DougH

It sounds like you got the manifest / phone worker who wasn't an instructor, and probably doesn't have many jumps under her belt. Bypass her and go out to meet the instructors and ask them your questions. It wouldn't hurt the bring some beer, you will get their attention, but they will be happy to give you some information either way. Students underwrite my paycheck, I always try to make time for them, they are our life blood! A tandem can be extremely instructional. We use a tandem to AFF progression and on the tandem levels the students have already gone through ground school. We practice body flight, altitude awareness, they pull the parachute. They check for a working canopy, have planned their exit point and canopy flight on the ground, and are the main operator of the parachute as long as they follow the plan. Even my first timers and "bucket list" jumpers practice body flight, are welcome to pull the parachute and do most of the canopy flight if they want to (I heavily encourage this, it gives my arms a rest!). "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you need to grow a set. Couldn't say something then, needed to seek out the internet collective judgement on something that you already knew was wrong, and still can't mention something to your friend. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

If he is good friends with you then you should be comfortable giving him a face to face. If can't handle it then he isn't a good friend. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

6 in one 1/2 a dozen in another. Neither works well for tandem ROI lol. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I am sure you don't, that was pretty tongue in cheek. I can see why you wouldn't want to do tandems there. Tricky landing conditions, hot windy, turbulent. Getting a 14k tandem rig ruined by nice alkaline dust. No pay off since everything is on the barter system. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Damn. Would love to hear what caused the low reserve pull. Was the jumper waiting for stability? I also really don't understand fighting the spinning line twists for that long, to the point of un-stowing the toggles and giving them a whirl! On all three of my chops from diving line twists I had a pretty good idea that it wasn't going to be a great idea to fight it for more than a few moments. I jump in the freaking woods, and yes it sucks having to search for your gear, but it sucks more being dead. By comparison the outs in this video looked fantastic. I doubt it would be hard to find the main and the free bag there. Chop it, pull reserve, chase it (but don't catch it). Stop wasting time fucking around! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

No bartering tandems for hippy sex? I don't think I could get past the patchouli stink, but it still seems like a missed opportunity. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I love Christopher Walken, and this is a good Fatboy Slim song. That being said, this video is also very amusing if you watch it with the sounded muted. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You didn't rule out the other two suggestions. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You are a little late to the party, I am positive this was in a few posts; and no, no one fessed up. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You should bang them and give them some sort of a VD to take home as a souvenir. Or maybe you can just yell at them in a crotchety old man voice, " you damn kids get off my grass". Or maybe you should lighten up a bit and partake in some of their fun. I know when I get hung up on something it only bothers me more and more, but if you join in and lighten up, it seems trivial afterwards. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

So you know for a fact that the chemicals used in the compressed "air" cans are safe for webbing and other container material? Your shoe isn't a life saving device, but please continue, I wouldn't want safety or common sense to get in the way of your habit of making statements of fact that you pulled out of your ass. If this was an episode of dropzone.com survivor, I would be tempted to use my save on Gregspo, just to get you off the island. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Your right, my mistake! Are they wearing their own seat belts as well? If you are belted in only, and the belt holds both your weight, then the student has a lot of leash to flop around! Didn't we get the push for seat belts after the Perris crash because people died that would have otherwise survived from the crush of everyone moving around the the wreck? I get a lot of the points you make Chuck, and I obviously defer to your experience, especially considering I don't ANY of my tandems out of turbines with straddle benches. How much time do you think you would gain in an emergency exit if you only had to cinch down the lowers, versus having to connect lowers, cinch them down, and connect uppers? I am sure it is faster, but I am thinking you can quickly get it done either way since the student is already close to you. Pull them close, hook the lowers, get the uppers, tighten the lowers as you slide down the bench to the door? Either way seems like lightening in my mind compared to an emergency hookup in a 182! Which is easier to release when we are all a broken mess on the floor? I still say a seat belt. If you were on your side you would trap one of the quick ejectors that they need to get to. I appreciate your info! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Did you read any of the posts that preceded yours? It doesn't appear that you could be bothered to read and comprehend?! Maybe because you were too busy writing this drivel? There were a number of informative replies that have already been shared in this thread which address all of your "points". If a student can't successful complete their hop and pops then they shouldn't get an A license. This isn't children coach pitch softball. If you can't get this done, don't pass go. We have first jump IAD students who can manage the practice, I think we should expect the same of our A license hopefuls. I won't go and retype all of the reasons why it is important to practice low exits, or explain why you are distorting the risk involved in the practice. The beef with the poster is the same as the beef with your response. He is too busy typing a bunch of uninformed long winded threads, when he should probably just read and learn for once instead. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Are you pulling my leg? A hooker style seat belt on a student harness can be placed on the main lift web where the student can easily see it, and manipulate it. Most of these seat belts are familiar operation to the student, lift up the release and pull, just like a regular airplane belt, but one sided. My laterals attach on the lateral rings on my container far behind the student where they can't see them, and they use quick ejector hardware which is unfamiliar to many students. If the upper connectors are on that is even more unfamiliar for the student, and would require lots of work to release, IMHO. Do you really think that a student that is connected to their tandem instructor could quickly free themselves from upper connectors, and lower connectors, if that instructor was belted in and incapacitated? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Depends on what I am jumping. My 104 eliptical, well I would rather not. But if I have a larger less aggressive square I will happily do hop and pops from 2k all day if that is all we can get. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

With 5 jumps why do you even have this interest? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Are we talking for a day trip or a week long boogie? Can you bring a hard sided cooler and some gel ice packs? This will sort of guide my input!

We don't need youtube tandem course videos. When you are ready to be a TM you can take an tandem instructor certification course. Depending on the manufacturer rating your getting you get a nice shiny course packet, with video, forms, training manual... all types of sick stuff. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

This is great! Can we banish GregsPo to that forum too? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I like that better! Prince Julian... lol! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Inigo Peril , this widget sucks. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

That is cooooooooool! Don't jump up! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Use your brain. Does an aircraft emergency wait until a skydiver is a B or C license before it becomes possible? I never hear a PT6 debating this before, "man I really want to puke out my hot section today, but I noticed there were a few newly licensed jumpers on board". And it is a real shame you won't leave. You need a hobby other than pestering people on the internet. My guess is we were just unlucky enough that you happened to pick skydiving. If you had you chosen golf, or r/c planes, or any other activity chances are you would be on some message board bemoaning how you were unfairly run out of the golf,r/c plane, or whatever community. You rub people the wrong way, and your refusal to move a long is a perfect example of it! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

It isn't poor customer service related to any product, because it isn't poor customer service. Email sears, a company that has 1000x more resources than L&B, and start asking them questions about the 1982 built in Kenmore microwave that is in your apartment. Every product has a life span, and when your outside of that lifespan it is the unreasonable to expect the manufacturer to continue to service, stock parts, and answer queries! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P