skydived19006

I've never tried to "out-muscle" a student. Once the drgue is out, if they have one of their legs outside mine, I'll shift it back to the center. If they're knees low, I'll tap them on the thighs, and they generally arch better. If they're shifted to the side under me, I'll reach down and shift them back. If all that fails to stop a turn I stick a leg/arm out and stop it if necessary. Off the airplane, before the drogue is out, I'm always taping them on the thighs. If necessary I'll hook them with my legs to assist their arch. I've found that the worst students tend to be little old ladies. They seem to go off like a limp noodle, and are just flailing all over the place. With these I hook the legs, pull shoulders, and arch us both, when it gets belly to earth I get real big and throw the drogue. I also tent to put on my big baggy suit with these students, big arms and legs does wonders for your control! Again, this is off a 182 doing a diving exit. Pretty much doesn't apply if you're instantly presented to the wind out of an Otter. Attached a few more pictures, not much help, but just for fun. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Mark "Shoobi" Knutson trained me, and this is the exit he recommended, and trained us to do from a Cessna. I do tandems at the Couch Freaks Boogie each year, and it is almost amazing how easy it is out of an Otter! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I must be a bit unique after reading through the responses here. I de-arch off the step (182 diving aft), and let the roll go over. Seems to me that with this exit, the student very seldom arches immediately off the airplane, but after about 1 second or half way over, and me tapping them on the thighs, they start to get over the sensory overload, and start arching. At this point, I start arching as well. I do not tend to try to “out fly” a de-arching student, I’ll let the thing fall stable on our backs and work with the student to get us both stable, I’ll do this for a couple of seconds anyway. My opinion, and from what I’ve seen is that an arching TI, and a de-arching student is prime set up for a side spin, )( kind of thing. It’s also “ugly” to me to see a TI leave the plane in a hard arch, and simply keep arching regardless of what the student is doing in front of them. It looks like they’re just hoping and waiting for the thing to get to a point that they can throw the drogue, or go into a side spin whichever comes first. I work with the student first, and arch second. It may be a little unorthodox, but in over 2000 tandems, I could count on my fingers how many times I’ve even felt wind on my side. Once the drogue is out, I arch. I don’t get the comments about hand cam “compromising the arch.” I do stick my left hand down, but all the more reason to have my legs out in the wind steering. As others have said, the de-arching TI can also tend to make the thing potato chip, I don’t really get it. If the student is not centered under me, I reach down with my hands and center the student under me. I also keep the lowers rather tight in order to keep the student from “slopping around” under me. I do not like the feeling of a student bouncing around in front of me, especially before the drogue is out, so the lowers are tight. Pictures attached Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

80 to 90 mph. How simple is that? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I don't know Shell, but if she's fairly well endowed, and allowed you to bury your face in there for a while, you just may experience a little hypoxia! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm on it! This will be 13 years for me. Don't know that I'll be the tandem mule this year, maybe one day? Been work'n my ass off at home, maybe I'll just spend my time standing around at the beer truck? As usual the Kansas Crew will be again doing they're typical zero point large zoo dives, which I have zero interest! I may be wondering around looking for a few of my Iowa/Minn/Texas/Mo RW friends to play with me. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Is that profile correct? If so, it shows in that comment. Business in general is "all about the money." If a business does not make money, guess how long it will keep the doors open. Anyway, there's a lot more to jump altitude than "it's all about the money." Piston aircraft make less power as the airplane climbs, just watch the manifold pressure gauge. By the time a Cessna piston gets to around 11,000/12,000' it's climbing at less than 300 fpm, and it's simply not financially viable to climb higher. In laymens terms, it would take an additional 20 to 30 minutes to get to 15,000' msl. Have you taken your "B" test? One of the questions regards at what altitude is the pilot required to have supplemental oxygen, regardless of time. Answer: 14,000' msl, granted we bust this FAR every time the airplane goes to 15,000' msl. Above Flight Level 18 (18,000' msl adjusted to standardized pressure) an IFR flight plan is required, in addition to the O2 for everyone obviously. Then there's the boobie factor, but that's all about the money so I won't go into it. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I do believe that it's only a matter of time until one of us is made an example of. I do not have any desire to "be the one!" I just ordered a royalty free collection from http://www.harkproductions.com/music/mastermix.html I don't like this music as much as the illegal operation I'm now running, but it's fine, and our video customers will be happy with it. I paid for this collection what one video costs my customer, and hopefully what I already have out there will not come back to bite me in the ass! So now we play the waiting game. Who will be the one to be made an example of, and when? 1, 2, 3, Not it! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

