Schoenauer

Exercise patent there will be other rigs that become available, but for now I would not even consider buying a rig until I had my “A” license. The number one reason is, I am still in the AFF program soon to enter the coaching program, and my canopy skills should improve by then and that 195 may not be right. Jumping the rental gear does give me the exposure to jump a different canopy that are not a student canopy, and you never know one of those canopies may be what you want for your first. Memento Mori

No I would not let it go so far. Yes, this is sad if these two jumps are the final jumps in their AFF program and the jumps are not staged. If these jumps are real AFF no BS, I am not sure whether to fail the student or the instructor because those two jumps are an example of a student wasting his money on bad instruction. I would recommend finding a better school. Jump #1 Fail the student for: 1.Not regaining stability with in five seconds 2.Not demonstrating heading control 3.Not checking Altimeter enough though out skydive Fire the instructor who: 1.Passing the student from previous levels 2.Not teaching how to recover stability, belly to earth 3.Not teaching heading control Jump #2 Even though it was a better jump, fail the student, for: 1.Not being altitude aware for half the skydive 2.Not regaining stability, belly to earth, with in five seconds 3.Not demonstrating heading control Judging from the student's performance on the second jump the instructor was much better. Although he or she needs to teach the roll out of bed maneuver, what the student does on the video is not an example of it. Memento Mori

I was taught on equipment using the spring loaded PC to wave off, arch, look, reach, pull, check. The check is looking over my shoulder to see that I do not have a PC hesitation or PC in tow. Today one needs to check the SIM Category-A page 26 in the ’07 manual, or their countries equivalent for the basic procedures. Briefly it says for main deployment for freefall; arch, reach, pull, and return to original position. After activation of the pilot chute, remain flat, stable and shoulders level though deployment, count to three by thousand, then check for pilot chute deployment. Memento Mori

I agree with this comment. I would like to see changes in the system we have in place today and from what I am reading others are saying the same thing. My concerns are yes AFF course has a problem in that it is too easy, but my largest concern lies in the tandem instructor course. Sorry to deviate from this thread but have you ever heard of any tandem instructor candidate fail a course? In my thirteen years in this sport my answer is NEVER! Memento Mori

I subscribe to both methods why should I go through life with a one tracked mind I need to be flexible because my students are variable in ability. 1) Show me a good body position respond to all my hands signals and I’ll let go. 2) I have jumped with you before I know your tendency and so do you, fix them if they are not quite right. You will never know if a student is truly stabile or capable of maintaining stability unless you let go. Remember to use hand signals to fix their body position and when it looks right and the tension feels right gradually let go. Memento Mori

Let my try to find the needle in the hay stack. Yes, if a tandem instructor is constantly hurting a student on their landing, then the tandem instructor should not be doing tandems. I would also say this applies to AFF, SL, and IAD instructors who use radio, arrows or other methods to add a students landing. Memento Mori

None of the above, 15 years of age. Memento Mori

Had hernia surgery in May and made my first tandem in August, but his does not mean much because I started skydiving three months after my surgery. Doctor said, three weeks after my surgery, I could go back and start laying brick again. I have talked with others who have had hernia surgery, and my finding are that some doctors are more cautious then others and want more time to heal before returning full activity. Just fallow what your doctor tells you to do, in terms of taking it easy after surgery. That way when he or she gives you the green light that means they are and so should you be confident that there shouldn’t be a complications. Memento Mori

I am fiscally conservative and socially moderate. What does that make me? Memento Mori

Back in the day when tandem progression was adopted by the USPA most DZ’s made the student do four tandems total before they could go into the AFF program with a single jumpmaster. On the upper level tandems, tandem two through four, I would not tighten the laterals as much as the pervious jump. The tightness of the student’s laterals were determined by exit performance, mainly the body position. For example, on the tandem two if there was no improvement compared to a tandem one then they laterals remand tight on tandem three even if they pass the tandem two skydive. As for how loose I would leave the laterals lets just say snug but not sloppy loose. If the laterals a just snug and the student fly flat or out of balance, left to right, they will be unstable which they feel it easily. After correcting the body position they feel the exact opposite, stable. Exiting the aircraft poorly and or a student has a bad body position leads to sidespin. When the drogue is set and the tandem pair is turning that’s called no heading control, the instructor should then think about doing something else other then tandems. Memento Mori

The FAA has clearly states that seat belts are to be worn during taxiing, take off, and landing. As for when you can take them off after take off is up to DZ, but typically I see the licensed jumpers will take their seat belt off at 1000’ or a little higher, but rarely below 1000’. About the helmet, I was taught and teach today that all students will have them on and buckled until 2000’s. The licensed skydiver, including camera flyer, has the option to have them on or off. But if not worn during take off I see that most jumpers have them secured to chest strap by using the chin strap or a lanyard so the helmet does not turn into a projectile in the event of an aborted take off gone wrong or a forced landing. Other counties will have different regulations regarding seat belt use, cloud clearance requirements, to skydive pilot requirements and I except that’s that counties choice. Memento Mori

On average I see a puker around every 1000 jumps. The first one, of course was the worst and rightfully so it was the most memorable. A lady that had a nice big old country breakfast. You know the type, eggs, hash browns, some type of pork product, juice, and coffee. Her spatter was all over her self, the equipment, and me. My god, it was an outstanding example of being helplessly trapped with no chance of escape. The smell, the feel of worm liquid agents my skin, and taste. Christ it made me dry heave several times. Since then I take a change of clothing with me to the DZ and also I jump with a student puke bag which I have handed it out a few times but had it used once. That time it was a guy who displayed the most impressive muscular retching but a disappointment in volume for his labor. I like to talk to my student asking them how they feel all the time, and if they are or get real quite I start reaching for the bag. I also let them fly the canopy it gives them something to do which takes there mind of how they feel. Memento Mori

It depends if I am jumping around a water hazard, lake, ocean or river I will ware my weight belt on the out side of my jump suit and inside of I am jumping in the desert. My thinking is if I need to dump the added weight I can. As for the rig, yes, it might weigh more than my belt but I don't get out of the rig until I have landed in the water. How long can you tread water with five pounds of weight on? Try it some time. Memento Mori

Not all true Bill: SSN THRESHER and SCORPION were lost in the ’63 and ’68 respectively and both were nuclear attack submarines. Those are the only nuclear powered ships the US Navy has lost. The Thresher today rest in 8,400’ water off the cost of New England and I have not read that she was equipped the Nuclear weapons. As for the Scorpion she rests at bottom in 10,000’ of water south off the Azores and was equipped with two nuclear-tipped torpedoes. The US Navy has not lost any missile boats. All surface ship losses post the dawn of the nuclear age have been salvaged or like the Thresher and Scorpion lie un-reachable in deep water. Of those ships all being conventional powered, at one time during their US service, may have carried nuclear weapons but not at the time of their loss. These ships in their last days fall into three categories, they were: 1) Transferred to foreign military; 2) Intentionally sunk, weapons testing; 3) Lost while under tow to be scraped. The Air Force on the other hand have lost a few nuclear weapons some recovered and others not at least that was the conspiracy theorist say. There are three that are suspected were recovered, by others, off the coast of Somalia with in three months after a B-52 dumped them prior to crashing from electrical problems. The three salvaged nuclear weapons were then sold by arms dealers to Iran the same year in '91 for their uranium. It is suspected that the weapons were damaged by the salt water and could not be used in the original condition so uranium has to either be used as a durty bomb or placed in a new device. If Iran develops a nuclear weapon or has already and they use it on a neighboring country they will have just signed their own death certificate. I have a hard time thinking the international community will just look the other way. Lessons learned from the Cold War, some call WWIII, is that both Russia and the US understood the term M.A.D... Memento Mori

Once the US pulls out of Iraq by the order of Bush’s successor, that will be the time we can say we have lost. Until that time there are no winners or losers just death. That is the nature of war, if you want to call our action in Iraq at this time, war. Right now the US soldier is not dyeing entirely by the hands of the Iraq people but people from other counties, the insurgents, who hate the US. The insurgents objective is to create civil unrest, fear, and increase anti-US sentiment amongst the Iraq people and our own. They seem to be doing a pretty good job. The most unfortunate part about the Iraq conflict is the people of Iraq will not take the steps or make the effort to stand on their own and combat, or police the insurgence. “It is will that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” Robert E. Lee Memento Mori

Yes, and in addition there should also be a maximum student weight limit. As for when the Pear shaped student walks into the school who is under the weight limit the school needs to take action before money changes hands. The first thing is see if the harness will fit with all the straps in the right place. Then once the harness is fitted discuss the student’s comfort while under canopy. Don’t sugar coat anything be honest and tell them its going to hurt and where plus don’t skip their strength requirements for landings. If the harness does not fit the simply say “I am sorry but we do not have a harness that will properly fit you, so we can not take you on a skydive.” Memento Mori

