TitaniumLegs

Well, why don't you tell me something you think I won't find meaningful, and let's see what happens. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

If you think you are losing something by jumping with a neophyte, and should be paid for your sacrifice, by all means go an do what you would rather be doing. I'm not losing anything but the opportunity to jump with my friends. I'd rather do both, but unfortunately, I can't be in two (or three or more) places at once. I'd love to be doing AFF, coaching, RW, skysurfing and learning to freefly a little better all at the same time, but there are only so many jumps you can do in a day, and the number of days I get to jump is dwindling rapidly. If somebody thinks I should spend all day coaching and forego the rest, first they'll have to convince my wife that I shouldn't be jumping with her at all, and then, yes, at least my slot will be covered. Coaches and even some organizers get their slots (or more) covered by the jumpers or the DZ (which means by the jumpers indirectly). YOU even get your slot covered at WFFC when you organize. Your slot is taken out of overhead, one of the things paid for by boogie fees and a small slice of the jump tickets. You don't think Don Kirlin pays your slot out of his pocket, do you? What's the difference? And can somebody tell me why it's OK to charge for coaching in other sports, but NOT skydiving? (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Or "the bone saw" for when you femur it in. "Hook knife"? (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

How about if somebody you didn't know, who knew how to ski, but wanted to spend a day or half day working on technique asked you or your buddy to spend the day teaching them? How about if that was all you did, so you couldn't go off in the powder, or go full-tilt down the double diamonds, or cliffs and chutes, cause you gotta get this one-season wonder to quit snowplowing and turn the boards? We're not talking about charging our friends. I don't even charge friends for AFF. I've even done free AFF (as in I paid my slot) for friends of friends. We're talking about breaking even when it's somebody we don't know, who may eventually become a friend, but that could apply skiing, too. Not hard to chew on it when you don't confuse the issues. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

No, I want to break even. I don't want it to COST me. There's a difference. How many ski instructors pay their own lift tickets? In this sport, I'm at greater risk that some beginner spud will kill me. A couple weeks ago, I jumped with a guy who learned from just any-old-body like you suggest, and he decided it was cool to go on his back in the middle of a formation and drop below us, cause that's what he was taught by his buddies. So, let's take this all the way your way. So you think the pro RW jumpers, freeflyers, birdmen, surfers should coach for free, or really, at their own expense? Where do you draw the line? Around here, you would never do RW again - too many people would take all your time and money on free coach jumps. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

So one of the bridges in the Bay Area is called - you guessed it - the Bay Bridge. This bridge connects San Fran and Oakland via Treasure Island, so you're underground for a bit, then back on the bridge. There was a series of accidents in the commuter lane as the traffic passed through. CalTrans commisioned a study to figure out what was going on. Turns out it was all caused by...... .... Carpool Tunnel Syndrome. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

For a while there, PD named their canopies (or most of them) after some kind of blade - Sabre, Stiletto... (I have a Stiletto in my Javelin - confuses the whuffos.) I kept waiting for them to release a pilot chute called "Bayonet" or "Switchblade".... OK, it's getting silly. I'm going home. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

I wasn't going to bother with this thread, but I need to point out a couple things you're missing or ignoring, probably because of a preconceived notion. You're right that no (or few) jumps are really wasted. But it IS true that it is more cost-effective do to a smaller number of coach jumps than to go up and mess around on solos or with just anybody who will jump with you. I jump at a USPA DZ. I am an AFF/I. I get paid for a fraction of the coach jumps I do. It's exactly how I was treated, except that it was non-rated coaches, rated instructors, or Skydive U (or similar) taking the money. USPA didn't create the phenomenon. Of course, there were some willing to do it for slot or less, but there were many more wanting coaching than those willing to provide it. Why do I coach so much for free? I figure eventually this person will be a decent skydiver and I'll have another friend to play with. My definition of wasted jumps: That new friend leaves the sport for whatever reason. The jumps (my time, use of my equipment and money out of my pocket) to get this guy up to speed are wasted if he never jumps again. On rare occasion, one of them will surpass me and really achieve something in the sport. I think this is the motivation for people who coach children in softball, soccer or whatever. Look at the front cover of this month's Skydiving, and you'll see somebody I taught to jump doing it better. Pretty rare. What USPA is trying to do is create a national minimum standard. Skydive U isn't everywhere. I've seen guys with minimal jumps and dubious skill offering coach jumps to people with only slightly less skill and experience, like a guy with 13 jumps thinking he was qualified to "coach" his wife fresh off her AFF. The USPA "minimum standard", both ISP/A-license card and coaches are ***OPTIONAL***. The ISP is suggested, but you can use another program. An S&TA can waive anybody to be a coach. This allows DZs with their own (presumably better) program to continue to use it. It allows people who have the skill, experience, attitude and deisre to continue to provide coaching without paying an AFF/I (possibly with less experience) to go through the coach rating course. If it costs 3 times as much for a proper coach jump vs. solo, you will learn more that way per dollar and per jump, because you will easily learn more than three times as much on a coach jump. The other thing I find ... selfish? arrogant? ... about "coach jumps should be free" is that this attitude basically implies that I should scratch off loads with my friends who actually can skydive, in which I would be challenged and have fun cranking points so I can pay for my own slot, pack job, etc. to I can teach somebody else to be able to participate in those same loads while I train the next guy. I invested my own time and money to get to this level. I should be allowed to at least break even when I pass on the lessons. How many instructors or teachers in other sports, or any activity for that matter do it all for free? Why is my wife paying so much for coaching at 24-Hour Fitness? Why did I pay for ski coaching? Should that be free? (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Yes, instructors' memories suck. I usually ask the other instructor what level it is just after we both climb out. If there isn't another instructor, I just let the student go and figure out what level it's supposed to be from what the student does. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Yeah, well, you all suck hugely. At least you will until I get Steph on a load so she'll stop bugging me about it. You'd think that since she works at an airport museum (SFO) that they would pay for it!!! (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

So who are the F***ers who actually jumped? (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

"I dropped the toothpaste!" he said, crestfallen. "Of all the gall" said Charles, frankly. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Good call. Maybe a moderator could change the thread title to "Paul Rafferty - vibe thread". Many vibes to Paul and his family. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

((({{{mmmmm}}}))) (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

None of those options fit, but on a related note, you quit trying to seduce my daughter!! (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Then they just aren't team players!! (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

I have a DEC VT220 you can have... (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Another best friend Unconscious after big crash Lies in ICU Been a rough two years TimmyD and JohnnyLuv Roger and Randy Sammy and Paul C At least we will win this one o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

"Do not allow your zombie badger to consume mushrooms or African snakes, or your badger may emit catchy techno music." (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

And now for something completely different: A man with a tape recorder up his nose. And now, a man with a tape recorder up his brother's nose. And now, in stereo. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

A friend sent me this... Cat for sale (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Hot tip: If there is now way to download or connect the answering machine to another device to make a copy, get a voice recorder from Radio Shack or somewhere, recrod what's on the tape to another medium, in case something happens to the original. It's too easy to erase or damage. You might also look into having a legal stenographer or notary public or whatever the correct authority is do a legal transcription. Make sure the dates/times are also copied with the messages. Just a thought... Peter (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

I met a dog named "Pud". Saw him jum, too. We have cats named "Sky", "Eclipse", "Windsock" and "Grace". We didn't name the last one. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

Barry Manilow Bee Gees (especially Andy Gibb) Carpenters Helen Reddy When I'm in a more modern mood, I like Vanilla Ice or maybe even MC Hammer. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.

http://www.zappos.com/n/es/d/722063231.html or you could Google it (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me.