NWFlyer

So, you've asked this question in two different ways (so far) on two different posts. It's not that it's a bad question, per se, it's just that to some extent, you're putting the cart before the horse. From what I can tell, you've made a single tandem jump and are considering getting into the sport. You're doing your homework, which is good - to a point. But it also seems that you're starting to believe that you have the knowledge & judgement to make recommendations to your wife based on what you've learned through this research. No offense intended, but you really don't. What I'd recommend instead is to take advantage of the whole cadre of professional instructors at your local DZ who have years of experience and training under their belts, who will be more than happy to help assess your (and your wife's) readiness for solo skydiving, based on an ongoing assessment of your understanding of the ground training, and your performance in the air. Instructional programs are carefully designed to introduce information on a gradual basis to prevent information overload, and to allow for continued expansion of the knowledge base and the situations that a skydiver is trained to deal with. As much as possible, the first few jumps will be more "controlled" (as much as any solo skydive can be "controlled") and as a student demonstrates understanding and proficiency, he will be allowed to progress and will take on an increasing number of responsibilities for himself. (This is not to say that a student making his first solo skydive isn't taking on an immense amount of personal responsibility immediately. He is). What I'm saying is this - stop watching videos, stop trying to learn to skydive on the internet. Stop trying to decide if your wife is ready to jump or capable of jumping. If you're ready to get started, get started. If she's ready to get started, sign up together. If either or both of you is not "getting it" your instructor(s) should put on the brakes and keep working with you until you get it. If you're not performing well in the earlier jumps with a more controlled environment, they'll keep working with you in that more controlled environment till they believe you've demonstrated the aptitude to move forward. And, those same instructors will continue to teach and advise you as you progress through your student jumps, and as you start to make decisions about gear purchases (that is, if you and/or your wife decide you want to do that). They'll make those recommendations based on their experience and expertise. And they'll help you to develop the expertise and judgment to make good decisions and assessments for yourself. Ultimately, yes, there are a lot of variables that you can control in this sport that can make it safer. However, it is still an inherently risky sport and you'll both have to come to your own understanding of that and whether that risk/reward is something you're willing to accept. Or not. And it's okay either way. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Kroops! Thanks, that's the other brand name I was trying to remember that I really like. I find they are more durable (and comfortable) than Flex-Zs. And they work well on my Freakishly Large Head. It's been a few years since I've worn my open-face regularly, though. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Cheap. I wear a full-face now, but when I wore an open-face (for my first 400 or so jumps) I found that price and quality were not necessarily related. Flex-Zs or Sky Eyes or something similar work well and last as long as more expensive ones. I was a fan of amber goggles for daytime - I could still make eye contact but they made it a little less squinty in the sun. I'd recommend having at least one pair of totally clear lenses as well for sunset loads (or other low-light days) or night jumps. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

He's been know to grow one now and then. Sparky Apparently he's not the only one! Everyone is so bundled up. Did it drop below 70 in Perris that day? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

http://youtu.be/VKVAtjfGjp0?t=1m38s Clicky (and queued up to just before deployment). That's some scary shit. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'll try to hit the experience element a little bit. Malfunctions due to packing errors - I don't think we'll ever have data on this, but it may be more likely that the more experienced you get, the "lazier" you get about your pack jobs. Newer jumpers tend to be very meticulous (and slow) about their packing. While they may have an error due to lack of knowledge, chances are lower that they'll have an error because they rushed and forgot a step. The most important thing you can do to mitigate this risk is to have a routine, follow it every time, and build in double- and triple-checks where possible (for example, you can cock your pilot chute when you first lay the rig down, check it again after you set the rig down after flaking it, and a third time when you're about to put the pilot chute in the pouch.) Cutaways due to not knowing how to "fix" a malfunction - this is a tricky one to bring up, because people have tried to "fix" a slow malfunction all the way into the ground. So a newer jumper being "quick on the trigger" isn't necessarily a bad thing altogether. That said, with more experience you may be able to more quickly assess and address a fixable lower speed malfunction. The double-edged sword of that is that you may keep trying past a safe cutaway altitude. Malfunctions more attributable to canopy type - As others have already mentioned, certain canopy types (and sizes/wingloadings) can be more prone to malfunctions. They're much more sensitive to body position on deployment and they're much less tolerant of packing errors. It's one of the reasons (there are many others) that most skydivers with an ounce of sense will warn newer jumpers away from higher-performance/heavily loaded canopies. It takes time to really dial in consistency both in packing and in body position on deployment, and when shit goes bad on a higher-performance/heavily-loaded canopy, it goes bad quickly. Miscellaneous experience-related causes: As you gain more experience, you're more likely to try disciplines that add complexity and may add contributing variables to a malfunction. For example (there's many others, here's a couple): At freefly speeds, a premature opening malfunction is generally more likely to cause damage to a canopy that would necessitate a cutaway. Flying a wingsuit changes both your deployment position and your deployment dynamics. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

This handy flowchart helped me to finally understand it. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

USPA's Facebook page appears to have a whole lot of them (if not all). Click on "See more" to display all albums, and look for the albums entitled "Parachutist Covers..." https://www.facebook.com/SkydiveUSPA/photos "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I really don't know the US situation so my opinion doesn't carry a lot of weight. But I'm guessing that the above isn't the problem. The FAA has to deal with cases where a drop zone wants to locate on a funded airport, and the airport commission or some other group says, "They can't land next to the runway, it's dangerous! Make them land in a field off the airport." The FAA has little guidance on what standards to apply, so is trying to come up with something. I could be wrong, but it doesn't sound like the FAA is upset with reports of students being dragged across taxiways in front of aircraft etc. Skydivers hitting each other under canopy may be on their radar but it doesn't seem very related to this issue. Here's what's in the email (also linked in my OP): So you're right, it's not clear that there's a connection to our lack of landing pattern discipline. I can't help but wonder if it's brought it on their radar screen, though. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

What is "perceived" about it? The USPA has failed us in this regard and now we're facing a serious threat by the FAA. I am not surprised in the least. I put the ? in there because I'm willing to bet there are some people who believe that USPA has taken adequate action (e.g., the "group member pledge."). (I'm not one who agrees with that). Plus, there are actually DZs who have taken proactive action. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Most USPA members probably received two emails today with this call to action (also included on the USPA web site). (I haven't compared word-for-word, but I think between these two links, all the information that was in the emails is provided, other than the example, which I've included in the attachment.) http://www.uspa.org/NewsEvents/News/tabid/59/Default.aspx#28587 http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/News/FAAProposal070312.pdf It refers to the FAA proposal in the current issue of the Federal Register: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-07-03/html/2012-15912.htm USPA Summary: Example provided by USPA in email (image attached): So the question is, how much of this is due to our (perceived?) inability to effectively manage traffic in our own landing areas? The FAA says it's to mitigate the risk of parachute/aircraft incidents, but the lists of 27 "incidents" that they dug up (links at the bottom of the page) contains many specious examples (though there are some legit ones as well). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You're not the first. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Of course, if your commercial aircraft does depressurize at 30K+ feet, damage to your altimeter may be the least of your worries. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Slow down, relax, and don't think about buying gear for a while. Your student program will provide all the gear you need for your student skydives. It will be safe, appropriate gear for your student jumps, and in the process of doing those jumps, you can decide if you want to stick with the sport and get your own gear, and learn enough to be able to make smart decisions (with the advice of your instructors) on what to buy. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yes. You have to complete (and document) all the requirements for both licenses (jump numbers, skills, training, written tests), but you'd only need to pay for the C license. That's what I did - it took me a while to get water training for the B, so I figured I was close enough to 200 jumps that I'd just wait for the C. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Keep telling yourself that! So hey, what's your real name? I assume that you're on the list of folks who are running for the USPA Board of Directors this year since you have so many great ideas to reform the organization, right? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

My advice is to call up (or better yet, visit) the DZ (or DZs) that you are considering going to and asking them these very questions. I'm guessing some of your questions may be motivated by wanting to have an idea of how much this whole "getting an A license" exercise is likely to cost. That's a valid question and a DZ should be up front with you about the typical costs to get a license, including AFF jumps, post-AFF student jumps, gear rental, packing class costs (if any), cost of re-jumps, etc. Of course, it varies based on how many and what types of jumps you may (or may not) need to repeat, but you should be able to get a rough idea before you get started and get all your questions answered. If a DZ isn't willing to sit down and answer these questions, you may want to reconsider whether it's the right place for you (with a caveat - if you show up right in the middle of a busy weekend day, it may be more difficult to get time with an instructor or DZ representative, at least until the jumping day is over, but you should be able to set up a time to talk with someone). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So we've narrowed it down. It's not the canopy course (or the cost of a course). It's not licenses in general. It's the fee to apply ("rape" ) for a license that you have a problem with. Whew. Took a while to get to the heart of the issue. excaza has a good point - any time you lump the cost of something that not everyone needs/wants into the general cost, people will figure out a way to complain about it. Heck, people will figure out a way to complain about it, period. There's a cost associated with issuing licenses. A staff member has to validate that paperwork, and send it back if it's not accurate or complete. The information has to be logged. The license itself has to be printed & mailed. Someone has to maintain the online database that tracks license & rating information so that DZs can look you up online when you forget to bring your card. None of these things is free. The good news is that no one's making anyone apply for any licenses. (Although for all practical purposes, if you want to travel beyond your home DZ, applying for the A will be helpful, though technically not required). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Nowhere really close. Your closest is in Orlando, clear on the other side of the state. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So you think licenses overall are a waste of time/money? Maybe that's worth a thread in and of itself - I'd be curious to hear your arguments against them (besides "waste of time" because that doesn't tell me much). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Uhhh ... license fees haven't changed. Try again. BTW, you can get a D license without paying for an A, B, or C if you want to (you do have to meet the requirements for the lower licenses, but you could get away with only paying one license fee). As long as you've got that stamped A card, you have an A license. Now, there are some DZs that may want you to have the actual physical license from USPA, and if you do lose that yellow card, you've now got to recreate all that documentation (where if you applied for a license, you'd just have to ask USPA for a replacement card). But you go on with your money grab argument. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm on a year-long break because I traveled into a malaria zone in March. But I am a regular donor when they'll let me.

You don't have to jump "student gear" per se to still jump a conservative setup. I'm like you - 41 and have no interest in going super-duper fast or having a tiny pack on my back, so I still jump what many consider a "student size" canopy. But it's not student gear; I have an AAD that's set to "Expert" skydiver mode, and my canopy is one that, while not at all aggressive, is a bit more sporty than student gear. You'll find that a majority (I'd even venture to say an overwhelming majority) of skydivers do choose the safety features (such as AADs, helmets, RSLs) that are standard for student gear but optional for licensed skydivers. There are certain types of skydives or skydiving where there are pros & cons of AADs and RSLs, but for almost all skydiving situations, they'll improve your odds of survival. All that said, after you're licensed, it's still (largely) a matter of personal choice what you choose to use (or not use). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Agree with others - ask Bev. General hints: follow the 3-color rule. No more than 3 colors on any piece of gear. A primary color, secondary color, and an accent color. More than that and it starts to look busy. Think about areas most likely to get dirty when choosing lighter colors. Grippers get handled a lot by grubby skydiver hands. Butts and knees sometimes make contact with the ground, and butts definitely make contact with airplane seats & floors. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Kinda hard to describe. But if you like dark comedy, you'll like this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Kiss_Bang_Bang "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke