Ian Drennan made me angry for all the right reasons

[McDuck 0]

Angry at myself, that is.

I had the distinct privilege of attending Ian's canopy control workshop this past weekend, and in so doing found that I am part of the problem. Not because he said so, but because I said so. When the first question of a workshop of this nature is one you should have a definitive and positive answer to, and you find yourself muttering your answer under your breath so the instructor can't hear your answer over the more positive responses, you know you've got some extensive work to do.

"How many of you have a plan for landing that you stick to for every landing? One where you know the altitudes of each point in your pattern?" If most of the run-of-the-mill jumpers who haven't taken a canopy control course or workshop of any kind would be honest with themselves, as I forced myself to be, the answer to that question would probably be, "I have a plan to land somewhere on the dropzone as safely as possible." Beyond that, it seems to be more about getting there than how to get there the same way each time and know where you started and ended each point along the way. Ian's course forced me to re-evaluate my landing pattern, not only as it pertains to "high performance" landings, but also properly stacking the pattern and ensuring I fly as predictably as possible for my own benefit and the benefit of other pilots in the pattern. Sure, I had to go back to basics and change the way I approached the landing area and landed, but better to drop those bad habits now and do things right than to keep building on the skills that WILL cause a problem at some point in the future.

Going back to straight-in, double-fronts landings was, initially, very frustrating and seemingly unrewarding. However, as Ian debriefed each jump and showed me how I was finally building a consistent pattern that I could then work to perfect, my angst slipped away and I understood that I was on the right track. I won't lie, it was easy to start thinking that I would be better off going back to my formerly slipshod and unpredictable "pattern" where I was having more fun, but I won't do that now. Having seen that I CAN do things the right way, picking a pattern, knowing what altitudes I need to be at along each point in the pattern and making slight adjustments as necessary, is one of the most important things I learned from Ian's workshop.

If you read this, or any other post or article similar to this, and think you don't need to take a canopy control course or workshop, ask someone at your DZ to start filming your pattern and landings for the next three weekends or so and just fly the way you always do. Don't change anything for the purposes of having someone evaluate you the way you think an experienced and safe canopy pilot would want to see you fly. Fly the way you usually do. Then take the footage to someone like Ian at your dropzone and have them evaluate your pattern and landings. One of the saddest things I heard all weekend at the dz was when an old-time jumper asked what the group of us was doing with Ian. When he was informed that we were in a canopy control course, he promptly scoffed at our efforts and stated that "I don't need anything like that." Believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth...for ANY of us.

If you think you don't have an ego about your landings, ask yourself if you could go back to the basics, land outside of the areas where people can gawk at you and you have to make long walks back to the loading/packing areas. Then immediately start doing just that. Ask yourself if you can set a good example for other, newer canopy pilots by setting a predictable and safe landing pattern that anyone can mimic without worrying about hurting themselves or others.

If accolades for high-speed landings in front of the crowds at your dz (outside of professional swoop competitions) is why you do what you do on approaches and landings, ask yourself how proud everyone would be if you pounded in, if you collided with another jumper in the air or if someone with less skill and experience pounded in from not having a safe, predictable plan just like you don't have.

Finding out I had an ego about something like landing my parachute was a huge shock. I never would have guessed I had one until I worked with Ian to alter my bad habits under canopy and come up with a safe, reliable and predictable plan for my pattern and landings. It's a paradigm shift that opens your eyes to all of the pattern activity at your dz and points out the frightening fact that many people "just wing it" to get to the landing areas.

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Ian for taking the time to visit us and work with our group, myself in particular, to develop a core skill set that is going to be safer, more reliable and readily adaptable to any landing area, but also for opening our minds and eyes to the not-so-subtle ego and mindset problems that have to be identified and overcome before we can safely progress in our canopy piloting progression. We truly appreciate your time and efforts, my friend. Thank you very much for breaking down those old ego-based barriers to make us more effective canopy pilots.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Kevin,

Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad that you were all so open to learning, putting aside pre-conceptions, and recognizing that the frurstration you felt was short term
You all progressed significantly and I'm really excited to see how you continue to progress as a group, and how you spread the knowledge around to other jumpers.

