timuuu

We at WNYSkydiving are governed by the FAA and are not able to skydive in solid cloud conditions (FAR 105). As happens in western New York (and the rest of the world) clouds move in and out. This not something that we have any control over and unfortunately, weather in Buffalo, NY is unpredictable at best every day. Throughout the morning, we were able to take several students up but as the day wore on clouds began moving in. When we reached Laura and her friend’s place in our rotation (last in the morning group because she was late for her scheduled class), the clouds had moved in making jumping impossible. We were asked several times by Laura to take up her and her friend into illegal airspace. We refused, not only on the grounds that it was illegal but also because it would have jeopardized their safety. While we realize this put a monkey wrench in your day, our staff has by far the best safety record in the area because we refuse to compromise on safety issues. Please contact us if you have any questions about our safety protocol here at WNYSkydiving. Thanks. Tim Allen DZO WNYSkydiving.com 716-597-7393

I found that the section of *basic* training on how to teach theory was much more than that. Throughout that entire section was sprinkled practical application information related specifically to skydiving. Had you elected to audit that section, you would have missed all that practical application information. If one is insulted for having been asked to cover "known" material, maybe an over-active ego plays a large part in one's life. Maybe I should be insulted when the bigway captain asks me to prove myself on smaller ways first after I've already done tons of them. I dunno. Maybe I should have been insulted when my FJC instructor asked me prove myself on PLFs even though I had extensive training and practice before the FJC. I dunno. I think anybody who would turn a "professional educator" loose on a skydiving student without proving his mettle is freakin' crazy. I think the FAA is crazy for exempting them from its normal requirements. How did we get off on this topic anyway? Coaches? Weakest link? No. DZOs are the weakest link. THEY are the ones who allow the "weakest link" to operate. Some simply for the sake of the almighty dollar. Weak link: Do you REALLY think a 3 -4 hour lesson on teaching techniques enables anyone to be a teacher? I wonder why REAL teacher education programs aren't all over in 4 hours if that's all it takes? I guess those universities are taking people's money under false pretenses. I'm sure Aggiedave, with that 3 hour course (taught by a skydiver) under his belt, is a far better educator than someone with 30 years full time teaching experience behind them. Yep. Not sure who is teaching the course you are seeing, but as a course director, I CERTAINLY cannot teach all the education information in less than 20 hours of instruction (8am-10pm, 8am-noon, + evaluations) and have the candidates properly teach what I want them to teach. Candidates in education get the info more quickly, but I have yet to have any candidate with that background tell me they learned nothing sitting in on the course...

Packer doesn't quite count. BIC went out sometime in the early 2000's. Yes on coach before any other instructional ratings. As to the 360ish jump "minimum", you still have to pass the course director's eval jumps.

As a course director, coaching in my opinion is multi faceted. Getting people excited about the sport is a part of the job, but for a USPA coach (I'm assuming this was a USPA course), all the teaching happens on the ground, both before and after the jump. If the candidate can't pass the information successfully to the student, while no jump is wasted from a learning standpoint, there are specific TLO's to achieve in the coach program that will not be achieved. This frustrates the student, or worse has opportunity to have them learn the wrong information. Both outcomes have negative consequences. I'm confused about the comment concerning the eval jumps. The jumps and the ground preps are 2 seperate phases of the course. BOTH need to be passed. They are independant of each other. Of course if he doesn't do well on the jumps he won't pass. There are guidelines in the SIM (and the IRM) for all of this. I'm confused how you feel the course director is out of line. As you don't seem to be one yourself, how do you know where that line is? Sounds like you should take the AIC (or its new version) as you are already an instructor so you can find that line. There's my $.02

Observation. Over the next few jumps you have, try to notice what is REALLY going on around you. Most new jumpers are so focused on what they need to do (at least goal oriented ones) that they don't focus on everyone else around them nearly enough. Coach jumps should be student centered. The student is paying for at least their slot (if not more in most cases), and has asked you to teach them. Teach happens on the ground. Evaluate them in the air - watch what they are doing and how they can improve. I like the "have fun" comment as well. Tim

I'd love to say it's the best DZ in Florida, but I have yet to visit many others as every time I go there I can't seem to get away due to the good times! Whether you want to learn or play, Skydive City is a great place to skydive!

John, We'd love to help you at Frontier Skydivers. We need to understand what you have done with your 40 jumps. The USPA "A" license has two different cards you can fill out, and some instructors may not be familiar with both of them. While your question of which is easier to get is interesting, I'm not sure it's the right one. At Frontier, we have a standard (USPA) we uphold to make sure we turn out quality students. CSPA licenses also are held to a standard. All of our students are safe skydivers who can go make formations (RW or FF) with their licenses. We have several USPA AFF instructors available, as well as USPA coaches to help you finish your license. Come see us if you'd like! Ask for me and I'll take your current information, and translate it to the card. Thanks. Tim Allen AFF-I-07 VP Frontier Skydivers (716)751-6170

http://www.uspa.org/news/courses.htm Just in case you're looking for a place to get the rating. The information you learn in the course helps teach you how to become a better skydiver. If you can teach it, you can really do it! Get the rating!

Hard arch throughout the skydive. Telling them "definitely at pull time arch" suggests they don't have to arch for the whole skydive. I tell them if they don't arch, we won't necessarily get stable. No stability = no drogue. No drogue = no main. All this is said to the student, and in no way is done by the TM. TM needs to get the pair stable & get the drogue out as per their training. Just another good way to explain why they need to arch from the minute they leave the plane.

Snap & go! Just make sure the pieces are even where you snap it together lengthwise. 1/32" is way too much of a gap!

Dupont "Real Touch Elite" is a great product. Only available at home depot (I don't work for home depot or dupont!). It comes with the pad attached, & installs quick & easy. You can install it with two people, a table saw & a router for U shaped cuts. Make sure your entire floor is level (3/16" over 10'). Other than that, you're pretty good to go! It's good stuff!

Are you buying or selling tandems?

Bram & Elly will teach you what you need to know! www.skydiveratings.com They go to different DZ's in the summer, so they may be coming to one near you.

How many tandems do you have, and how many have you PLF'd? Just curious. Seems crazy to plan to PLF a tandem. Sounds like a good way to break ankles!

What's wrong with #5?