riggerrob 643 #26 September 6, 2009 "QuoteI just received my TI rating, about 5 months after getting my AFFI rating. I find tandems to be much more stressful because they are wedded to you whether you like it or not. You can do everything right and the student can still do a pretty good job of killing you, while in AFF if it goes bad, you pull for the student and debrief the "why" on the ground. Every tandem is stressful for me and I hope that gets a little better with experience." ....................................................................... Funny! I had the opposite reaction, after I held a tandem rating for a decade. It was late in a Progressive Freefall Certification Course, when the Course Conductor gave me the option of doing another "eval" dive or a "low stress" tandem. I opted for the "low stress" tandem with a tall, fat. lazy, stupid, unstable ... tandem student. Tee! Hee! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheCaptain 2 #27 September 7, 2009 A really good tandem instructor told me once after I got my tandem rating, get big and out fly your student. I am tall and for my first 100 tandems, I ankle locked my students and flew with my upper body, after that I learned that my biggest tool was my legs (from an incredibly talented shorter instructor)and I have never ankle locked a student again. If you get down to the basics find clean air and fly the skydive you will be fine, trust in yourself and the gear. Kirk He's dead Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bclark 0 #28 September 7, 2009 QuoteA really good tandem instructor told me once after I got my tandem rating, get big and out fly your student. I am tall and for my first 100 tandems, I ankle locked my students and flew with my upper body, after that I learned that my biggest tool was my legs (from an incredibly talented shorter instructor)and I have never ankle locked a student again. Testify! I have seen smaller TI's fight and struggle with their students, all the while they forget they supposedly knew how to fly before they got the rating. I have also seen TI's of the same size and stature fly big and aggressively, and rival the best of us "long" guys. And I will mention names: DONNIE LEACH. Too bad this sawed off bastard is not still doing tandems to show the rest of you whiners that it is a matter of skill over stature. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #29 September 7, 2009 Quote A really good tandem instructor told me once after I got my tandem rating, get big and out fly your student. I am tall and for my first 100 tandems, I ankle locked my students and flew with my upper body, after that I learned that my biggest tool was my legs (from an incredibly talented shorter instructor)and I have never ankle locked a student again. If you get down to the basics find clean air and fly the skydive you will be fine, trust in yourself and the gear. TOTALLY agree --- fly your body, stop screwing with the student! steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #30 September 7, 2009 Quote I correct most passengers not because I have to but because I am there for 45 to 60 seconds and have little else to do after my handle checks. LOL True enough. Hey, I'm a skydiving "instructor." I brief my students of how I might give corrections to their body position for a "smoother freefall." A tap on the thighs means "arch more, put legs up higher." I can out fly a crappy passenger, but with a little instruction, I find I usually don't have to. Much more enjoyable for everyone. Under canopy, I also show them how to check canopy, find the DZ, and steer the canopy. I try to make it more than just a thrill ride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris74 0 #31 September 7, 2009 +1 , I usually do the same Blue skies Taz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
