Increase # of returning students

[Rogersmoke 0]

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BUT will it make you come back to skydiving or did that extra effort make you feel like you wanted to go back to that dropzone because you felt like they gave the extra effort
WHAT has a dropzone done for you to make you want to come back outside of risking their life's for your money cause it sure was not for you....

Well, for starters they took me as a student after another DZ told me to hit the road after they had passed me on AFF A and B jumps, because I got motion sick.

The owner, staff, and all involved function more like a bunch of friends than a business and customers.

Going for the 5 items......
Yes someone showed me about packing without me asking.

Those that know I have a problem with motion sickness often ask me how I am doing. Maybe it is concern for their car or hair but they seem to care.

It don't matter if you are jumping or not, everyone is right in the middle of everything.

Great concern about safety and following the FAA rules to the letter.

Just Saturday all students were pulled from a load (after we were on the plane) because the winds were 7 gusting to 14 and the DZO thought "better not".

People drive pass one DZ and three hours down the road to get there.

If I said more you would,
1. think I was lying
2. think I owned a share of the business
3. flock to the place and fill up the loads

[Rogersmoke 0]

3. flock to the place and fill up the loads

Dan sounds like you found your home DZ. A place like that I would flock to.
Asked if I could just watch a parachute being packed said that will come later.
How do you get your a license when you never packed a chute?

Answer pay 85 bucks for your next level
ask again when your signed off?
Most people pay packers anyway

[Krip 2]

Roger

Listen up.

Stop your whineing and start traveling.

A DZ isn't going to change to make you happy they don't have to, You have to change DZ's. Lots of fun jumpers do it.
Start traveling and see what the skydive scene is really like. If you can't find something you like quit.

R.

[Rogersmoke 0]

lost my cool just reality bites , No more whining on here

[shropshire 0]

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$200 bucks ??? try $399 in Australia I conceed some DZs will give you a second on the same day ONLY for $210 (which they say is below cost price)

Am I missing something 400$-Aus. is about $250 US isn't it? ... so about the same or did I miss something?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Squeak 17]

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$200 bucks ??? try $399 in Australia I conceed some DZs will give you a second on the same day ONLY for $210 (which they say is below cost price)

Am I missing something 400$-Aus. is about $250 US isn't it? ... so about the same or did I miss something?

yes the exchange rate is reversed now, the US dollar sucks donkey dick.
We are getting $1.05USD for $1AUD so $400AUD is about $415USD

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[shropshire 0]

whoops

Hey how y'doing lad?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[gregpso 1]

Some one supporting me thats one in a row!!

Look 2 former drop zones (one turbine and another cessna dz) I jumped at had quite a few friendlies.. very safety conscious no doubt. But there was the attitude that Rogersmoke said as well. I stand by the 5 things I said if DZs want return business.

re skyhooks that as a student I asked about.. one bloke of SS (who had a quite a few jumps) said " greg what possible benefit would a skyhook be to a student.

I mean your kidding.. 1 quicker reserve deployment if student fucks up and pulls cutaway at 700 feet 2 Eliminates reserve pilot chute hesitation 3 No time to go unstable after cutaway is pulled/ APART FROM THAT I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING !!!

BRIDGEWATER was more like a club than a business with a lot more friendlies. (way to go RALPH and crew)

Now to the British bloke NO $400 australian is not worth US $250.. it may surprise you but our convict dollar (the mighty Aussie) dollar is $1.04 for every USA dollar thats $416 US and it has been $1.09 this year. I notice the British economy is kicking ass NOT !! (only joking)

I am not leaving now you would missh me too much

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[Squeak 17]

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omy is kicking ass NOT !! (only joking)

I am not leaving now you would missh me too much

So you piss all over Skysurfer then ask for yourself to be "Banned"
Now you are going to start up over here, well at least you'll have company like Shah.


Out of curiosity Greg D, why are you hanging around a Skydiving forum when you dont sky dive and never really made a go of doing so?

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[hcsvader 1]

at least shah mans up and jumps

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[shropshire 0]

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at least shah mans up and jumps

and is jolly funny .... not always intentionally - but still.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[hcsvader 1]

when looking for a dropzone to jump at or do aff in Australian its a good idea to keep in mind that there is a very strong tourism industry here and dropzones and their staff can make alto of money doing nothing but tandem jumps. there are some dropzones that do nothing but tandem and offer no aff. there are some dropzones that would allow sport jumpers and offer aff but its not the major money maker. you can get thru your aff at these dzs and have fun as a sport jumper. as a student you may feel cast aside, having to book your student jumps and attend packing class on a Tuesday night in the city.
then there are smaller dzs and clubs. in Victoria euroa and command

os would be an example of both. Euroa is a smaller dz[url] about a half hour past nagambie. few tandem and students. if you go there to learn your going to have the full attention of a couple of instructors who are dedicated to you throughout your training. they will teach you to pack, drink beer with you and answer your stupid student questions
do you know why? because you and maybe 2 other people there are the only students. but you want to jump at the big dz with the shiney plane.
commandos is a club dz in Victoria that really focuses on its students. I've heard they limit the number of tandems so they can keep slots open for students and fun jumpers.

your the one that spent $5000 doing multiple tandems believing what you've been told. you know a fool and his money are soon parted.

for the other students reading this, if you want to get full on attention and have alot of fun learning to jump find he small cessna dz that no one recommends. it will be worth it. when you have people who make their living as skydiving instructors they only get paid for getting on the plane. find the people doing it with their free time on the weekends who actually care if your having fun.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Joellercoaster 6]

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if you want to get full on attention and have alot of fun learning to jump find he small cessna dz that no one recommends.

