fencebuster

My DZ provides a frap hat and altimeter to each tandem student. I wear a Bonehead Guner. Most, but not all, of the TIs at my all Sigma Tandem DZ wear helmets. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I believe the FARs require you to report a material change in physical condition. No time to look it up in the Airman's Information Manual right now, but I am pretty certain that there is a duty to report as a condition to being issued the medical certificate. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

A prank where the only one not in on the joke was the student who was terrorized on his first and probably only skydive. Brilliant! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Well, I am just a brand new TI, and an AFFI for less than a year, but my opinion is that no instructor should purposefully terrorize a student. You never know, had the guy been provided a professional experience, he might have decided to become a skydiver. I suspect he has no interest in that now. We need to keep in mind, I think, that the skydive is the tandem student's skydive and that the student is not a tool for our own amusement or the amusement of some third party willing to pay to terrorize the student. Our job is to provide a professional, safe, and fun experience for the student. What was done to the student was probably not "unsafe" but I don't believe it was either "professional" or fun for the student. That's my personal opinion but I think the very experienced TIs at my DZ would probably agree. 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, which has a robust student program, new AFFIs are mentored and gradually progress. You do a bunch of CAT A and CAT B on the reserve side; then you progress to Mainside CAT A and CAT B. Everntuially you go on a CAT C 2 JM jump with the release and when you prove yourself on enough of those, you get to fly mainside CAT C and finally solo CAT C single JM jumps. The process took me the whole summer, which is about as it should be, I suppose. My skills got better; the staff knew my capabilities and I was assigned appropriate students to progress my Instructor capabilities. I still have plenty to learn and I expect that every student is going to try to kill me or himself and I prepare for the jumps with those expectations. When they go well, that is just a bonus. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I have the good fortune to work at a DZ that follows the ISP. We are focused on getting students their A license and being heads up, safe skydivers, not just getting them to self-supervised status. Our DZ pays coaches well and they are respected as important cogs in the development of our students. DZs do not follow the ISP and that focus on getting students to self-supervised status and not A license are doing a disservice to their students. Our coach students G & H pay for 8 coach jumps and they get the benefit of that important training. DZs that don't account for CAT G & H are shortchanging their students, and that is a fact. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Yeah . . . forgetting to set the drogue is pretty basic. I hope he is not endangering the lives of other tandem students. That is all I have to say about that. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I just received my TI rating, about 5 months after getting my AFFI rating. I find tandems to be much more stressful because they are wedded to you whether you like it or not. You can do everything right and the student can still do a pretty good job of killing you, while in AFF if it goes bad, you pull for the student and debrief the "why" on the ground. Every tandem is stressful for me and I hope that gets a little better with experience. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I agree that the most significant weakness of the ISP is the lack of real, effective canopy training. I work at a DZ where the guy on the radio is a superstar, so we have few issues. But, notwithstanding my good fortune and recalling my concerns, they all revolved around canopy flight. We were well, if not excellently prepared for free fall stuff, but canopy was largely a mystery, even after I was off radio and thought I knew something. I recently received my tandem rating and I think the weakness in that training, like AFF, relates to canopy stuff as well. I think I am prepared to deal with the issues in free fall, but you never know. I saw a situation this weekend under canopy that made me wonder what I would do and I spent alot of time talking to the "experts" at my DZ. Bottom line, in my view, is that you need to be prepared on every skydive for a student that wants to kill you and will enthusiastically make every effort to do so while you fight it to ground zero. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I work at a DZ where the "pre-paid" cost of the AFF program takes the student all the way from Jump 1 to A license. Too many DZs market themselves to simply get the student to self-supervised status and after CAT E and self-supervision, the student is "on his own." Yup, the extra cost of taking a student all the way through the ISP to CAT H and the A license may result in less people signing up for the pre-payment option, unless you explain the difference in what the student is getting for his/her money, but the student also knows that the entire staff, AFFIs and Coaches will be there to answer questions, jump with them in CAT G & H and generally help them succeed in attaining their A license. The ISP doesn't end at CAT E and we should not leave it to the student to negotiate his own way to CAT H and the A license. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I am not a TI but I am an AFFI at Skydive Orange, VA, and every tandem student is provided with an altimeter by the TI's before they jump at Orange. I have been to other DZs and wondered why they did not give altimeters to their tandem students. The original idea of a tandem was to introduce the sport to a prospective skydiver in a manner that allowed for freefall. Learning to be altitude aware is pretty important and I would think you should introduce the student to that key piece of equipment from day 1. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I agree. JWB is the best. Quote Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I recently became an AFFI but I was using a video for coaching Gs and Hs in the ISP. I have a Go Pro Wide on one of my helmets. It weighs about 5 ounces and if I remember to turn it on it is an invaluable teaching aid. Student talks through the jump, instructor debriefs the jump and then we go to the video. It is a great tool. It is completely unobtrusive but if I remember to turn it on it is worth a thousand words. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

My initial reaction was -- wrong exit order. With reasonable upper winds and assuming the plane is flying into the reported winds, belly fliers will drift farther down-wind than free fliers and with the exit order in this caase could end up drifting over the FF group/s who exited earlier. Belly fliers should exit first -- largest group to smallest as the biggest group will have the greatest drift because they have the most surface area for the winds to affect. FF next, largest group to smallest group/solo. My other concern is direction of track. A two way should turn and track each 90 degrees off jump run, not necessarily 180 from each other without accounting for the direction of jump run. You do not want to turn 180 in order to find yourself tracking up or down the jump run into another group either before or after you. It sounds like this DZ lacks some fundamental understanding of the effects of upper level winds and the effects they may have on different disciplines and group sizes. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Chris Santiago, a Skydive Orange (VA) friend and Board of Director member passed away suddenly and without warning last week at his home. It was a shock for all of the Orange family. His humor, freindship and dedication to making Orange a safe place will be missed. A good friend has gone to a better place. Blue skies, Chris. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I just earned my AFFI rating at Orange, Virginia, with CD Steve Hetrick. I had the benefit of great AFFI's who helped me prepare for the in air skills in advance of the course. That informal "precourse" was critical to my success because our three days of Pre-course were essentially rained out and all four evaluees decided to go "hot" when the weather turned favorable. As has been alluded to above, being prepared for the flying skills is essential to be successful in an AFFI rating course. I paid for alot of slots for practice with video to learn how to do it right. My "precourse" AFFIs gave me very challenging circumstances to work and when I got to the evaluation skydives, I was ready and not too stressed. Steve's course provided plenty of "teaching," excellent debriefs, and quality evaluators. The evaluators were fair and positive in their outlook and mentoring. The atmosphere was positive and conducive to learning, even when I found myself with an auto-Unsat on a mental error. The evaluators and CD all were part of a team that was designed to help the candidates succeed, assuming the candidate met the standards. Mine was a very positive experience and I am now enjoying my "breaking in period" making CAT A and CAT B reserve side no release jumps and learning to emulate the guys (and girls) who trained me not so long ago. Talk to Steve Hetrick if you want a positive experience in a fun environment to earn your AFFI rating. But come prepared! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I received my AFFI rating last week at Orange, VA. I worked to get the Coach rating as soon as possible after I completed the A license because I love jumping with students and new skydivers. Since I becme a Coach, I spend alot of time jumping with students and new A license holders. That really helped me because fall rate was my weak point. I did some RW to work on slot flying, but mostly, I would do 2 way or 3 ways with new A license holders and work on simple stuff, being careful about my fall rate adjustments (I am a big guy and slow fall is not my forte) and trying to fly a good close position. At about 5 hours of free fall, I bought the IRM and started looking at the AFFI rating requirements and practicing the skills required to get the rating. I did alot of fall rate jumps with AFFIs with large ranges of fall rate, bought a better suit with more drag and then practiced some more. I bought alot of slots to get the instructors to jump with me, but I learned a heck of alot. I also invested in taking vidiots along when they were available. I was fortunate that I had a group of great instructors who were willing to help me learn, practice and critique me. I received my AFFI rating with 435 jumps and look forward to continuing to Coach and instruct new jumpers. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Steve Hetrick at orange, VA, is great. I did the Coach course with him and it was completely fair. I am doing the AFFI with him in May. Knows hiS shit and does not play games. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Has anyone used a Sony HC 32 video camera for skydiving? If so, can you tell me what stepdown ring to buy and what wide angle you recommend for such a camera. I'd also like a suggestion on a good camera helmet that works with the camera. Thanks for any help you can provide. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I bought my Guner after 6 jumps and I immediately noticed the difference in free fall. It was much quieter than the student helmest provided by the DZ. The fit was good and I never baked it. My model has the newer chin strap and it is very secure. The finish was a bit of a disappointment -- as a student, every non-stand-up landing seems to leave a mark on the exterior. I had a run in with a fence and a very hard landing in which my third point of contact with the ground was my head, and the helmet was very durable and protected me from injury -- clearly a good thing. Overall, I am very satisfied, but the manufacturer should do something to make the exterior finish more durable.