AggieDave 6 #1 June 26, 2003 I was asked by some users on DZ.com, a couple weeks ago when I was in the RWS TM course, to post a sort of narrative on how I got to that point, so here's the post. As is the same with many jumpers out there, I love students. I thoroghly enjoy dealing with students and getting a chance to try to impart to them what was imparted to me. I look at it a bit like a "Sea Daddy" for skydivers. This came about due to a JM that I had when I started that did the same for me. He pulled me under his wing and tried to teach me everything he could. This was instilled in him when he started jumping back in the late 1960s. At jump number 35-ish, I started predominately freeflying, just enjoying it and didn't have a direction I really wanted to take skydiving. It was fun and I was just about having fun, along with learning as much as I could about the sport. I got jumpers with experience in areas that I wanted to learn about to jump with me or mentor me or both. The weekend after I hit jump 100 (March of 2002) I started jumping at Skydive Aggieland, it was their 2nd weekend to be open. The DZO/head instructor took me under his wing and helped me learn what I wanted to learn, just as others had done for me along the way. A couple months after that, I started packing full time for the DZ as a staff packer. Spending now more time on the DZ and getting more jumps, I was fully enjoying being around the students, even if I couldn't really help teach. I would help where I could, making sure that tandem students knew where to go and when to make the load, where to go to watch, talking to them/making them feel welcome, etc. At that point I knew I wanted to get my Coaches rating so I could start working with students. The problem is that my RW skills were pretty bad, since all I had done for the past 2 years was freefly. So I hooked up with a new Skydive U. coach on our DZ and he helped me work my belly skills up to get where I could pass the Coaches course (yes, they were that bad). I passed that course and was enjoying working with students, but I wanted more. I wanted to work with first jump students. There's something about the energy they have after their jump, the smiles and happieness that really fueled me up. The DZ desperately needed another TM so I talked to the DZO (who is also a RWS TM I/E) and he told me he would work with me to get me prepared for a TM course. Now the fun starts. I pretty much jumped my nutz off since on May 21, 2003 I would have 3 years in the sport and be elgable (atleast for years in sport) to take the course. The catch was I needed 150 jumps. So I jumped. Alot. I did quite a few H&Ps to add jump numbers too. Those weren't a total waste, though, since my canopy control improved greatly during this time. So, the first weekend in June, I had the jump numbers, I had the time in sport and the TM class started. The point is, this all started because I loved working with students and with the new (then new) USPA guidelines, a USPA Coach had to take non-licensed jumpers up after they were cleared for solos, thus I couldn't just take a student up for a 2 way or anything. So there came the Coaches rating, followed by the TM so I could work with first jump students. In July I'm signed up for a SL/IAD course and my goal now is to go through the AFF course next season (so I have time to train and practice for it). If you want to accomplish something in this sport, all it takes is dedication and a willingness to learn.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bwilling 0 #2 June 26, 2003 Quoteall it takes is dedication and a willingness to learn. and a buttload of cash! Congrats to you Dave, for all your efforts and hard work (and buttloads of cash!) You'll help make skydiving a better sport, because it has always been largely about the people, and not just the jumping! "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 June 26, 2003 That cash didn't just appear, though. I got it packing and doing other things specifically to raise money to work to my first rating and will continue to do that to work towards other ratings that I want.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bwilling 0 #4 June 26, 2003 QuoteI got it packing Yeah dude, and that is work! I don't even like to pack for myself! I can relate tho, when I first started jumping in 1978 ('back in the day', to you young kids), I threw many a student out of the back of a 182 to finance my jumping... "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyfrog 0 #5 June 26, 2003 Nice post, AggieDave. It's people like you that keep this sport alive. Too many skydivers forget that they were once students and looked up to an instructor just like yourself. And you're doing it for the right reasons. To give back to the sport what you got from it. I started doing tandems for much the same reason. My friends thought I was crazy, but for me, there is nothing quite like taking that newbie on their very first skydive ever. Such a great feeling, especially when they are so excited after the jump. It is every bit as fulfilling as other skydiving accomplishments, and when they come back and become licensed skydivers you get to see the fruits of your labor... A woman I took for her first jump at Chicagoland last season just made her 100th jump. Now THAT is cool! Your students are a lucky bunch of people to have an instructor like you. Keep up the good work, man! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminous 0 #6 June 26, 2003 Quoteand doing other things specifically to raise money anybody else just start thinking about Duece Bigalow? 'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Perky77 0 #7 June 26, 2003 Good Post Dave, and that is exactly why I want to get my Coach's rating. I love helping people learn. I just need to learn some more before I can really be a benefit to them. Perky "Sacrifice is a part of life. It is supposed to be. It's not something you regret . It's something to aspire to." Mitch Albom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #8 June 27, 2003 Great post Dave! Your story is proof that if you want something bad enough and are willing to work your ass off for it... you can do anything you want to do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites