fencebuster

I have one of those "old" blue and white USPA stickers on my car. A guy saw it when I was sitting in a Dairy Queen drive through and followed me home to ask me about where I jumped. Turned out he was an "old skool" Orange jumper and the next weekend brought his rig to the DZ to get his reserve repacked and show his son all about skydiving. I have not seen the new sticker, but whatever it looks like, the old one is immediately recognizable to anyone who has been a jumper. Not sure this is such a brilliant marketing decision. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Come visit Orange. We have a robust student program, excellent gear and a Super Twin Otter to jump out of. From Chantilly, Orange is probably closer to 1:30: I-66 W to I-15 South to VA 20 East. We are getting ready to build a new dedicated skydiving hangar. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Remember your pull priorities from the SIM. That is what matters. Review pull priorities with your instructor. I deployed my main after becoming unstable on CAT C-1 right at pull time. Let's just say, my parachute opened, hard, and had to be cut away. I learned alot on that skydive -- the most important point being that I had been well trained by my instructors, handled the EPs, and landed safely on my Reserve. That was 1030 jumps or so ago. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I have been to plenty of DZs where the Tandem students are taught nothing and it is treated as a carni ride. All I am saying is that every person who walks through the door is a "student" and potential future skydiver and should be learning about the sport. Every tandem student gets an altimeter and we teach them to read it and hopefully look at it in droguefall. I teach on every student jump, including a Tandem where the student does not want to participate in practice touches, waive off, drogue release, or flying the canopy and I do my best to try to get that jumper to come back and try AFF. All I am saying is that I have been places where I have seen tandems treated as a money making carni ride by the staff. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

One tandem wonders are "tandem skydiving students." Even on the non-CAT A tandem, the instructor should still be teaching the student about the sport. The idea is to get the student interested in coming back and trying it out as a solo student. At lest that is the way we try to work at my DZ. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I tried a Mr. Bill at less than 200 jumps and it did't work out so well. My 260 sq ft canopy was spinning from 12K to 8K where I finally chopped it because I was graying out -- about to lose consciousness. I was loaded at about 1-1. I found my free bag and my canopy, but it was still Mr. Toad's wild ride and I didn't give the loss of the canopy one second of thought. Time to save my life. Period. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Concur. I tried one and it ended with a malfunction and cutaway, not to mention plenty of bruises on both of us as we kicked each other as we were torn apart. The more jumps I have, the lest stupid things I seem apt to do, fortunately. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Think fixed gear. Landing gear malfunction, repair, maintenance and just plain old, "I forgot to put them down" make retracts a poor choice for skydiving ops, in my view. Too many cyles and the more cycles, the more opportunity for failure/necessary repair. PAC or an Otter will save alot of headaches and a PAC has the advantage of doing it well, if not perfectly, on one engine with the savings in fuel costs a benefit. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

