FrflyPimpDaddy

Think about this, the difference between an AFFI and me a coach is ONE JUMP. Yes, you are correct, it is one jump. However, that one jump and the 8 or so jumps before that one jump have the built in potential to be doozies. Once that student is signed off of AFF they should be going to a coach Yes they should. Or to an AFF instructor who is already a coach. If they had crappy AFFI's (no offense to any poster here) then when I get them they are crappy students to deal with in the air Could you please define crappy students? Are you saying that some students (apparently the ones that had crappy AFF I's) don't meet the requirements to pass the AFF portion defined by the USPA? Or, are you saying that they don't fly as good as you would like them to when they get to you. See, that's the thing. Aff instructors don't teach people how to be good skydivers, AFF instructors teach and verify that students are able to save their own lives, and do it for them when they blow it. Coaches get to teach students how to be kick ass skydivers, without the added responsibility of having to save the life of the student if they (the student) blow it. Big diff. Some one posted earlier that the coach course should be harder as coaches are teaching more skills than AFFI or something to that effect. You know what I'm tired of, lazy ass coaches who apparently (from what you said above ) have to teach more skills than an AFF I, and spend a whole 10 minutes training a student for a very complex skydive. It takes me anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to train a student for a cat B, C or D. Then, when it's over, they don't re-train the student. If you (coach) have to teach more skills than me (AFF I), how can you be done before me? (not directed at you personally). Happens all the time.

If your a bigger guy, get as lean as you possibly can. Make sure you have multiple suits and you can fly all of them well. You can always put some weights on if needed. You must have range. Depending on your evaluator, this may be the thing they go after. Make sure you can fly super tight on someone and not touch them ( if you're more than arms distance away, you're too far) and get to them quickly when they flip on their back or flatten out and start spinning. While you are spending all of this time working out to lean up, make sure you know your bottom and top end sequences so well you don't even have to think about them. Especially the bottom end. Make sure you have the correct cadence down so your not going too fast and pull the student early, and not too slow so you blow your minimum altitude. When my audibles go off at 6k, I verify with my visual, then the cadence starts at 5.5, and it doesn't stop until the student has pulled or I have done it for them. It is the same thing every time and at the same speed. What I recommend you do is figure out what that cadence needs to be ( for each dive), and go over it for the next two months, 100 times a day at the same speed. That way, when your all amped up from a tough evaluation dive, your able to go into auto-pilot once the bottom end sequence starts. Remember, you will possibly start out on main side and be there for the top end sequence, but be on reserve for bottom end due to rollover or spin stop. If you're an RW guy, do you always turn away from the formation the same way? If so, make yourself start turning the other way so your are not locked into one. You would hate to fail a successful dive because you blew it and turned the wrong direction on break off. It's been done many, many , many times. Once by me, and you know it the millisecond you do it. Very frustrating. Learn how to fly the line (i.e., how to keep super close on someone while they are turning), you can do this on creepers successfully, and add in the top end and bottom end sequences with it. I would do this in addition to all of the other recommendations from instructors. Please remember, this is only my opinion. This is what I did successfully for me and my weaknesses. You may be very different.

The problem here is a large percentage of the people on here (and skydiving in general) have huge overinflated egos, and if someone calls them a retard or a douche, they get hurt. I've met Dave, and he is exactly like in person as he is here. Not so nice, calls you out and is right on the money with his advice. Be a dick, don't be a dick, I really don't care how I get the information, as long as I do. Nut-up, and take it like the retard you're (or I'm) acting like. It may save your life. Or mine.

After reading this thread I've made some conclusions. First, the "old-timers" had it much more difficult than us new guys. I know and have flown with some of the people that did get their rating from Yarling, and they are truly bad ass. Respect. Second, I have my AFF rating and I went to two IE's. I didn't fail the first one, just ran out of time because of weather. I can tell you there is a huge difference in the two AFF courses that I attended in regards to the skydiving part. I can't comment on the teaching part. I did 30 something prep jumps with one, and was still pretty much on the bubble, and one with the other, declared, and I was 3 and out. Easy....Didn't even breathe hard. So, I have no doubt it's not an even playing field. Third, it seems to me that many of the "old guys" that earned their ratings a while back don't have much respect for the newer AFF instructors. I can understand that, and respect it. What I don't understand, is why it seems you assume that we're (the new guy's) cool with that. I don't want to be as good as you, I want to be better! I did everything I could with the available opportunities to make myself the best instructor I can be. What else can I do? Well, here's a thought. Why don't all of you "old guys" that feel you're better that us, STEP THE FUCK UP!!! I'm tired as hell of hearing it. I want to be the best AFF instructor I can be. Period. Not because of ego, not because you don't think I earned it or I'm not worthy, but because AFF scares me. Students thought processes scare me, the unknown scares me the most. Every jump. The students that pay me to instruct/jump with them deserve the best from me, and it is my job to be the best I can be, and apparently, to some of my peers, that's not good enough. So, like I said before, "old guy's/gal's", lets go. STEP UP!! I'll get a group of AFF instructors together that think the same way I do, and trust me, you will have enough people for a class. We'll fly you to where ever we decide to do this, and we'll get it on. I want to learn from you, I want to know what you know, please teach me. We'll be happy to pay for the opportunity. All we ask, is don't waste our time. I fully expect the best from you. I want to get down from our jumps barely able to breathe, sweating my ass off, shaking, and possibly bleeding. I want full contact, in your face, OMFG!! what is this guy trying to do to me type of skydives, and I'm willing to pay you for it. This is not us against you, this is the more experienced (noticed I said more experienced. I don't care about your views on the system, the USPA, any other bullshit, keep it to your self) teaching the less experienced. We're already Instructors, that won't change regardless of the class. What will change? We'll be better instructors, that will make a commitment to uphold the AFF rating in its original form. Enough talk.....bring it.......I will.

