SkySlut

Check your email...Oh, and there is a 90 minute marathon of the Simpsons on this week...

1000+ jumps and zero cutaways!!! Knock, knock...

Well, it all started out with a raging hangover. I get up at 6:20 to head to Deland to pick up my new reserve. Three quarters of the way there I get a freakin flat. Not having to actually change a flat by myself before...I was a bit perplexed at the whole situation. Definately the last thing I need at that hour in the morning. So I get it on. Here is the kicker:Do I keep on to Deland to get my reserve with a check in my hand or head back (which is just as far, driving these distances arent very good with a donut on the car), or do I head to Deland to get my canopy and deal with the flat tire there? Of course I keep on to Deland. I get my reserve and have a few bucks left over. I go to some local tireshop to get a spare used tire...because I am a broke skydiver, but they dont have any. So I go to another place and they dont have any either. I end up getting 2 brand new tires with the rest of the money that I have left over from my reserve. I then rush home to get my car back to my girlfriend 20 minutes before she has to go to work. It was definately time for a shower because I was covered in dirt & grease, a beer & a nap. Other than that...it was a pretty good Valentines day. What a pain in the ass yesterday was... How was yours???

In the otter of course (man that thing rocks), at the end of the runway during a meteor shower, on top of the tiki bar during a party (splinters!!!) and in a raft in the swooping pond. All good!!!

I got a bitchin tattoo of a 4 way "cat" around my ankle. I had a friend of mine design it. I gave her the formation picture from the USPA dive pool and she made it all tribal-looking. Its surrounded by clouds...very nice. Sorry dont have any pics, but it came out really cool and I didnt even have to leave the DZ to get it. She set up shop at the DZ house for the weekend. I get quite a few compliments on it...even from whuffos. It is difficult to tell what you are looking at but when skydivers check it out, they love it!!!

I agree with that one to...it does depend on the person. I got my AFF rating when I had 6 hrs of freefall and 370 jumps. There were guys in my course that had 1500 jumps and bailed out of the course after their 1st 2 practice evals. It just depends on what you are doing. I did 150 4 way jumps starting at about 80 jumps and I had done about another 100 coaching jumps prior. You just cant walk into an AFF course with jump numbers...its not the way it works. I once saw this guy in Deland doing 100 hop-N-pops so he could hit his 500 jumps so he could get his tandem rating. Talk about cheating the system!!! I honestly believe that its quality over quantity when it comes to each individual skydiver and their chance at getting a rating and being a competent instructor. One of the things that I was told at the end of the AFF course. "this is your license to learn. go and learn!"

Yep, that is a VERY find line to walk...I remember when I was doing coaching jumps, at the DZ that I started at they had 2 coaching jumps after AFF. A good portion of the instructors were pretty bent about it because I was taking work from them...but the smart ones (the DZO) knew that I was going to be an AFF instructor and that he was helping me, I was helping the DZ and that it would pay off for both of us in the long run. I found out later after getting all my ratings that the same guys that were bitching about me doing coaching jumps, bitch about everything...so screw em. I have said this in the past, if you are in it for the money, quit and get a real job...stick to your guns and be the best coach you can be...the students can tell the difference between a good coach and a whiny ass, money grubbing, burnt out instructor. Just keep in mind why you are doing this. If you do a great job at coaching, the word will travel and soon you will have plenty of students. Try not to get mixed up in the politics...especially in front of students or potential students. Its just not appropriate.

Yep, that is a smart DZ...but sometimes it can be pretty difficult to find a DZ that has that type of mentality. So you may have to search out a good one. So if you are at a DZ that only thinks about the present moment you may have to switch DZs to persue your skydiving goals.

you dont necessarily have to get paid for doing coach jumps...sometimes a DZ will give you a free slot to help out a newer jumper or sometimes you can just take the initiative and pay your own slot. If you are teaching them, it helps them and it helps you in preparation for your AFF rating. With the ISP program, you will find that a lot of AFF instructors dont want to be bothered with doing coaching jumps because they take up a good amount of time and it typically doesnt pay as much. you should be able to stay current very easily. just make sure that you are being noticed that you are doing so and log them so you have proof that you have been doing coaching so when you have to get your rating renewed...the local official can sign you off on it.

QuoteCampbell's vehicle swerved into the southbound lane, then jerked back into the northbound lane and into the roadside bicycle lane, police said. He probably spilled his cocktail or was reaching for another one....

I believe that there should be several changes to the AFFCC. Here is what the information sheet for the AFFCC says. "Be properly trained, then tested, as an AFF Instructor." I honestly believe that you need to train yourself to even enter this course...and no matter how ready you think you are, trust me, you arent. The course is set up in a traditional military way.There really isnt any "training" in the course. You better have your shit together or you are going to have a really tough time. There arent too many chances to make mistakes and learn. They give you a manual and video that gives you a general outline for what they are looking for, but they never actually tell you what they are expecting from you. Therefore, no training...For the most part, the I/Es seem to be far and above the candidates in every way. If you are having a problem figuring things out...they will just tell you that its wrong...figure it out yourself...end of discussion. I realize that they intentionally try to push your buttons to see how you handle stress. Even if you had done everything right...they will still find something to push you mentally. There is nothing wrong with pushing the candidates to succeed, but I think that it can be done in such a fashion that doesnt include beating them into submission. Another important consideration:Students learn from their instructors, whether its an AFF student or an AFF candidate. A good teacher or instructor is very difficult to come across. Candidates learn to instruct from their course directors and I/Es. If the candidate didnt have a good coaching background before attending the AFFCC, then the only way that they will learn to teach is how they were taught by thier I/E of CDs. Beating students into submission. I think that this is terribly unfortunate. I am not saying that all I/Es are terrible because there are some great ones out there that will help you. But I have seen quite a few candidates that graduate from that course and become total dictators in their FJCs. They make their students feel stupid for asking questions...very similar to the way some AFFCC are held. People learn from example, and if your example is intimidating and condescending...well then what do you expect from these new instructors. Final point:There needs to be a precourse that a candidate can feel free to ask all the questions in the world or the AFFCC training methods need to change. That being said:Please dont take my ratings away!!!

Read those articles from RW and Sunpath and decide for yourself. Personally, I wouldnt use reverse risers for the reason that RWS states but a good friend of mine that has about 5,000 jumps uses reverse risers on his javelin and regular risers on his mirage....but I think that he is just too lazy to get regular risers for his javelin. He has probably done a couple thousand jumps with reverse risers on his javelin. I guess that its a question of risk management. RWS also recommends the standard size rings over the minirings...i jump minirings. Recommendation:get as informed as you can and you make the decision.

Here is the info on Eric Fradet... http://www.performancedesigns.com/pdzone/teampage.asp?team=fradet&category=ff

well, we were up pretty late last night...but that is nothing unusual for lyle. I dont know how he does it. he only sleeps a couple of hours a night...workaholic.

Yep, they got back yesterday...he apparently had a case of montezuma's revenge...dont drink the water or put the ice cubes in your cocktails for godsake!!! He is feeling much better now...I made him have a few adult beverages last night...

yep, I agree that it is rude...but it can be done. Sometimes it pays to know the right people. I would have told them that they had to wait, but some people dont have those ethics...

Done in D minor...the saddest of all keys, really. It makes people instantly weep when they hear it. Other than that anything by Lionel Richie or possibly even Ice T's "Lets get bucknaked and f*ck", that is always a crowd pleaser. Women become putty in your hands if you put that track on.

When I worked at Deland we were able to "pull strings" to get rigs bumped up in production...we didnt do it often, but you can do it if you need to.

You may want to consider shorter risers...I have 18" and that seems to work just fine.

Their website hasnt been updated with pictures yet, but I am sure that they will put it on as soon as cisco can get to it... www.freeflytrainingcenter.com

As of a couple of months ago...Deland wasnt using the A license proficiency cards...they were still using a written test. I am not sure whether that changed with the new year...but they are WAY behind anything that the ISP is suggesting. They seem to operate on the 7 jumps and you are done program...sometimes as little as 4 or 5...pretty sad if you ask me...

I just spoke to Dave Brown and he believes that the 24 is official. I guess that there was some discrepancy on one grip...depending on who's rules that you use. I guess one set of rules says that the grips need to be taken between the hand and the elbow, but they used IPC rules that go from the hand to the shoulder...so apparently the world record was set at 24. There is a great picture in the Zoo Bar of the completed formation...Very Nice.

funny....

Just make sure that you dont take it to the rigger...if he was your instructor for your first jump course....hehehehe...sorry Preston!

As far as anti-war protests in the US...the other day a bunch of Nekkid Women laid down in the snow in Central Park to spell out "Anti-War" and my personal favorite "No Bush"...I thought that was a riot...that is my kind of peace rally!!!