DSE and Matt: When you start your business, I'll apply. I agree with the idea that a DZ that looks professional has a pretty good chance of being evaluated as being professional. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Download the Skydivers Information Manual from the USPA website. Read the ISP and see what skills you have accomplished in the student progression to date and those you need to accomplish to receive your A license. Talk to your instructors about the skills you need to accomplish to complete the A license card and arrange to make those jumps with a USPA Coach or AFFI. Make those jumps, meet the standards and get your A license. If you read the SIM, you should know exactly what you need to know and accomplish at your stage of the progression. If it is still not clear, sit down with an AFFI and the SIM and have the AFFI explain it to you. Good luck and Blue Skies! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I agree, Matt. It is all about informing the "contractors" of the conditions of their status as contractors. Once they have notice, they comply or they are no longer DZ contractors. My DZ has thought about this, but not implemented it. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I just bought a slightly used Sigma with a PA 365 main. We'll see how it works out. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Oh yeah. By the way, I am the guy who puts our students through the hanging harness every day before jump ops. Shitty job, but I appreciate the training I received and how important it was to my survival on my CAT C-1. I am trying to make sure everybody is as confident as I was the day I needed to cut away. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I had my first cutaway on my second AFF (CAT C-1) due to trouble finding my hackey at deployment time. Hard opening; broken steering lines. Bad scene, but the training kicked in. Not square, not controllable, not landable = cutaway. I kept trying to convince myself i didn't need to cut away until 3500 and then I told myself to "man up" and you will make the decision by 3000 feet. One last controllability and landability try told me it was cutaway time and I did it -- just like I was taught. I had two more in the next 100 jumps and the first one taught me to trust the gear and my rigger; don't fight a malfunction. Cut it and debrief. I have 4 cutaways and one reserve ride (couldn't reach my hackey on a small rig) and I totally trust my gear. Malfunction -- EPs and cutaway if required. Period. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I jumped at Pacific Skydiving Center and it was a great experience. I had about 500 jumps when I went there. The landing area is good, but like DSE says, there are few outs and the winds are challenging, but constant. It is hard to think of a more picturesque venue to make a skydive. Next time, I am going to rent a house on the North shore so I don't have to drive across the island each day. When I was there they had a PAC 750. A nice new fast jump plane. SKydive Hawaii was jumping a Caravan at the time. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I concur that it is pretty DZ specific. The longer you have been off, the more conservative your instructors are likely to be. At my DZ, you would have a good EP session in the harness, drilling to perfection. After you had completed EPs, you could expect a thorough brief of some sort of step-back review skydive -- possibly some sort of a hybrid Cat D/E with harness hold exit, depending on what your log book showed about your progression prior to the lay-off. Your instructors will guide you on the recurrency; they know you best and they know what is likely to be best for you, given your experience and your progress before the layoff. Good luck with it! Next winter, head to one of the boogies in FL or AZ. It is a great way to meet people, fly with more experienced people organizing jumps and learn about the sport. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

+1 Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

At my DZ, no ID, no jumpy. A good rule. Then, you don't have the issue of the negligence in not identifying the fake ID. The issue of a fake ID would be relevant in the follow-on lawsuit. The 17 year old would have procured the jump by fraud and would then complicate the facts substantially. I wouldn't want to predict how it would work out. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Happy Birthday! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

IF lawyering didn't pay so well, I wouldn't be doing it, believe me. Stick with Nuclear Engineering. Much less boring, I am sure. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Hey, it pays for my skydiving and all my cool gear. No apologies from me. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

What you wish the law shopuld say is irrelevant. 17 year olds can not sign a valid waiver. And parents or legal guardians cannot bind a 17 year old. Simply stated, a waiver signed by parents or guardians for a 17 year old is worthless. whether you wish it were so or not. And, yes, I have graduated from law school and been engaged in the practice of law for 25 years. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I concur with Dan. I had a brake fire on opening at about 200 jumps. Broke the right steering line but the toggle stayed in its keeper. Landed on rear risers without incident -- a choice I probably would not make now that I have much more experience without any injury. Good work . . . pay homage to your rigger! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Come jump with me at Orange, VA. I am a "fast faller" big guy AFFI. It is up to the instructor to make the skydive work. I routinely opt out of AFF jumps where it is obvious I will have difficulty staying with a "floaty" student. By the same token, I am the school's go-to guy for the big students and fast fallers. Matching the student with the most appropriate instructor and both dressing for success is the key. When you get off of student status, get yourself a Deepseed multispeed suit and ask for it to be extra baggy. A little pricey, but very well made and durable suit. I have two of them and I am very happy with them. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Ask an AFFI or TI what pattern is preferred/required at the DZ you are jumping. I-s generally give pretty good gouge. At a new DZ (or an old one for that matter) keep your head on a swivel. I have seen a canopy collision and the aftermath with one of my students. You never want to be in one. Period. Keep your eyes open and fly your canopy like your life depends on it because it does. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures