DanG

With all due respect, Tom, I would hope that people would begin by bringing the issue up with the pilot, DZO, or other DZ official. What may be a misunderstanding, or even a legitimate concern, will most often be solved more easily by staying local than by going to the Feds. If we have become so jaded with an us (skydivers) vs. them (DZOs) mentality as some people here espouse, then the sport is really lost. - Dan G

I can respect the fact that you have the balls to stand up in public and speak out.Quote He's not standing up in public. He's posting anonymously on the internet. I doubt if he is a skydiver. Maybe a former jump pilot, but not a skydiver. - Dan G (see, that's my name, my full name and hometown are in my profile)

I'd advise against throwing on more weight as a first step. The advice above is good. What might also help is to get a more experienced jumper to jump with you (either one at a time or a 3-way if you're all comfortabe with that) and act as a base. Then you'll know who is falling fast, who is turning, etc. Also, your bigger buddy may need to get a baggier jumpsuit to fly with you. Asking you to put on weight is also asking you to assume more risk, while his putting on a bigger jumpsuit should not affect his safety at all. - Dan G

ist alarm: FF or video - 5k, RW 4k 2nd alarm: 2.5k 3rd alarm: 1.5k I never change the bottom two alarms, I really don't need to be thinking about anything other than getting a canopy out if I hear one of them. I change the first alarm based on what I'm doing. - Dan G

Can you elobarate? If it was a total mal, how did the main get out? Was it a pilot chute in tow or container lock? Was the main open or still in the bag? Just trying to understand the mechanics of what happened to you. - Dan G

I know we disagree about this, and I applaud your desire to give back to the sport. Regardless of your opinion of me from my three or four posts on the subject, I give an assload back to the sport. Hopefully we can meet someday and you'll get a better idea where I'm coming from. My opinion on coaching is complex enough to make it hard to break down into a sentence or two, but one thing I believe is that you generally get what you pay for. I see a lot of younger jumpers making "coaching" jumps with newbies and not teaching anything at all, or worse yet, teaching things wrong or unsafely. That is not "giving back". Many people also jump with newbies because it strokes their ego to be the big man for once. That is not "giving back". I don't coach for the money. I don't need the money. I do take the student's money if I'm doing an official coach jump that requires my time, attention, and expertise. When a student is paying for a jump, he/she also tends to take the lessons more seriously, too. It turns from a jump with a buddy into a lesson, and much more value is created. Anyway, please keep giving back with fun jumps and a welcoming attitude. I'll continue doing the same. I will also continue to provide expert coaching for a fee when that is what is required. - Dan G

Sounds great, but are you saying that a structured coach system will not teach the student better than someone who says, "I feel like I need to get some more experience before I will consider myself an authority enough to coach someone?" (Direct quote from Lloyd above). Coaching should involve much more than going out and laying a base. When I do a coach jump I usually spend 30-60 minutes doing ground prep, including muscle memory drills, theory, and safety explanations. We cover canopy control issues. I make sure the student has a flight plan, gets multiple gear checks, and that the winds are safe. After the jump we debrief and retrain any areas that need work. That is what coaching is. It is not just making a jump with a newbie and saying, "more legs out," afterwards. - Dan G

Great, look forward to meeting you. I'm sure you know this, but make sure you get some help from some highly experienced folks before jumping with any object in freefall. Losing a ball is very bad juju. - Dan G

112-115mph is VERY slow for RW. Most people use 120mph as a nice round number target. That being said, instruments such as the ProTrack really only give good relative measurements. For instance, if on one jump it reads 120 and the next it reads 125, you can be pretty sure the second jump was faster. Your buddy's ProTrack might record the same two jumps as 115 and 120mph. Either way, everyone should try to meet in the middle. If you jump with the same people all the time, you should all try to figure out how to accommodate each other. You might need a bigger jumpsuit, and they might need tighter jumpsuits. Some dedicated fallrate jumps would help, too. - Dan G

Skydive Orange is having canopy control courses from Fastrax on May 9-11. Contact Rhonda at [email protected] to sign up and for more information. Sorry if this should be in Events, but he asked. - Dan G

Nick, you are obviously much more experienced than I, and I usually think your posts are spot on, but I disagree with some of what you said here. I believe the seven level AFF system was dropped (and make no mistake, 7 level AFF exists only in the memories of instructors at this point) because there were huge inconsistencies in the quality of post-AFF instruction. Too many students (including myself after my 15 jump static line course) were being left to their own devices and not really learning anything about canopy control, group freefall skills, gear issues, etc. The ISP attemped to address that, and coaches were intended to help bridge the gap. If applied properly, I don't think you can argue that today's A license holders are not much better skydivers that yesteryear's. The Junior Instructor idea you describe is pretty much exacly what the Coach program is supposed to be: a young jumper hoping one day to become a full instructor teaching the basics under the supervision of a more seasoned Instructor. All you really did was change the names around. Coaches should be doing all the thing you desccribe (except maybe getting you lunch). If they aren't doinb that at the DZ's you visit, fix that instead of trying to tear down a system that is aleady 90% of the way there. - Dan G

