How old is "too old" to be an AFF Instructor?

[Tonto 1]

After AggieDave's poll on older drivers - I wonder how people feel about older AFF instructors as their reflexes, eyesight and motor skills deteriorate with age.

In Formula 1, 30 - 35 is considered prime. Most sports you're history at 30. Airforce pilots are retired from active duty at 40. Where does AFF instruction end?

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

You got my sympathy vote, old timer.....

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[flyhi 24]

Quote

Airforce pilots are retired from active duty at 40.

No they're not.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[Muenkel 0]

At my DZ, we have many AFF instructors of various ages. There's one in particular that for some reason got right through a brain fart I was having and gave me complete confidence. I would guess the guy is in his mid 50's.

Experience and knowledge comes with age. I would want that at a certain age, physicals are required. Actually, for instructors this wouldn't be a bad idea at any age.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[Tonto 1]

"No they're not."

I guess you're from the US...

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Tonto 1]

Physicals are required for Tandem instruction. If your AFF I is dual rated - they may be getting that physical anyway - but I agree. The outcome of others may rest on your performance.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Mpizi 0]

A lot of students at JSC with agree that you're not to old . Keep up the good work

[wmw999 2,583]

There isn't a "too old" for AFF instruction any more than there is for driving. There's just ages where individual judgement of ability is more likely to be needed.

When is that? Hard to tell with AFF instruction -- you get so much individual judgement anyway. But if you're still teaching at 60, you should probably pay attention if someone tells you that your reactions aren't what they used to be.

Of course, I have a friend who got his tandem rating at 59 or 60...

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Tonto 1]

It's not me I'm worried about! It's Simba!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[sunshine 2]

It all depends on the ability of the person. When i went through training 4 years ago, i had a jumpmaster that was in his 70's.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Tonto 1]

When I was 30, I figured... I'll be too old at 40.

Now I'm 41, thinking - I was too dumb at 30..

But there are those around me upsizing canopies - and I'm going smaller... so I wonder - is it me?
Or is it them...


t

It's the year of the Pig.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I think it has more to do with the way you live your life. If you carry on like a twenty year old, then that is how your body is generally going to hold up. I can do quite a bit more crap at nearly 40 than I could do when I was 20, even 30. I am not sure what the cutoff will be for me, but my dad is 67 and still does tandems when there aren't any younger TM's around to haul the meat.

Chuck

[chuteless 1]

after the instructor gets to 85 yrs old, make him take a means test...like driving a car

[Michele 1]

Jim Wallace, grand maestro, is "old" (and I use that term loosely, mind you ) - and far more able to teach, both physically and mentally, than a whole lotta "younger" people.

If I had to do a tandem, I would ask Jim to take my life in his hands. If I had to do AFF over again, I would take from his school - just because of HIM...

And that is my opinion. There is not an "age", as Wendy says, it is far more individual than a number could possibly be.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[skygod7777 0]

i don't know, my 56 (well almost) year old dad just got his aff rated about a month ago. so i don't think it is really limited to age too much at all.

later

[bbarnhouse 0]

ya crack me up! All I have to say is...when ya get to be as old as I am...you can do just about anything ya want

[Steel 0]

But if you're still teaching at 60, you should probably pay attention if someone tells you that your reactions aren't what they used to be.

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So I take it you're under 60, Right? Screw those old people over 60 their senses are down already isn't that right?
But seriously I must say that I don't believe good instruction is mostly about good vision or great skill but more about a pleasant attitude.
When getting my pilot license I went through several intructors. One moved away, two I couldn't stand and twice I switched schools to save money. I found that without any doubt, I was much more likely to bounce on that runway (when learning to land) if on the right seat I had what I considered to be and ass+*le waiting for me to screw up so he could feel better about himself. Meanwhile with an instructor that gave off the impression of only wanting to teach tricks that he had learned through previous experience (ex. look down the runway not out the side, set up high, maintain a 500 feet descent rate, etc.), with this kind of instruction I found my landings were far more likely to grease in. I think age has a tendency to create the latter attitude but that is not to say that some people aren't simply born one way or the other.

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[tbrown 26]

Old enough to know better, I suppose.

Don't know how old Jim Wallace, but he's no kid and the guy totally rocks !

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[hookitt 1]

42... definately 42... Sorry man. You're over the hill.
-

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[Blahr 0]

No such thing as "Too old"

Its different from one person to another.
In my mind, the longer someone has been in the sport the more likely they are to have some wisdom that I want.

People should be checked for their physical condition
if they are doing something that might possibly impact
on someone elses physical wellbeing. If its found that their physical condition could possibly put another person at risk, they cant continue doing that.
These physical requirements should not be age dependant.
I know some 60 year olds in better condition than some 30 year olds.
I, at 38, am in FAR better physical condition than I was at 25 or 30. No contest.

There is a big difference between too old and too infirm

[Sebazz1 2]

I think the day an instructor stops learning, developing their flying skills skills and fine tuning their teaching methods...

Is the day you're too old to be a AFF - I.

That being said everybody ages differently.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"I think the day an instructor stops learning, developing their flying skills skills and fine tuning their teaching methods...
Is the day you're too old to be a AFF - I."

Sebazz...definitely the best answer.
Noice.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[wmw999 2,583]

Quote

Screw those old people over 60 their senses are down already isn't that right?

No, that's not right. At all. But if a bunch of people begin to tell you that your reaction times aren't what they used to be, then you owe it to your students to at least consider what you can do to deal with that.

If someone drinks too much, and is hung over in the mornings, should he listen if people tell him that his drinking is affecting his jumpmastering?

If someone is losing their vision, but it's not gone yet, when do they quit driving?

Anything you have successful experience in, you're going to resist quitting doing. Really. Especially if you can still do it as long as all of the conditions are right. But some things you can't control the conditions, and those are where you need to either deal with limitations, or quit. And sometimes it takes someone else telling you.

And when I get to where my driving is impaired, I hope I'm smart enough to recognize it, but who's to say I won't be pigheaded, driving 40 mph down the freeway because I can deal with that speed?

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[leroydb 0]

i think it depends on the individual....
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Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...