Ball park cost of a packing class?

[skydance1954 0]

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I will further state that I have never once seen a person chop a flat (actually "roll") packed main in the over 25 years I have been instructing students in that method.

Just to be contrary (because I'm a stinker), I had a mal on my Unit which I flat packed 21 years ago. I would like to point out, however, that a mistake was made during packing because I was in a hurry.

Point being, that yeah, a flat pack can be screwed up, just like any other pack job.

Mike Ashley
D-18460
Canadian A-666

[hobbes4star 0]

Cost me a case of beer and about two hours of learning time.

if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right?

[Croc 0]

Do you enjoy being treated like a customer, or would you rather be treated like a friend? At what point do you stop being a consumer of skydiving educational products and start being one of the guys? (or gals?)
This trend, to turn every new jumper into and endless source of revenue, will ultimately kill this sport.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[Eule 0]

I paid $35 for the packing class I took on a bad-weather day at the DZ. One of the riggers taught it, and IIRC there were one or two other students in the class. I suspected I was supposed to pay for the class, but I didn't know for sure, and I didn't bring it up that day. The next weekend, I was told that I owed the money, so I paid up.

This was not at the DZ I started at. I had switched DZs in an attempt to possibly speed up my slow student progression. At the time I took the packing class, I had maybe three or four middle-AFF-level jumps at this DZ and maybe 30-35 jumps total. Since then, I returned to the DZ I started at - mostly because it's a lot closer to my house and partially because the jumps are cheaper. I haven't asked, but I suspect the local DZ wouldn't charge for a packing class. It would probably be good form to bring some beer, though.

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In my opinion; you get what you pay for. How can you expect someone to put their heart into something if they're not putting bread on the table by doing it?

I like my job, but if they didn't pay me, I probably wouldn't do it. I think that somebody who does something for free because they like doing it, when they could be doing something else that would make them money, can easily turn out a better product or service than somebody who is trying to beat the clock. In an example you may be able to relate to, about 60% of the web sites on the Internet, including dropzone.com, run a Web server (Apache) that is given away for free, and about 60% of the hosting companies run on OSes (Linux or FreeBSD) that are given away for free. I help run a site hosted on Apache/FreeBSD on a dedicated server in a data center, and its current uptime is just over 2.4 years. (Sources here and here.) I think this is a pretty good performance from software that was written by people who, by and large, weren't getting paid to work on it.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[riggerrob 643]

$25 for a staff member to supervise 10 or a dozen pack jobs.

[slug 1]

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as in some one doing AFF....and also how long do they last on avg? (obviously depends on the student to some extent)

To be blunt If you have to pay to learn to learn how to pack. You should at least get a BJ or laid because your definately getting fucked

Teaching how to pack is giving back to the sport not ripping someone off. But business is business isn't it.

To bad so sad. whats next your S.O. says money down befor lay dpwn

R.I.P.

[peregrinerose 0]

Why would the time required to learn how to pack be worth less than the time required for an AFF jump? Why should one be free and the other not? Just curious.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[tomvailco 0]

[replyPacking parachutes isn't rocket science. There are people who pack parachutes that have never jumped, not even once.

[slug 1]

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Why would the time required to learn how to pack be worth less than the time required for an AFF jump? Why should one be free and the other not? Just curious.

"If you got to ask the question after reading the previous posts

Not flaming you or trying to piss you off, just reaponding to your post. For more info PM.

R.I.P.

[DJL 235]

Not gonna even read the thread. The cost is the teacher's choice of beer.

Hell, I love it when AFF's are around. I show them how to pack while I chill between loads.

Edit: I should specify that I show people how to pack MY canopy or THEIR canopy purely for the packing experience. I make sure they don't fuck something up; I leave the instruction to the instructors.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[jlmiracle 7]

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as in some one doing AFF....and also how long do they last on avg? (obviously depends on the student to some extent)

Should be free or maybe just $5.00.

Lasts as long as it takes you to get it.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[angryelf 0]

I learned to flat pack b/f I started sport jumping. I paid a 15 y/o kid $25 to teach me to propack-took about 2 hrs, the dude even took time out of his schedule to help me with issues as I packed later. Best money I ever spent.

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[wmw999 2,534]

It was part of my first jump class. I packed my own main for my first jump, too.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[FXONE 0]

I spent my first five years packing and teaching new Skydiver's to pack, i never charged anyone! They pay for the training in sweat and desire. Teach them right and they will do the same for the next jumper.