IAMBuddha

I was at Summerfest in Chicago this year...loved it! With only 100 RW jumps to my name, I was hardly even invited to join the 108-way VRW debrief! :( But just seeing all the great talent around made me want to try FF. I have done 50 solo FF since. I don't see FF as dying, but expanding...however, I have been playing around with mixing FF/FS and belly in a single jump. Dive off the plane on my belly, hop into a sit, do some ballet type moves and get back into my sit to do a backward dive (almost gettting headdown) going into a back track, barrelroll, and then pulling high to play with canopy.....fun stuff!! Now if only I can find a way of doing this with a wingsuit on...hummmmm The biggest problem I have...where to fit into the exit sequence??? :)

"i'm pretty much everything but a "natural", and i've had many an issue with my landings in particular; that said, i've had my coach/instructor/mentor go things over with me over a beer. and when i brought up the "two-stage", he got kinda enraged..." Maybe he was enraged because you gave him piss beer to drink!? Next time, try talking to him when he is less inebri...inebra...inebriat...oh hell, drunk! ;)

I thought JohnMitchell had a valid point, "Why wouldn't you believe a tandem student (or any other student, novice or experienced) deserve a sober instructor/coach/rigger/etc? Would anyone, who is anyone, in skydiving think 'they' would NOT deserve one? Sounds like the USPA or FAA has no regluations on on the subject.

Because not everyone becomes an instructor for the purpose of "paying it forward" or the love of "teaching others safely"...obviously not, if they do not see heavy drinking/drugs as a safety issue for even themselves. Money is their goal. I suppose I should say "higher authority should equal greater responsibility and self control"

I am suprised that there have been so few posts or safety articles written about drug and alcohol use in skydiving, especially in regards to instructors who abuse these substances. Please note I say "heavy" use. As a recent student, I am concerned with the quality of instruction and the clarity of judgement that is given from someone who has been partying until 3-4 in the morning and get up only a few hours later to teach AFF or do tandems. Alcohol and drug use seems to be acceptable and part of the "cool" skydiving lifestyle, although, people's lives are literally in their hands. I don't believe any skydiver would fully trust their Reserve being packed by someone sh!tfaced or high - why accept lifesaving instructions from that same person? Again let me state, topping off a few brewskies is not a problem - even seeing the occasional joint I would not fret about - but, HEAVY use...at what point is too much? Higher pay (should)=greater responsiblilty and self control. This is only my opinion, however, I believe this subject has been largely overlooked.

How did you get Federal Aid for you/friends jumping? I have a problem with keeping my legs together and jumping too soon... all the normal student problems ;)