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Your program is pretty legitimate, but you should be very careful about a couple of things: Mileage to and from work is generally NOT deductible. If you drive FOR work, it usually is. I doubt the IRS will allow mileage to the DZ. Meals are not 100 percent deductible, and have some very specific limitations on when they can be counted as business expenses. Some "fun" jumps are needed for proficiency, but there is a limit to the number of those jumps actually required. You should think about what you can reasonably claim, then log those jumps so they show a direct relationship to a specific currency or training requirement. Your trip to WFFC may or may not be deductible, depending on how it relates to your actual business. If you are generating income at WFFC, you can probably count the expenses of the trip against the income. If you are doing the trip as a "convention" meeting expense you will probably need to show some very specific business or training objectives. There is nothing wrong with defining your skydiving business for tax advantage. However, if you are audited the IRS will apply very strict interpretations and it sounds like you are taking some liberal deductions. That could create problems. Discuss the issues in detail with your accountant so he/she knows exactly what you are doing and why. Be sure to explore the negatives and understand your deductions from the IRS perspective. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Unfortunately, the 45 degree rule is out there and needs to be addressed. It DOES work if there is no wind at all, and that needs to be understood. It doesn't work if there is wind. Many people (here at dropzone.com and at my drop zone, believe in the 45 degree rule, so we can't ignore it. Heck, many instructors are still teaching the 45 degree rule, so our customers come to us believing it works. Please reread that part of the web feature: The crux of the feature (available at: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article15.htm is to base separation on time, NOT the 45 degree rule. We can argue about if the critical wind is at jump altitude, or opening altitude, but for simplicity I needed to advance a basic policy that is simple to understand and implement under most conditions. With 22 people on each plane making their own decisions at a drop zone with "no rules" we need an easy solution. On those few days with weird winds our pilots tend to spot accordingly, and we try to get folks thinking as best we can. So, with all due respect, we can't actually ignore the 45 degree rule, we need to teach around it, and provide a well reasoned alternative. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

My contribution to the issue was listed on The Ranch web site late last season and can be found at: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article15.htm. It's designed as a general discussion with a specific set of numbers to define time between groups under limited conditions. Tom Buchanan S&TA Instructor, AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

What is opening altitude? Is it the 2,000 foot mark where I open, or the 5,500 foot mark where other folks open? How the heck do we figure it all out? My preference is to simplify and use exit level winds because everybody is exiting at the same altitude, they are *almost* always a bit faster than lower winds, and it's easy to calculate using the uppers. That all provides an extra margin of safety. In this world, simple may not be best, but simple can be applied easily and if it is a reasonable approximation of OK I'll take it...that is as long as it's not the 45 degree rule. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Some good answers so far. Most drop zones will be OK with your gear, but your should check with them first, if you can. I know that might be tough given the nature of your trip. With that in mind, check out a feature I wrote elsewhere on dropzone.com about visiting jumpers...seehttp://www.dropzone.com/news/GearRegulationsforParach.shtml Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Umm, what about placing your hand in front of the student to "get the shot" and getting grabbed instead? What about the mental distraction of shooting when all is going to hell? Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Nor is there any requirement to practice stall spin recovery. Heck, as I recall, a multi-engine pilot under part 91 needs only to demonstrate proficiency in a single engine plane every two years, and that can be done as a "Wings" refresher that completely misses all the important elements of flying people. I may be wrong, but I don't recall any specific requirements for multi-engine pilots other than the three t/o and landings. Now THAT'S scary. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Commercial Pilot (IAMSEL,G) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I jumped those early tandems too and am very happy the manufacturers have improved the systems. Somehow I survived the old Strong 520's! The accident rates are much lower these days, and we should do everything we can to keep them low. That means taking advantage of the improvements and targeting zero failures, not looking to the past accident rates as a benchmark to achieve. My choice is to keep the improvements of better canopies and reject the potential added risk of a hand camera. As for beginner tandem video flyers...yup, you are right, but you shouldn't have beginners bumbling around on your tandem jumps. Remember when the manufacturers required camera flyers to also have AFF ratings and tons of camera experience before shooting a tandem? Stick to that tried and true standard rather than using tandem jumps to train new camera flyers. Heck, you can go one better and also require that your tandem camera flyers have a tandem rating so they know what's up from your perspective. Let's target improvements in safety and not focus so much on driving volume or profit. Our students look to us to make their skydive as safe as possible within the limits of the sport. We should meet their expectations. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You just convinced me that hand held camera work by a tandem instructor is beyond stupid. I didn't like the idea prior to reading this latest post, but now I'm convinced it is outright dangerous. When working with real students the exit should be flown for stability, then the drogue should be deployed. Flying and reaching for a camera shot prior to drogue throw is nuts. It is at this point the the student is most scared and most likely to grab an arm, and you are in real jeopardy until that drogue has been thrown. Likewise, there is always the risk of a side spin until the drogue is out, so an odd body position coupled with delay adds significant risk. I have made more than 1,000 tandems and have only had a student get quick access to my hand once. I never gave them the opportunity after that. Using the camera obviously increases the risk of an arm grab, and that alone is reason enough to reject the concept. Sorry, I believe the students safety should always come first. The tandem alone presents plenty of risk, we don't need to be adding to that risk. The student deserves better. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

So imagine a radical spinning malfunction that requires both hands to pull the cutaway handle, resulting in a horrible unstable spinning cutaway and reserve deployment. I'd rather not have extra junk on my hands to reduce my pull ability, distract my mind, or snag lines. Those nasty spinners and hard pulls are rare, but they do happen. I've been there. I'd hate to be the first guy to catch that kind of fatality on video. That's just not very cool. Our students deserve better. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think it's a very bad idea. A camera adds a distraction, and a potential line snag point. I suppose it can be done with just a little more risk by some of the best tandem instructors, most of the time, but there will always be unexpected jumps when it increases risk, and many instructors can't handle any increase in workload or distraction. The only benefit to having a tandem instructor carry the camera is to save money by eliminating the camera flyer, or maximize profit by packing more tandems in an airplane. Those are crummy reasons to reduce the safety margins. Our students deserve the safest possible flight with the lowest risks we can provide. There is never a good reason to increase risk beyond that required for a basic tandem. For what it's worth, I have made about 1,000 tandems on the Strong, Racer, Vector, and Sigma rigs. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The key words are "congested area." I think your football stadium qualifies as a congested area. Flip to the back of your SIM and read AC 1-5-2c. The definition of a congested area is under (15)(e). Tom Buchanan S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Sorry to hear that. I actually attended a BIC where one of the presenters rambled for about an hour saying nothing. One of the candidates raised his hand and asked him "with all due respect" how his lecture related to the 90-20-8 rule. It was a quick reminder to the presenter that he had failed. I love the "How People Learn" block and always cover it in less than 90 minutes with a change of pace at 20 minutes, and class participation at least every 8 minutes. Those elements are even built into my outline and I show that to the class. If done well it becomes a great demonstration of the process. Sorry to hear your Coach Course wasn't so well managed. I hope you mentioned it to the director and filled out a comment card for USPA. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Coach Course Director Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Work on category G and H jumps. Do some mirror dives with an instructor where you basically match his position as he slides and changes fall rate. The idea is to be able to both stay with a student and to know if the other person is moving around and why. Offer a solid debrief of each practice dive. Teach a few segments of the first jump course using the four step teaching process and become comfortable and confident as a presenter. Write down what you do so you have lesson plans for various teaching blocks. Read the SIM and the Coach part of the IRM. Know the ISP and the BSR's. Be over-prepared and then relax at the course and have fun. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Coach Course Director Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It's always possible to call your local FAA office as listed in the phone book. The inspectors should be able to look up detail for any FAA certificated person and they should be willing to tell you officially that the person has or does not have any specific rating. They will probably NOT offer additional detail about name, address, or history. Calling to check a rating is not an unusual thing to do. Most major companies and insurance agencies do these kinds of checks prior to hiring or offering insurance. Once the FAA inspector tells you the person isn't listed you may choose to present a case of misrepresentation, or you may choose not to file an official complaint. With that said, I don't know that there is a legal problem with claiming an FAA rating that you don't have. But there IS a problem if the person exercises the rating. Check with the FAA for confirmation of that issue. As for USPA ratings, you can easily call HQ and ask about anybody, or check with your local USPA DZ and have them run a computer check. If a person is claiming USPA ratings that they don't have it would be wise to pass that information along to the Safety and Training Director. Claiming ratings that haven't been earned cheapens the rating the rest of us have earned, and dilutes the value of those ratings to the general public. If you are uncomfortable reporting somebody to FAA or USPA you can have a confidential talk with your S&TA and ask him to handle the report on your behalf without using your name. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Coach Course Director Safety and Training Advisor Commercial Pilot (IAMSEL,G) Senior Parachute Rigger Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'm an instructor and S&TA. I have owned a SIM for as long as it has been produced. It's important for me to have the latest information at my fingertips. I often use the SIM to answer questions, then recommend the person asking the question obtain a copy for their own. The SIM is easily available as a bound purchase, free download, or as a review copy at just about every drop zone. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, Iad, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

