitute awareness for any reason, you should pull, it means that if you're unstable and blow past your deployment altitude, you should pull. Altitude is more important than stability".
But if the guy picks on the wording of that 3 priorities that way, I am happy because that's "The Standard". Considering my short experience, I think I should change the standards the least possible and only if they are not clear right away to the student, not simply because "I don't like them". If you know what I mean...
;)

I also received a feedback in my PM box to make sure I check the importance of the "checks of 3s", when and why they need to be done. Something I do of course, but I might not verbally stress how important they are. That's also good to note. :)

Thanks, guys!
I really appreciate the feedback!

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[pchapman 261]

Re: the 3 freefall pull priorities

Di0

I know they might not be the best way of wording them but that's how they are written in the SIM

Ugh, I had forgotten that they're actually in there. I personally still find them horribly confusing. But at least you try to make the best of it and explain.

[Di0 1]

Eheh, I honestly don't think they are *that* bad, they do convey the message, especially when you start jumping, they stuck in my head quite well! :)
And as long as one takes the extra time to make sure the "right" meaning is conveyed, I don't see a problem with them.
As said, I firmly believe it's not my job to rephrase them, but to make sure they are understood.

Then I generally don't care too much in a refresher, as long as "pull, altitude and stability" are all mentioned in the right order.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[sammielu 3]

Malfunction practice (where you are checking for proper, timely response) is more practical than a discussion. I don't care what the malfunction is called, or if they can analyze the malfunction pictures (from PD) - I want to see them take appropriate, immediate action to either: execute emergency procedures (no canopy in sight, including a bag lock), correctly address line twists, or start a controlability check. For longer absences, this is done in a hanging harness. For every review, it is physical training with a rig on and handles to locate, grab, etc.

Decision altitude, deployment altitude, breakoff altitude (and why for each). Seat belt regulations as applicable, aircraft emergencies (canopy open in plane, when to stay with the plane or exit, which canopy to exit on, when, how to perform, and what to do next). Malfunctions as stated above (including injured arm scenarios, toggle fires, and hard pulls or missing deployment handle). Two outs including what can cause them, how to prevent them, and what to expect with the two actual canopies in the container they will be jumping. Wind chart use and exit separation. Landing priorities (including a plf demonstration), landing pattern, canopy separation. Obstacle landings, including local obstacles in/around the landing area. Landing out procedures.

If they took the time to prepare, this takes 30 min (Same for students and licensed jumpers). If theyre slower to know the answers or react to simulated emergencies, 60, 90 min or more. The USPA category quizzes are available online and are a prerequisite to any currency work I will do (it can be a quick 30 min if you know your stuff and a huge waste of my time if you don't bother to study on your own).

[JohnMitchell 14]

pchapman

Re: the 3 freefall pull priorities

***
I know they might not be the best way of wording them but that's how they are written in the SIM

Ugh, I had forgotten that they're actually in there. I personally still find them horribly confusing. But at least you try to make the best of it and explain.

I was teaching skydiving long before they wrote the SIM. I'll keep saying it my way. . .

Man, there I go. I'm a f-ing dinosaur.

[mark 102]

Di0

Eheh, I honestly don't think they are *that* bad, they do convey the message, especially when you start jumping, they stuck in my head quite well! :).

They really are that bad. Truly awful and dangerous. They associate "pull" and "stability." Once you teach that "pull" and "stable" are associated, no amount of explaining will unassociate them. In fact, the more you explain, the worse it will get. A student unstable at pull time will remember only that "pull" and "stable" are things that are both supposed to happen right now. Trying to figure out which is more important means they will more likely work on getting face to earth and/or stopping the spin, because being face to earth and stable is how they have rehearsed and rehearsed their freefall ending.

Why not simply: "If you are at or below pull altitude, pull." Why would you need to say more than that?

Mark

[mik 2]

mark

***Eheh, I honestly don't think they are *that* bad, they do convey the message, especially when you start jumping, they stuck in my head quite well! :).

They really are that bad. Truly awful and dangerous. They associate "pull" and "stability." Once you teach that "pull" and "stable" are associated, no amount of explaining will unassociate them. In fact, the more you explain, the worse it will get. A student unstable at pull time will remember only that "pull" and "stable" are things that are both supposed to happen right now. Trying to figure out which is more important means they will more likely work on getting face to earth and/or stopping the spin, because being face to earth and stable is how they have rehearsed and rehearsed their freefall ending.

Why not simply: "If you are at or below pull altitude, pull." Why would you need to say more than that?

Mark

Totally agree. I suspect that many people who have been skydiving for any length of time are aware of fatalities caused by people who spent the rest of their life trying to get stable, and then pulling too low to save themselves.

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I'm NOT totally useless... I can be used as a bad example