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Deuce

Have you ever done a tandem?

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Yes. A group of young college girls came out to jump and they invited us to their party that night. I could not help myself!;) B| :P :)



Yummmmm.

I have done a couple of tandems. They were after I had 500 or so jumps. Can't say they are my favorite.

Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!!

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I've done 2. The first one was to help johnnyD get his rating, and the second was to help another friend get current.

That second tandem was a charm: exit was great, freefall was great, BUT on opening, the slider was stuck. The back side of the slider (rear grommets) did go all the way down, but not the front grommets, so the slider was at a 45 degree angle. That made the angle of attack of the canopy very steep and, therefore, not safe to land. To make a long story short, we made an unanimous decision to chop it.

I never thought I liked all-white canopies, until I saw that beautiful reserve.

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Nope. When I did my first jump I was of the opinion that tandems are for wussies. I didn't want my life to be in some guys hands.

I have since reconsidered this view, however and now think that if you're only ever going to do one skydive in life (crazy people) it should be a tandem, the experience is just more whole. (Plus you get a video!)

Gale
I'm drowning...so come inside
Welcome to my...dirty mind

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I have done one tandem as a passenger. When I got my Tandem rating it was a requirement to be a passanger for one jump. It was akward to not be in control. I really recommend tandems for most people for their first jump at least. You get to experience a skydive with little training and little responsibility. The AFF program requires far more attention and training with little time to just "enjoy a skydive". I think I had almost 750 jumps before I did my first tandem. One job that I would not care for is a tandem evaluator. Being ginnea pig for someone. Although someone did it for me (SBS:P) and there was serious apprehension when I asked for my rating.. "Jump with SEB?! F~kin kidding me;) NO way..........." J/K:ph34r:

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I did one at about 250 jumps for a friend who was getting his rating; I really didn't like the complete lack of control I felt ("hey! we're turning!" try to stop turn with no effect...). Did another during my rating course, then did 7 or 8 more after that with two friends who got their ratings when I did. No chicken handles on any of them, either. Would have to check my logbooks for exact numbers, but I've done roughly 9 or 10 as passenger, 114 as instructor.

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I've done 4. 2 several years ago and 2 in the last month. I haven't started jumping again since I broke my femur and I've been doing some tandems to try to determine if I really want to jump again. The verdice is still out. Somedays I know I want to and other days I get kind of scared. I'm sure if I had had a high jump number when I broke my femur, it would be a much easier decision. The last one I did was cool as hell. I had a bunch of freefliers on the dive with me. It was a blast.

Rhonda

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Would have to check my logbooks for exact numbers, but I've done roughly 9 or 10 as passenger, 114 as instructor.



What do you consider EXACT? with decimal places?


First 2 jumps were Tandem. It's a bit strange but I felt more nervous on the second than the first for some reason. Maybe cause I KNEW what would happen?
I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

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I have never done a tandem i did first jump school and straight to AFF Why waste money on a tandem IF YOU HAVE DREAMS OF FLYING you will know this is something you want to do , i have had 3 friends do the exact same thing i have had many friends do tandems and then there aff and many just do tandems for me i just never wanted to be that close to another man but hey thats just me:$

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Yes i did. Lookin back it was the most boring freefall i have done. But at the time it fricken rocked!!
I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

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I never have, and won't unless it's to help somebody get current or to get a Tandem rating



Me neither, never have and it would have to be someone VERY SPECIAL to me before I would even ride.

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is this unusual



I don't think so. We can't imagine giving up the control of the skydiving and canopy ride to someone else. I wanna fly, I don't wanna ride!

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I have never done a tandem.
Somebody did it with me to be correct.
Thinking back that was a mistake because I lost
something. I lost the feeling of MY first jump.
When I did my first static-line it was great, but I can imagine it is much more better for those who "did" not do tandem before -been jumped with-.

It is funny when tandem-passangers (ballast) say
WOW I have jumped out of an airplane.
Maybe I wrote it before -anyways it is a good stroy-

I was standing in the bar of Matkopuszta airport/dz
-www.matkopuszta.hu- and having my drink, when a
guy came in with his girlfriend. Actually I have seen somebody coming to the airport/dz with a Harley-Davidson. So this guy comes in brand new Harley shirt, Harley jacket, Harley boots etc. -asshole Harley wannabe-. Of course I wear army boots, second-hand army green overalls, you can imagine. Then his girl wanted to hug him
the guy says:

Hey, I come here to JUMP to kiss!

What a brave man, he come to JUMP, I wonder if he knows that he is not the one who is actually jumping.
You know sometimes I have a great respect for tandem-master. I could not deal with such patience,
with these assholes asking stupid questions, trying to look brave.
OK I know customers comes first, but it must be difficult for them, and they do not make millions of this business.

OVER

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>We can't imagine giving up the control of the skydiving and canopy ride to someone else

Ahhhh.... You just need to jump with a TM that will do HP landings with you.. Anmd besides most the TM's I've talked to hand the handles to the student for a while while they disconnect the leg straps and stuff. Just toggle hook it ;)

And drougless fall is pretty cool too from all acounts.... 180 on your belly with on one hanging on you.

I've got 4, and while uncomfortable compaired to student and then compaired to my own rig, they were great teaching platforms since the instructor was right there to explain all aobut the canopy and finding the DZ and stuff.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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My beer jump was a tandem, August 8th, 2000 - The next spring was the start of static line training -
When I see tandem students at the DZ I like to go up to them and say "Hey!!! Your rig fell off your back!! (sounding surprised and concerned-) I get some funny looks---!

Easy Does It

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Anmd besides most the TM's I've talked to hand the handles to the student for a while while they disconnect the leg straps and stuff.


Every one of my students had toggles in hand from the time the side straps were disconnected until the time all four of our feet were on the ground. Yeah, having them help with the flare added some risk to my skydives, but I found that a) having something to do under canopy helped lessen their fear level, especially with the really nervous ones; and b) because they were helping to fly the canopy they actually learned something about how it is done - since a tandem is supposed to be a "student training" jump, I thought it was important that the student go home with some actual experience flying a parachute...

Plus, those big ol' F111 mains I was jumping had hella toggle pressure - until I'd built up my upper body strength there was no way I could do more than one or two in a day if I'd had to fly and flare that monster by myself every time.

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