The FAA does not require that TIs maintain a medical certificate, some system manufacturers do. I also understand that the USPA is going to require us to maintain a medical as a requirement of the USPA Tandem Instructor rating. This rule change doesn't appear to change anything for those of us over 40. GOOD NEWS: FAA EXTENDS FIRST, THIRD CLASS MEDICALS By AOPA ePublishing staff Pilots under age 40 can save a trip to the AME. On July 24, the FAA will extend the duration of third class medicals from 36 calendar months to 60 calendar months (five years) and first class medicals from six calendar months to 12 calendar months for pilots under age 40. “This is welcome news for the GA industry,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. “AOPA supported the FAA’s move that makes it easier and more affordable for younger pilots to fly.” Current and expired medical certificates are grandfathered under this rule. For example, a pilot under age 40 who has a third class medical that would have expired at the end of July 2008 under the three-year limit is now good for another two years. In other words, the medical won’t expire until the last day of July 2010. But what if you had let your medical expire? If you are under age 40, and the certificate was issued less than five years ago, it is now valid until the last day of the month, five years from its original issuance date. Here’s how it works. Let’s say you got your third class medical on Sept. 20, 2004, (and you were under the age of 40 at that time) but have not renewed it. Under the current rules, you haven’t had a medical since Sept. 30, 2007, and could not act as pilot in command. Now your medical is valid again and will remain valid until Sept. 30, 2009. Welcome back to the skies! Pilots under 40 who have first class medicals won’t need to renew theirs for one year after the original date of issuance. After one year, it will revert to a third class medical. So, what if you turn 40 during this new one- or five-year window? That won’t impact the duration of your medical. If you get your first or third class medical the day before you turn 40, it will still be valid for one year or five years, respectively. Because medical certificates that have already been issued and those being issued within the next month won’t reflect the new regulatory language, pilots should print this card that shows the new duration rules and carry it with their medical at all times. The FAA does not intend to reissue certificates to airmen who applied before the new certificates become available. AOPA’s medical certification staff handles about 20,000 pilot medical inquiries each year. To address members’ medical concerns, AOPA periodically meets in person with the FAA’s Aerospace Medical Certification staff in Oklahoma City, Okla., and the federal air surgeon in Washington, D.C. Because of this relationship, AOPA and the FAA have been able to advance and streamline the medical certification process for pilots. Have questions? Give AOPA’s medical staff a call at 800/USA-AOPA (872-2672). July 23, 2008 Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I own 4 tandem rigs, but if I started over, I'd go with Sigma rigs. I own 4 Eclipse rigs, which are pretty much a cleaned up Vector 2. I like my Eclipse rigs for a lot of reasons, but the Sigma is undoubtedly simpler to "operate" when in emergency mode, and less apt to have any of those really nasty horse shoe malfunctions. If I only owned one tandem main, it would be a Precision 365, we have two 330s, but I'm 220, so the 330 limits student weight. Our rigs all have Precision 375s, which I hear are nice tandem reserves. To date I have 2000 +/- tandems and have yet to fly the 375. Just about any tandem rig on my back could be mistaken for a sport rig. Maybe it has something to do with the rig size to TI size ratio? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Updated Page 1, per suggestion (attached). Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

...to Tandem Skydiving Instruction. I had fun with this (attached). It's been a work in progress, been screwing with it in my spare time for a while. Anyway, print it, play with it in the airplane, whatever. I think it's fairly funny, primarily the cover, not much to the "pages." Anyone can feel free to contribute ideas to add to the inside page/s. Martin I put it up as a PDF. You have to use it with my picture on front, name on back, etc. Well, use it as is, or go through as much work as I did to change it up! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I think how it's supposed to work is that I as a DZO chose to join a member organization. By doing so, I agree to abide by the organization's rules aka "requirements". If I don't like those requirements, I can drop my membership. If I don't abide by the rules/requirements the organization can cancel my membership. In reality I can quit at any time. The organization can not cancel my membership because I can sue the organization and the organization will fold like a house of cards. Also, any one of you can do whatever you like. If you don't break any laws (that would be Federal, State, local) you shouldn't have much fear at all. Local DZ says no? Buy an airplane, buy some land away from a congested area, hire a pilot, file a NOTAM (not required by law), and do your own thing, including taking 5 year olds on tandem jumps. I would suggest though not using Vector, Strong, or Racer tandem gear. Although, if you didn't sign a contract with the manufacturer, you'll probably prevail in any civil suit. That said, you should plan to spend a fair bid defending yourself. See, it is a free country! The USPA had no power! The government has the power to show up at your front door with guns in order to force your compliance. If a USPA official shows up at your door with guns, I'd suggest you aim for the head. Have a nice day! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I don't regularly log because it tends to be "just one more thing." I'm generally busy from 8:00 am till 10:00 pm. Sunday evening, have to do a couple of hours of crap just to go home, get to bed by midnight, so I can get up for my "real job" Monday morning at 6:00 am. My logging is accurate, just no detail. I noticed one TI with his log sitting open, after doing a tandem, he'd do a basic entry, then ask his student to write something. Cool idea, but then he wasn't packing, editing video, running the register, answering the phone, training the next group, plunging the toilet, taking out the trash, etc., etc. It would be retirement for me to "just" be a TI. Hell, I might even be motivated to jump for fun once in a while! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I’m not the best in the world about logging my jumps anymore. I’ll go back through the manifest, and catch up my log book once or twice a year; it takes a few hours if once a year, logging a day per entry. Anyway, I arranged a demonstration jump for the 4th, with insurance. Part of the insurance requirements is jump currency, and currency on the canopy being jumped. If you’re jumping demonstrations, and have not kept a log book, something goes wrong, what will be used as proof of currency/numbers/etc.? One of the guys on the jump has well in excess of 1000 jumps, but hasn’t logged in years. Are we insured or not? I figured, worse case the DZ manifest records could be used as proof of jumps, but nothing indicating his canopy, that he had jumped the flag recently, etc. Thoughts? Other reasons to log regardless of numbers beyond 1000? Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm think'n Sky Van, just walk to the door, with Jen as my "rig adapter", and off we go. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

The vidiot sits back to panel, and climbs out first. If there is a slot filling fun jumper on the video guy still sits back to panel, and the solo skydiver exits past him, then vid climbs out. If a skydiver is tagging along with the tandem/vid pair, he'll dive out after us. I generally go out second if we have two tandem pairs on, I sit back to the pilot, and hook up with my back to the pilot, somewhat caddy corner so we're facing the right rear corner. As #1 tandem makes space we move to the left, then scoot to the door after #1 leaves. I get my left foot out, student gets both feet out on the step, and off we go, diving toward the tail. I did not "move" to this set up. It's how Mark "Shoobi" Knutson trained us. Here's a vid one of our students posted. I have my camera in one of Riggerrob's gloves. It is the whole 10 minute video, but you can easily see how we're situated in the back of the 182, how we move to the door, exit, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_azF7gTfT8&feature=related Martin Edit to add; I just watched this video again. If you look hard enough, I'm shooting the distant sky, looks like I don't know how to run hand cam. There was a 360 degree rainbow I was trying to get. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

So Rob, you have the student climb onto your lap for hookup? How do you do that if you're the second tandem pair out? Seems it would be quite difficult to move to the door in the sitting position. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

There was a fair bit of conversation regarding tall (as opposed to large) TIs doing tandems out of 182s, and especially with large/heavy students. I’m here to say that it can be done, and done safely. I’m 6’ 8” , but weigh only 220 (I work to keep it at 220 or less), and have around 2000 tandems, 95% out of a 182D (not “wide body”), and would guess in excess of 200 of those students weighing 210 lbs or more. I’ve taken students matching my height, weighing between 230 and 240 lbs out of my 182 with no problem (College basketball players). I know a bunch of you will be running the numbers, exit weight between 510 and 520 lbs, harness/reserve TSO 525 lbs. My opinion is that technique, and flexibility (mine) are key, as well as gear maintenance. We hook up on our knees (TI and student on our knees), facing aft. This configuration seems to be the easiest, and has causes the least snag potential, although it’s generally not comfortable on the students ankles. If the student mentions his ankles being uncomfortable, I’ll let him bring one leg/knee up after I’ve tightened the lowers. In my opinion, a TI under 6’ tall, but carrying around a beech ball belly is going be more of an issue than simply being tall. As I say when my students mention something about my height, and the size of the aircraft “I fold up well.” I guess my point is, if you’re having issues because you need to lose the belly, all I can say is “dies and excursive big boy!”, same thing we tell overweight limit students. If you’re dragging your handles all over the airplane due to technique, reexamine your technique. If your drogue pouch is lose, don’t jump the rig until it’s repaired. If your knees are bad because you’re old, I guess you’ll have to stick to a larger airplane, or small students. I attached a picture, couldn't find one of me with a heavy student. And one of me as student with a small TI. Be safe out there! Martin Edit to resize picture Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Over 2000 tandems, Zero malfunctions! No tandem malfunctions primarily due to good gear manit, good packing, and no Dacron line tandem mains. I did look up yesterday to see my slider stuck way up, with slack line below it, then it popped down. Had a discussion with packers on potential causes of tension knots. My drop zone over 7 years, and 4000 to 5000 tandems, one line over tandem mal! Talking the other day with a guy who trained with us, and now jumps at a fairly large Texas DZ. I asked him how many tandem malfunctions he has, and I think it's something like 10. He said "You guys don't have packers doing two tandem packs per Otter cycle." No, we don't! Somewhere over 1000 jumps on sport mains, one line twist cut away, one student pull above 2000' fired an FXC AAD, released the main. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

What I've done for accuracy is to simply mow, and maintain a circle in the grass. I chose to make it 10m diameter, so it works for a PRO accuracy target. It works well for us because most of our airport is harvested for hay, so the "manicured" circle really jumps out. We had a pea pit at a former DZ, and I think they had made it 2m in diameter, meeting the D license accuracy requirement. Unless someone spends time maintaining it, it'll grow over in grass, and compact. It'll disappear, and be just as hard or harder as the surrounding area. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Personally, I'll vote for anyone who has as part of their platform the elemination of the Group Member Program. That said, I don't really have a problem with a DZO being on the BOD, but they should be at maximum half, and better a small minority. As I see it, the DZOs have a huge interest in what the USPA does, and the majority of the individual membership would rather remain ignorant. Most fun jumpers want to have nothing to do with the politics. Most see skydiving as a haven from day to day life, and politics. Hence the 10% vote turn out. I'd be willing to bet that this election is no different in that less than 11% will vote, especially if photocopied ballots are not accepted (this rule could be changed at the Summer BOD meeting). Any takers? Apathy, and ignorance = happy skydiver Martin Edit: I realized after posting that I'm straying quite a bit off topic. Anyway, our FSDO has recently (couple of years ago) assigned a new guy to watch over the skydiving operations in the district. He actually visits (with notice) the DZs once or twice a year. I also heard that the FSDO for the MO area has stepped up enforcement, and ramp checks. From what I hear, they also found another DZO pilot with either insufficient certificate, or Commercial but Class 3 medical. Don't have any idea what the penalty might have been, or for that matter if it's even true. I have a friend who's currently a student pilot. On his application for medical he stated that he'd never had an alcohol related conviction. The FAA found one in Oklahoma, the case had been dismissed, but the paperwork was screwed up in Oklahoma. The problem the FAA had was not with what they saw as falsifying documentation, they pulled his medical, and he's jumping through all kinds of hoops to get it back. They're not at all consistent, slap a guy on the hand for willful violations over a period of years, and go overboard over a simple misunderstanding. The lesson is to be overly honest with the FAA! You might even note stuff that you were charged with on your medical, even if it was dismissed, etc. Note for those who may not know that Tandem Instructors are required to maintain a Class 3 medical certificate. Commercial pilots are required to maintain a minimum of a Class 2, and Airline Transport Pilots (ATP) a Class 1. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Is there anyone in the house (other than Jan Meyer) with the knowledge/ability to find this "publicly available information", and post it? Maybe we don't really want to have this information? Why ruin the fun and screw up a perfectly good argument with facts? Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I saw an interesting comment from Mike Mullins regarding the availability of jump pilots. In a drop zone owners forum, someone was lamenting the lack of pilots to fly his turbine aircraft, don’t remember the type. Mike responded “There is no shortage of pilots, just a shortage of pay.” That pretty much sums it up. Also on the topic of pilots and pay, I had a “200 Jump Wonder” skydiver mention to me that she thought I should pay my pilots more. I told her “I’ll pay them $25 a load if that’s what everyone thinks should happen. It will drive the cost of your slots up by $4.” To which she responded “Why do I always got’a pay?” End of conversation. It’s amazing how stupid some people can be regardless of education! Seems that many get the common sense educated out of them. Or as Jerry Clower would have said “You’re obviously educated beyond your intelligence.” Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Perhaps you're thinking of the AN-2 biplane? Yep, got my Antonov's mixed up. The 28 looks like a fun airplane! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