This thread (that I started) is the exact reason why DZ.com is for entertainment only................. ONLY.

Here's the situation. You're on a two plane ( Otter, Caravan) formation load and it's that time where everyone is getting up and putting on their game face. The nice skydiver behind you asks the jumper behind him to give him a pin check, and the jumper complies. Now, the jumper behind you politely asks you if you would like a pin check. You say no. Now, before people start going all crazy here, let's make some assumptions. 1. It's a formation load, everyone on the plane has proved at least competent enough to be on that dive, which is a multiple point 35 way. No new jumpers here. 2. Your rig can easily have a pin check, and the jumper behind you that asked you if you wanted one is experienced enough to know this. 3. You are being asked, no one just grabbed your shit and started f'in with it. Please, let's not even go there. 4. It's a full Otter load and you were sitting on the floor with all your friends packed in it tighter than a Chipotle burrito. This is the exact situation that I dealt with this past weekend. I noticed on the load, possibly only 1/3 of the participants requested or accepted the opportunity for a pin check. Why would anyone say no to the opportunity? What's the harm? Am I missing something extremely obvious here? I don't get it.

My son is 10, I'm a tandem instructor. If I could legally do it, I would, and he would love the opportunity. He's been at the DZ since he was 3, so I think he understands the deal. However, I would probably have him explain the benefits and possible consequences of the choices he's about to make. The only concern I would have would be the harness. I doubt I would feel comfortable with him jumping the current Sigma harnesses we have. I've never put one on him, but I can't see one fitting him well, or at least well enough for my comfort level. He's just too skinny.......

So, what do you think? Should new AFF Instructor candidates be allowed to use tunnel time in addition to jump time to meet the minimum 6 hour freefall requirement?

T.K., I think it is probably fair to say the Tandem Instructor won't have to pay any money, however, I'm sure he has to pay every night when he closes his eyes. ( I'm not defending him, I'm just sayin) No one will walk away from that deal clean.

You have got to be kidding me. You're comparing the coaching system with Skyride? I don't get it. What's wrong with charging people for a service offered? A true coach jump includes evaluation of previous jumps, training on the current jump, the jump, evaluation of the jump, and retraining if necessary. All of that takes a long time, and effort. So, the coach makes the enormous amount of $10 to $15 bucks, for two hours of work (if the coach is doing it correcly, it is work). Do the math, that's barely minimum wage ( Michigan is $6.95 per hour). Sure, some coaches suck. However, the majority of coaches that I know, that follow the ISP, do a very good job and are worth every penny to the student. Why is it worth it to the student? Where is the value? Answer...... They won't suck when they get their license and they will be far, far, far ahead of the student that jumps solos or does some yahoo skydive with someone that has not taken the time to prove they have the minimum teaching and flying skills to acquire the coach rating. The only thing the D-license holder has proven is that they can survive enough jumps to earn the D-license. Nothing more. That's why the current system is in place, because any yahoo can get a D-license. Please tell me one thing, what's the difference between a student paying me to do a coach jump with them, and me hiring Shannon Pilcher and Ian Bobo to do 4-way coaching with me and a team mate. I have a skill that the student wants to acquire, and I know how to teach them. Shannon and Ian have a skill that I want to acquire, and they know how to teach it, and trust me, Shannon and Ian are much, much, much more expensive than I am. Coaching is coaching, we're just talking about levels. So, please go tell Shannon, Nikklas, Jay Mo, Dan B.C., Gary, Eliana, and Craig that they are Skyride'ish because they are hired as coaches to teach a particular skill that they all have proven they possess. However, what I just said sure didn't sound as cool as what you said.

Stratostar, Put up or shut up!.......The ballot is free for everyone to put their name on. Bring it! Let"s see what you got! Enough bitching and wining already. Be part of change for the future, or forever shut the F-up. Bring it!

This statement from Mr. Hart would imply that his son has passed away, or it's one of those bible thumper type comments, IDK what he means by that statement, but I do believe those who know Mr. Hart quite well and have told me his son is in fact alive and well and this is all a bunch of public statement bullshit trying to cover up their fuck up. Tell you what, you believe what you want to believe, myself and others can and will choose to believe what we know to be true and factual events and make up our own minds. Wow! Do you actually believe that big, huge steaming pile of shit you just wrote? I'm sorry for you man. I really am.

Oh God! Here we go again...........Stratostar, why don't you do the honors. I'm sure it will make you feel good.

Stuff is REAL ugly around here these days.

I think the camera knows you only have 260 jumps and 1 year in the sport. It's a subtle way of telling you to get more experience.