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I don’t have a kid so it hard to say what I would do. There are some details that are missing like when did this all go down. Were you geared up waiting for the airplane or making a mad dash to make the load? Both situations would affect the course of actions I would take. I may talk to you after turning the ADD on and letting you jump to getting you off the load and have you sit down a little while, to think about what went wrong causing you to stray from your routine and what would you do different. There is a lesson from this in that a distraction like jumping new gear, rushing, or jumping from a new jump ship, for example, can lead to a disaster. Identifying that distractions exist is important, and knowing when it does can lead you to focus on your routine first, and the distractions second. It takes awareness and discipline to your routine. Memento Mori

The number of radios your school buys depends on how many student rigs you are using on a back to back load situation. We have been using the same three-watt Motorola radio’s for nine or ten years and when there is the slightest problem they are swapped out with spares and then sent out for repair. Whatever brand your school chooses make sure you know where the radios go for repair. We have seven radios mounted on student helmets sized from small to XL, three instructor radios, three spares, and two five-watt radios for ground use to cover for the in air instructors until they get on the ground. When talking to the student keep it simple its most likely their first jump so talk only when it is necessary and the most important is talk in a calm and clear voice. Some schools may identify their student by numbers others by the color of their canopy. If using the canopy color they should be unique yet easy for the student and instructor to identify. Avoid using common colors at least not on the same load. Keep your visual aids of gloves and arrows as back ups, radios are not 100% at least not until your SOP has been establish and all your instructors are on board with the new equipment Memento Mori

Bellow 2000’ land with the airplane, between 2000’ and 4000’ exit reserve, above 4000’ exit main. Memento Mori

I am suppressed that the USPA had not stated what a coach can and can not fill out on the proficiency card in the S&TA news letter by now. I have a letter from my regional director who sits on the safety and training committee who clarified this issue for me this past June. The only reason this happened is because someone asked. Try calling Jim Crouch instead at HQ at extension 314 Memento Mori

Categories A – E the method specific instructor must date or jump number and initial the proper sections on the A- license proficiency card. Once the student has been clear from instructor direct supervision and at that time forward any method specific instructor or coach may fill out the sections that the student has demonstrated the skill on the A- license proficiency card. Any currently rated instructor can conduct the check dive and A license quiz, they just need the “I”. Before the “A” stamp is made all boxes are to be check by an instructor of any method that they are all filled out and initialed by the properly rated people, as far as the USPA is concerned. This may vary slightly for DZ to DZ. In the real world you may find one DZ has the A-license check dive done by specific personnel to maintain a student standard and on the other hand there might be a DZ who really don’t give a crap of who does what where and when. This is not entirely true, a coach may conduct the debrief with their student and initial the proficiency card that apply to the skydive with out the instructor witnessing the debreafing. Yes, the coach must be under the supervision of an instructor to exercise their responsibility and duties as a coach. This does not mean the instructor needs to be looking over the coaches’ shoulder, but rather only available to the coach if he or she needs assistance. Memento Mori

Ya it’s sad story when people go out, buy gear that is beyond there skills with only the experience and knowledge of a 100-jump wonder, and the DZ that lets them jump the gear. But unless someone has changed rules and I am not aware of it, the United States is still an open market society where either the buyer or sellers can do business with who ever they wish, with in the law. Therefor Caveat Emptor Memento Mori

You are an AFF instructor therefore you should be fallowing the guidelines outlined by the USPA, which it sounds like you are. Where the ISP describes two methods for handling a particular malfunction, for example the PC in tow, I feel it is important for all the instructors, at same DZ, to teach one method in the early portion of the AFF program regardless of what the instructor’s personal beliefs are. This means they are fallowing a DZ training syllabus and if your DZ does not have one develop, they should, it does make it a lot easer for the instructors to do their job with less confusion for the student when working with multiple instructors at various time. When a student are going through their ground preps for the upper level D or E jumps I introduce the second method for the PC in tow and tell them where they can get information on the Pros and Cons for either cutaway and pull reserve or pull reserve, like this web site and to ask other jumpers. Of course in the same breath I reminds them until they are A license qualified they are still students, even while they are on the coaching program, so they must fallow the DZ syllabus regarding the PC in tow. Once they are A license qualified they then can change their method. Memento Mori