Also, thank you very much to Raeford and their jumpers for the hospitality and generosity. I really enjoyed my time at the DZ and look forward to visiting you all again soon.

Blue skies!
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[jumper03 0]

Ian,

I can't say enough about how well recieved your workshop was this weekend. Lunch break of the first day people were already telling me that you were an excellent choice.

I was kind of apprehensive on what I would get out of this since it was targeted at the more advanced canopy pilots, but I gleaned so much more out of this than I could have ever imagined, as did several of the other low time, swooper wanna-be's.

I came away with three very important, fundamental things at the end of the weekend-

1. Now I know how to progress from where I am at to get to where I want to go. I feel equiped to identify the milestones I have to reach and to know when I have safely reached them. As McDuck said, I'm one of the ones that has been 'winging it' for a long time.

2. I now feel a lot more confident as a coach (and hopefully AFF I to be) in teaching students canopy flight - how to plan the pattern, how to fix the pattern, the mechanics of canopy flight etc. If I can help them set their feet on the correct path right out of the gate, that should help them progress much faster but more importantly safer. This leads into

3. A lot of high-jump-number jumpers that I used to think were very good canopy pilots I now realize are really winging it as well. I watch their patterns and their techniques and applying my new knowledge, I realize they are, not bad, but under false impressions of their ability (I guess that is the best way to put it - hopefully you get the meaning of what I am trying to say). No matter how old you are, how long you have been in the sport, or how many jumps you have - you can never, NEVER stop learning.

I'm hoping that the group we had this past weekend does continue to progress and sets a good example for the students and new jumpers as well as the older jumpers.

Thanks again Ian - you are a great teacher, even if you do have a funny accent.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[McDuck 0]

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Thanks again Ian - you are a great teacher, even if you do have a funny accent.

I thought we agreed he sounds NOTHING like Leonardo DiCaprio.

And Ian will be pleased to hear that not only are we going to continue our current progression, we are taking at least one weekend a month to do exactly what we did this weekend: brief an exercise and pattern, fly it to the best of our ability, have someone film our landings and debrief them all together. We now have the mental tools to do that for ourselves, thanks to Ian's workshop.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[skyedivr 0]

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One of the saddest things I heard all weekend at the dz was when an old-time jumper asked what the group of us was doing with Ian. When he was informed that we were in a canopy control course, he promptly scoffed at our efforts and stated that "I don't need anything like that." Believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth...for ANY of us.

"One of the sadest things" is a big problem at EVERY DZ.
Alot of times the jumpers you talk about are the scariest ones to try to fly in the air with.

If everyone took a canopy course with an open mind, im sure they would be much safer.

Ian is a very good teacher.

my power is beyond your understanding.

[McDuck 0]

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If everyone took a canopy course with an open mind, im sure they would be much safer.

Ian is a very good teacher.

Not only is Ian an excellent teacher, he also knows about the psychology that leads us to be reluctant to relinquish bad habits, and knows how to reinforce the positive aspects of the learning process for each individual so that they see the reason to continue on and improve the skills he shows you that you already have. His workshop will stick with me as long as I continue to skydive, but I'll gladly take his course again.

While in the process of taking his workshop, all of us were able to observe those people who simply don't think they are doing anything wrong when they don't set a safe, predictable pattern. Teaching those people, with their minds firmly set in the stone of "I haven't had any problems in x amount of years in the sport and x amount of jumps", is an uphill battle that can only be accomplished with a concerted effort of all concerned canopy pilots. Frankly, if grounding people who won't follow a safe pattern drives them from the sport, then perhaps it's best for the sport at large.

I'm telling you, Ian's workshop really helped open my eyes.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[Spizzzarko 0]

"Ian is a very good teacher."

He does have a passion for this stuff, and wearing gay red shirts.

[sunnydee123 0]

Ian is a great teacher and I'm with Travis, everyone could benefit, if even as a refresher to some of the basics, from a canopy course.

Ian may wear gay red tight shirts but he looks HOT in them so who cares - you are just jealous G Man.

I'm looking forward to spending time with Ian in Virginia in a few weeks. Fly smart everyone!

Dreams become reality, one choice at a time...

