NickDG

I did my FJC in 1975 and it lasted a week. I was in a military sport skydiving club (so it was USPA based) and we trained every night (about 3 hours each evening) after work. We started classes on a Monday and jumped Saturday morning from the tailgate of CH-46 helicopter. To say the least it was very thorough and included packing classes so I can say I packed the first parachute I ever jumped. I didn't feel overloaded as we had time to absorb the information we were getting and also time to review one day's material on the next day. When I returned to civilian life and found static line FJCs were running about 3-hours in total it kind of shocked me. And after I became an Instructor myself my courses always ran a bit longer. But I paired down everything not necessary to making a successful first jump and included more time to actually practice what the students were actually going to confront. Over the years I sat in on (or at least listened to portions of) FJCs all over the world. I'd just walk up to whomever was teaching that day and ask. And I've never had an Instructor say no. I always thought this was the best form of continuing education an Instructor can have as I always picked up better or more effective ways to teach things from other Instructors. Too often we get certified as Instructors and operate the next twenty years in a vacuum. On the other hand I also learned a lot about how not to teach FJCs. Basically the info in these FJCs are fairly homogeneous but the presentation of that materiel was all over the place. When you sit in a FJC and already have a thousand jumps and the Instructor says something even you can't comprehend there's a problem, LOL. BTW, if you're interested, the idea for the civilian 3-hour static line course was invented a long time ago by Jacques Istel and Lew Sanborn. And it was called the Telsan method. They figured if you took the information presented in the 3-weeks of Army Airborne School and dropped all the marching, running, and shouting, it only amounted to an actual three hours of useful information that pertained to the jump. When AFF began in the early 1980s I continued, maybe even more so, to sit in on other instructor's FJCs. And I've seen probably every kind of course there is. I've seen comedy FJCs. There was one Instructor in New Zealand who had the students (me included) rolling on the floor in tears of laughter the entire time. And that course was very complete and very effective. I've seen death FJCs, where the Instructor wielded the Sword of Damocles over our heads by using the word "death" in almost every sentence. Needless to say I left that class wanting to sell my rig. I always judge an Instructor, not by their in-air performance but on their on-ground performance. I had a long time friend at Perris, who was a good skydiver, but his FJCs were so droll and boring his students left class looking like zombies. I finally sat in on one of his courses and saw students nodding off even as I almost fell out of my chair. On the subject of overloading students. I can humbly say I never heard anyone mention that problem until I did many years ago. The analogy I used was, students are like batteries, overload them and they short circuit. More to the point though, and in the final analysis, a FJC is designed to get a first time jumper through that first jump alive. And you need to teach it to that end. When a FJC student has a malfunction on a first jump, or even a smaller problem, the answer to that issue doesn't just pop into their minds like it does for you and I. They have to go through everything they just learned in a linear fashion looking for the right answer. And that will include every non-essential thing you told them which just burns time. (Yeah, those jump stories you told in class were cute, but guess what? This course isn't about you!) A good illustration of this is some years ago we had a large spate of very low cutaways by students under good canopies. The one thing most of these instances had in common was the student wasn't going to make the drop zone due to winds or a bad spot. But we eventually figured out what it was. (By talking to the ones that survived.) As those students searched for an answer to why they were landing out (and taking into consideration some would be rapidly approaching panic mode) they'd come upon a phrase they heard during class. "If you're being dragged by the wind, cutaway!" So all it takes is them not recalling the "on the ground" part of that sentence. So we changed that to haul in on a toggle, but even that could be dangerous so we dropped it altogether. Most DZ's have someone out there to assist students during landing and the number of students killed from being dragged, compared to low cutaways, is nil. But I'd bet there's still many Instructors out there teaching that to FJC students today. I lobbied USPA for a time to include Instructors sitting in on x-amount of other people's FJCs as part of keeping their rating. But it went nowhere, and in fact, Bill Ottly told me flat out, "It won't work Nick, you know these guys fudge just about every requirement already anyway." One thing I always enjoyed is conducting the old style JCCs and ICCs for new Jumpmasters and Instructors. I was finally teaching the teachers so I could pass on all the things I knew about skydiving to people that could actually comprehend it. But it made me actually think things through more completely so it naturally made me better too. Think about it, when you teach first jump students you aren't passing on 1/10 of what you really know about jumping. You can't do otherwise and still have an effective FJC in the current amount of allotted time. So when USPA changed the AFF certification course from being conducted by just three course directors who traveled the country to the present system where almost every DZ has a course director I thought it was a mistake. But there's a silver lining to it. And that's more people get the opportunity to teach the teachers and that's nothing but a good thing. There is, however one deadly flaw in the present way we teach the 7 to 8 levels of AFF. And that's lack of continuity between the first level and the last level. Sure, there is a syllabus Instructors should follow but all too often I see later level students get put into the hanging harness (and believe it or not some DZ don't even do that) and the only "new" information imparted to the student is the dive flow for whatever level the are about to do. The fix to that would be having the same Instructor all the way through AFF but at all but the smallest DZs that's not very practical. Where this really comes to light is in the area of canopy control. We often hear nowadays from those teaching advanced canopy skills to experienced jumpers that the FJCs are failing to teach the required knowledge. And in a way they're right and in a way they're wrong. They are wrong in light of they don't understand you can't teach a first jump student too much more (without overloading them) than the basics of don't land in a turn, it's better to hit something under control than while turning, and the whole world is a drop zone so it doesn't matter too much where you land as long as you land safely. (I over simplified that, but you get my point.) Where the ball gets dropped is in later levels where we should be building on the knowledge that came before but we don't. I'm always amazed when talking to jumpers in their first few years of jumping that they never heard this or that during their training. But it happens all the time. Another way to look at it is when I was first took civilian flight training (to fly aircraft) I had the same Instructor every time I went up. He knew my strengths and my weaknesses. He knew exactly what I already knew and didn't know because he was teaching it all. Could you imagine how half-assed flight instruction would be if you had a different CFI every time you took an hour of dual instruction. Well, you don't have to imagine it, just look at how we conduct AFF courses. I've often thought the market place would solve all these problems. But so far it hasn't happened. For instance sometimes I think the worst place for ground instruction is on a DZ (because of all the distractions) and they should certainly be longer in length. Maybe held in a hotel conference room over three nights. I do know some enterprising AFF Instructors who'd just privately take on one student at a time, they then charged more money, and only took the student to the DZ for the actual jumps. I really hoped that would catch on but it hasn't as it runs afoul of most DZs SOPs of get 'em in, get 'em through, and get 'em out style of keeping the cash register ringing. And while on this soapbox I'll end this with where the hell is our Instructor's Convention? Riggers and Manufacturers have one. Where can I go and listen to lectures by more experienced instructors and pick up the hot tips and tricks? I don't feel like there's an alarming amount of student fatalities as in fact there isn't. But when a student is done with AFF we tend to think, as instructors, that we are off the hook. But if that former student dies on a jump within the next few hundred dives than most likely their failure to save themselves was our failure too. My advice to future Instructors is think more outside the box and never miss an opportunity to keep learning effective teaching methods. Keep in mind students are individuals and what works for one may not work for another. And don't apply a clock to your FJC. A student is ready for that first jump when they are ready, period! No matter if that takes 5 hours, 10 hours, or three days. Holding an Instructor rating is a big responsibility and too many of us look at it like an avenue to free beer and getting laid a lot! But that's just a means and not an end, LOL! I guess, although you could, don't teach FJCs like this: http://www.youtube.com/user/rgtthlktrhpmothgopm#p/u/6/IGedo401QJs NickD

The first parachute jumps were B.A.S.E. jumps, and the last parachute jumps will be B.A.S.E. jumps . . . NickD

We used to have something similar at Perris 30 years ago. You had to pack your main in the phone booth that used to be by the manifest window. (A phone booth is a thing people utilized to make phone calls in private, LOL.) Then you had to jump and make it back to the phone booth and you were timed. What made this a bit harder was back then none of us knew how to propack . . . (Anyone remember when the PIA convention was called the Rigger's Convention?) NickD

My replacement "Big Boar" battery came in today. I'll shove it in tomorrow. And hopefully it works better than the bad one they sent me the first time. This one looks new though and I did the poor boy's load test on it and it tested out all right. Also, got my new seat. Not sure I like the looks, but my bum will be happy. Everything in life is a compromise . . . NickD

>>I believe it's an allusion to an old joke.

Okay, Bro, allow me to revise and extend my remarks . . . I've been reading Wendy's stuff on this forum for better than ten years. And I'm in love with her mind which is always the sexiest part of a woman . . . NickD

Just my of saying I love (and respect) everything about you . . . NickD

Wendy, you're a big reason I stay here and try to contribute to this forum. I love your experience, your mindset, and I love your shoes . . . NickD

I doubt any of us will get a response other than maybe an automatic one. But this vid is making the rounds on the net and hopefully the thousands of e-mails and letters it will generate can save this guy's job. NickD

Naw, Gypsy's the real deal. When I first met him many years ago I wasn't too sure, but when I saw his reserve handle was connected to his reserve pin with a chain all my doubts were erased . . . NickD

http://gawker.com/5688054/postal-worker-secretly-films-customers-racist-rant I checked, as much as I could, and believe unfortunately, that this is real. The woman involved is obviously unbalanced so this isn't about her. It's about the Post Office firing this guy who did an exemplary job of keeping his cool. You can send an e-mail or lick a stamp but please write a short letter to the U.S. Postmaster General of the United States - and help get this guy's job back. The Honorable John E. Potter Postmaster General U.S. Postal Service 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20260-0010 E-mail: [email protected] NickD

>>I have a collection of Mechanix Illustrated

That was pretty cool, thanks for posting it! Here's something else too. Every issue of American Motorcyclist is online from 1950 through 2000. I especially like looking at the older adverts . . . http://books.google.com/books?id=wfUDAAAAMBAJ&as_pt=MAGAZINES&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1&atm_aiy=1950#all_issues_anchor NickD

N/A

This will wind up in SC but . . . I was at the VA hospital the other day getting my bi-annual medical exam. It's something I've done every two years since leaving the service in 1975. We've had three forms of the G.I. Bill in this country. The one World War II vets served under, the one Korean and Vietnam Vets served under, and the current version for Iraq and Afghanistan Vets. When I joined the Marines in 1971 the Vietnam war was very unpopular in this country. So like the military always does when they're hard up for enlistees they sweetened the deal. Back in those days job related health care was scarce to non-existent so the military promised me health care for life in exchange for four years of honorable service. Yesterday, at the VA, I was told the deal is off. This wasn't completely out of the blue as Bush (the younger) began reneging on the deal during his second term. It came in the form of a means test which was a form I had to fill out to see if I financially "qualified" for the no strings attached health care I was promised. I've filled out that form a number of times now and I always did it the same way. I take a big black felt pen and write "FUCK YOU!" across the form and sign my name to it. They always accepted the form that way, sometimes with a laugh that made believe other vets were doing something similar. But yesterday I was called into a room where some guy told me, "Sorry, Nick, but this won't fly anymore." So I asked him, "How can that be? The government and I made a contract and I lived up to my end of it?" And I don't think he realized how mad I was when he chuckled and said, "We're the government, we can do anything we want." It took all the will power I had not to leap over the desk and rip his throat out. The more I think about it the madder I'm getting. It's not about the money so much, if the country is in dire straits I don't mind chipping in. But when I see plainly we are in this mess because of bumbling politicians, a Wall Street gone wild, and the outright greed of my fellow Americans (most of which never served a day in uniform) it just chaps my ass. Well, anyway, happy Veteran's Day! NickD

>>We are slowly becoming a country of mice...

OMG, (and I never say OMG!) NickD

Watch these in order! LMFAO! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I_aW5y88Jw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95qZtwJNjxk&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fds_hupE2vQ NickD

We're 235 years strong this November 10th! Here's this year's Birthday Message from Headquarters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW4Gm5uFYQk&feature=player_embedded NickD

I do actually remember that specific student. He was also on the Perris Student Blooper Tape that was going around that year. I also recall that day Steve Clark was lamenting the fact he foolishly purchased his own tandem rig (I think he had a thing about "borrowed" gear) but soon realized he couldn't make back to back loads that way. So he leased it back to the DZ and we always made it a big point after using it to say, "Nice rig, Bro, thanks!" LOL! NickD

We did that to more than a few students being briefed for Level 6. The most common question after viewing the video was, "We're gonna practice that a few times on the ground first, right?" It rams home the point how trusting most students are and what a great privilege and responsibility it is to teach them. NickD

Opinions on batteries are like opinions on woman, in the end they all stink . . . NickD

Ya big dope that's the rub . . . You want an oil that reacts to internal motor temperature not outside ambient temperature! It's why Twin Cams with Synth oil clatters when they start up. You can have a brain in the seat or a brain in the crankcase, but you can't have both. NickD

>>"harley" recommends it?

I can't recall how many times I spent drunkingly kicking a Shovelhead in a bar parking lot at 2 in the morning. No thanks, Sonny, I'm now pushing the button and blowing . . . LOL! NickD