That does sound excessive, and I do recognize the sarcasm in your comment. With that said, it's probably not a good idea for a rigger to store a rig in the trunk of his car. As you read a manufacturers manual try thinking of the way we abuse equipment and the objectives of the instructions. The manufacturers instructions generally make sense. -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Try 65.129 (Performance Standards): "No certificated parachute rigger may-(e) Pack, maintain, or alter a parachute in any manner that deviates from procedures approved by the Administrator or the manufacturer of the parachute..." Stop looking for loopholes. We are expected to know what the manufacturers require, and we are expected to follow their instructions. If you have a problem with a specific instruction or requirement, contact the manufacturer directly for clarification or a written opinion regarding your intent. Tom Buchanan Senior Parachute Rigger S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yup. And all the standards are published in the SIM. Every drop zone should have these books available for student use, and every instructor should make sure students know about the SIM. It is available as a FREE download from http://uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm, and also available for sale from the USPA store. The idea behind publishing the SIM and ISP is to encourage students to research each level and the specific information they should know at each point in their training. USPA knows that sometimes instructors slack off, and sometimes even the best instructors can miss material is the hustle and bustle of a busy day. A well informed student will know what he should be taught and will prompt an instructor to cover missed material. Unfortunately, many students graduate without even knowing there is a SIM, much less having access to a copy. The basic education of consumers was the objective of my recent book. I looked around and saw students selecting drop zones based on the 3-P's (Price, Promotion, and Proximity), with no knowledge or understanding or quality issues. JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy was written to give consumers enough information to make informed decisions about our sport. Unfortunately, many drop zones would rather consumers not know about USPA programs, not ask questions, and not compare programs with each other, or with a national standard. So, when you hear a student or recent graduate asking questions, provide a complete answer, and then turn them on to the SIM, Parachuting: The Skydivers Handbook, or JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy. Help our potential customers, students and graduates to build their knowledge base. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I know you don't want one liners, but I'll offer one anyway.... "The most dangerous thing a skydiver can do is to forget that skydiving is dangerous." The point is that as we gain experience we become complacent and forget that we are taking serious risks on every skydive. Many of our fatalities and injuries begin with an experienced jumper doing things they should know are foolish, but we tend to disregard those risks because we are so comfortable in our activity. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take risks. Heck, the whole sport is a risk. Rather, we should be aware of the specific risks we are taking and make an effort to mitigate those risks where possible. My worst skydive, and only real injuries I have had, were caused when I joined a bunch of experienced instructors making and unplanned night jump and we considered it "just another skydive." If we had a single student with us we would have briefed the whole thing and probably not even jumped under the given conditions. We just forgot how dangerous the sport can be and made some foolish decisions based on complacency. That kind of poor decision making is far too common among experienced jumpers. So, once again..."The most dangerous thing a skydiver can do is to forget that skydiving is dangerous." Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) S&TA Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and East Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Obviously the forces involved in skydiving are variable from 120 mph blunt impact to a skidded impact along the ground. The same is true in other sports, but the maximum speeds are much lower. What we know in the snowsports industry is that in direct impacts of greater than about 12 mph a helmet won't make much difference, but most snowsports impacts involve lateral dissipation of energy, as is true in skydiving, and even at greater total speeds, a well constructed helmet will provide protection when the energy on impact is spread out over time or distance. It would be easy to develop a single impact test that will at least establish a standard of some kind. I've got to believe a standard, any standard, is better than none. Heck, even offering certification of our helmets to a bicycle or snowsports standard would tell me they will offer some level of impact protection, and that's not true of the multi-hundred dollar skydiving helmets we buy right now. Consumer reports actually did a review of snowsports helmets early this winter and found that most of the helmets they tested did fine, but one model of one brand broke in several places with a minor impact, and the chunks of helmet presented a serious threat to safety that might have been worse than no helmet at all. The failed helmet was actually just one color of one model from a major manufacturer. The other colors in that same model were fine, but the failed color was made from a different material. So, just because it looks cool doesn't mean much when the crash event gets ugly. Given the choices we have, I'd like to know the helmet I trust my life to, and the helmets I use for students, will meet at least a minimum industry standard. Tom Buchanan USPA Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) USPA S&TA AASI Instructor (Snowboarding) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

There are three standard agencies that handle helmet approvals for sporting goods. Each offers their own standard for many different sports and activities. For example, there are standards for bicycle helmets, snowsports helmets, motorsports helmets, and others. There is currently no standard for skydiving helmets. It would be easy for a skydiving helmet manufacturer to have their products tested and rated by one of the three agencies under an existing standard, but there are costs involved. Some of our current helmets do meet standards (Pro-Tec is an example), but most do not. My hunch is that skydivers are interested in cool looking helmets, and for the most part would not care about certifications. That's a shame. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, Iad, Tandem) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

All those things should have been covered in your AFF training. You may not recognize the words, but you should know about the concepts. Most student gear doesn't have a "kill line" or need the pilot chute to be cocked, but as an AFF graduate you should be capable of doing a oin check on that kind of common gear and should have been trained to do so. I'm betting you learned about a parachute landing fall (PLF) but didn't hear it called that. If you missed this important skill please follow up with your instructor. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, Iad, Tandem) Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I agree that the legislation is good for drop zones and "fun jumpers." However, I see DZ's as private businesses that seek that legislation to protect themselves from customers (that's us). I think the business should pay for that kind of lobbying, not the customers who are having their litigation rights restricted. I'd like to see the group member program cover those costs from their own revenue rather than use general membership funds. Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

For tandems, a helmet protects against light abrasions in the airplane, and softens the bumps if the tandem student and instructor knock heads on exit, in freefall, at opening, or on landing. For AFF jumps a helmet can protect against aggressive docks by instructors dealing with an unstable student, or slight bumps between instructor and student from instability in freefall. For all students, and all jumpers for that matter, helmets can help when the parachute opens fine, but the landing isn't "all that." For example, a low toggle turn can cause a nasty but survivable landing and a helmet can help. A landing in a tree or on a building, car, fence, etc, can be pretty ugly, but a helmet can help reduce the ugliness. In freefall, folks doing relative work or freestyle can have some pretty high closing speeds, or may be moving very fast close to each other, and a helmet can help prevent head injuries. Beyond accident mitigation, a helmet can help keep your head warm, and some people like them because they block out much of the wind noise in freefall. So, those are a few examples of when a helmet can help. As you think about and research the sport it's important to understand that complete parachute failures with a "splat" at the end are very rare. More common are minor injuries caused when good parachutes are landed, umm, less that well. I hope that helps. If you are interested in more information keep reading the Internet and consider picking up a couple of books. The first is called Parachuting: The Skydivers Handbook. It's a good text for beginners and experienced jumpers. It was published by ParaPublishing and is available at most book stores and at Amazon.com. The second book is called JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy. I wrote JUMP! and it was published by McGraw-Hill last year. This book was written for folks like you who have questions about the safety of skydiving, the why and how's, and wonder if the sport is really right for you. JUMP! helps answer questions for first timers and helps you to find, evaluate, and select a great drop zone. JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy is available from many book stores as well as from Amazon on a great discount. So, keep researching and reading, and enjoy your first skydive! Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Safety and Training Advisor Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy