slotperfect

CLICKY!

I don't teach a PLF to tandem students. I teach them to keep their legs up during landing until I tell them otherwise. In the scenario you presented, I make sure their legs are up (lifting them with my feet if necessary), make sure I have maximum flare input before touchdown, and (like Dave says) take the hit myself. If the student does anything last minute that would make me fall on top of them, I roll to the right side, so we simply fall down on that side together. Great post! Arrive Safely John

Bingo. Tandems are a huge responsiblity, not just because you are responsible for two lives, but because of the potential liability. Be trained, be current, let them READ and sign the waiver where they won't be distracted, watch the video, and brief them as the FAA says to. Protect your sport, your DZ, your rig manufacturer, and yourself. I stay current, normally by doing tandems within the currency period prescribed by the manufacturer, but on the rare occasion my currency lapses, I take up an experienced jumper. Arrive Safely John

Awesome pic! Now you see why I'm not in it for the money. Arrive Safely John

Congrats and welcome! Say hi to my pal Jake Thompson at Elsinore for me! Blue Skies, Arrive Safely John

Maya! Welcome (back?!?!) to the forums! Buddy Blue is indeed a great guy. His son Chuck is our very own SkymonkeyONE in the forums. He is rather (in)famous in these parts. C ya! Arrive Safely John

Welcome, Juice! Post your request for meeting jumpers from Abbotsford in the "Places To Jump" forum. Enjoy your new home and the forums! Arrive Safely John

Welcome, Deedy. Yes indeedy this is a great place to get your virtual skydiving fix. Enjoy! Arrive Safely John

Welcome to our great sport and to these forums! Who were your instructors at Z-Hills? I have a friend there that does AFF regularly. Good luck with the rest of your training! Arrive Safely John

My poll answer was not there, but here's my history with my folks. They came to see me jump many years ago at Raeford - watched a couple of jumps. A couple of years later I was narrating an air show at Pope AFB, and my folks were in the stands. I exited alone, SOP for the Golden Knights, and did my thing. After the show, my Dad said that they had watched me jump before - no big deal. This time, seeing my body hurtling at the ground at 120 mph with no other skydivers in the air as reference, he was a little spooked. My Mom will get a first-hand experience this year . . . she's coming over to make a tandem jump with me.

Have your Rigger, or RWS itself, determine whether or not the harness can be resized (main lift web or laterals) to accomodate your body. This is a MUCH less expensive alternative to buying a new rig. If the tightness comes from the yoke being too small, the new rig is the way to go. If you choose to replace your Raven reserve, find a used one with zero jumps. It will save you some cashola. Use the Vector 3 Sizing Chart to determine which size PD Reserve you need for your container. Arrive Safely John

If it were me, I would custom order one that fits me perfectly and wait for it to be made. A custom fit rig is the best way to go. Arrive Safely John

Ouch! A camera flyer's nightmare - neck injury! Rest easy and heal quickly, brother. At least you'll have some time to get caught up on your CHiPs reruns! Arrive Safely John

Great resource . . . thanks! Arrive Safely John

I am shooting for Friday. I will drive up early and leave after dark. My bride and I are going to Mexico on vacation the following day. Arrive Safely John

US Army Parachute Team Skydiving scholarship recipient 1991 Happy to be here Arrive Safely John

Buy one. You'll wear it again, and you'll look mahvelous in it because it fits perfectly! Arrive Safely John

Welcome, Raquel! You are off to a great start. It sounds like you had some great Instructors. Good luck finding gear. See you around the forums! Arrive Safely John

Welcome, John! To the sport and to the forums, that is! Out of curiosity, who was your aerobatic instructor? Good lucj in your training - don't wait too long! Arrive Safely John

I like the Factory Diver. Simple, less moving parts. I don't need a flip up visor - on the rare occasion it fogs up on me under canopy, I just flip it back on my head. It has never fogged up on me in freefall. Arrive Safely John

That was a loooong time ago! I would say I had "comfort" with all of that at about 15 jumps or so. Bear in mind that I was wind tunnel trained before I made my first jump. Arrive Safely John

I have had many great moments experiencing students' reactions . . . The most famous: "Thanks so much for this . . . I will remember this for the rest of my life!" The most infamous: "F*#@!" (Just before some under canopy projectile vomiting - she felt it coming!) Arrive Safely John

Welcome, Eric! Good luck finding a main . . . in the meantime, have your Rigger give your current main a once-over to make sure your jumping safely! When you get your A License, come on down and visit us at Raeford! Arrive Safely John

Hi Steve . . . welcome to the forums! I am a military jumper as well, and started out that way. I transitioned to "civilian" or "sport" skydiving at about 50 jumps. I have always been a Relative Worker, and currently do mostly tandems and AFF on the sport side. I love big ways and will jump at the chance to do more. I would recommend that you find an experienced and talented individual in each discipline you are interested in, and pick his brain about the relative work experience and survival skills you need to move into a chosen discipline. Our very own Chuck Blue (SkymonkeyONE) is a Birdman Instructor and was the first person jumping a board in these parts back in the day. PM him or throw a post in the General Skydiving Forum. Arrive Safely John

Welcome, Steve! Nice website! Glad to have you here in the forums! Arrive Safely John