tombuch

Staged deployment. I'm thinking mostly of round parachutes with pilot chutes. The static line is attached to the bag, and a piece of Velcro then attaches the inside of the bag to the pilot chute or the apex of the canopy. It simply ensures the canopy and lines are deployed in sequence, rather than bag strip. I'm not sure how most DZ's are rigging their squares with a direct bag these days. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

In the United States... Group medical insurance policies are permitted to exclude hazardous activities under federal law. That change happened in Congress about eight years ago and was discussed in depth either here, or on rec.skydiving, but there was very little action from the skydiving community in opposition. State law may prohibit exclusions. Some states regulate the insurance industry with an objective of inclusiveness, and some target lower premiums. Many states are actively looking at ways to increase coverage and reduce costs, and exclusions are always on the table. It's an interesting political issue because excluding specific sports activities (i.e. scuba diving, skiing, skydiving) can be very harmful to a local/state/regional economy, and those injured without insurance coverage can become a financial burden to the rest of us through cost shifting as uninsured patients. So either the costs of care are covered through a more expensive insured risk pool, or the uninsured patients get care anyway and the costs are shifted within the medical community and among taxpayers. It's a thorny political problem in the United States that is probably being discussed in Speakers Corner, and will certainly get at least peripheral sound bites in the presidential campaign. With all that said, most group medical policies in the United States still do cover skydiving. Many life policies may exclude coverage. Group policies tend to be more inclusive than individual policies. The trend is for more companies to exclude more activities. In some cases a rider may be available to cover your activity for an additional premium. Your best bet when shopping for individual coverage is to talk with the insurance agent and ask very specific questions. If you work for a company that provides group coverage it is well worth calling the HR department and speaking directly with the person who negotiates insurance purchasing. Human Resources departments are always looking for ways to reduce their insurance costs and insurance companies can offer may tools including higher deductibles and co-pays, reduced provider groups, containment caps, or exclusions. Your HR department should know of your concern. That's true for skydivers, but also true if you are a skier, or participate in motor sports, or any other hazardous activity. We often think of politics as irrelevant to our daily lives, but this is an obvious case where the political process is important to us all, regardless of which side of the insurance issue you are on. Not only is it a critical social issue, but the costs of care are a growing burden on every one of us. I know it sometimes feels like Congress is a mess and isn't responsive, but health insurance is also handled at the state level, and your voice will have more power there. If you don't know who your state legislators are, find out, and then give them a call. If you don't fully understand the issue, ask your state representatives for a briefing on their perspective, and on the opposition view point. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It seems like a foolish idea to me. Your profile says you have just over 300 jumps, you live in Manhattan, and your home DZ is Crosskeys. My first point is that based on your experience, you are not even close to ready to set-up and execute your own demo. Second point is you should talk with an instructor, S&TA, or experienced demo jumper at your own drop zone to get a feel for what you are getting yourself into. And finally, if your proposed jump is in an urban area anyplace near NYC, or within the class B rings of NY or Philadelphia, I’d say abandon the bandit concept right away and for all time. It could really cause havoc and trouble for the industry as a whole. Obviously there are FAA issues to worry about, but in this day and age of terrorism and related fear mongering, a parachute jump can really raise the hackles of local police. Avoid any bandit jump in any urban area. Please. And if you do a legal jump in these areas, at least let the local PD know about your plans. Local exhibition jumpers may know of additional contacts you need to make to satisfy the Orwellian named Homeland Security Department. Now, as to what is required (briefly): In all cases you will need to file a NOTAM. That is simply a notice to airmen that you plan to jump. It’s just so pilots can avoid your area when the jump is happening, or contact ATC on a specific frequency for advisories. Typically a NOTAM is filed with the local ATC facility, or a local Flight Service Station, and nobody checks where you are going or what you are up to. The location is expressed in terms of radial distance from a nav aid, and often the person you file with won’t know where that is, or what specific regulation covers the jump, so there are frequently no questions asked at that point. You will need to list the name of the pilot and aircraft ID, so there will be a paper trail for later prosecution if you get caught. If the jump is in open area, not a congested area, not an open assembly of people, and not in controlled airspace the NOTAM may be all you will need, as far as the FAA is concerned. If any of those not’s apply, then you will need FAA authorization. That’s a much bigger deal. See 105.21 – 105.25. So what is a “congested area or open assembly of persons?” See FAA Advisory Circular 105-2c that is included in the back of the SIM. Your best bet, as I said at the beginning, is to chat with your S&TA or a local exhibition jumper to review the requirements of making legal exhibition jumps. And be very careful about the whole process. Any problems will easily trace back to the pilot, and both you and that pilot could face civil prosecution. For a sense of what the airspace looks like and what ATC controls are in place, see http://skyvector.com/. That site allows you to plug in the designator of a nearby airport and pull up a sectional chart. If you don’t know how to read a sectional, chat with a pilot or you S&TA. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It's very rare. Some of the things that can cause it are a misrouting to the pin, a bag lock, or a connection between the bag and canopy that won't release. Back in the day it was common to use breakcord, rather than Velcro to attach a static line to the apex of the canopy, and sometimes that breakcord would be either the wrong type, or wrapped too many times, and that would cause an in tow situation. Velcro makes that less likely. You can find some basic technical specs for static lines under FAR 105.47. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

We have some fix for that. There is a velcro on the pin end of the static line which is mated to its pair attached to the spring loaded PC. I can make some pictures about it if its needed. We also have Velcro attaching the spring loaded PC to the static line. It did not fix anything. The student still caught the PC, the reserve (cypres activated) fired in to the mess. Oh yeah! It was um-teen million years ago, but I can still see my first jump student aggressively push off the Cessna, roll on his back, grab at the first thing he saw (the pilot chute), then go full fetal until the AAD fired. I don't think he had a clue what was happening, but I was plenty scared. That jump involved a poised exit from a Cessna 182. Following that incident we changed to a hanging exit. There is less chance of an aggressive student back flipping with a hanging exit, but it can still happen. Once the student grabs the pilot cute bridle the games up unless the AAD does it's job. With a direct bag the deployment, the process keeps going. So, I'm happier with a direct bag and a hanging exit. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yup, the sites you suggested are a good place to start for an overview take off distance, but that's not the whole story. Marketing charts are generally prepared for an aircraft at best performance, and that's not very real-world. Take off distance varies based on the type of surface (grass adds distance) temperature (higher temps add distance), field elevation (higher airports take more distance), wind direction (tailwind takes more distance), weight (more weight takes more distance), configuration such as flaps, mixture, power (each varies and should be reviewed in specific aircraft operating handbook). An older airplane with dirty or dinged-up wings will also take a bit more distance. Take off distance is generally reported as both ground roll, and distance required to clear a 50 foot object, but in the real world of remote airstrips there are often obstacles taller than 50 feet, and that obviously requires more distance. Every airplane must have an operating handbook for that specific aircraft. The handbook must include detailed weight and balance information calculated for that specific serial number, and a variety of mandated charts outlining the specifics of takeoff, landing, and climb performance. For a complete answer to the question, a DZ owner who is interested in purchasing an airplane should contact the manufacturer or a reputable dealer for a detailed discussion of the operating limitations. A skydiver who wants to know what the local aircraft is capable of should speak with a pilot or the DZO, and ask for a walk through of the charts in the operating handbook. That can be a pretty interesting learning experience. The phone numbers for Cessna are: In the USA 1-800-4Cessna Outside the USA 316-517-6056. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The side of the door shouldn't matter. It's the instructors job to rig the static line to keep it out of the way, and then to control it throughout the exit. That's tougher if the door is on the same side as the practice ripcord. With an IAD there is more time between exit and opening, so there is a greater risk of instability, but there is also more time for a stable student to pull the practice handle without being disrupted by opening. In my experience as both an instructor and a pretend student, the openings of a square main are much better with the IAD system, and more similar to what we expect on conventional equipment. It's actually pretty tough (and annoying) to remain completely stable as a static line is ripping stuff off your back. And trying to do a practice ripcord pull under those conditions is unpleasant. The military makes appropriate use of static lines to deliver troops into battle with big round parachutes, but i don't think it's as effective as a training tool with squares. That's just my opinion. The entanglement part is interesting. There are actually two basic kinds of static line rigs. The first is direct bag, in which the static line is attached to the bag, and it doesn't release until the canopy is extracted from the bag. The other version of static line is pilot chute assist. With that version the static line is attached to the pin, and then to the top of the pilot chute, or in some cases just the pin and a spring loaded pilot chute is used. With a pilot chute assist there is a greater chance of an unstable student grabbing the pilot chute...it happened to one of my students years ago, as I watched helplessly. With a direct bag there is a greater chance of a student being in tow behind the airplane. An instructor needs to know the specific kind of equipment being used, and the pluses and minuses of that system. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It was eliminated a few years ago in favor of a Coach as the entry level, and then an instructor as the supervisor. There was a good deal of controversy at the time, but that has settled now. Nope. Students must be under the direct supervision of an instructor until having completed one successful clear and pull. Check out sections 3 and 4 in the USPA Skydivers Information Manual (SIM), sort of our industry bible for drop zones and instructors. There is an excellent outline of an entire program of instruction in section 4. The SIM is available as a free download at http://www.uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm There really isn’t an equivalent now, other than pre-existing IE’s. The intent is to create a new package of course directors, and as I understand the plan, those would be equivalent to what was the IE. The IE rating was not very popular, and very few jumpers were even bothering to apply. We did need to qualify instructors to conduct rating courses, and those were handled by qualifying an instructor for a single type of course, i.e. tandem course director, AFF course director, coach course director. The new program should be a better fit for the skydiving community, once it is launched. In a static line program a “rope” connects the pin, pilot chute, or the canopy to the airplane. As the jumper falls away the container is opened and the canopy extracted. In an Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) program the student uses a conventional freefall rig and the instructor holds the students pilot chute, then throws it clear as the student exits. IAD seems to be more popular now (relative to S/L) because it is easier and cheaper to use the same rigs for the first jumps and the successive freefall jumps, and because square parachutes tend to open better with an IAD deployment, rather than a S/L deployment. There are some additional issues with IAD from an instructor standpoint, but it is essentially a modified static line program. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Under the USPA system: The lowest rating is a Coach The next rating would be Jumpmaster (no longer issued) Then Instructor Finally, Instructor/Examiner (not issued after January 1, 2006) For reference see the USPA Skydivers Information Manuel (SIM) Section 3-3 Safety and Training Advisor (S&TA) is an appointment by the Regional Director, and is not a rating. The instructional programs recognized by USPA include Static Line Instructor Assisted Deployment (similar to Static Line) Accelerated Freefall Tandem Rigger certificates are issued by the FAA. There is no plain “Rigger” certificate. The first level of Rigger is Senior Parachute Rigger The top level is Master Parachute Rigger FAA Pilot ratings include: Sport Recreational Private Commercial Airline Transport pilot (ATP) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Duh! I'd buy the AAD. Obviously you need it now, until you get your A, but you should be using an AAD for the rest of forever. Buy the AAD now. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Talk to your DZO or S&TA. If he is grounded, he should stay on the ground. If he keeps blowing it, even after coming off a grounding, he should be invited to jump someplace else. It sounds like a bad apple with a Jumpmaster rating who is modeling dangerous behavior for his students. Let you DZO/S&TA know you are scared about being in the air with this guy, and that if he continues to threaten the landing pattern you and other jumpers will take your business elsewhere. Peer pressure with support of the DZ management is often the best way to handle this kind of jumper. Your profile lists South Africa as your home DZ. If that's where this is happening I can't offer any specific administrative action, but I will discuss how it could be handled in the United States. Here the S&TA has no authority from USPA to ground anybody, but can pull an instructional rating for a brief period and then discuss with the Regional Director who can confirm the rating suspension and follow-up with the full Board of Directors. That's a pretty rare thing to have happen. In most cases the S&TA has authority from the local DZ to ground a jumper, and that's how it's done. If the problem persists a jumper can be asked to leave the DZ, and in that case a representative of the DZ will often call surrounding DZ's to let them know what happened, so the new DZ can keep an eye on the jumper or also deny access if they so choose. In this country an illegal demo is a really big deal and if I was the S&TA I would at least discuss that with the Regional Director or USPA Director of Safety and Training, all within the context of his other landing area issues. If the DZO/S&TA are unable to assist, ask what organizational structure you have in your country, and what your next step might be. If they won't answer that question then you could call the national office of your skydiving organization and just pick their brains about other solutions. I'd say your first priority here is to improve the safety of the landing area, your second priority is probably to get this guy to learn, and your third priority is to be nice. Try and do all three, but really focus on the first. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I agree. But, where do the insurance companies step into the mix? They set the minimum standards for pilots to be insured don't they? Insurance companies generally set higher minimums than the FAA, but only if the aircraft is insured. Some are not insured, including at least a few turbine aircraft that I know of. And, just because an aircraft is insured doesn't mean the DZ or pilots are following the company requirements. As you are talking to your pilots and DZO, ask if the aircraft is insured, and what the insurance company requirements are...that should be a pretty easy question for anybody that owns an airplane and needs to hire pilots. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

So it’s happened again. A Cessna 182 crashed shortly after take-off, killing four jumpers and the pilot. I don’t know what caused this specific accident, but I assume more details will be reported in the Incident Forum as they become available. However, anytime there is an aircraft accident it’s always worth reviewing the risks of aircraft operation, and what we as skydiving customers can do to improve the safety of our local fleet. The most important thing we can do is to push our operators and drop zone owners (DZO) to demand the highest level of pilot training possible. Some operators do, and some do not. In addition to conventional FAA mandated biannual training and certifications, a jump pilot should have very current and specific training simulating take-off and departure stalls, and loss of power with a full load of jumpers. Training should include a simulated loss of power at take-off, with a 180 degree turn to mimic a return to the airport with a full load. Pilots are generally surprised to see how much altitude and airspeed is lost in this maneuver, especially at maximum gross weight. There should also be significant training at minimum controllable airspeed (MCA) simulating a full load, practicing rudder and aileron turns to simulate the movement of the aircraft on jumprun. Ideally this training should take place in a full motion simulator, but that’s a challenge (although not impossible) with small Cessna type aircraft. These same maneuvers can also be practiced at altitude with an instructor aboard. Whether a simulator or real airplane is used, the training should be designed to mimic a full load of skydivers. With a sim, that’s pretty easy. With a real airplane it may mean loading the airplane with appropriate weighted and secured cargo. A good instructor should know how to structure a course to enhance the desired skills without unnecessary risk to the pilot or aircraft. Every drop zone should also have calculated a weight and balance for each of their aircraft using actual seating configurations, and should know what the gross weight limits are. Cessna 182’s used for skydiving are often loaded near, at, or beyond their limits in terms of both CG and gross weight. DZO’s and every jumper should know where the limits are, and should have a very well established program to remain within design parameters. Pilots should also be expected to calculate the amount of runway needed to take-off and climb-out with a full load at all temperatures used for jump operations, and should have calculated the effect of a head wind, tail wind, and cross wind on take-off performance. It’s well worth asking each of the pilots at your DZ when they completed their most recent training program, and what was included. If your DZ uses turbine aircraft, you should expect full motion simulator time. If your DZ uses smaller piston aircraft like the Cessna 182/206, you should expect, at a minimum, annual flight training that simulates jump operations and loads. It is also reasonable to ask your pilot to show you an actual weight and balance calculation for a typical (and maximum) load of jumpers, and a plot of aircraft take-off performance customized for your runway using maximum temperature/weight conditions. This stuff should already be available, and it shouldn’t be a big deal for a qualified pilot to show and explain what the charts and graphs mean. Many Drop zone operators are reputable, and support a great crew of pilots, and terrific aircraft. Some place less emphasis on aircraft/pilot safety. As jumpers and customers we have a right, and a responsibility, to lobby for the best training and maintenance programs, and to take our business elsewhere if the DZ is cutting corners. If you would like a bit more discussion about aircraft operations, check out Article 14 “Piston or Turbine Aircraft” that I added to The Ranch S&TA section in 2003. It is available at http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. With all that said…I now command you to go to your drop zone and ask questions. Take a bit of time to learn about the airplanes and pilots used at your DZ. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You may have experienced turbulence from the buildings or the runway. You are correct that you should stay away from these things. A general rule is that turbulence can occur as far downwind as 10-20 times the the height of the object. There is a brief overview of this in the USPA Skydivers Information Manual (SIM) in section 4, category "C" on pages 48-49 (2006 version, the pages may be slightly different in the 2007 edition). The SIM is available on line at http://www.uspa.org/publications/SIM/2007SIM/Section4CatC.htm. One way to think of this kind of turbulence is to visualize a small stream or river, and think about how water moves over and around rocks. There will generally be an area of disturbed water below and to the sides of the rocks, extending further downstream when the water is moving faster. Sometimes there will even be swirls below objects. Air turbulence acts in very much the same way when wind moves over ground obstructions. Runways are a special issue. They will heat up in the sun and create a thermal, that is rising air over the runway. If air is rising and moving vertically away from the runway, then colder air will sink and move to replace the rising air. So, on a hot or sunny day you can expect rising air over the runway, and sinking air to the sides, with a sheer between the two moving air masses. If there is wind you can expect these air masses to be off-set to the downwind side. Rising air is sometimes a good thing for us, and jumpers will sometimes use thermals to extend their canopy time to get back from a long spot, but we should know that wherever there is rising air, there is also going to be associated sink and dangerous downdrafts. If you are crossing a runway you may experience the lift and smile at the extra "hang time," but be aware that you may soon hit a powerful downdraft. In desert areas there can also be dust devils. These are swirling masses of rising and descending air. Folks from Southern California or Arizona are probably more experienced with these than I am, but basically they tend to pop up when the ground is heated and the air starts to rise. It will sometimes appear as a boiling mess of sand and dirt over a specific piece of ground, but there will sometimes be no indication at all. As the heated air moves up and cooler air moves down, the air masses will clash and a tiny lateral movement will happen. From that point the airmass can rapidly spin like a mini tornado and then move across the landing area just like a big tornado you sometimes see on TV. It's a pretty cool thing to witness, but ominous because it can happen so suddenly, and because dust devils are so are so dangerous. The uncovered and rapidly heating dirt in a desert like environment tends to spawn dust devils, and they are easy to see once they blow-up because the loose dirt swirls in the funnel and gives them shape. If you are jumping in a desert area, ask for a briefing about dust devils. Local jumpers will be able to tell you when and where they tend to form, and indications that conditions are right for their formation. The same phenomenon can also happen in non-desert areas, but these movements are harder to see, and tend not to be as pronounced. They will usually form on hot sunny days with no wind, or light and variable wind, and will tend to form over conflicted surfaces, such as a driveway, plowed field, or even a pea gravel pit. Most jumpers don't worry too much about all the ways air moves, or about the specifics of how turbulence forms, but this is a fascinating topic called micro-meteorology . We tend to avoid conditions that create turbulence, but glider pilots and hang glider pilots actively seek out rising air, and have a much better understanding of how air masses work. If this is something you are interested in, talk with local jumpers about their specific experiences at your drop zone. Turbulence isn't magic. It happens in very predictable ways, and once you identify the usual causes at your DZ, and the wind conditions that favor turbulence, you will be better able to avoid it. And, if you understand the micro-meteorology of your drop zone, you will have a better sense of when to stay on the ground. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

This topic has been hashed to death, and I don't want to climb back into it, but it IS an important topic, especially as the northern DZ's get into the summer season. A few years ago when I was S&TA at The Ranch we decided the landing direction would be defined by each load prior to boarding. It isn't the absolute correct solution, but it works as well, or better, than others. We created a "soft rule" and I wrote it up for the S&TA area of our web site. The article goes into the why and how, and offers terrific graphics to help avoid collisions. Check out article 12 "Landing Direction Defined" at http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

That bit of information forms part of the PPL knowledge test, and stalls during turns are part of the PPL flight test. I think you are stretching things a bit. Then why does the industry have a problem with pilots stalling and spinning when the engine fails on take off, and they respond by making a tight 180 back to the airport? That's knowledge and skill that needs to be reinforced, especially with jump pilots in single engine airplanes taking off with light fuel and a heavy load, from small runways with aircraft that are not always well maintained. Tight turns at slow speed kill, and while pilots should understand this, too often they don't associate that book knowledge with specific actions. If we are going to devise a test for jump pilots, as the original poster said is happening in his country, I believe it should cover these basics. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

When I look at accident data and watch pilots in the field, it's pretty clear that some critical pieces of information are missing. I'm an FAA certificated commercial pilot in single and multi-engine airplanes (instruments), and also rated in gliders. I have made more than 4,500 jumps from all kinds of airplanes, and have watched plenty of pilots. Some are good, but there are some I will never fly with again. I like the idea of a jump pilot specific rating, or at least a sign-off from an experienced jump pilot. We don't have that here in the United States, but I think we should. Flying jumpers is really a commercial operation. A jump pilot takes passengers for a ride, and is often pushing the aerodynamics of the aircraft near the limits. It's a tough flying job that requires a well trained pilot. A jump pilot should prove an ability well beyond the private pilot level. And, when a ATP level pilot begins flying jumpers, he should be expected to review all the basics of flight and relate them to the specifics of jump plane operation. For example, a private pilot often doesn't know that a plane will stall easier in a tight turn, and an established ATP may have forgotten this important piece of aerodynamics. Weight and balance is also critical since we are often loading airplanes to the limits, and we take out the seats, making it more challenging to compute a balance point. Pilots should understand this and should be able to quickly and easily identify an improperly loaded airplane.Things like this really need to be reviewed in specific the context of jump operations. If a jump pilot is only flying in single engine airplanes he shouldn't be expected to demonstrate multi-engine tasks, but I still think he should understand the theory behind loss of the most critical engine, so he better understands the issues in more advanced flight operations. The suggestion that this level of required theory "isn't practical" bothers me. I believe this level of theory is necessary, and should be easily demonstrated by a well trained pilot. I don't want anything less in the front seat of my jump plane. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

There is no FAA test for jump pilots, and there is no jump pilot rating. Things I would test include (this is just a start, other should add in more...): Weight and balance; compute a weight and balance for a load of jumpers under given conditions, and/or determine if a load of jumpers is within weight and balance as configured, and what will need to be changed to get the load in balance. Compute take off and landing distance for the given jump plane, including ground roll and over a 50 foot hazard. Explain how temperature affects take off, climb, and landing. Define temperature limits with a specified short runway. Explain/demonstrate aerodynamics of slow flight, and of tight turns. Demonstrate climbing turns at MCA. Define stall speeds both clean and dirty, and explain how bank angle interacts with standard stall speeds. Demonstrate tight turn stalls. Explain/demonstrate spin recovery. Define all V speeds for the aircraft being flown. Define how and why aircraft control might be difficult in a multi-engine airplane with the loss of the most critical engine. Demonstrate minimum speed in a multi-engine airplane with only one engine. In a multi-engine airplane, simulate loss of most critical engine at rotation. Describe and demonstrate best glide airspeed for the given aircraft. Calculate glide distance at best glide speed from a variety of altitudes. Describe response to loss of engine power in a single engine airplane at rotation. Define how much altitude is required for a 180 degree turn at best glide speed. Describe all regulations pertaining to skydiving in your country. Explain how to inspect a jumpers rig to ensure it is legal and safe for use in your airplane. Describe what a premature parachute opening is, how it might harm the jump plane, and what the correct response would be. Describe the response to a static line student in tow. Explain the additional risks when a pilot places skydivers in a position where they are likely to land away from a designated landing zone. Explain hypoxia at normal jump altitudes, includes the symptoms. Explain the risk factors for hypoxia in a skydiving environment. Explain how these risk factors might increase the risk of hypoxia for jumpers and pilots at a multi-day event. Describe and demonstrate a complete preflight inspection, including getting a conventional airplane ready for skydiving for the first time. Demonstrate climbing and descending turns and slow flight with instruments only, and again by reference only to exterior sources. Calculate fuel use for climb, descent, and a complete jump run at various power settings. Determine quantity of unusable fuel. Explain how climbs, descents, and turns may impact flight with minimum fuel. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You should take the entire ground school again, and then do at least a couple of AFF style jumps. The actual need will depend on what you remember. I'd give the drop zone a call and see what they say, and I'd call another DZ or two in the area and get their opinions. Nobody can say exactly what you will need, but when you make the calls you should be listening to the way they approach your question and frame the issues. You should select a DZ that sounds worthy of trust. A bad DZ could rip you off and make you pay for way too much training, or they could lowball the program to save you money and then give you too little attention, which is very dangerous. It would also be a good idea to visit the DZ before you commit a ton of money. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Interesting idea, but I think DZO's take hiring personally. Ideally they will have a list of people in their area who want to work, and will call down the list as needed. Some DZO's don't want anybody who works for the competition, some don't care, and some care only about a specific competitor. The other problem is that business is generally strong on weekends, and soft on weekdays, and that's true for all the DZ's. With that demand profile a service would be hard pressed to deliver reliable talent at high demand periods. The best bet for people like your husband, is to make direct contact with all the DZO's in the area and make sure they have his contact information and availability. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Have you made informal contact with Jim Crouch and a variety of Directors to gauge their thoughts and possible objections? It's a good idea, and I'm guessing it has already been kicked around USPA. My hunch is that there are reasons it hasn't matured into action. Back channel communication will help you understand those reasons, and you will be better able to advocate for adoption. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think I'm with Bill on this one. In the basic first jump course we should be teaching no turns greater than 90 degrees below 500 feet, only minor corrections below 200 feet, and plan on a PLF if a bad landing is likely. We should also cover recovery from a stall and a flare that is too high. After the FJC we should focus on additional canopy control. The ISP covers this pretty well. I'll also add that any program that uses tandem jumps should really be focusing on canopy control during those jumps, so if you had more than one tandem you certainly should have been exposed to flat turns in that part of the program. You should not have graduated without significant canopy instruction, including flat turns (break turns), front and rear riser turns, and stalls and stall recovery. you should also be capable of understanding canopy flight to the degree necessary to get yourself to a targeted landing spot without radio instruction. Check out the SIM, section 4-1. There is a terrific skill training grid on roughly page 19. Too often DZ's and instructors skimp on the canopy component of training. If you feel like your home DZ let you down in this regard, speak with the chief instructor or DZO and offer your constructive feedback. It may well be that the outlined program wasn't being followed, and additional staff direction or oversight is needed. Or it could be that the DZ doesn't put much emphasis on canopy control by design. After graduation it's always a good idea to seek out additional canopy instruction, and while the USPA program is lacking in this area, there are some outstanding private courses that will guide your advanced learning. I wish I could say that our industry is really focused on canopy instruction, but too often we are not. That's one place where we still let our students down. I'll also add that there are some virtual reality canopy simulators on the market that have not been embraced by civilian drop zones, but that are heavily used by the military. This is another way we can improve canopy control at the student and novice level, but again, it requires a commitment from the independent drop zones. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Wrong. Derek SIM Section 5: 1-3 AAD only a "strongly recommended option. RSL's are only "recommended" but not required. Should be noted, the FAA does not approve AADs, they merely approve the installation submitted with TSO paperwork. In other words, neither the USPA nor the FAA require AAD's. BSR's do REQUIRE an AAD for student skydivers. See 2-1(K)(2)(d) The RSL is required by BSR's until cleared for self supervision, and can then be omitted with endorsement of an instructor. See 2-1(K)(2)(b) FAR's don't require an AAD or static line, with the exception of tandems that must have an AAD. See 105.45(b)(3) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Great work, Bill. Way to be proactive and try to make a difference. My preference would be #3, then #2, then #1, but any of the options are certainly workable. Take it to the BOD and demand an actual response at the July meeting. We are past study time and really need action from the national organization. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Without having been there... It sounds like a bit of confusion about his actual experience and when (if) he had jumped at your DZ. A computerized manifest system would at least confirm when he had last jumped, and a log book would have been helpful. I can quickly look back to last year when I was S&TA at a major DZ, and what I would have done. 1) Ask for proof of experience and license, either a logbook, instructor confirmation, or manifest record. If there was no record of a license or sign off, then I would send him to the school for continuing education and use of an RSL and AAD. He should already understand that basic requirement and should be prepared with his documentation. 2) If there was proof of a license I would reluctantly approve use of a rig without an RSL and AAD, but would make my concerns known. 3) The canopy size given weight and skydiving experience is way too small. I would not allow this jump on my watch unless he had a specific sign-off from another instructor who knew his actual abilities under a canopy. 4) The profile you write about including low jump numbers, BASE experience, and an intent to make a "special" jump from a paraglider, suggests a participant pushing things to the point of serious risk. I would be very concerned, but would also understand that whatever I did, this guy would keep pushing limits even if I didn't allow him to jump at my DZ. 5) At the end of the conversation I would probably offer to help him if he would make a couple of additional jumps on our student gear so I could evaluate his actual experience and skill level. Together we could design a program that would get him the extra experience to make the intended jump at a reasonable level of risk. I have an edge over most S&TA's in that I've made more than 50 BASE jumps, and have jumped from ultralights and blimps, and done plenty of unusual jumps including some confirmed stupid jumps that caused serious injury. That gives me the opportunity to say "been there, done that, let's look at how to do it right." 6) Bottom line...he sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I'd be happy to help him do his thing safely, but would be equally happy to see him go someplace else to jump. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy