AFFI

Ummmmmm, "Try not to worry about the things you have no control over "... You post does come across as being overly critical and suggests you believe that ALL skydiving schools and instructors are doing a half ass job of training and that ALL the skydiving centers are training a specific method that does not do an adequate job of training the other aspects of skydiving other than freefall skills. Some of your post I agree with, some I think you need to become more aware of the facts concerning the varying methods being utilized across the world. To me, it definitely came across as being overly critical but rather than get upset, I just remind myself that a handful of years back I thought I had it all figured out as well. I slowly began to realize that millions of skydivers had been trained throughout the history of this sport successfully and there are many skydivers out there that have forgotten more about skydiving than I have even learned yet. More later, maybe... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Take the class outside where the obstacles are? Maybe teach this portion directly out of the SIM?

At the DZ I work at - all instructional jumps has the Instructor wearing video. A simple guideline jumping with students is to have a stripped down helmet with no accessories that do not need to be there for that type of jump. Another words, a Sight Ring could get snagged on someone’s gear or body on any close contact situations. Say a full combat jump with a student or a funneling exit with a coachee. The helmet I use for training jumps has only one accessory besides the helmet and that is the D-Box for the camcorder. I do not even use an indicator light (Cam Eye) on my instructional helmet because I do not want any distractions what so ever. I turn the camcorder on manually when I dawn the helmet just before exit then do not worry about it during freefall. That is just me though, because I want to reduce additional potential hazards and feel the need to remain completely focused on the student I am working with. I agree with AP: Take your time, you have a whole lifetime of jumping ahead of you... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Totally agree...

Oh no! Hope the ACLU don't get wind of this...

There was some PC in burble talk in this thread A series of pic's of a PC being "let go" into a burble is posted here (did not want to double post)... Sure is is not "proper" form, but how many students use proper form anyway? After this I taught him to "Throw" and it fixed his bad form... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2735092#2735092 - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Here is a low resolution picture of a PC getting caught in the burble in the real world. If ya need a hi res printable version email me ad I will send ya one! - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

You mean 12,000 or was it a ballsy tandem?

MY MY MY... The temperature in this thread seems to be blistering... Can't we all just get along? What is the big deal??? At SDSL they will put out H&Ps all day long. On a normal non-event jumping day I have never known them to refuse H&Ps. Does not seem to affect patterns and I usually only notice cuts for sudents working toward their "A" or a large group of H&Ps are getting out. Speakng of non-licensed jumpers: Acquisition of an "A"License has 2 H&Ps (According to the USPA SIM) as part of the progression - one from 5.5 and one from 3.5, does this mean that a DZ who does not offer H&Ps to the up-jumpers is not going to cater to those getting their requirements on the "A" card? Another thought - someone mentioned fear the government sepping in and regulating us. This year nearly 600,000 people are going to die from cancer, that along with an abundance of other problems - I rather doubt the gov't cares much about a couple dozen yahoos killing themselves skydiving each year... If someone owns a business and does not want to offer a service, unless it affects someones civil rights it is their buisness right? Jeezzzz, this reminds me of the East Texas Rednecks actually picketing McDonalds a few years back to bring back the freakin McRib! Calm down everyone! The freaking world is not going to end over a few dead sydivers and a few policy changes at a DZ... It happens... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

3.5 is not low. Exactly what I was thinking...

How many freakng threads ya gonna post this in? Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Then perhaps you should reevaluate your involvement in a high risk sport such as skydiving? - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Once again, Derek has put into words what I could not Well put...

They must have some sort of guidelines - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

What???? I have been trying to stay out of this argument, this thread is beginning to make about as much sense as a circumsized dog... Yeah, right, whatever... They are just handing out AFF ratings these days anyway eh? - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

I'm not saying that skydiving alone will get you chicks... But from what I've found so far, it doesn't seem to hurt by any means... Well, now that I've figured out that I need to keep my mouth shut about how fucking unbelievably awesome it is. I've definitely heard, "WOW, it sounds like you REALLY like skydiving." from more than a few people... And they weren't saying it as a compliment... They were saying it because they were concerned that they were going to start bleeding from their ears if I didn't shut the fuck up. In the long term, there's NO way that I'd EVER want to be with someone who wouldn't support the things I do that make me feel alive and fulfilled... Unless I became a heroin addict, which in that case I probably wouldn't give a shit either, lol. Don't really talk about it, be humble but let them know you are a skydiver. Then listen to them talk. Act like it (skydiving) is no big deal, cuz really, it aint... Chicks DIG skydivers, especially the humble ones! I honesly get fucking tired of listening to skydivers talk about skydiving - I mean give it a rest people! (Like I need to take my own advice!)

Perhaps the subject of this thread should be: Safety Features Build Apathy And Complacency? - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Is it legal there t take student through clouds?

What's in a skydiver's future? The best fucking times a human being could possibly experience that is worth every sacrifice necessary to get as much as possible and it just gets better and better till it's over... And ramen noodles... At least that has been my experience. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

When you move a broom across the floor in side to side motion?

I'll absolutly disagree with that statement. Some are pretty good though... Some totally suck... Like anything in life I guess.. - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

I saw one exactly like that on Real TV, perhaps you can find it to DL somewhere, I will keep an eye out for it. It was a tandem with an older tandem student who, according to the show had no clue that it happened. - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

The OP is spot on concerning his perspective relating to the benefits of “Throwing” (at least in my simple uneducated mind, what the hell are Physics?). In my limited experience, from what I have learned from the very experienced AFFI mentors I was lucky enough to have teach me, teaching students to “Throw” reduces the likelihood that they will hold on to it, even if only for a moment. I have a video of a student jump where the student pulled out the PC held onto it, looked over his shoulder and thinking he had a total deployed his reserve. Once he saddled in under his reserve he stuffed the PC in his shirt and landed without further incident. It was enough to really rattle a very good and experienced AFFI. I also witnessed a low timer just off student status hold the PC for just a moment - the bridle took a wrap around the PC cinching it close, he fired his reserve in response to a PCIT (as he was trained), then got a 2-out but did not respond as trained and rode a downplane into the ground. So concerning solo freefall student training, I was taught to teach a vigorous yet controlled “Throw” in order to minimize the chance of a similar situation occurring. The extra 10 minutes of training on the ground “Throwing” is worth it but sill, every now and then student would still hang onto it. So I had to ask myself how I was being ineffective in my ground training and failing my students. I fixed it by promising them that if they hold it even for a moment that they are gonna get punched right in the ribs as hard as I can (not my idea, one of my mentors who is an IE) and ever since, NOT ONE SINGLE student has held onto it, not even for a moment.. So I agree with an respect the OP’s opinion and reasoning . But the simple reason I teach students to “Throw” is as simple as that and this method seems to be tried and true based on the results I have gotten. Deployment time is not a good time to have issues with a student and I am sure other teaching methods work as well. - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

Yup... I walked away from a nice career, home and lifestyle for 7 years in a small camper living the DZ lifestyle making a fraction of what I was earning annually in the real world... It was SOOOOOOOO worth it, wish I could go another 7 but all good things eventually come to an end eh? I was lucky to have had the time to spend in poverty because it (skydiving) enriched my life in so many other ways... Alternatively I totally respect the OP’s perspective. There were times when I needed money for things when I would ask myself what the hell I was doing, but still, overall it was so worth it... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

I know lots who quit because they decided to for whatever reason, but being forced to quit is not easy... My body is making me “quit” or rather reduce my annual jump numbers from 600+ down to maybe 20, maybe less - maybe I should just retire and accept it. I had a large tumor in my spine and it attacked my nervous system, the doc had to take out an awful lot of vertebrae bone to get the tumor out thus exposing around 4 inches of my spinal cord with very little protection. One really hard opening or botched landing could put me in a wheelchair. Sure it is a risky sport and even more so for me now but I just cannot bring myself to accept that it is over. After having a post-op meeting with my doc, he got me to realize the severity of the situation I walked out of the hospital, sat in the grass and wept intensely, as if I had lost a loved one. I do not want to walk away from skydiving, especially instructing. Skydiving changed my life for the better, it made me more self confident, help me battle severe depression and helped me to quiet my demons and I have seen it do the same for many of the students I have worked with over the years. I miss it immensely; I miss the serenity of freefall and the beauty of the sky under canopy. I miss night jumps, SCR ceremonies, and watching students “get it”. But by far - most of all, I miss being around the most wonderful group of people who probably would not come together socially without the activity of skydiving that binds them together into a close knit society. It sucks, and the sooner I accept this loss in my life the better because my body is damaged for the rest of my days… But for now, I will just keep praying for a miracle... - Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…