obelixtim

From what you've said (and what I picked up on) I would rate your previous instructors as complete dolts, who should not hold any rating or have anything to do with students. I've trained zillions of students, and quite a lot of instructors as well, so I know what works....... and I've never ever told a student they should quit, or that they "can't do something". My approach has always been "you can do this, and this is how"...... If they tell students to quit, they're admmitting they are crap, and should quit instead.........I've seen too many whose approach is negative....they should be shot with a ball of their own shit!!!... The British system seems to breed particularly poor instructors.....negative all the time..... A poor instructor will blame his student for the problem, when in fact its obvious, if the student has a problem then the instructor can't instruct.... Any good instructor will know instinctively how to cure problems, and should always be postive in his approach to solving the problem..."you CAN do this, and this is how"....."well done"....Its not rocket science........ Take small, simple, "doable" steps, and things get easier.... time or progress is not the immediate issue...confidence, success and fun is what you need......the rest will follow naturally..... Try to get on an early jump load....waiting around on the DZ does nothing for the nerves. A sunrise jump starts the day off nicely (at some DZ's its cheaper too), and sets you up early in the day..... Try to do at least 4 but no more than 5 jumps a day, then your learning and progression is immediate and things stay fresh in your mind. Performance deteriorates when you do more than 5, through mental, if not physical fatigue.....one jump a day is almost a waste of time, if you have the opportunity to do more....... At your stage 5 jumps per day is plenty, and quite exhausting......get plenty of sleep, eat properly, and save the big booze up till your last day....turning up with a hangover is not a good way to start a day at the DZ...... but thats not to say a beer or two after jumping is bad, you can learn plenty by talking in the bar to other jumpers...just don't go getting smashed every night.....if you are keen other jumpers will be keen to help....if you sit in the corner you'll be ignored...... Finish the day with an easy, low stress, simple freefall and do nothing except enjoy the view....it means you finish the day successfully and in a positive mood that sets you up for the next day nicely..... Don't worry about HAVING to complete all your AFF stages, it only adds unneccessary pressure and creates a sense of underachievement and failure if you don't get all the way through....lots of small successful targets are better, and if you do those OK then everything else will take care of itself..... Go for it......and enjoy yourself..... as I'm sure you will..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Its not all your fault....If you did 27 SL jumps then your instructors were crap and bear responsibility for damaging your confidence...... If the student hasn't learnt....the teacher hasn't taught......get some new ones... Get yourself off to somewhere where there is a postitive attitude to skydiving...."Skydiving is a FUN thing to do"....and get stuck into it......California is good but there are other good places as well....Arizona for one.....weathers always good.... Just let your body completely relax, let the wind blow your arms and legs back like long hair does in a strong wind .....and you'll fall stable right down the pipe.....don't try to fight the wind....let it do the work......don't worry about sliding...easily fixed later......just try to fall straight down by finding and focussing on some feature on the horizon......a tree, mountain or something you can use as a visual reference... Conscious thought and awareness in the air during freefall...............think clearly....and be aware of what your body is doing in freefall...arms, legs and head back.....belly button closest bit to the planet....... It'll happen for you and you'll soon wonder what all the hassle was..........go for it.....!!!!! My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yep, thats a lack of very basic maintenance............ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

So how do you KNOW with such certainty the technical specifications of the gear he used??. Do you KNOW what is involved with test jumping any kind of prototype/experimental canopy or system??. Do you KNOW the planning that goes into any sort of non convential jump when it is carried out by an experienced and professional skydiver??. Judging by your comments, I would be surprised if you do.... Give Greg some credit....he isn't STUPID... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

If it didn't snap on opening, I can't see how it would snap once the canopy was open..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

"Even on a perfect swoop a line could snap"... What ARE you talking about?????... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

True, however on balance I think that they would solve far more problems than they create.......benefits outweigh costs equates with profit.........and in my experience the ratio would be 10 to 1 in favour....... I'll take that any day..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Totally agree.....If they prevent one splashdown only, then they are well worth it..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

So you obviously know Greg really well then....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah...well..an AAD fire could realistically be regarded as a bounce that didn't happen.... I would hope that the individuals who had them fire as a result of their incompetence then had their ratings removed......permanently.... No room for dickheads doing tandems.....(or any other skydives for that matter....) My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

So...no news lately on this machine.....thought I'd ask how everyones found it to date.....just to move the thread back up to the front as well...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The BPA thing will be to form a committee to look into it for 6 months, then make 100 recommendations about what should be done by someone..... Probably come up with a rule that inconvieniences the maximum number of people for the minimum amount of safety for the most amount of time..... Then find that nobody takes any notice of the rule apart from some poor sap of a student who complies, then gets bollocked for nothing.... True to form..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

My JM was kind enough to point out the local cemetery on my first jump.....I told him I'd see him there first....... JM's were a bit ruff'n'tuff back then.....but you listened to them carefully........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah, the young pups of today are a bit soft I reckon, they need to harden up a bit...... I really don't like the way they look at you when you tell them how it used to be in the good ol' days...... When we used to get out the door of a 172 at 500 feet, get a 10 way speed star together in 3.5 seconds, then get a stand up landing on the concrete under half a round parachute....... They have the cheek to suggest we're lying!!!!.......Sheesh...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

...."not having a go at riggers".... Then you procede to do so...... The notion that riggers are "above reproach" is a figment of your fertile imagination....as is the notion that they object to scrutiny........ I've never seen a rigger insist on privacy while working, unless you are a total pain in the butt distracting them from an important stage of a packjob where you disturb/break their concentration.... We all learn from others mistakes.....which is why very few mistakes are made compared to the amount of work done around the world...... If it wasn't for riggers there wouldn't be any skydiving done anywhere......the fact that skydiving is so popular, widespread and SAFE is testament to their dedication and professionalism.... Your generalisations are offensive, insulting and total rubbish....... I suggest you watch a rigger at work......you might even learn something.....but remove your blinkers first!!!...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I've trained quite a lot of people for their first jumps who have subsequently overtaken me in terms of jump numbers....(some have doubled my score). Do they have my depth of knowledge??...in their specialist field.....probably yes.... All round??....probably not...... You learn a hell of a lot just being around for a long time....meeting people and seeing things develop over time......witnessing and discussing events/ incidents/rules and regs/training/experimenting/testing/competing/etc etc etc.......it takes time, and the learning NEVER stops..... Its a maturity that develops over time..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Personally, coming from outside the US, I've always thought the liability laws in the US are crazy, way outside the boundaries of common sense, and are an unnecessary burden for everyone who tries to make things happen.....which is sad.... At what age can citizens of the US don uniform and expose themselves to the possibility of being shot full of holes in Iraq or other hotspots around the globe???.......16????.....and who is liable in this case....... Not sure of the answers here....just wondering about consistency if Government is involved.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, look at it this way then...... Who would you rather let your wife, mother, daughter, son, girlfriend/boyfriend go tandem with....... Bulletproof hotshot one year boy wonder........or.... Grizzled "been there, done that" 20 year veteran........ Not really a fair contest......or is it ??....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, I don't call mine a Molar strap....I call it a Death Strap....and I have only one of them.....my SOP is to remove it and have another jumper visually and verbally confirm it......usually its the owner of the rig.......it lives at the top of my toolbox....... One idiot hid it for a "joke" one time....but he soon thought twice about it when I closed the DZ till it was produced......I knew instantly it had been removed from my toolbox because I had my witness on hand to confirm I'd removed it from my last packjob.......... The idiot soon had a fairly sharp idea what I thought of his sense of humour.... I think riggers are pretty aware of the need for rigid SOP's, but I'm sure none would have a problem if you asked them what their SOP's for tools are........useful reminder for them....and shows that you're on your toes.......... I remember a pin left in a rig by a packer.......would have resulted in a total on the reserve.....found on a thorough gear check by another rigger......... Humans can make mistakes....which is why we have SOP's.......and the percentage of mistakes is very small as a result.......... Ask your rigger what his are.....you might be surprised at what he does if you don't know already.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Missing tools????....not if your rigger counts his tools out, and counts them back into his toolbox before and after each packjob......standard procedure....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I think adults are well able to make their own decisions as long as they are aware of all the ramifications of what they are getting into.... Most quacks have as much idea of skydiving as I do about nuclear physics.......i.e. none.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

A rig is an inanimate object......it doesn't know what day it is......and can't tell the time..... 180 days is about right.......generally..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Thats because Mickey Mouth is a Kiwi..... he's used to a 6 month cycle.......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The Poms are quite likely to make you do it anyway.......... Watch out for Brit DZ's.........most are run by total dickheads............go to Texel in Holland......... much better attitudes......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Sorry...looked at your profile after asking your DZ.......I'd already guessed Auckalofa........Mercer huh............... Where are you in Pomgolia?? (if thats where you're still are)...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....