AFFI

What does an “E License” entail exactly? Your comment “despite all the training” implies to me that this license level must illustrate a level of proficiency in dealing with EP’s on a regular basis throughout the year (?). In the US, we have the “D License” which does not require any training review throughout the year what so ever, in fact, none of the license levels for current license holders require such a review. My observations are that “experienced” jumpers seem to make training for emergency procedures and canopy piloting (especially when the chips are down) secondary to freefall skills, apparel and in general being hip slick and cool. I see and read about “experienced” jumpers making terrible mistakes based in fundamentals all the time. A student who is properly trained is much more prepared to correctly handle a situation than many licensed skydivers out there simply because so many “licensed” skydivers do not continually train in the fundamentals. This dissertation by Peter is definitely worth reading multiple times, overall a very good post. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

How many jumps do you have? How long have you been jumping? Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Can the tape shot in HDV be played back on the older Sony PC series type cameras? I will need to get new video camera soon, but where I work we use a fulltime editor and they use the old PC series for the linear editing. Gonna be a problem? Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Can anyone elaorate on this? "flare the same no matter what the conditions. Do it the same every time." This does not make sense to me... Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Yes, to a certain extent, especially when depending on altitude awareness devices other than that which the eyes deliver. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

This really was a good and valid post. Not only were the conditions not the best for a swoop competition, but his attitude did not exemplify what skydiving is supposed to be all about. Cockiness is not the best attitude for learning, others, although not into the “advanced” discipline you are into may have other experience that applies. To me, we are all in the same boat, we are skydivers and it seems that we have always been willing to listen to the voice of reason of other experienced skydivers, but the swoopers seem to have an attitude that they are above the ideas and input of others that are not themselves – “swoopers”. I think that is what Walt’s comical post was alluding too. Swoopers seem to believe that they are godly levels above “skygods”. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

I believe this topic applies here, where the topic seems to be safe positioning for the cameraa flyer. Not using a wide angle, the shots seem to accentuate the movement of the camera flyers head movements more (which is impossible to hold perfectly still), and changing the angle of the shot usually does not capture the tandem students face (as I have experimented with this quite extensively), tandem students have a tendency to look at the planet (down, not at the horizon). Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Ya know, this thread gave me a whole lot to contemplate – I have been scrutinizing my position with tandems, and studying footage. I want to make myself as safe as possible to our students, yet still give them their moneys worth. I have probably nearly 2000 jumps filming tandem skydives, and I am not totally terrible at it. There is something in my circle of tandem aerial videographers that we refer to as the “money shot”. That is based on the assumption that the tandems students’ video and highlighting them is what it is all about. The “money shot” has the tandems student and their instructors faces filling 80% of the safe frame area during freefall, which places the videographers X number of feet in front of them (depending on type of lens) and at an angle below the tandem pair (perhaps 45 degrees or so?). If a premature deployment occurs at this point, there is a possibility that a collision may occur, if not with the tandem pain, with the drogue. Granted, if the premie occurs while directly beneath, the collision is guaranteed, there is still quite a measurable amount of risk while placing my body in position to get good shots of the star of the show (the tandem student). I have been practicing various positions that would greatly minimize the chance of a collision totally, but I am finding it difficult to get the “money shot” that is a good a quality to the one I described earlier. . I am most eager to receive advice as to how to get a good “money shot” that is 100% safe for all parties involved. Naturally, if you have no tandem video experience and just want to chime it, although it will not be much use, please do – I am patient… Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Tounge???

What "fella" is that??? Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

And in my limited experience, it seems that I can build up more speed in addition to having a better view to where I am headed. thats why is is limited experiance then. A 180 in to a standard traffic pattern is the most dangerous thing you can do... banning a 270 and saying do 180's is ok, is fucking stupid.... So I am a fucking stupid person then, yup, a fucking stupid dumbass who never said anything about traffic conditions or banning anything, just a fucking stupid idiot who uses a spell checker, and has been jumping as a sole vocation everyday for the past 6 years... Yup, I’m just fucking stoopid… - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Can you elaborate please? Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

And in my limited experience, it seems that I can build up more speed in addition to having a better view to where I am headed. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

If you utilize the search function and do a little research you can find more information on this particular subject as it has been discussed before in alternate threads. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

At the DZ where I work we have dive flows and freefall maneuvers that are specifically designed to assist with leg and feet awareness but I cannot advise you on anything like that simply because the instructors working with you undoubtedly have techniques they already incorporate. Many skydivers want to advise on what to do in freefall which is undermining the expertise the instructors who are working directly with you utilize in their DZ’s curriculum. If they want you to use a specific freefall maneuver they will advise you, if they are not making a big deal about it, then it is probably nothing to worry about. I know that if I had a student utilize freefall techniques they read about online that was not a part of our pre-dive training (plan the dive, dive the plan) it would just make my job harder and waste precious moments of freefall time that the student is paying for. General exercises like the pool or the floor can be things we suggest that you try, but when it comes to freefall, trust your instructors, they know what they are doing. About being nervous about a different airplane – you are being counterproductive to yourself. Freefall is expensive and if you do anything to create mental blocks for yourself it is just taking money out of your own pocket. In advance of boarding, clear yourself of any mental blocks – it does not matter what kind of airplane you exit from, altitude is altitude and the whole idea is to jump right? So do yourself a favor, it is like your brain is congress, but you are the president and you can veto any counterproductive measures your congress makes with determination. Convince yourself that you will get into the door relaxed, you will check in and exit relaxed and that you will perform in freefall with a relaxed attitude – it is time for you to take control of yourself and relax and have fun. That is what it is all about right? - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Students kicking or “swimming” in freefall is not at all uncommon and that in and of itself is not necessarily a reason to not continue with AFF training. The reason for it is you are not yet acclimated to the environment. You see, we spend all of our lives having tactile contact with things, we push against the floor, we kick in the water while swimming – all your brain is doing is looking for something it is familiar with but there is nothing there, you have placed yourself in an environment where there is no tactile contact to be had. It is akin to weightlessness and in time your brain will adjust to this new sensation and realize there is nothing to make contact with. There is a good exercise to help you if you can swim in water: Have you ever gotten in a pool floating face down and then blow out, slowly emptying your lungs with air and when you begin to loose buoyancy stop exhaling, you begin to gently float down towards the floor of the pool, have you ever done that? This is a sensation that is a good simulation to freefall, it is a good time to practice your arch and body position and to practice relaxing. Does that make sense? As to continue with AFF, that is ultimately for you to decide and you can better make this decision with counsel from the instructors that are working with you. Did they give you any indication that you need to revert to alternate methods of training? What did your instructors write in your logbook and what did they tell you during your debrief? - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Here’s to hoping??? With that kind of attitude, you may have lost the battle already. Change your mindset - you can change the defeated mindset into one that will allow you to overcome you fears and be victorious and you can change it right now this very second! Take the negative thinking out of the equation because you are allowing it to defeat you before the starting gun even sounds. Do you want to be a skydiver? Conquer your fears beforehand don’t wait until you are in the door to make up your mind - decide now that you will succeed – DECIDE NOW that you will get in the door, check in with your instructor give a count and exit the freaking airplane no matter what. I have been where you are, many of us have and we understand exactly what you are going through and what you are feeling but no one can decide to take control of your brain but you. Here is an associated thread for you to read, it is only a page and may help you – you are not alone… http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2837783#2837783 Let us know how it turns out for you – I am not going to say “good luck” because you don’t need any luck, you just need to be determined… - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

No need to drink yourself to death (I have made that mistake); there are a lot of good females who skydive. Altitude Induced Divorce Syndrome (AIDS) strikes again. Ummmm, who got the dog???

That is a little confusing - the way I have always seen it is the reserve repack card has the date that the service was rendered and it is good for 120 days from that date. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Congratulations! Practicing the PLF is ultra important, so practice away and I am sure your instructors gave you pointers as to what to concentrate on practicing to prepare you for your next jump, no one knows better then they do at this point. Sounds like you are doing everything right! You will continue to improve with time, don’t beat yourself up, learning how to skydive is supposed to be fun, so relax, take it easy - and it is a lot of fun isn’t it? My family did not exactly get it either, they were just happy I found something that I found so fufilling. - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

That is why it is important for students to obtain their training from instructors in person, and not from (well intentioned) individuals on the internet because these aspects of what may or may not be important on student landing is not fully understood by many, even those with "24" years of experience... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

The thread is about litigation from a student to a skydiving training facility. And a valid question was raised by the following question – To which an equally valid point/reply about through training was that - And a very experienced skydiver responded – The salient points being twofold: A) We are teaching skydiving students how to make freefall parachute jumps utilizing skydiving gear, and it is incumbent upon solo freefall instructors to teach each student every aspect of making each jump safely as is defined by the guidelines set forth by our respective governing bodies (in my case, the FAA and the USPA). B) In a courtroom, if we are overlooking even a single aspect of that training, then we are being negligent, and an attorney will delve into every infinitesimal nook and cranny so to speak, so we need to instruct as if we are being scrutinized on the witness stand in a court of law by a litigation expert. Perhaps I used stronger language than is necessary to establish my point thus creating an atmosphere of contempt, for that I apologize to any offended parties. But the fact remains that checking the reserve data repack card is part of the fundamental knowledge that we are supposed to be teaching our students. If we use a rig on a jump and then use that same piece of gear on a subsequent jump with another student we must teach that individual the importance of doing a through gear check which includes an assurance that the reserve is in date. It is not about our (instructors) knowing it is in date, it is about teaching every student the important aspects of safely making a freefall parachute jump. Therefore, as far as a jury is concerned, if we overlook something, then we are being negligent in our duties as skydiving instructors. I understand in the real world that we are often times quite busy, sometimes overloaded and we are only human and sometimes overlook things, but that does not negate the fact that we have an obligation when we take on the responsibilities (which are immense) as skydiving instructors. That is all… - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Checking the reserve repack data card is one of the PRIMARY steps in a pre-flight gear check. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

I have seen students fly a very good pattern, flare and fracture there coccyx that put them out for 8 weeks, and I have seen students fly a lousy pattern and not flare at all - perform a good PLF (feet first and roll it out) and be on the next load. Like I said, listen to your instructors, the internet has well intentioned skydivers offering advice that will undermine what it is your currently rated instructors will teach you... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Talk to your instructors about any advice you need not the internet... Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…