JohnMitchell

Parts of that dive went very well. You had 5-6+ seconds where you were on heading and very stable. Your unintentional turn was slow, not a fast spin, which is good. It's sometimes hard to tell with the wide angle lens used on helmet cams, but it looks like maybe your legs are spread too far apart. This can interfere with a good arch thru the hips. It looks like that last turn was from you dropping your left knee. Arch and stay symmetrical.

Did my first jump in high school when a friend suggested it. He made a couple more but I just kept going. Never thought I'd end up a skydiver, but I'm awfully glad I did.

Good advice. I'd want to know what his/her ratings and skill sets are. Full time fun jumper? That must be an awesome life, if you can afford it.

I wore a frap hat for many years. Used to be considered de rigueur for tandem masters. This, of course, was in the era when few of us had AADs, even on the tandem rigs. I was one of the first to start wearing a hard helmet for tandems. Glad to see many more do.

They beat the hell out of no helmet at all, every time. I fractured a bicycle helmet instead of my skull. I was really glad to be wearing it.

Made you a clicky! Love your articles, Annette. Wish you could have calmed me down before my first jump.

Our son was a tunnel instructor and student pilot before he started AFF. Needless to say, his air skills were better than mine, but I was happiest to see his canopy skills were very good from jump #1. Flying a pattern and flaring properly seemed to be second nature to him, but he said it was his ground school and pilot training. I like what your instructor asked "how much help?" That's the best way to gauge a student and give them the most effective instruction. I see some ground controllers that work themselves to death trying to micro manage the students. I simply tell them to go to the holding area (briefed prior to takeoff) and then start their down wind at 1000'. From there I'll maybe call their turn to base and final, definitely their flare. Making them more independent and my job easier, all at the same time. And yes, all of our students are trained that the radio is an aid, but they need to be ready to do it on their own. Also, we need to stop freaking students out about GENTLE turns close to the ground. Canopies need to be flown all the way down, yet I see students drifting all over, afraid to make normal steering corrections below 300'. There's a balance in there somewhere.

Agree, repetitive checks are the key. I'm almost OCD with my tandem gear, checking it -before putting it on -after putting it on. -before climbing on the plane -after seatbelts off -halfway up -before hooking up student -3 times after hooking up student -anytime in between that I feel like checking it. My checks are all five handles, 3 buckles, both 3 rings and the RSL attachment. I agree with the article that you have to force yourself to see what's there, not what you want or expect to see.

No wonder you like those minions so much.

May Fourth is also our national Memorial Day - in which the Dutch reflect upon those who gave or lost their lives in the second World War... and every war before and since. But how many people know that? So many causes. Only 365 days. . . Hoping you had a wonderful and reflective Memorial Day.

Ooo, I've had to say that a few times. It's our pleasure. I know what it's like to be on the user side of the fence too.

At $40 a jump to use your own gear, you can make a lot of $$$.

See, you guys. I know women better than you think. . .

Real bad time to be doing that $hit.

Yeah, but a G3 with a GoPro or two still won't be pleasant. People who yell at noobs are jackasses. A quiet, smiling reminder is all that is needed. Now, if it's an experienced jumper who repeatedly and willfully defies local safety procedures, that's time for a little peer pressure. The laws of physics haven't changed. Maybe it's safer, but it sure ain't perfect yet. If there's a safety rule, I'd just as soon have everyone follow it, esp. if it possibly impinges on the safety of others.

I hear ya on the seatbelts. I try to snug mine down (at least the ones that go around me). If you visualize what the crash forces are going to do, a loose seatbelt does little to reassure me. And when you're on the floor and it's just looped thru your harness? That's a lot of slack for slinging around.

Not too far from the truth.. . . Hey, we were in love. Still are.

When I was a new jumper, one of the old timers asked me "Don't you want to be awake for the flames?"

Damn, you're picky. . . And I thought just having a J-O-B made a man sexy these days. . . Oh well, good enough for the girl I married.

I think skydiving women are more adventurous than most. I've been married to a skydiver for almost 32 years and it's been . . . very, very good.

I think your idea is good.

So 24 years ago there was a bad Twin Otter crash at Perris. 16 people died. The investigation found that loose, flying helmets caused many of the injuries. Since then seatbelt regs have been more enforced and we've been trying to have everyone fasten their helmet securely. But I still see many people, mostly newer jumpers, that are ignoring that advice/requirement. What's your style and why?

I was a controller for 29+ years. I can tell you now, that pilots, under threat of federal penalties, listen much better than skydiving students. . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJVTimlyWk