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riggerrob

Catching tandems

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Tandem instructors only please:

When winds exceed 15 knots and you want to avoid painful dragging after landing, do you:

1 - meet 1 ground crew member at the target, who snatches the toggle out of the student's hand and run up wind. Doing this slowly just prolongs the misery.

2 - meet 2 or more ground crew at the target

3 - collapse the canopy yourself with rear risers

4 - collapse the canopy yourself using both steering lines. This technique works best if students help you flare and continue holding steering toggles down while you reach up and pull an extra yard (metre) of steering line.

5 - deflate the canopy yourself by pulling 1 steering line hand-over-hand

6 - use another technique, please share with the rest of us?

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I usually have a couple shaggers around, but if I have to do it myself, I have the student sit for landing, as we touch down I drop the toggles, unsnap the student, turn 180, and collapse the canopy with rear risers, pretty much in one smooth motion.
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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I have used all the methods you show, but prefer at least one person on the ground to grab the toggle I hand them and run quickly up wind with it.

If I am not going to be met at the ground (for what ever reason) I will have the student sit down with me (we will land standing but not stay standing we will sit righ away) to avoid being the recipients of a "Pile Driver" and begin to collapse the canopy myself.

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

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I've cathed a ton of tandems this summer.. We are at least 2 people on each tandem. What i do is i continously run along and as soon as im able to i grab the line on my side above the toggle.. I grab it before the tandem has touched the ground to make sure i dont miss it.

Sorry im not a TI, just wanted to share!

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Grabbing the toggle before the tandem pair has touched the ground is a very bad idea. Always allow the tandem instructor to land before grabbing anything.



Ok.. i haven't really had any bad experiences with it... Its such a loose grip it shouldn't cause any unwanted input.. But im not a TI so i won't say that for sure.. But on a couple of occasions i have fumled for the toggle, after waiting for the pair to touch down and come to a complete halt..

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I usually have a couple shaggers around, but if I have to do it myself, I have the student sit for landing, as we touch down I drop the toggles, unsnap the student, turn 180, and collapse the canopy with rear risers, pretty much in one smooth motion.



+1 that works best.
i also try to run back with a canopy and make sure it falls on its tail pushing all the air out. saves a minute or two on folding the canopy or dragging it full of air to a hangar in high winds.
it works great untill you are coming straight down or backing up, then you need catchers.

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We'll generally use one guy even if two are there, the second guy will get the next tandem. If I land with no catcher, I'll reel in one toggle, generally just one line. I had a steering line burn through my hand the other day as a gust came up.

It's funny to me when someone catches who doesn't really get it. I've had people take the toggle out of my hand, and just stand there letting me drag away from them to collapse the canopy.

Also funny to watch people who don't know me well enough, I sometimes S turn a little to keep from over flying, or come in off heading and correct to the catcher. Some people are running back and forth, I'll yell "Stay still!" Then if/when I know I'm going to be short "Run!"
Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

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Just kind of a funny related story...

Some years back Bob Celaya called me and asked if I could come out to Cal City to do a few tandems on a weekday when none of his regular instructors were available. I wasn't normally jumping out there at the time, but I could get the day off so I did. When I showed up he had four young, healthy guys there that wanted to jump. If I remember correctly, they were roadies for the band Limp Biscuit. Bob had some rigging to do, so he left me to it while Judy waivered them in. If you know Cal City, you know it can get pretty windy out there.

Anyways, I trained them up and off I went in the 206 with the first guy. I had the nagging feeling that I had forgotten something. But I had the gear on correctly, got the guy hooked up, and out we went. After opening, I did my best to get into the target, but we were backing up and were going to be just a bit short. I looked down to see poor Judy running her heart out to get to us while the other 3 just stood there watching. That was it! I had forgotten to train the other guys how to shag us! She made it ok, but needless to say she had help for the other three. Oh well...

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