DanG

I just ordered an black XT, body only, from Dell for $722.13. This includes shipping and tax (I live in one of the states they have to collect tax for). Without the tax it would have been under $700. In order to get this deal, you have to sign up for a Dell Preferred Account (credit card). Once you do this, go to http://www.slickdeals.net and use the discount codes listed. Let's hope it works out. - Dan G

Yeah, you are throwing stones. Don't you find it ironic that you are critisizing people for berating others while in the same post berating lazarus for disagreeing with you? Probably not. He made a point about being overly critical, you disagreed and jumped in his shit. Sounds like a glass house situation to me. Anyway, to get back to the main topic. I agree that if the instructor was at fault for going low, then he needs to do everything in his power to still make the jump constructive for the student, including the debrief. I have told students that I fucked up in the past, and I'm sure I will again. I have never berated a student, although I have had some pointed discussions about safety issues. This particular case sounds like the instructor made a mistake, and then had an ego issue admitting it. Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher. - Dan G

People in glass houses... Relax, dude, I think the point lazarus was trying to make was that coaches in general are not more likely to berate students, just that this particular INSTRUCTOR was not very good. To play devil's advocate, on an unassisted swoop and dock, the student is supposed to be responsible for fall rate adjustment. Obviously I wasn't on this particular skydive, but if the instructor was two feet low and the student was unable to drop down, then the student should not receive a GO. Berating the student is not right, but perhaps not passing the student was. - Dan G

No dropzones yet in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. - Dan G

I would like to make the same point regarding coaches. Just because someone has a USPA Coach rating doesn't mean a reputable instructor should hire him without observing his skills firsthand. At my dropzone that is how it is done. I am suprised that other people are saying, or implying, that USPA Coaches are working at their DZ with marginal skills and a piece of paper that says "Coach". - Dan G

That's cool. I can see where you are coming from. Maybe it's a US thing, but I don't know any professional skydivers (and I only consider myself semi-pro at best) who get people to sign their logbooks for working jumps. If I really need to verify that I made X number of jumps, I can have the DZ manifest print me a copy of my account, which will show not only jumps, but which ones were working jumps and which fun jumps. When I travel, which is rare, I tend to get signatures more often, because the jumps are probably special in some way. I don't see my attitude as cavalier or lazy, but I could see how someone else could take it that way. If someone showed up at the DZ and wanted to work, I don't think logbook signatures would figure in as much as ratings, references, or a skills evaluation. - Dan G

I agree that if a person has the prerequisites and passes the course, then they are Coaches. That does not mean that a DZ will necessarily put them to work. I don't make the decisions about who works at the DZ where I jump. I do know that the guy who does has turned down more than one person who had a rating because they were not ready to be on the instructional staff. In the long run, whatever you think about USPA or the ISP, having good people on your instructional staff is not only safer, but is better business. If we keep talking about USPA Coaches, this thread probably belongs in Safety and Training, or Instructors, not Relative Work. As far as non-instructional RW coaches (Airspeed, etc.), the general going rate for top tier guys (or gals) seems to be about $300 a day, plus expenses. USPA Coaches don't make quite that much

Thanks, good info. It seems like a lot of people like the 15mm fisheye for the digital SLR. I use a 22mm on my film camera, so this is probably what I'll go with. - Dan G - Dan G

So does that mean that the digital only lenses compensate for the small CCD element? In other words, do you still get the 1.6 crop factor? Help me out here, I'm looking at going digital and trying to figure out what lens to get. - Dan G

I'd have to say that if the Coach doesn't have great air skills, observational skills,and teaching skills, then he/she shouldn't be a Coach to begin with. The fact that the Coach rating is easy to get doesn't mean that the students should receive poor instruction. My dropzone pays slot plus $30 to our coaches, but the instruction the student gets is top notch. We don't have 100 jump wonders working in the instructional staff. I'd be curious to know how many low jump number coaches are actually out there teaching the ISP. - Dan G

Gosh, I have 1400 jumps with the last 1000 or so unsigned. Would I warrant special attention? I only get signatures on special jumps. The normal day-to-day jumps get no more than one line in my logbook. When we sign in new jumpers we check license, ID, and reserve card and seal. A rigger usually does a quick once over of the jumper's gear. Only students or uncurrent jumpers need to make a jump with a coach or instructor. We do not require signatures in the logbook. - Dan G

I like it. Probably won't enamor us to the judges, however. - Dan G

Well, looks like Event Horizon will make an appearance at Nationals again this year, albeit in a very modified form. We're combining EH and Screwdriver, and I'll show up to do video. So watch out, Minx, we'll be a force to be avoided under canopy. - Dan G