This is, amazingly, pretty good advice!

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[SivaGanesha 2]

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A DZ isn't going to change to make you happy they don't have to, You have to change DZ's. Lots of fun jumpers do it.

Just to remind everyone of the context here:

The original question in this thread was how can DZ's change to increase the number of students who stick with the sport after completing various stages of their training.

Rogersmoke made some suggestions based on his own experiences. His experiences may not be everyone's experiences but based on what I've read on here from others, I don't think Rogersmoke is the first young skydiver to ever have an experience like this where he has trouble fitting in after getting off student status.

The response to Rogersmoke was that it is totally unrealistic for the DZ to change and he is the one who has to change.

Can't anyone else see what I can see--that if the goal truly is to increase the number of students who stick with the sport, then neither the DZ (if Rogersmoke's story is true which I cannot verify) nor the community on here are being especially helpful?

If the DZ's goal truly is to increase the number of returning students (the stated subject of this thread) then just possibly it is indeed the DZ that needs to change.

Now if the sport wants to treat all new skydivers (except, perhaps, the young attractive females) as tourists who aren't fully welcomed until they go through some extended rites of passage, then certainly it is the right of the sport and the DZ to act that way. The newbie is indeed new and not in a position to decide how the sport or the DZ is run. But understand that if the sport/DZ chooses to act that way, then the number of students who want to become active skydivers is likely to be small and isn't likely to increase much.

Edited to add: Actually rereading this thread I guess the original question was how to convince students to become licensed jumpers. But if students become licensed and then quit shortly thereafter because they are ignored and aren't being challenged anymore, that doesn't seem like an optimal outcome to me.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[gregpso 1]

Thants right I have not jumped before. hang on 66 times.

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[gregpso 1]

Back to thread

How about drop zones contact thier students by mail or email asking them

1. Would you like to come back for more.. we can help.

2. Please tell us via email etc what your experience with us was like... how could we do better

A bit of market research etc . like other businesses do !!

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[gregpso 1]

Hm Euroa not part of the APF bit of an outcast is the owner.. I AM SO THERE SOON !!!!!!!

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[gregpso 1]

your the one that spent $5000 doing multiple tandems believing what you've been told. you know a fool and his money are soon parted.

For once I have not got an answer for that one. So I have to man up what do the woman do womanup !!

Why do I hang around skydive forums ? I enjoy it and the to and fro debates. And although not a devotee like you I actually like the sport/industry

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[hcsvader 1]

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Hm Euroa not part of the APF bit of an outcast is the owner.. I AM SO THERE SOON !!!!!!!

bet everyone at nagambie told you they were devil worshipers haha.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[gregpso 1]

I never heard any one mention Euroa I was quite surprised there was a large DZ there.

I contacted the owner and he said Come on down !! (or up)

Quote " greg the APF are not the only people licensed by CASSA to operate skydiving I wish the APF would stop saying they are!!! "

I am going to have a look soon. (maybe it ain "t over after all)

Would like to know why he had a falling out with the APF.

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[hcsvader 1]

go check it out dude. good people there.
no one ever said he had a falling out with the apf. the people that started the ASA were free to do so, no reason they couldn't start their own association under casa.
there are actually a few ASA dropzones in Australia and i know a couple APF dzos who have looked into joining.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[gregpso 1]

Cheers Hscvader will do

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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or maybe things are just more expensive here? min wage is around $20/hr right?
tandem here cost around 400 and sport jumps around 40.

I see you haven't been home lately.

[Squeak 17]

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go check it out dude. good people there.
no one ever said he had a falling out with the apf. the people that started the ASA were free to do so, no reason they couldn't start their own association under casa.
there are actually a few ASA dropzones in Australia and i know a couple APF dzos who have looked into joining.

Something to consider if you want to travel.
Is the ASA affiliated with the FAI, if not you might have issues in other FAI affiliated DZs in other countries. (except Lodi)

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Hellis 0]

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re skyhooks that as a student I asked about.. one bloke of SS (who had a quite a few jumps) said " greg what possible benefit would a skyhook be to a student.

I mean your kidding.. 1 quicker reserve deployment if student fucks up and pulls cutaway at 700 feet 2 Eliminates reserve pilot chute hesitation 3 No time to go unstable after cutaway is pulled/ APART FROM THAT I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING !!!

To some degree I must agree with this jumper.
If we are talking about AFF students there should not be any cases were a Skyhook is required for the save.
A AFF student should be sadled at 3500-4000 feet, and having a malfunction and riding it down to less than 1000 feet before cuting away is not ok.
Even if the case is that you cut away a low speed malfunction at 3000 feet without an RSL, you still have about 25 seconds untill the AAD fires and ~30 till impact.
And if students are trained to act slower....

However, that was in case of AFF.
Static line students are usually sadled lower and have higher risk of beeing unstable.


But if you buy a new student rig the extra cost of ~$250 (?) for the Skyhook is in my opinion worth it as new jumpers sometimes borrow/rent student gear before they buy their own.