The correct fit of the harness is far more important than comfort. I am sorry that some tandem students are shaped like a pear with huge hips and a big butt to where the padding does not reach around the crouch. That’s when the leg pads act more like ass pads. Once under a good canopy I will disconnect the side straps but I will not loosen leg straps. Memento Mori

I agree my student leaves the school building ready to skydive all we have to do is hook up. They will get a gear check before boarding with tightening to the harness as needed because the harness will loosen up slightly when walked in. I will make an adjustment only to the belly strap on the aircraft so the student may breath but to no other. I fit the harness to the student while they are standing. The way I see things, while on the airplane the student is sitting, definitely slouching so adjusting the lifts or diagonals to the harness may create a miss fit. Depending on aircraft I start hooking up the side straps and tightening them down between 2K and 4K. The shoulder connections are made 3K feet before exit. I make two equipment checks one after side straps locked and tight and the other after the shoulders are hook up. Memento Mori

All speculation, but if the jumper became aware that they had a floating cutaway handle the proper response I would imagine is disconnect RSL first, if so equipped, then deploy the main. Of course this would be done while stable belly to earth. If it was me and I had time, and knowing I do not have an RSL, I would check the three rings and if one was released I would go reserve. I wouldn’t bother with the main. If I didn’t have the time I would go main then reserve if needed, it’s a gamble if the main risers are connected. As for midair rigging, I wouldn't. Memento Mori

My reserve is a PDR-143 and my exit weight is between Expert and Max, closer to the Max. I have jumped over the 500lbs limit for Strong tandems a few time, I don’t like it, but it happens once and while. Jumping my sport rig heavy I know what I am getting into and I except the risks. As for over loading the tandem, well the student doesn’t know the risks and that is what bothers me. Memento Mori

The change came about because quite a few S&TA’s are waving BSR 2-1 E.6 each year, at the request of the DZs that they represent. The DZs are wanting this because they want the flexibility to be able to use non rated D-Licensed holders to supervise a coaching student on the aircraft so the student may do a solo, or maybe on an actual coach training jump. I agree. As I said earlier, non A-licensed holders are still student even though they have been cleared to self jumpmaster by an instructor. DZ’s should watch and maintain control of who is doing what with their students, they are still the DZs students and they are not yet A-licensed. If the DZs don’t exercise control then they are dropping the ball and are playing a risky game that may lead to a coaching student being place with an incompetent D-licensed holder. Memento Mori

NO it is not in keeping with BSR 2-1 E.6 "D-license holders provided there is a minimum ratio of one D-license holder to one student with a maximum of a 4-way." (This means a coaching student can not participate in anything larger than a 4-way and there must by one D-licensed holder for each coaching student, maintaining a ratio of one to one.) The way I read the new change, and no doubt it is confusing, there shall be no less then one D-licensed skydiver for every Coaching student on the same skydive. I define a coaching student is one who has been cleared to self-jumpmaster but who is not yet an A-licensed holder. This means, a single D-licensed holder can not supervise two coaching students on the same skydive. If there is a four way being planed, it could consist of no more than two coaching students and two D-licensed holders in the skydive. This maintains the ratio of D-licensed holders to coaching students as one to one. The alternate to this at first glance, is there could be a four way planned with two coaching students a coach and a D-licensed holder or two coaches. I recommend to the DZs powers that be who read this watch and control of who does what with your students, they are still your students they are not yet A-licensed. Memento Mori

Yes, but not all the time. Some times I give my rig to my rigger and they will take it home to do the IR. When I am at the DZ and using the DZ rigging services I will practice my EP's and pull the handles. Memento Mori

One area I am surprised about the SIM does not address is a weights water landing".*** It should read "one area I am surprised about the SIM that does not address is wearing weights and water landings." Memento Mori

Landing in water has a few variations from what I have been reading on this thread. So I will commence with my two cents about unintentional water landings. The idea of while in the water, diving deep, is kind of a misnomer, because the objective is to swim out of and away from your gear. One way to do this is to swimming down, enough to get out of the harness, swim over to get clear from the gear and up to the surface. A question I have people should think about is, which would be easier and faster to do. Swim out of the harness while keeping your head above water, or swimming down and out of the harness? One area I am surprised about the SIM does not address is a weights water landing. If a skydiver is jumping with weights on at a DZ that is within one mile of a body of water, doesn’t it make sense that the weights should be worn outside of the jump suit? This is so the weights can be dumped easily before landing in the water. Memento Mori