Hey Portia, Sorry it took so long to respond. We are not training at the moment, unfortunately. I think the Golden Knights are afraid of us because they somehow arranged for the Army to send me back to Afghanistan, where I am now. Ostrich is getting married this spring (apparently to a woman) and Hank is in school full time, so they both have decided they can't work in the team this year. Dean is still up for something, so we may throw a group together for Nationals this year. We'll see. Good to hear from you, hopefully I'll see you in Perris in six months. - Dan G - Dan G

I'd avoid the red and orange gloves. At Nationals two years ago Event Horizon was wearing bright orange gloves and the judges made them all buy white gloves because the orange ones weren't showing up on video. - Dan G

I disagree. I have owned two Tony Suits, and both were built very strong. The Tony competition suit with all the bells and whistles is awesome. On the other hand, my girlfriend and other people I've know have owned Bev suits and, although they do look great on women's bodies, I was not impressed with the construction. In particular, I know a number of people who have had problems with the zippers on Bew suits. - Dan G

I guess you would say the same for Jesse Jackson meeting with Milosevic regarding prisoners-of-war? If John Kerry was meeting with the North Vietnamese in order to discuss the return of POW's, then I say good for him. All those arch-conservatives with POW/MIA stickers on their cars seem to forget that the point is to bring people home. If I ever become a POW and a fellow servicemember was doing what he could to secure my release, I would thank him. All this talk about Kerry's war record confuses me. At least he showed up. Bush avoided the war like the fucking plague. Flame away. - Dan G

I am just a Coach, not an Instructor, but I would advise you to try it with one hand first. In any case, you should keep your hands in the toggles while doing these maneuvers. Once your hands are in the toggles, you should generally keep them there (unless you have a collision, need to cutaway, etc.). Taking your hands out of the toggles will make it very hand to react quickly if you find yourself flying at another canopy, or otherwise need to steer. Talk to your instructor, and clarify exactly how he/she wants you to do the front riser turns. - Dan G

Yeah, reread your second post: That's what I was responding to. - Dan G

I wouldn't put someone I didn't know, who had under 100 jumps, on a 12-way. Sorry, but it is the rare sub-100 jump person who can perform safely in a 12 way. Unless that person has really been working on larger RW formation stuff, it is probably a good call to tell them that they should get on a different dive. That being said, if the person in question is organizing for the DZ, they should go out of their way to help you get on a dive that is more appropriate. Safety first, fun always. - Dan G

So I guess that means no handle checks, and flying the canopy in half brakes at all times in order to keep the camera on level with the student's face? Oh, and my video subjects are stars for 6+ minutes because I include pre-jump footage, in-plane footage, and a post-jump interview. If you are doing handle checks and truly flying your canopy (including full flight in preparation for landing) then the student is out of frame for significant parts of the video. When I shoot tandem video, the student is in frame the whole time, and I can get shots from a variety of angles, not just one. Are you also doing ground footage, in plane footage, and after-landing footage? Sounds like a lot to ask of a busy tandem instructor. I would bet that the video these students are getting is skydive only, from one angle only, with breaks in the coverage during landing and freefall. Doesn't sound so great to me. Of course I will be dismissed as a videographer who is afraid of losing his job. Bullshit. I don't feel threatened by the hand-cam, I just think the student's safety is being compromised for $$$ and they are getting an inferior product in the end. - Dan G

No. It's not. I appreciate you are trying to promote your DZ, but this is getting ridiculous. - Dan G

Don't assume that because you read it on DZ.com that the rule for large formations is break off 1,000 feet early if you are low. Talk to your group and decide on a plan if someone goes low. I prefer that people stay as close as possible until break-off so everyone can keep track of where the low person is. 1,000 feet is only 5 seconds, and a lot of good trakcers will catch up to you even if they give you a 5 second lead. Anyway, the point of this post is to make sure your group has a plan which covers going low, and then stick to the plan. - Dan G

Are you talking about the landing? If so, it seems obvious that injury/death is more likely upon landing if your vertical descent rate is anything much more that zero when you set your feet down. Maybe I misunderstand the question. - Dan G

Not to be a dick, but you have to hold a B license to participate in record attempts. I've gone up with non-licensed students on four ways before, but only with other rating holders and with students who are capable. At some point you have to rely on the judgement of the people USPA has determined are capable of teaching the sport. You can't regulate everything. - Dan G