SkySlut

another quick question...rephrased:Ever see someone die under a perfectly good canopy? I saw someone under a Spectre 170 WL @ about 1 to 1 with 200 jumps...done. Just a thought. My theory is that a person with 160 jumps may not really have the experience to make the decision to get under a high performance canopy at that wing loading. I am saying this from a non-canopy nazi point of view...I have seen or known 8 people go in on fully functioning canopies (not to mention how many femurs and crushed internal organs) in the 2 1/2 years of jumping. I believe that everyone is responsible for their own decisions, but when you dont have a real sense of the consequences...This really isnt a joke.

Good point...

So if you get into the 120 you will be in the area of 1.54 WL @ 160 jumps...hmmmm. I would think that would be aggressive for your anyone at that many jumps. I am not a canopy nazi as I have gone from a 175 to an 84 velocity in 2 years (1200+), but I spent the majority of my time on the bigger ones. I got my first Stiletto at around 360 jumps loaded at 1.185 +/-. Again, you cant coach over the internet on a topic like this but you should really listen to what other people are saying and know that they could be totally wrong...with really bad consequences for you. Quick question: Have you ever seen someone really pound in from either a miscalculated swoop or a panic turn for no reason???

What is your exit weight??? Sorry if you already posted it, but I couldnt seem to find it.

Whooo, thanks...now I can hook with a sound mind!!!

They are all going to be the same for the most part...Its just that Mirage and Vector need to have a higher spring pressure because they have to go through 4 flaps instead of 2...hence the stronger spring. Its a fact but mostly used for marketing, IMO. Which flavor of ice cream is the best??? Chocolate chip is my choice!!!

FYI-make sure that the rigger is cool with watching you pack your rig. Most are happy to let you watch, but some can get pretty pissy about having to answer a bunch of questions when they have several more to do that day and just want to go home. Just as a courtesy.

Yep, watched several times and assisted on a few of my own...

Yeah, I thought it looked like Eric as well...same color scheme...dunno.

This statement is most certainly correct. Its correct that you arent responsible for saving a life and that reaction times have to be really quick, but I would also say that the stuff that AFF instructors teach is easy compared to what a good coach can teach. AFF is basic biomechanics. It is survival school for students. AFF teaches enough so that they can self jumpmaster. A good coach is skilled in advanced biomechanics and skill analysis. It is very common to get a customer that has engrained many bad habits over the course of however many jumps, reversing the improper techniques can be very time consuming and complicated. Conveying the new muscle memory effectively is key (as in my previous post). As an AFF instructor, the easiest student to teach is someone that has never jumped before. You can teach them the proper skills right from the start, but the toughest to teach are people that have learned bad habits. Its easier to create something new than to tear it down and build it back up again by doing the basics. Coaching, IMHO, is way more involved and complicated than teaching an AFF student. For example...have you ever noticed the difference between a whuffo and a post AFF jumper in the tunnel??? If you have been to the tunnel and seen whuffos fly...you already know the answer, but if you havent been to the tunnel go check it out when you get a chance...the whuffo usually has better body position & is more relaxed and stable than the novice jumper. Kinda strange, but true. The reasons for that are numerous. Rob Laidlaw is the president and founder of SDU. He came up with the Canadian coaching program and is working with the USPA on their current program to improve it.

I know that its common sense, but people can be pretty thick at times. Especially, reading things...even in the talk back forum. Sometimes, they will ask questions that were obviously stated in a previous post. Go figure... I have seen people post "facts" about an incident when they werent there. For example, "I know him/her and they have this equipment or never engaged in this behavior or always wore glasses, etc". Its good background information, but it can be read by others as fact coming from an "informed" source. That is where the shitstorm starts to roll in.

I think that speculation is good as long as it is stated that it is speculation...there are soooo many things that can go wrong. Most jumpers arent even aware of the numerous posibilities, so it may bring up some topics that are new to jumpers, newbies and veterans alike...which may save a life. The actual cause of fatalities sometimes just is never known...should we not learn from that incident??? Maybe having a discussion on the possibilites may bring up the actual answer and discover a better and safer method of training, gear, etc for the future. I think that if you werent there to witness the accident you shouldnt post "facts" on the actual injury/fatality. The forum should be used as a discussion to raise and answer questions that people have. There are no stupid questions, right??? If someone doesnt know how something like this or any other incident could happen then they should ask the question..."why did this happen and how can I avoid this?" The immediate answers may not be known, but the person that asked that question is going to learn a whole hell of a lot from other peoples "speculation" as to what MAY have happened. As long as people use their best judgement and not make it a freeforall circus of random and irrelevant facts...then by all means post-on! It is going to teach someone something and it may quite possibly save their life someday. We will never know everything about skydiving...Lets just use our heads and keep on the path of educating ourselves and others.

I am not sure about that one...if you are from a country that allows longer repack cycles than the 120 that the US has...you can still jump your rig in the states, but only that person can jump it. Also, many European countries dont require a seal. That is also ok in the states, but again...only that person can jump it. Very good question though

Not necessarily...if you do not have that tape of the pre-reqs...you can do eval jumps at the end of the day during the course. Rob usually likes to see something on video...4-way helps with overall skills (sideslides and turns in place anyways). The last 5 courses that I have seen Rob put on, he has made everyone do at least one eval jump, usually 2, maybe more depending on the skills of the candidate. Its usually the down and back/up and back one, which is part of the prereqs that are supposed to be done before attending the course. If you do not have any video he will usually want to see a dive showcasing all your RW skills. Turns in place, sideslides, etc. Rob is very adamant about airskills. Poor airskills will over-ride exceptional ground skills.