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I feel I should respond. I am a coach. I don't do it as a living, just a part-time, fun thing for the weekends. I could make a lot more money doing video, but I prefer to coach if there is work available. I'd gladly do it for free, but I really don't like paying for it unless the person is actually my friend. I have yet to ask for a slot from a friend, but if it is offered I will sometimes take it. And I don't know where the idea that all coaches have 200 jumps and can barely keep themselves stable comes from. I have almost 1700 jumps. I got my Skydive U BBF rating (which I allowed to lapse) before the USPA rating even existed. I'm pretty good at staying stable, I only find myself spinning on my back once or twice a jump. I also have run a few tunnel camps for beginning belly fliers, so I think I can offer more than a pointer or two. I'd be willing to bet there are a lot more people like me out there than you think. Anyway, If someone wants to learn to improve their track, I'll gladly work with them for free on the ground, and even go up and do a 2-way tracking dive so they can practice. In fact I've done just that more than once. I will not, however, make five jumps over the course of the day with that person and do pre-briefs and de-briefs for each one unless I'm at least getting my slot covered. Call me selfish, but there are things I want to work on too, and right now flat tracking isn't one of them. - Dan G

The OP said the student was already a good COACH and would develop the skills to be a good INSTRUCTOR. The two ratings are different, and the standards are different. I don't see the point of berating the kid for his teaching style, but then saying that he'll still pass the course if his jumps are good. Either he met the standards or he didn't. I do, however, think that the Coach Course should be used as an opportunity to teach the new coaches and help them improve their coaching skills. It sounds like the CD did not do a very effective job of that. - Dan G

I'm sorry, packerboy, but your attitude pises me off a little. MagicGuy did not say "USPA Coach Rating Holder", he said coach. There are a lot of people out there (Coach rating holders or not) who are highly qualified to teach someone skydiving techniques. Many do not hold USPA Instructor Ratings. And then you turn around and say that world champions are different. Hmm, what about national champions? How about world silver medalists? My point is that you do not have to hold a USPA Instructor's rating to be of coaching value. And I like how you listed packer as a skilled position. I appreciate packers and all, I use them all the time, but putting them over Coaches in the pecking order is a little self serving. I agree that it would be great if everyone just gave their time away for free, but this is the real world. I do free, fun, and educational jumps with newbies all the time. If someone wants me to spend significant time and energy teaching them something, I don't see what is wrong with them paying my slot. Paying $23 to be an air pylon is okay every now and again, but don't expect people to spend the whole day doing it. - Dan G

And perhaps the occupation of the OP is litigation? I'm sorry, but this thread is the perfect lawyer troll. Why feed it? - Dan G

Yeah, I know, but I don't see the point of small rings on the harness if you are getting type 8 risers. You lose the mechanical advantage. If you're going planning on getting type 8 risers, I see no reason not to get large rings on your container. - Dan G

There are other reasons to get type 8 risers. The mechanical advantage of large rings is superior. Also, I have type 8 risers because I don't want my slider coming down over my toggles. A lot of newbies may have the same preference. If you get a harness with large rings (usual for type 8 risers) you can fit type 17 risers to them without issue. You cannot, however, put type 8 risers with large rings onto a harness with small rings. IMHO, many people have type 17 risers because that's what the cool guys jump. Type 8 work fine, and in many respects are superior. - Dan G

Sometimes well established 4-way teams will hold training camps, either at a DZ or a tunnel. If you really want to learn a lot about 4-way, camps like those are great. Another easy way to get into 4-way is try to find three other like minded individiuls and form a casual team. There's probably someone at your dropzone with a little 4-way experience who can give you some pointers and ideas to get you started. Then just start doing 4-way! Going to 4-way meets is also great. Every meet I've ever been to (including Nationals) has been a great learning experience. Most people will offer free coaching and tips, as long as you ask. Don't forget that skydiving is supposed to be fun, so don't worry if it takes a while to get the hang of it. Sloppy 4-way is a blast. Tight 4-way is even better. Good luck! - Dan G

I tell my students that their hop n' pops are the easiest jumps in the progression...physically. Mentally they are some of the hardest. Practice in the mock-up. Visualize the jump (sucessfully) over and over, and try to stay relaxed. You'll be fine. I haven't lost one yet. - Dan G

Rethink what? In response to some other post: we weren't on a range. I neglected to mention that the round was a blank, not live. It was a MILES training exercise. I don't remember whether there was a firing pin indent or not, this happened in 1993. My humping days are long over. Either way, I don't see how a round could be fired from an HK pistol in an air conditioned cockpit if the weapon were properly stowed with the safety on. Really. - Dan G

Well, guess I just imagined it. Ft. Benning, August, M-60 on a tripod, no one near it. How else do you explain it? Either way, that has nothing to do with a pilot firing his weapon in a cockpit. - Dan G

What does the color of his skin got to do with it? And how do you know he isn't a black man? Stupid is as stupid does. Why the racism? - Dan G

In the military community "negligent discharge" means you screwed up and the weapon fired because of negligence. "Accidental discharge" implies that shit just happens, and yes, sometimes it does. I've seen (heard) rounds cook off from getting too hot sitting in the sun. That is an accident. Someone handling their weapon when they have no business handling it is negligence. - Dan G

Did the jumper do a nice PLF on landing? Might the cutter have ben damaged in contact with the ground? Just a thought. - Dan G

Um, yeah, they do. Really good tracking dives with some obviously highly talented skydivers, but they look exactly like tracking dives to me. Nobody on here is saying that you guys aren't doing something really cool. I think most people here have gone out of their way to stress that it looks like fun and involves some really talented folks, but it doesn't seem to be the revolution that you insist it is. You're not going to convince anyone that atmo is a new discipline that some guy "invented" by saying it over and over. In my opinion, your pictures do more to hurt your case than help it. By the way, there is no slam to atmo in this post, so please don't reply with an accusation of such. - Dan G