I have seen candidates screw them selves when they can’t separate between real world and course world; they are two different things, so show up to the AFF course with a clean slate. Simply leave the real world at home. If you don’t you will only draw attention to your self, and this will do more harm then good. Do the ground preps and debriefs like they want them done, so pay attention to the lecture. I went to the course with the mind set that I was already an instructor and I was going to working at Skydive Billy Roads and it was my job to teach his students like he wanted then taught. For me this helped me relax, a little. I passed the course the first time and I know a number of people that had to take the course a couple of time to pass, and they were better prepared and their skills where sharper then mine. It was the stress that failed them. In conversations with those guys we agreed that part of the course is a head game. The course director and evaluators will spin you up, if you’re not doing it your self, to put under some pressure and see how you handle the stress. Don’t let the stress affect your ability. After the ground preps skydive heads up. If there is a roll reversal then deal with it and fly the new slot. You should be confident in your ability to perform in either main or reserve positions, even if you are the only one in game. I see a lot of good advice on this thread that I wish I had when I took the course. Enjoy. Memento Mori

If you are asking for help on you quest, then you need to fill out your profile, and tell the community, (Dropzone.com) where you are in your skydiving skills and what work you have done so far. From the sounds of it you have no gear or the coaches rating. I think it would be good have those for starters. In closing if do not live in the Sunbelt, but in the north instead, pay the bet today and say Merry Christmas, with a smile. Memento Mori

While looking newer post on this thread and of course re-reading my own statement I need to make a correction. The DZO converting their Otters to the higher output engine are not fitted with PW PT6-37 considering Pratt and Whitney do not make a dash 37 but rather I meant to say PT6-34, my bad. Memento Mori

I see that you are UK and that cool that you have noticed something on your end of the pond. I will respect your request and keep names out of it and go a little further and keep the USPA region out of it also, but it does pain me. The two biggest areas that concern me is aircraft maintenance and how DZ operate their turbine aircraft. There is one DZO that should be shot in the head for the poor maintenance with his aircraft. This DZ has forced landings at the rate of once a year over the last three. No BS, this involve turbine and reciprocating powered aircraft. As for the turbine, especially twin otters, I know more then one but less then 10, DZ that operate their Supper Otters fitted with PW PT6-37 well above the specifications outlined in the STC for the conversion on otters with 100 or 200 series wings. I am simply saying, the operators are applying more power through the wing with the dash 37s engine than what the wing was designed for. DZO's do this to make a little extra coin with more loades per hour, or they put off a large expense until they want to do the maintenance. Does bother me? Yes, it does, I work in maintenance in heavy industry and know what good and poor maintenance can do to an operation where down time is simply lost revenue. Scheduled maintenance coupled with preventative maintenance will make money as long as equipment abuse is not tolerated. Sorry to vent, but you asked. Memento Mori

tspillers is correct and to add what he has said, DZ can make a written exam with the questions coming from the same source as the oral exam, Categories A through H. Checkout the S&TA Safety and Training Newsletter for October 2, 2003 at USPA.org on the Safety web page. Memento Mori

Ok now back to the subject:

$25 per student. There $50 minimum for one student, but the DZ will try to book at least two students with eight being maximum. Memento Mori

Yes on level ones only and it’s mostly for me. Ok I am kind of selfish but when a fist time student nails the exit with a good arch and we have presented will into the RW, I’ll give then a couple grand, but there are condition and number one they got to be stable. Never on the upper level jumps they are paying to learn they have a lot to do like PHT’s, fwd motion, turns, AA, and pull on time. Besides I also need to give corrective hand signals. Memento Mori

I agree the Beep is just to remind you to look at your altimeter. As for those who rely heavily on then there is one thing that can be said, if they have an “A” license, or better, that makes them big boys and girls they know consequences. I'm done. Memento Mori

I believe one can 'mentally prepare yourself. I have been low and went for the reserve at 1,500’ the pin was pulled was obviously lower because my cypress fired after the pin was pulled since the loop was not cut. Did I take the right action? I think so. Some might post why so high you should have given your main a shot first and that’s their view. But in response when I dump the main a VX 103 I have been averaging about 800 openings the majority of the time and throwing out the main would have saddled me out around 700’, not enough time for a reserve if I needed to use it. Plus I would have, in this situation have had two canopies out. In the past I have thought about at what altitude will I go for the reserve instead of the main, and a good buddy has his old ditter set at 1,500’ and that’s the altitude he goes for the reserve with out question, he wants it to be an automatic response. His reasons why are with in the pervious paragraph of which I have adopted. He jumped a stiletto when he first told me about his ditter settings and now jumps a velocity with his ditter still set at 1,500’. Memento Mori

Couldn’t put it any better Memento Mori

Good thread, keep it going. There are lots of good points brought up on both sides of the line. I feel if the DZO has no problem with minors jumping at their DZ, then they should be able to let them jump. I do hope the DZO, and or aircraft owners do make the effort to check the state’s liability laws that they do business in, to see of the waiver that is sign by a legal guardian, is valid. I would be interest in knowing how some states view a liability waiver that was signed by a legal guardian, in the interest of a minor, once the minor becomes 18, an adult. Is the liability waiver still binding contract? NO Memento Mori

On a work jumps, AFF, main or reserve side I usually throw out on average at 2500. On fun jumps either belly or free flying I like to be in the saddle between 3000 to 2500. This gives me time to evaluate the congestion of the landing pattern and see if I can enter the pattern without disturbing the flow. If I am not conformable with what I see I have the altitude to land elsewhere. Memento Mori

I see what you are saying I’ll try using AIR. Just like the circle of awareness, the first thing a student should be doing is checking their altitude when they are given the hand signal or they do it on there own. I have also not found C I A in the SIM, but for me it came from my AFF certification course where the class was instructed by the evaluator to teach it during the ground school for the level 3 jump. It is however found in the video tape I received with my AFF package titles “USPA AFF Level Three Training” Second Edition. I feel that if this information about C I A on the tape was incorrect or out dated then the USPA would have taken it out before the wide distribution to the candidates as part of their AFF package. Things change over time so I am not sure if even the USPA is including a video in the AFF candidate package since the IRM’s introduction. Memento Mori

Good question. Some of this is repeating what others have said already but it does rase a question of my own in the fourth paragraph. If a student can not answer yes to any one of the fallowing: C I A (Comfortable, In control or Altitude aware), they should work towards the level to where they can yes to all and give themselves five seconds to do so. After five seconds has elapse and they still can not say yes to any one of the C I A’s then they should pull. As for loss of Instructor on two instructor jumps where the student loses one of their instructors they should continue the skydive with one instructor and pull at the altitude according to the dive flow. If they were to lose both instructors they should pull, now. On release skydive with one instructor and the student loses them, they need to ask themselves are they C I A and if they can answer yes they should continue with the skydive and pull at the altitude according to the dive flow. As for Category C skydives, the release, where the student loses both instructors seems to kind of a gray area, so I am interested in what everyone else is doing through out the U.S. I have been instructing them, during the ground training, to fallow the C I A, five second rule format in this situation. Memento Mori

I was being sarcastic, teaching goes a lot further. Ok, I give up you are absolutely right but you're wrong. Lemmings have nothing to do with it, Lemmings are furry little rodents that aimlessly fallow the one in front for no reason and no human should be pigeonholed with Lemmings. Humans have larger brains that we hopefully use, to reason with. So if every one on a load lands in the same direction, that has been set by the first one down, it would stand to reason that injury from a collision with another jumper would be avoided. Have you ever seen and midair collation close to the ground, the sound alone is quite unique. I am done. Memento Mori

I like the student to cross their arms, be loose, and relaxed. I have not used hands on main lift webs, but I will. Just sitting at my desk and trying both positions of hand placement seems that having my hands over the MLW area spread my shoulders out more and seems more comfortable. As for the upper level tandems the student set up at the door as close as possible to the AFF. Memento Mori

I agree with this but not every DZ has the luxury of large area out side of the main landing area that can be use as an alternate. Those that do are lucky. Memento Mori