Ever heard of "police assisted suicide"?

One thing that you have to be able to do is:Fall straight down the tube. This is essential for a good coach. If you cannot be a target for your student to learn new skills then you are wasting your customers money. Contrary to popular belief, sitting still is one of the harder things to do in skydiving. I know some really good AFF instructors and big way bellyflyers that have trouble with this. Another issue that I see from Skydive U coach candidates, myself included, is the ability to judge distances in the air. If a drill dive calls for you to go back 6 to 10 feet...I can garauntee that you will go back at least 50 feet on your first try. When I did my evaluation dives for SDU...I thought that I was pretty close, but a good look at the video showed that I was way too far away. Judging distances is critical so a student can perform repetitions of the skill in the air that you have spent so much time on the ground teaching them. Plus, it is good for their psyche to pump out a bunch or reps and make it happen. If they only get to do one or two "forward to docks" because you were backsliding too far...then you are not doing them any favors. They arent practicing what you taught them. Learn how to debrief, the typical AFF debrief usually consists of all the bad things that happened on the jump. The thing is...for every one thing that can be improved on...there were 10 things that went really well or that improved from the previous jump. You also have to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Trackable) when it comes to setting goals and tasks for a customer. Take it bit by bit, skill by skill, and dont set yourself or your student up for failure. Meaning, dont give them something that you know they cant do. If you set yourself up for failure, it makes you look like a crappy coach, the student is disappointed and pissed that they spent money for it, and your program and tactics will be in question. Also, you need to be flexible in your teaching method. Everybody learns differently and everybody is at a different stage of learning. Some people are visual while others are more technical, etc. One student may be fresh off AFF and another student may have 700 jumps. You need to be able to change your teaching technique and what you are teaching without thinking about it. Some of that comes from experience, but you can read up on adult psychology or go to a SDU coach course which is way more involved in biomechanics and psychology than any USPA coach course that I have seen. Hence...this is why the USPA has asked Rob to revamp the coach course program. (Which I sat through the proposals and the proposed Coach Course Directors Course or whatever it is going to be called...and it is much improved over the current program). Anyways, back to psychology...sometimes you are going to have to direct your student to do everything, while others you may have to play a role as a facilitator...meaning, you are presenting them with the information and let them put the pieces together for themselves. I also find that muscle memory is vital to longterm learning and engraining performance without thought. Keep in mind that you are flying for two now. You cant be thinking about your flying skills because you need to be focussing on what the student is doing correctly or incorrectly from exit to landing and do it with a big grin on your face rooting them on. Which is another minor thing that gets overlooked that can have major reprocussions...your body language means a lot. We cant speak to give verbal encouragement in the air...therefore our expressions in freefall are the only positive or negative (hopefully positive) feedback that we can psychologically give our clients. Skill analysis (watching video) is big too and not easy at all...there is definately and artform to it. Practice, practice, practice. Anyways, enough of my blabbering...I think that am getting carpal tunnel.

I would also suggest that along with holding a base, they hold a heading as well. I see so many jumpers that are starting out with 2 novices that tend to orbit around each other for the whole skydive and then wondering "who did what". I would also suggest that you check with your DZ. I know a lot of DZs in Fl...Deland and Sebastian "recommend" that the two jumpers have a combined total of 100 jumps between them before they can jump together for safety reasons. That "recomendation" is quite strickly enforced too. Again, it is tough to coach over the web, but without knowing your skillset, I wouldnt probably recommend that you try the swooping thing. I have been in the air with many a post AFF student that would have killed me if I didnt get out of the way. I am thinking worst case scenario, though. If you are set on doing this 2 way. I would probably recommend that you guys go linked so you are not wasting the skydive chasing each other around. Even if the exit goes to shit, you will still be pretty close to each other after it breaks apart. Note:Whatever you plan on doing get an opinion of an instructor or coach for safety reasons.

Risers with tuck tabs & velcro...and dive blocks.

Yeah, I checked Ripleys website and it is the same one...its a rerun. The 300 way is very small, and the rubber band ball runs constantly during the whole show. Entertaining to watch though. Its on TBS at 8 pm on wednesday.

I am addicted to those cheesy gorditas that taco bell has now...I am still pissed that they dont offer the bacon cheeseburger burrito anymore. That was the tastiest damn thing. Bastards!!!

Scott Smith was the skysurfer and it was done at Perris Valley...and yep, its Verizon. Craig O'Brian filmed it.

Is that the same episode where they spend more time showing them dropping the rubber band ball out of a plane than they do the 300 way???

Hey, I know some of those asses!!! That site is pretty disturbing...

I have never had to ride down in the plane due to a student that refused to jump. Its odd to see that happen, but as an instructor you should be able to notice that they are a bit nervous on the ground. A good instructor should also be able to teach in such a way that will bring out confidence in a student and avoid riding down in the plane all together. By the time that a student gets in the plane, there should be no doubt about what they are about to do. I will be the first person to bump a load or have them go home and think about their jumping so they are totally confident. Just my opinion. Having a student that is racked with overwhelming fear and doubt doesnt do anyone any favors. I have riden the plane down with students do to winds & clouds. If there is more than one instructor on the plane...we do rocks, paper, scissors to see who is going to jump and who stays on the plane. "good ole rock...nothin' beats rock"