tombuch

The size and shape of the camera addresses one issue (entanglement), but doesn't touch on the mental complexity of trying to shoot video and fly a tandem at the same time. It's kinda like driving with a handsfree cell phone. That's a better option than holding a cell phone while driving, but it's still a distraction. In tandem jumping the distraction might not matter most of the time, but with a challenging student or weird malfunction that extra distraction could be the difference between life and death-death. An instructor must always be willing to stop being a shooter, and focus exclusively on flying the tandem. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I suggest you allow the responders to take turns playing accident victim and wear the rig as the others take it off so they know how it feels and where the stick points are. It's also important to understand the difference between a rig with a reserve still inside, and an empty container, as well as the possible placement of the AAD. Those factors can affect the mechanism of injury. A rig with a reserve still inside has a greater chance of damaging the mid-spine, and makes it more difficult to position the patient supine. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Not a chance. It is required for flight by regulation and common sense. I have flown with an inop airspeed indicator that blocked up in flight, and I'm comfortable that I can land an aircraft without a working ASI, but I'd never take off in that condition. Not only is an ASI needed to land, but it is also necessary to confirm airspeeds for jumprun, and to prevent pushing the aircraft to a stall, especially while in a steep bank. Sure, a good jump pilot knows how to configure for jumprun and landing, and can do so with the ASI covered, but why add that extra risk? I'd have no respect for a pilot who took off without a working ASI, nor for a DZ that sent jumpers up in a defective aircraft. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I put together a piece on The Ranch S&TA site a bunch of years ago that covers the 45 degree rule and why to ignore that crazy concept, and then offers a couple of tables that show how the groundspeed of the aircraft can determine exit separation. You can find the story listed as "Article 15, Waiting Between Groups" at http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. The last chart assumes no difference in direction between winds, and is based on exit winds and aircraft travel, rather than using winds at opening altitude. I find that approach is easier to manage, and removes some of the other variables. The last table gives some times for various wind speeds, and breaks separation times out for small, medium, and large groups. I wouldn't use the small numbers in real life...they were listed to make our pilots happy but are too quick for most jumpers. I'd wait a minimum of five seconds in almost all cases. You can easily use the math in other posts to produce a similar chart for your specific aircraft. With experience you will be able to look out the door and determine ground travel and then know how much time to allow, but for many people a real number is needed to avoid conflict. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It depends. The objective should be to get stable and deploy the drogue as quickly as possible, and in that order without undue rushing. Intentional backflips increase the likelihood of instability, and increase freefall speeds, and thus should be avoided. However, sometimes they happen. That's especially true when jumping from tailgate airplanes, where a single backflip could actually be used to nicely position the tandem pair in the relative air. I wouldn't say a single backflip is necessarily dangerous, but it shouldn't be sold as a desirable activity. Tandem jumps are already extreme, we don't need to be adding to risk level, so I'd avoid doing backflips. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'm an AFF instructor, so I'll address your question, but I won't really answer it---that should be left to YOUR instructors. Missing a pull altitude and opening at 2,500 feet is a big deal, and so is being distracted. When I've had students do stuff like that I evaluate their performance against their specific past experience, and their perceptions of how they screwed up and why. Sometimes I'll recommend a simple flat in-place dive, and sometimes I'll recommend a repeat of the turn. It all depends. If I'm not comfortable with the skill of the student it'll be just a flat dive. If I'm comfortable with having the student try a repeat, I'll be open ended and ask the student what he/she wants to do, and how he/she thinks I should handle it. Sometimes the student wants to jump right back on the horse and try again, and sometimes the student is more timid and would rather simplify the jump. As long as I have confidence in the student, either approach is fine with me. So I guess the questions for you and your instructors are what kind of student are you, why did the problem happen, why do you think it will or will not happen again, what can you do about it if it does, and what do you want to do. Oh, and, I'd probably want to tag along in freefall just to watch and see what the turn issue is all about, and kinda (but not really) back you up. Teaching skydiving isn't cookie cutter. Every student and every jump is different, and that's why us instructor make so much money. Think about your jump and what you want to do, chat with your instructors, and then have a good time in the air while focusing on altitude awareness. That means don't get all weirded out, but maybe instead get just a tiny bit weirded out so we know you are concerned. Is that an appropriate no-answer? Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I wasn't there, and don't know the type of airplanes involved, so I'll answer generically. A piston airplane can sometimes be hard to start for a variety of reasons. That shouldn't be a problem in itself. However, once the plane starts, it shouldn't "sputter" or present any other "problems." I'd be very concerned about that. I'd also be very concerned that they didn't provide better information for their customers. You are a student, and they have instructors who should be able to communicate complex concepts in simple ways. That's their job. A good instructor should know enough about the operation of the airplane to explain the problem to a student in terms he will understand. And a good instructor/school manager will recognize than any little airplane issue will be of concern to a student, and will take the initiative to explain it in sufficient depth. We all need to make individual risk/benefit decisions all the time, and that is never more true than in skydiving. However, suggesting that a student should evaluate the situation and make a "personal decision" is a cop-out and is absurd. The only responsible decision an uninformed student could make is to leave. It could be that the operation has really horrible airplanes, or it could be that they have really bad customer support, or they might have simply been having a bad day. In any event, you should be 100% comfortable with the person and business you are flying with, and if not you shouldn't give them your business. I'd go someplace else. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Respect your mothers wishes and don't do AFF. As you noted, she has experience with skydiving and her concern is rational. You are 18 but you are also her son, and she has asked you to hold off on jumping until after collage. That's reasonable. Your idea of going for a tandem with your friends later on in the summer makes sense. That way you can share the fun, and you will be making an approved skydive. However, I'd say just make one tandem (umm, or maybe two). Find something else to do in the area for the summer. Perhaps SCUBA diving? Maybe learn to fly? Or hook up with an organization such as Habitat for Humanity. This is such a fun planet to be on, I'm sure you will find a way to enjoy the summer and enhance your life. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Good question. I'd suggest simply providing leadership. It can get chaotic in an emergency, but a cool loadmaster who simply serves in the role with an established and calm demeanor will make all the difference. Beyond that, a smile will help, and calling out altitudes on the descent (if the plane is descending) is always appreciated. I've been there many times and am always surprised how a cool head and a smile can keep others calm, and really improve the outcome. Perhaps no situation helped me to better understand this than working as a jumpmaster at Bridge Day. That's a place where a relaxed leader with a smile who is making eye contact will help move things along, and a good eye for detail will help identify and resolve problems before they ever become critical. Seriously, leadership matters. Most good instructors have developed this skill without ever realizing it, and it's why they are so successful as instructors. Tom Kolditz wrote an interesting book about leadership based on his experience in the Army and skydiving. It's called In Extremis Leadership. He was interviewed by Leadership In Action recently and posted the link on Facebook, so I'm passing it along here. http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=115737206484&h=-EUYL&u=IE2Pz&ref=mf. Read the article for a sense of how the leadership skills you develop on every jump can be used in an emergency, and how they can be applied in other areas of your life. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I had no interest in skydiving beyond the first jump when I went in 1979. That was more than 4,800 jumps ago. I'm super stoked that instructor George Woods encouraged me to be an active participant, and that he offered positive feedback and let me know how much more fun a second jump would be. I teach because the sport is so much fun, and has been such an important part of my life. I want to share that with others so they can enjoy it too, and so I will have more people to play with in the sky. I have always assumed every student will return, although of course most do not. Sometimes that extra bit of attention, and their success in doing something they thought was difficult and beyond their capability, is all it takes to bring them back. Retention is the name of the game. Heck, even at Six Flags they work toward retention of their guests. Can't we do that too? Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Main. It's a Sabre and opens really fast, and I have more than 4,800 jumps with plenty of BASE experience, and a few aircraft exits in this altitude range. Below 1,200 I'd go for the reserve just because my AAD is set for 700 feet. Keep in mind that a hop and pop deploys the parachute behind you, and your rate of descent is much lower than terminal. The opening is very different, so it helps to have made a few practice jumps to know how fast and how well your main will open in the sub terminal air. Plus, many inexperienced jumpers have a hard time getting stable on a hop-and-pop. It's a good question for everybody to think about. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think he was joking. Or, perhaps he just forgot to mention the very small radio activated explosive charges that USPA requires be embeded in every cut-a-way handle and reserve ripcord. If the drop zone is following Basic Safety Regulations (BSR's), the main side jump master will let go when the student deploys his main, while the reserve side guy will hang on. The main JM will hopefully get his own parachute open quickly, and when he identifies that the student has a malfunction and doesn't respond he can simply pull out the transmitter and activate the handles. The buttons are color coded, so if the malfunction is a total he just pushes the red button, but if it is a partial malfunction he pushes the green button first, then the red one. One of the great things about this system is that the transmitter can be programmed to always release the cut-a-way handle first, then the reserve handle. That way, an out of sequence deployment isn't possible. I suppose that's why the USPA Board of Directors (BOD) is considering a waiver request by a major west coast drop zone that would allow them to skip emergency procedure training if they agree to use two AFF instructors, and give each an emergency transmitter. The concept of a "Mr. Bill" is absurdly retro. Modern digital technology has given us much more realistic and successful options, and improved the safety of AFF infinitely. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Good question. I tried to answer this question in my book "JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy." I have attached a quick scan of page 183 that addresses this point. I tried to attach a four page excerpt, but it exceeded the 300 kb limit. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

No. In the United States the airspace below that hole belongs to the public, and is freely accessible to pilots and aircraft. The wrist mount altimeter does not provide any assurance the airspace is clear, nor does it protect against a collision with other parachutes. And of course jumping through clouds is illegal and thus the pilot, DZO, and anybody else involved could be prosecuted. Plus, as a tandem instructor you have made a commitment to the student to follow the rules and keep the jump as safe as possible. In the United States jumping through clouds is just plain wrong, and we shouldn't be looking for little tiny cracks in that right/wrong argument to slip ourselves through. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Not even close to "too old." According to the 2007 USPA membership survey, most active jumpers are about your age or older. The report is based on member self reporting, and lists our ages as follows: 16-29 19% 30-39 28% 40-49 25% 50-59 17% 60+ 7% Not Reported 4% For more interesting stats about skydivers, check out: http://uspa.org/Portals/0/MembershipSurveys/memsurvey07.pdf Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think the problem being identified was I haven't been following the thread, but it sure sounds like a point I'd agree with. Taking old people (or heavy people) is a special challenge that should be reserved for the most experienced instructors, and not a newcomer on his first (or nearly his first) tandem. It sounds like nothing bad happened, but from a risk management standpoint it reflects poor practices. It's hard for a beginning instructor to say "no" to such a heart-string pulling jump, so we need solid mentors who can provide the oversight necessary to match instructors with the right students, and to give beginning instructors the experience they need to become great instructors. I'm glad it worked out and became such a positive memory, and I'm not arguing against taking older folks on tandem jumps (I took my own mom for her 65th birthday). But we need to recognize the special risks involved in these jumps, and go the extra mile to manage the risk with our best/most experienced instructors. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Talk to a rigger and have him watch you packing. Ask the rigger to show you how mistakes can cause a line-over. If you are packing in the United States you must be under the direct supervision of a rigger who must provide training and ongoing supervision, and that rigger must take responsibility for the work you do. It is not enough to simply approve you to pack...the rigger must provide continuing oversight. Both you and the rigger should be clear as to what that oversight entails, and it should be documented. For more information about the regulations in the United States, see "Article 11--Who Can Pack a Main Parachute" on The Ranch web site at: http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Sure they can, and I recall that they have. Imagine a DZ that is not a group member, but has jumpers that want to have a USPA connection for licenses etc.. If USPA can't find a qualified local jumper to serve as S&TA at that DZ, they might appoint somebody at a nearby DZ. The regional director defines the area of authority for an S&TA, and can make it for several DZ's, or none, or just part of a specific DZ. I know of at least one S&TA who was appointed for a region, and another who was appointed for a specific demo site which wasn't a DZ at all. The whole point of the S&TA position is to create a bridge between jumpers and USPA, and that take many forms. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Well I'm impressed. Whoever did the cartoon either knows a whole lot about skydiving, or did some serious research. It makes the sport look fun, and gets us on the cover. Can't complain about that! Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Humm, interesting and common problem. Hopefully your instructors have helped you understand how wide legs affect the arch, and hopefully you are arching from the pelvis rather than your chest or belly. Your instructors are the best source of information, but since you are sitting at home, let me offer a quick task that may help you grasp the distinction. First, stand with your feet together and arch from the pelvis (down low, not from the chest or belly). It should be pretty easy and relaxed. Next, spread your legs really wide apart while trying to keep your pelvis pushed forward. Try the same exercise while arching on the ground (for the sake of this exercise you don’t need to worry about lifting your shoulders off the ground). You will probably find that as your legs spread apart your hips rotate a bit, and your butt necessarily pushes back into a de-arch. Typically this forces a student to arch with the belly or chest, and that forces the butt even further out. See if you can feel the rotation of your hips, and the point at which the hips force the de-arch. This is a part of our body we don't think about very often, but it sometimes helps to understand how those skeletal structures work. You will probably also find it is much harder to remain relaxed and comfortable with your legs really wide apart. When we are in freefall our legs should be sufficiently apart to provide a wider base of stability, but not so wide that the hips rotate, and it shouldn’t make you stiff. Thus, there is a “magical amount” of leg splitting. Too little and we are unstable, and too much forces a de-arch. I hope that helps a bit, and that your instructors can better guide your body. Each of us moves in a slightly different way, and your arch needs to be structured around your own anatomy. Only your instructors can do that with you. As for needing to repeat level three, don’t sweat it. Skydiving is tough, and we get very little time on each jump to figure it all out. Enjoy the experience! Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Most do it because they think it's funny. Some students respond really well and like the humor on their videos. For others it increases stress. Instructors (as well as video people and drop zone managers) would do well to watch this video and really think about why and how they make light of safety, and how those comments can be misinterpreted by students. We should really be working to be supportive in everything we do, and in most cases that probably means skipping the black humor. I made more than 1,000 tandems, and learned over time how to best handle each student. It really takes effort, and a desire to see the jump through their eyes. It's easy to get caught up in the same-ness of tandem jumps and add things that are fun for the staff, but a good instructor is always reminding himself that this moment is unique for that student, and needs to be programed for that individual alone. That's probably the hardest part of tandem jumping (and instructing in general). Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Landing direction is a constant problem. When I was S&TA at The Ranch I wrote an article for our web site about the topic. It first went on-line in 2003, but remains relevant today. It is partially specific to The Ranch, but you will find plenty that applies to other DZ's, and some pretty good discussion and illustrations about how to avoid collisions. The article is still on-line, and is listed as "Article 12, Landing Direction Defined" at http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. I hope it helps with understanding of the issue. If you are not familiar with the site, take a look around...there are some other interesting articles, but none have been updated since mid-2008. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Far too many skydivers like to look for ways around a regulation or rule, rather than recognize the reason for the regulation or rule in the first place. The use of an altimeter and appropriate training of the student improves safety. Plus, it gives the student a sense of responsibility and belonging, and can be part of a program to improve retention. The instructors altimeter is not always visually accessible, and is thus not always available to the student. The USPA BSR begins with "All students are to be equipped with the following..." It doesn't say their instructor should be equipped. Golly-gosh, we should really just do the right thing and give them an altimeter. It ain't that hard. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

In the United States the USPA BSR's require a visually accessible altimeter for all students. (See the SIM, page 8 (Parachute Equipment) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It varies, but as indicated by your use of quotes, you understand there is no "iron clad" waiver. In my experience most drop zones do include the instructor and other staff in the written waiver, but sometimes there can be conflict between who is a covered staff person, and who is an independent contractor. And, in the event of litigation the drop zone legal representative may not provide service to an instructor, and indeed the interests of the instructor and drop zone may be significantly different. And of course the rights and responsibilities of each party and the value of the waiver itself will vary from state to state. The best advice I can offer is to carefully read the waiver(s) at your DZ and see who is covered, and how that coverage is defined, then take a copy to your own lawyer. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy