hekle

I watched all this from the ground. I have never seen a jumper spinning on his back so close to the ground. And I froze up. I realized it could have been me in freefall thinking I'm watching my student go in and lock up just like I did on the ground.

I'm sorry for the emotional outburst. This is my first time knowing a little about a topic here. I know I owe beer.

Its good to know the assholes know who they are. I'm also glad to learn how much hand signals could have fixed the situation. But the truth is, this was a very good learning aid for people who want to improve themselves as coaches and instructors, and not just belittle and berate an individual who chose to take on the huge responsibility of holding an instructional rating. The mistakes made in this situation started on the ground and were made by more than just the coach. This "student" was an experienced D licensed skydiver making a SECOND re-currency jump. So certain assumptions were made. It is correct to state that this individual should not have been placed with a coach but thats the luxury of hind sight. The coach was told this jumper was a little rusty but not unsafe. I too find it difficult to understand how he was able to demonstrate ability enough to be placed with a coach after his FIRST re-currency jump, but he must have, because, while our instructors may demonstrate some tact and consideration, they are not in the habit of passing unsafe jumpers on to the coaches. I would still like to see this video posted for other coaches and instructors to learn from, but facebook was not the appropriate medium, and I doubt that the coach is ready for another round of merciless abuse.

I was always told "endsail closures and off heading openings were features not bugs"