skydivermom 0 #1 June 25, 2005 I am just about to start AFF next month. Did my first tandem in April for my birthday. My seven year old son is just ecstatic about the whole thing and as of now wants to take up skydiving. He keeps asking me if he can take his first dive attatched to me. At this point my goal is to get my A license so I can just go jump by myself and have fun. I don't know if I will want to progress to other levels later on, but something concerns me. I'm 5"1 and 115 lbs. How in the world will I be able to take others on a tandem as most grown people are taller than I am? Does this have anything to do with it?Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #2 June 25, 2005 I've seen some small girls do tandems, but none as small as you. Most people don't become tandem instructors or even AFF instructors and instead just have fun in the sport. Those that do earn ratings usually pick those ratigns they are best suited for. Its really hard for someone as little as you are to do tandems due to the longer flare ranges of the tandem canopies, the more strength required to fly and land among other factors. On the other hand AFF might be ideal since you'll have a large range to fly your body witth. First go out and get the 500 jumps to be a tandem instructor or the 6 hours freefll to do AFF then decide what you want to do if you even want to instruct Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travman 6 #3 June 26, 2005 There is a guy at my DZ who is quite short (not sure exactly but couldn't be more than 5'4, probably shorter). He usually flys camera, but is also AFF and Tandem rated. Usually he gets paired up with the smaller people, but he doesn't seem to have a problem. He is very experienced though, 6000+ jumps I believe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 644 #4 June 26, 2005 We always need smaller PFF instructors to jump with smaller students. In comparison, my 6 foot height and 190 pounds is near the upper size limit for long-term instructors. I have to hand off the smallest freefall students to smaller instructors because I have difficulty "floating" with lighter students. I have worked with several tandem instructors who were only 5'6". Their lack of muscle forced them to finese students around the sky. Funny, the older I get, the more and more I focus on talking students around the sky. In the long run, the best instructors use more finese than muscle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #5 June 26, 2005 Thanks for the info! Right now the thought of taking a passenger with me scares me to death, as I guess it should. Sounds like too much responsibility anyway, but I will have a blast earning my license and then just spending some of my Saturdays jumping!Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
