Para5-0

I guess I hit the wrong person, it was meant to go to Marko. Sorry

Listen Knuckle head, I can call you that because I know you. In all honesty, a 1.3 is not so bad considering several factors. First, the DZ you jump at is enormous.(10,000 FT/ 7000 FT runway) The outs just in case you have to bail are plentiful. The winds are usually constant due to the ocean and stronger than other dropzones. I just do not want you to get a false sense of security because of these factors. It is going to be when you go somewhere else that is not as open or the outs are scarce that you will have to really fly the canopy. If you are going to jump it which it appears you are, then please be conservative, and attempt to get familiar with it up high. I would strongly recommend straight in approaches with minor inputs. When you get back from CA, we will discuss in full and I would suggest we do some canopy training so you understand the capabilities of your parachute. Most jumpers who I see downsizing have not even come close to the capabilities of the canopy they had. I will be able to tell this once we start to analyze where exactly you are, which I do not know. I did not have you as a student, in fact I am not sure where you were trained or by who. Now that I know your situation I will give you guidance the best I can. I do not beleive you should be ignored or written off as a loss. It is our or my responsibility to keep you from becoming a statistic. More importantly you are not the only jumper to be in this situation. It appears more and more lower jump number jumpers are pushing the limit and attempting to downsize quickly. Some get away with it and others do not. Marko, be careful and stay safe, we will talk when you get back. You are not the first and will not be the last to push it.

Am I retarded or am I reading this right? 164 jumps 100 of which are freeflying. That leaves 64 of which 40 are camera. If my math is right you started camera or freeflying before you had qualified for your A license. I do not know much but I do know: The DZ you jump at requires 200 jumps to wear a camera. At least one AFFI, at your DZ does not want to hear the word Freefly until at least 100 jumps. One particular instructor at your home DZ, me, would be more than willing to sit with you in private setting and go over the material that obviously was missed in your training. We will chat, and stop posting here and making me look like a total incompetent schmuck. That being said, I drink Miller lite. Stop hanging around Jerry he is oviously effecting your judgement.

If we get a live feed for general meetings, then do we have a quorum if there is a way to monitor who is watching or signs in with USPA #? Is there a way to sign in to a live feed and keep track? We can actually vote immediatly. Cmon computer dudes, is this possible?

How high is the building?

I think they are all learning the Soulja Boy Dance. Superman say Ho'

I heard another instructor say to pretend you are banging Cindy Crawford through a chain link fence.

Crash, Listen closely my friend because we are here to help not judge or critisize. At 94 jumps and a 1.7 wing load, starting to swoop?? It is not if, it is when... I know it looks cool and you may even know guys doing it with just several hundred jumps, but you need to slow down a bit. You can be in this sport for a lifetime without injury if you are smart. I think what we are all saying here is swooping should be the last thing on your mind. Learning the capabilities of your current canopy is what you should be concentrating on. I can not imagine your canopy coach has knowlege of your intentions or condones it. If he does, you might want to seek out a AFF Instructor at your DZ and run this by him.

Sorry , I was responding to orig. poster.

Just curious, why would a oveweight, big bellied AFFI have to have a good arch? They probably are very successful flying flat so to speak, the majority of students are not fast fallers they are spread out wide. Unless of course they are tumbling then I bet you wish you had that extra weight to get to them quick. I think when it comes to flying ability, AFFI's tend to have a extememly wide range when it comes to fall rate. They can burn it down if need be, or slow down if need be, beleive me if they had issues it would have come out in the AFFIRC. I am positive, these guys can fly their ass's off and I do not know any of them. Dont be too quick to judge, until you go through AFFIRC and log a thousand AFF jumps without incident. I have seen big AFF guys kick ass in the air. If I use your rational then excessively light and small AFF's should pose a problem also? Again, I have seen SMALL light girls kick some serious ass at AFF. I think politely put try not to judge, but try to be the best coach you can be, ultimately I imagine you might be one of those AFF guys someday.

AIC will be no longer, replaced by IEC. I have not seen the sylabus.

Thanks, Peek I received a power point with the entire flow chart and requirements for each. I would post but I am not sure if it is supposed to be out there prior to USPA BOD approval. I will comment that we are moving in the right direction, but I still have some serious concerns as well as questions. I will sit and wait, I did in fact bring my concerns up to the proper people at USPA, and I beleive they will indeed be our voice. The fact is we need a permanent, clear path that is self sufficient. The new IEC (Instructor Examiner Course will replace the AIC concentrating more on being a instructor examiner. I beleive that any changes will take effect by Oct 08" so please voice any concerns to the appropriate department down at USPA prior to the Meeting in Orlando, I did.

Just got some new information, looks like the new, new, new method will require 50 evaluation jumps amongst other requirements for AFF and TM I/E. under the supervision of a CD,(I mean IE) or whatever the heck they are gonna call it. Thoughts on that requirement?

Yeah, we would look like the Ohio State Offensive Lines helmets, great. What about those who did it just to get one? I do like the idea though, I think it would look cool at a DZ. You would know who to go to for EP training

Like I advised USPA, I just want a clear concise path from new student up through I/E. Like a flowchart that we can reference, to show how we as instructors got to where we are. If we tried that now it would look like a family tree from some tribe who beleived in crossbreeding. Everyone of us went a differnet route. Why is this request so outlandish? After A,B,C,D, then Coach rating, then (Tandem, AFF, SL, IAD) then IEC, then IE in whichever specialty. I know you can get coach after B and 50 jumps, questionable, IMO.

That card is great, kind of funny looking back at it. I do know that they had a I/E prficiency card at one point. Similar to the A license card. Does anyone have that one? Probably around 2002 or so. I was also advised that they are looking at a 2 year grandfather from CD to I/E. The AIC(Advanced Instructor Course) will become the IEC (Instructor Examiner Course). Again it seems to be in the infantile stages. Also Tandem and AFF CD's will be grandfathered to IE's in their respective areas.

One more thought, I heard that they were considering some sort of grandfather clause. Similar to when they did away with AFF JM, and made all JMS Instructors. I personally completed the entire IE card and sent it in, to find out they would not issue it due to the fact they discontinued the rating. I then went to AIC, then to CCD. Now USPA will tell me that was a waste of time and money? Whos on first? I feel like I am swimming upstream here. I just emailed Jim Crouch, I will advise of his thoughts on the issue.

I heard a rumor that the Course director position is going to be cancelled and USPA would be returning to the IE rating? I heard this from a fairly reliable source. Any insight to this would be appreciated. I will keep my opinion out of this one, for now.

knock, knock, knock.. Watch out what you wish for.

You have got to try the icarus 330. Like flying your own rig no toggle preasure at all. Makes long days easy.

Relax and remember that every jump from now until 10,000 is a learning experience. Your instructor will guide you through, it is not uncommon and you are not abnormal. You made a safe, fun, skydive right? Remember why you are doing this. As far as the AFFI I am sure he will work with you as this is what he is trained to do. Be wary of advice online, your instructor is the ultimate authority for the time being. Also keep your eyes and ears open at your DZ, I am sure you have some very experienced people there as well. Good Luck

Handle checks anybody? Might keep you a bit occupied.

"Better to be down here wishing you were up there, then to be up there wishing you were down here."

You too make a nice couple, maybe dz.com / match.com same difference.

Wonder how the 10 least enjoyed would fair?