[skinnyshrek 0]

how did you understand any of his class with that gay acent of his? He must of taken an interpreter

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[bob.dino 0]

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Not only is Ian an excellent teacher, he also knows about the psychology that leads us to be reluctant to relinquish bad habits...

...Teaching those people, with their minds firmly set in the stone of "I haven't had any problems in x amount of years in the sport and x amount of jumps", is an uphill battle that can only be accomplished with a concerted effort of all concerned canopy pilots.

That's the hard bit. If Ian can help educate the older generation of I've-had-an-AFF-rating-since-before-you-finished-high-school-punk jumpers the skies will be a lot safer. Not just because of the way they fly, but because newer jumpers look up to their AFF instructors and assume that the way they skydive reflects best practices.

That was a really long-winded way of saying "I agree with you" .

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Frankly, if grounding people who won't follow a safe pattern drives them from the sport, then perhaps it's best for the sport at large.

Pissing off a bunch of extremely experienced, extremely competent skydivers because one aspect of their jumping hasn't kept pace with the evolution in the sport would be counterproductive.

As Ian has constantly said, education is the key. Education of everyone, from the 200-jump "I'm a hotshot swooper" to the 20,000-jump "sashaying my Stiletto through the pattern and toggle-hooking it at 150ft is fine. I've been doing it for 15 years!" jumper.

[McDuck 0]

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Pissing off a bunch of extremely experienced, extremely competent skydivers because one aspect of their jumping hasn't kept pace with the evolution in the sport would be counterproductive.

I understand your point. You don't want to drive all of the experienced and competent jumpers away for failing to comply with one (important) step in their jumps. Now, when does 'not pissing someone off' cross the line into enabling them to take "one aspect of their jumping" and put themselves and others at risk? If you provide the education and make available all of the tools and knowledge to fly safe and predictable patterns that still allow for high performance landings, how many times are you willing to let someone continue to do as they please so as not to piss them off? Can you think of no instances where grounding an arrogant jumper and spreading the word might have prevented an injury/fatality?

You are exactly right, education IS the key. Getting everyone to turn it in the lock and open the door is not nearly as easy.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Guys, thank you - really, I appreciate the thoughts.

That said this shouldn't be about 'me', instead it should be about what WE as a community can do to further the art of canopy flight and education for both those who wish to take their wings to the next level as well as those who are content with their current wings.

That saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' is really appropriate here. We all should be doing whatever we can to help make the skies safer.

Each and every one of us should be doing whatever we can to learn more about canopy flight and practices...and then pass it along to anyone who'll listen
Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[bob.dino 0]

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You don't want to drive all of the experienced and competent jumpers away for failing to comply with one (important) step in their jumps. Now, when does 'not pissing someone off' cross the line into enabling them to take "one aspect of their jumping" and put themselves and others at risk?

If, last week, someone with 50 jumps and six months in the sport had told you you were being reckless in the way you fly, how would you have reacted?

Now, how do you think someone with 20,000 jumps and 20+ years would react to you telling them the same? The people I'm thinking of are of the genuine belief that they're not doing anything wrong. It's a credibility gap, and I'm still not sure of the correct way to bridge it.

[hparrish 0]

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If, last week, someone with 50 jumps and six months in the sport had told you you were being reckless in the way you fly, how would you have reacted?

Now, how do you think someone with 20,000 jumps and 20+ years would react to you telling them the same? The people I'm thinking of are of the genuine belief that they're not doing anything wrong. It's a credibility gap, and I'm still not sure of the correct way to bridge it.

Challenge them to a swooping contest........When you completely crush them in speed, distance, accuracy, and style..........remind them that you are obviosly a better canopy pilot and that even thought they have 20,000 skydives. They should shut up and yield to your knowledge. A nice Dose of humble pie always seems to work.

Of course if you get crushed, you may be eating that pie yourself.

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Now, how do you think someone with 20,000 jumps and 20+ years would react to you telling them the same? The people I'm thinking of are of the genuine belief that they're not doing anything wrong. It's a credibility gap, and I'm still not sure of the correct way to bridge it.

It has nothing to do with years or even jump numbers. Their mind is closed. They live in their bubble of mind. That is a round, nice and perfect cage.