aironscott

Although it is legal for you to not jump with an AAD, please get a Cypres. Then forget that its there (except for when you turn it on in the morning - remember that much). It's such a relatively cheap insurance policy. I know that you want to jump jump jump but its much smarter to save your jump ticket money, or pack some rigs for money and get that Cypres on your back. Cuz you just never know....... Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Depends on the camera person. There are a few out there that I've worked with that I enjoy doing some fun stuff with. You know who you are (Pope, Roland, Ash, Hoyt, Willspeed, etc.)Anybody but Strauss.... But for the most part I'd rather keep it simple and just do it by the numbers. I get more scared the first few times I jump with an unfamiliar camera man than I ever do jumping with a student. If it makes you uncomfortable on any level, just say no. When you are feeling stress, the students feel it as well. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

As usual Mel got it right. But I am begging to ask the question.....Looks like you posted at about noon on Saturday. Shouldn't you be doing something else right about now? Bro - get out of the loft and get into (and out of) an airplane. Too bad you're on the other coast. We had a kick ass bluegrass festival right across the road from our dz this weekend. cya aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Way to recognize that you were somewhat incapacitated and not exactly ready to jump. Its not like its your first day anyway. I've never gone to a doctor because of it but I've had a couple of hard tandem openings where I felt like I had a concussion. Sleepy, nausea, loss of balance.... you know the drill. Best move is to take a seat on the couch and ride it out. I'm guessing (and hopefull) that you'll be fine tomorrow. In the meantime have a couple of shots for me. That always seems to help

Oh yeah! What a great idea the Crapapult was. One pilot chute on one side of you and the other wrapped around you on the other side cuz you cutaway from a spinner and tumbled through reserve deployment. And now you got nothing to extract the freebag and reserve canopy cuz its all wrapped around you. Get over it. The catapult was a great idea that wasn't thought through very well. Sorry for the harshness but I put that cat right up there with the old Racer RSL and some of the other all time bad ideas. Otherwise the Reflex isn't a bad rig. In fact they make me good money because a bunch of riggers out there shy away from packing them. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Well played. And I won't remind the dz.commers exactly how many riggers you needed in your early days. Or why. Peace “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Not only that Martin - but what is to stop you from taking the hand cam on every jump. Whether or not the student agrees to pay for it before the jump, they are goint to buy it at least 1/2 the time even if they are unsure about the purchase before hand. And the TM is going to be on the jump anyway. So take the handcam with you. Why not? If you are doing handcam at your dz, do it every time. There is no reason not to. Aaron P.S. I still believe that outside video provides the best freefall shots for the students. But I also believe that handcam is the wave of the future and as our cameras get more and more capable that performance gap will get more and more closed. This is (of course) unless David Hoyt is shooting outside video. Then it can't ever be beat. You owe me $5 Dave. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

If I remember correctly my reserve pack jobs worked great for you. So did Todd's. That makes at least two around here that you should be able to reccomend. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

That's not necessarily true Rob..... If you forget to do anything else but tighten the laterals down super tight, the student should be fine. If you forget to do anything else but tighten the leg straps super tight, the student should be fine. If you forget to do anything else but tighten the MLW super tight, the student should be fine. If you even forget to clip the shoulder attachments and you've done the latterals super tight, the student should be fine. No offense to anyone but its kind of hard to fuck these harnesses up. Hence the incredibly low rate of incidences with them. Don't be afraid to tighten any strap down on the harness. In fact I reccomend it. Remember Safety 1st, comfort a far distant 2nd. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Flyability and landability are the same. Somantics. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Bushman is aware of the problem and is soliciting riggers and instructors for opinions on why this is happening. Are you using Strongs in MOAB? Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Cool footage - thanks for posting it. Everyone out there should know - and you have the video proof - that you can clear many lineovers. Hookit I usually tend to agree with you but that looks like it was the tail through the break lines above the cascade. I could be wrong and I'll watch it a couple of more times to try to be sure. Either way you did the right thing Beavis. Well done. Again thanks for sharing that. Aaron By the way. what did you get pied for Calentine? “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Gary- I'm 100% with Clint on this one. No offense but you should re-think your tandem program and include tightening the laterals very tight. Any other tandem I reading this should have no doubt in their mind that there should be no loose laterals in drouge fall. The tighter the better - period. I'm not a big fan of blanket statements like that but I can make that one with complete and total confidence. As far as your poll goes Clint, I unhook the laterals after all is well with a good canopy. I prefer to be able to unclip my students quickly upon landing. That way they can hug me faster. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

-Atleast if there was some DZ wide policy like this it would take away some responsibility and pressure off the TI. - This is the best reason to have some policy in place. Whatever it is. BMI, height/weight, height/waist, whatever. One of the least pleasent things that a TI has to do is tell someone that they do not fit the physical profile necessary to jump. Sometimes they accept it willingly and other times they cry discrimination against fat people (or old people, or stupid people, etc). We have other such policies in place. No drunks, no druggies, no physical infirmaties. Why not a no BMI of 30 something+? I'm with you Karen, if it would make it easier to tell someone that they can't make a tandem then each dropzone should instute a police that works for them on that subject. Personally I'll still make the call on a student by student basis, but I want the DZ to say no first. Then I don't have to look like the bad guy. Aaron P.S. Hope all is well with you. Its been a while. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Eloy “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Toggle whipping and toggle turning are two very different things. Anyone worth their salt knows the difference. If you don't Please go somewhere else. If you come to my DZ I will indeed try to educate you properly. If you don't get it you won't be here long. I luv charles darwin I don't like Strongs, Racers, Sets or any else of the stupid old shit for a reason. Cuz they suck. If you bring some of that stupid shit to my DZ you will be encouraged to go down the road. Technology is good. Why are we not all jumping Icirus or sigma or A2's. If youare not, you are not affording your students the best that we have to offer. Do you want to take that to court? I can “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Bill- I'm am not trying to get in a pissing match with you. I've done this a few times and my guess is that you have as well. What i am saying is that I can do tandems however the hell I want. And so can any other TM/I with over 1000 tandem jumps. Please don't tell me not to hook it in.I usually don't anyway. But sometimes its my best option. AND I am the best resource for the conditions of the day. No offense but you are not. Not today nor tomorrow. If you would like to walk a mile in my shoes the invitation is extended. Or you can call me 720-840-1189 P.S. I just read my post and it sounds fairly offensive. I didn't mean it that way. But I hope you learn something from my typed words. If not there is still time

But Billvon- What is being suggested here is that I should land straight in tandem landings because they are someway, in someone's opinion, safer. And that's just a bunch of crap. What I do well may not work for someone else. And just cuz someone thinks that they are are authority on the subject does not mean they've walked a mile in my shoes. And anyone who would like to tell me how to tandems can FUCK right off. That's harsh but that's how I feel. People that I work with that have experience that I don't have, i tend to listen to. And there is alwayse some more experienced at the dz. I've only done a few thousand tandems but I do not think that it makes me an authority on the subject. But it does tell me that I've done a few thousanf tandems. And lots of people that I work with have done thousands of tandems as well. So its not my first day.Nor will tomorow be. Denny Crane “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

What, are you new at this? You sure are typing like you are. I don't know anyone who front risers a tandem landing. Lots of us have tried and its just too hard. You know this. And its a poor example of what your point may be. My object for this conversation is that Many of us TI's can and will utilize techniques that are available to us given our skill and competency level. I don't disrespect other experienced TIs that do things different than I do even if I think it's wrong. If you have the experience and the knwoledge.....do what you are going to do. Heck, I may learn something from you. But don't tell me what I can't do. I've paid my dues and I can use any landing technique that I please. But here again it comes down to experience. I will tell a relatively inexperienced tandem I to not hook even when I do it right in front of them. But once said tandem I has a 1000 or more tandem jumps I'll just help them out. By that time they have also paid their dues. Back to the topic (and I apologise for my digression) I feel that I am much safer landing a modern tandem canopy with the extra speed via hook or stall surge, than a straight in landing. These parachutes are not designed for a novice user. There is a reason that USPA requires us to have 3 years in the sport and 500 jumps. (which, in my opinion is too low) But the point is that you have to know how to fly already. And so do you. Tandem Instructors should not be skydivers needing to attend a canopy control course. Denny Crane “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I was right. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Way to bring a little relativity and logic to the thread Dave. I haven't finished reading this thread but I'm guessing someone below will not agree with your commen sense attitude. Denny Crane “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Its only more risky if you don't know what you are doing. (And i am not implying that you don't cuz I don't know you) But the more speed I have to trasnition to lift on landing the safer I can exicute a proper landing. Its a simple equasion that I'm sure you are familiar with. (no harshness intended) However, when extra speed is gained via a hook or a double break approach, I had better know what I am going to do with it or the potential risk for a bad landing increases. On the other side of the coin is if I don't have the speed, and I need it, its probably too late to get it. Given the modern tandems that we have been able to use the last few years it only makes sense to learn how to utilize their abilities. Just leave the EZ'z, SETs and the f-111s in the museum. Aaron anyone else notice that I am way to into this thread? “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I agree- Not flying a parachute to the end of its potential flight is a problem that I see with people over and over again. I think that I spend more time coaching against that than any single other thing in skydiving. Its human nature to reach out to stop your fall when you are falling. When landing a canopy that action just makes you fall harder. And just because you have come in contact with the ground while flying a parachute, doesn't mean that the parachute (and your body) are done flying. Its definently an issue that doesn't get its fair due. Denny Crane “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

That's cool. Its all good. We could probably sit down over some beers and discuss your ideas and my ideas and have a hoot! Can't do it properly over the internet though, I can't type that fast. Blues and hooks(if you should), Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Stratostar- It seems to me (and please correct me if I am misreading you) that you are calling for a "Canned" tandem protocol. Where all we do is exit stable, do a 360 left, a 360 right, pull at 5000', left turn pattern and straight in landing. Or whatever the protocol may be. But as you well know that is not feasable. As Des said above, sometimes a hook turn is compulsary given the conditions of the day. As others have said on this thread is that there is a degree of TI experience and ability that needs to be factored in. Along that line of thought I could not agree more that newer, less experienced tandem instructors should first learn stable exits and simple proceedures for tandem jumps, but once a person becomes proficient in the fundamentals of tandem jumping they should indeed begin to explore more advanced manuvers. Some days i gotta hook as it can be the most safe way to land at the time. But when I was new at this it wasn't. Most of the time I'm a double breaker, but some days the hook is the way to go. Either way its ultimately my decision based on my knowledge and skills and my determination of what is best for the conditions at the time. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”