peregrinerose

Don't forget to pull all your handles for real on the ground every time you get your reserve repack... it'll teach you quite a bit about your own gear just to do it on the ground. I try to have all my rigging clients do just that. It gives them faith that I know what I'm doing when that pilot chute goes launching off their backs, plus gives them a little experience with their own handles. Another drill is to do a solo jump sometime and do nothing but touch handles while in freefall (careful not to snag/pull them!!), they are in a different place than when standing/sitting. Do it again under canopy, again, they are in a different place. Strato, I'd rather treat V-B and other newbies with respect and have a 50/50 chance of teaching them a thing or two or give them fodder to ask questions to their own instructors than treat them like they are total nitwits and having a 0% chance of teaching them anything because they just tune me out. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Ok, so lets address RSL and horseshoe.... Remember your FJC, you have some part of your main system still attached to some portion of your body. The rule is try 2x/2 seconds to clear it, then cut away and deploy the reserve. Whether you have an RSL or no RSL, you still will be firing a reserve into a wad of shit that is still attached to your body. Instead of worrying about horseshoes and RSLs, it's better to turn your attention to preventing horseshoe mals to begin with. If you're freeflying, do it with freefly appropriate gear. Maintain your gear well (replacing closing loops, maintain BOC, closing loop short enough, routing bridle/pin properly while packing), protect your hackey/handles when moving in the aircraft, and do at least 3 gear checks prior to every skydive (when donning gear, before boarding, and before exiting the aircraft). If Mr. Skygod is a good rigger/instructor, it doesn't matter what his opinion is of RSLs/Skyhooks, he will be able to explain how everything works in a logical, factual manner. I tend to lean in favor of having one (even had my last rig modified to add an RSL), but when I teach, I present the facts, how it works, and discuss pros/cons. One concern I had was you said in another post that RSLs simplifies emergency procedures, by only requiring one handle to be pulled. That's not true. Your EPs are exactly the same. ALWAYS pull both handles, no exceptions. I had an RSL on my chop, but still landed with both handles in my hand. That way your EPs are always consistent, you don't have to think "I disconnecte my RSL for this jump since I have camera, so need to pull both handles this time"... you always practice and mentally rehearse pulling both for consistency sake. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I have a skyhook (though I hope I never need to actually use the system). The reason I got it was that it eliminates the issue with traditional RSLs... if a riser with a standard RSL breaks, your reserve deploys into a streaming main. Skyhook has the Collins Lanyard, which eliminates this problem. It makes infinitely more sense to me to have an RSL and disconnect it as needed (camera, CRW, landing in a roaring river) than to not have one at all and not even have the option of having it hooked up. V-B, you didn't really give any specific reasons why you are uncomfortable with an RSL. I'd strongly suggest you sit down with a rigger and 3 rigs... one with Skyhook, one with non Skyhook RSL, and one without an RSL. Learn the differences between them, spend a lot of time on the mechanics of it. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I don't think the problem was that you talked to and listened to your instructors in the other thread. The problem was that you said something akin to "I don't have an RSL because Mr. 10000 jump skygod said that RSLs are only for people too uneducated about gear" or something along those lines. That is the most grossly ignorant reason not to have an RSL I could possibly imagine. If, instead you said, I don't have an RSL because... and had your own well formulated, well considered, and well thought out reasons for it, you would not have taken any shit at all. Every jumper in this sport has their own opinions regarding suitability of gear/wing loading, appropriateness of RSL/AAD, etc. That's the nature of our sport... we are all to some degree type A, we all think our way is the right way, and we all want everyone else to think like us. We're an opinionated and vocal bunch... but that does students a huge disservice. As an instructor, if I told a student or low jump number person to not get an RSL because in my opinion they are dangerous, that would make me a truly shitty instructor. Students look up to us for good education and information, it's our job to give it to them. I teach students exactly how RSLs work, how a Collins lanyard works, how a skyhook works. We discuss situations where they are extremely helpful, and situations where they could make a bad scenario worse. Students are free to ask questions, get a solid understanding of the systems in question, and are thus better equipped to make educated decisions of their own for their own gear. The key word here is EDUCATED. Basing a major decision like this on one skygod's opinion is stupid. Basing a decision on actual facts and understanding is a wiser course of action.. and the difference between those two types of decision making is why you took so much crap. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I was a packer for 3 years, and a couple of the TMs would share tips with us. Most of the time though, if the tips wer e fairly big, they'd just buy food and drink and the entire DZ would benefit. As packers, we put our tips in a jar and saved them all summer, at the end of the summer, we bought steaks, drinks, seafood and had one hell of a party on us. We even bought the DZ a $400 grill out of it one summer. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Think back to your FJC.... 1. Is the canopy there? (in this case, yes) 2. Is the canopy square? (in this case, also typically yes) 3. Is the canopy controllable? (do a controllability check and find out) If the answer to all three is yes, no problem. If the answer to any one of the three is no, chop it. If you aren't sure how to deal with something, going back and asking those three questions will usually give you the a answer. I had PC over the nose one time, still have no clue how that happens, I landed fine, it had absolutely no effect on controllability, but this is going to depend on the configuration of the bridle (around lines?) and the canopy type. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

That 2 page written test covers the important parts of FJC, not 100% of the material covered. It's also given immediately after the FJC, not a week later. That's why there's so much review in the AFF program (category quizzes, A license quizzes, proficiency card reviews), so that retention is improved... that's true of any teaching style, and something I have to keep in mind on a daily basis since I'm a doctor. It's why I review findings on every visit and phone call, to improve retention. During the course of medical education is where I learned that first, and it was from a couple of different studies. It was repeated as part of my AFF I course. The old joke is that you can always repeat everything 7 times, then the retention is theoretically 100% Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Our FJC DOES cover PC over the nose for IAD/SL as well as AFF students. Just remember that what you were taught and what you remember being taught are 2 different things. A person only retains about 16% of the information thrown at them in a course, so unless you sat through the FJC 7 times, it's not possible to remember everything (which is why some things are stressed more than others... we want that 16% to be the most important information), the rest will come with reviews on later jumps. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

About foster/adoptive parents, it's a very different animal than natural parents. Natural parents pop out a kid and have them from day one. Theoretically the child is nurtured and if they do something that warrants a swat on the ass, they know that that's all there is to it... a swat on the butt, attention is focused, end of story. Typically spanking stops when the child is old enough to reason. I can't imagine spanking a 14 year old would be effective for anything at all, but a swat on the ass of a 2 year old who can't reason yet is totally different. Now factor in adoptive/foster parents. We don't know where these kids came from or what they've been through other than what the social workers are able to tell us. 100% of the kids have been neglected, 85% have been sexually abused, and I don't know the exact stats for emotional/physical abuse, but they are also very high. They don't know what a 'safe' environment is, they only know how to build walls, be defensive, and that the world is an incredibly unfriendly place. A swat on the ass to a child coming from that background only re-enforces that they are unlovable and alone, because they can't differentiate a spanking from the abuse they've received in the past. I see no problem with the occasional butt-swat in most birth families, in very young children who can't reason, maybe up to age 5-6 when consequences can be more age appropriate and effective. If I had given birth, that's probably one tool I'd use in early childhood... not one I'd use frequently, but it would be an option. However, I'm also an adult survivor of a severely abusive childhood...emotional, sexual, physical. My mother broke so many wooden spoons on my ass that my father made a large plywood paddle to use instead. I would be spanked so hard that sitting down was impossible, there were welts and cuts on my butt constantly, and this went on from as long as I can remember until I left home at 17. I can tell you that those beatings stay with you. My husband was pissed once (not at me, just in general) and threw a road map atlas to vent. It went in my general direction, but again, not at me, and I completely lost it. In a fraction of a second, I was on the floor, fetal, crying, and shaking like a leaf. And I was probably 29 or 30 when this happened. I'm an adult, I can rationalize his intent and that my marriage is good and safe and he'd never hurt me, but for a few minutes, I was a little kid again.... that's the kind of thing that foster kids/adoptive kids can go through with spanking. The same with school teachers or professionals that work with kids... they don't know what goes on in the child's home, so they could be very well unintentionally doing the same thing. I don't know where the line is drawn between spanking and abuse. I believe it's in part age related, pain related (the spanking should sting a little, but not leave a hand print or welt), and intention related (it should never be done out of parental anger). I believe it's a dead last resort for kids that are born to you. I also believe that things that happen to kids really can mess with them as adults, and it's better to have discussions like this on here and really think about the consequences of actions. It's probably even better to really think these things through prior to having children so that decisions aren't made in the heat of a frustrating moment that could be regretted later. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I think the other guy figured this out too. Twice today, I over voted and had Terry ahead, only to check back in an hour to find him being decimated by the other guy. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

LOL!! Exactly Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

There are exceptions to the cuddling thing too though. I would have agreed with you on this until the example was brought up in class regarding attachment disorders. Some kids never bonded with their primary care giver, that cuddling was never there. As an infant, they screamed and no one came to feed them, cuddle them, change their diaper, there was no safety no sense of security. In some cases with some kids, cuddling is exactly what they need when they scream or act out, to create that bond. Some kids take years of this in order to learn how to bond to another human being. Parenting and child behavior is far more complex than I had originally thought. I knew it was complicated, but there are so many more variables than I had considered prior to taking these classes. The bottom line is that every kid is different and requires different tools to teach them appropriate mechanisms for dealing with the world. Violence isn't one of those tools though (self defense excepting) Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

How to deal with a child going for a hot stove is going to be age dependent. A 2 year old can't understand rationalization without experiencing it. I remember being about 3 and my parents had lit candles that made this Christmas decoration go round and round, which made bells ring. I was transfixed by it and it was at eye level. I wanted to touch the candle flame because it was pretty. They rationalized with me, just like you did, but with out experiencing what a burn was, I had no idea what it meant to get burned or hurt in that way. Sure enough, I eventually touched the flame, got a burn and blister. That experience taught me what 'hot' and 'burn' meant in ways that just talking about it couldn't. Some things need to be experienced to be truly understood. Once the 2-3 year old understands what a burn is, it's much easier to take that 'burn' sense and transfer it to a stove... remember what the candle did? Stoves can do that too. There's a fine line between protection/education and over protection. Either way, teaching can be done effectively without physical violence. Although if my adopted 9 year old is running into traffic, contract or not I'm going to tackle that kid!

If a child puts a hand on a hot stove, they will heal up, they will learn that hot stoves hurt, they will never do it again. If a parent smacks a child, the child doesn't learn that the stove in unsafe, he only learns that the parent will hit him if he goes near the stove. That's the rationale. Plus, with regard to kids in the foster care system, where so many have been at best neglected, any kind of physical violence only validates what the child has learned about adults/parents/people... that they will hit, that they are not trustworthy. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

It's been interesting reading all of these posts as I'm going through training now to become an adoptive parent. As a part of this, I become certified as a respite parent, foster parent, and adoptive parent, all in one shot. One of the requirements is that I sign a contract saying that I am never going to spank the child. No spanking, swatting, smacking a hand, or restraining of any type is allowed for these children. If I violate that contract, I can be tossed out of the program. I'm not even allowed to swat a hand if the kid is going to put it on a hot stove. Though I guess finding out the hard way will make them only do it once. On the flip side of that, we have also gotten a lot of good training on how TO parent.... rewards/consequences, positive re-inforcement, etc. Honestly, I think ALL parents should be certified with 24 hours of instruction like this as we are as foster/adoptive families. We've learned an amazing amount in a very short time. It's not teaching us how to solve every problem that can possibly arise, but it's giving us the tools we need to at least know where to find answers when we don't know what to do and give a really good foundation. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

The shirtless tool is up again Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Where's your sense of adventure? What's 2650.36 miles among friends?

As I said in my post, yes, it is part of his FJC, as well as the recurrency training I gave him a month ago, but no student remembers every single thing they are told after 3 AFF jumps

If Alex had chopped, he may have gotten a bit of shit on here if he posted it, but in real life at the DZ he would have gotten a pat on the back and no shit at all. We would have told him 'good job dealing with the malfunction, you couldn't land your canopy, didn't know how to fix the problem, and took the appropriate measures to get a landable canopy over your head.' We also would have spent time working with him on how to deal with a problem like that next time, but we'd all rather see a student chop a fixable issue than ride a spinning canopy down and bounce. Gear can be replaced. A popped brake IS covered in the FJC, however, it's there with a lot of other information too and as it's not the most important thing to remember on a first jump, it's not stressed heavily. More minor information like that is often forgotten by students, but that's ok, situations like this make for great learning experiences and refreshers. It taught Alex a lot about canopy flight as well as a thing or two about himself and how he reacts to an unusual situation. How an experienced jumper and a student jumper deal with problems can be completely different on some things. My husband had a hung up slider on one side that put him into a spin on jump number 92. Right now, at 650 jumps, he'd pump the brakes and work with it a bit before chopping, but at jump 92, his first instinct was to chop without touching the brakes, so he did. Nothing wrong with either method. Experience teaches quite a bit and the only way to gain experience in knowing what's fixable and what isn't is to jump more, spend lots of time on the ground at the DZ listening to instructors and asking questions, and sometimes to literally learn on the fly

First, Alex isn't the most patient student in the world. I can't count the number of times I've used the phrase 'patience grasshopper' or some derivative with him

Based on the amount of good karma I've built up over the years, yes, I guess I'd be considered a good person. I do the best I can in life with what I have and try to help others out as I go... isn't that all the world can really ask of a person? The decisions I regret are the things I didn't do. I've never regretted the things that I did do. I'm not really grasping the moral fiber worth question, so I'll skip it

Thanks, Alex

Alex, I love the slideshow on You Tube :-) Yes, the kangaroo pummelling is EXACTLY what I wanted to do to you with that landing, but everything else was great. You made my first reserve side cessna exit easy (and since I was nervous as shit jumping with Theresa there and trying to do well for her, I really appreciate that!!!!!!) I can't wait to see you back soon for level 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Popsjumper is cute and all (damn I love that hair!!), but I think the Packing Fairy beats him though http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2906803;#2906803 Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh, when my husband had his chop, it landed at the top of a 60 foot tree. One of the jumpers there climbs/cuts trees for a living, so retrieved the main for us. We bought him 2 jump tickets.... he tried to refuse, so we just had them put on his account at manifest... it was above and beyond just looking for a main, he had the equipment needed for that job to be done safely. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda