Coach Jumps??

[freeflir29 0]

"I must get to Raeford sometime, must get to Raeford"
Good plan....Fun DZ and can't be beat for the quality/price of the training. It's not every day at other DZ's a guy with 27 jumps (Me at the time) gets a Free coaching jump from the likes of Joe Trinko, Chuck, Bill Rafferty, Neil Beverly, and many many many others! I'm very thankful I learned to skydive there and I will always return to visit and do my best to uphold the Skymonkey traditions! "It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve Martin
Clay

[mikefarmer 0]

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I do believe that the bar is too low right now for coaches (which seems to be another complaint, that any 100 jump wonder can get a coach rating), I think potential coaches should have to show more than the very basic skills they show now, but that really is another discussion.

I am one of those geeks who likes to check out peoples profiles, and it seems that there is a rating that does demand more of people with 800 + jumps who want to teach people and make some cash. It's called an AFF I. Why bother being a "Coach" if you want to brief, debrief, wearbriefs, teach a class, and maybe jump once in a while. Especially if the "bar" is too low. Get a real rating. Flame on, I've got 600 jumps and am merely an IAD I, but then again, I am one of those slackers that throws students for the free jumps, shoots video for the fun of it, and teaches low-timers for free (or beer). Funny, none of my "students", wait, I mean friends, has ever called me an asshole for that.
Mike
Sky World

[skymedic 0]

Farmer...there needs to be more of your type around. I was lucky and jumped at a DZ where they didn't charge me for my "required" RW jumps for my A. my AFF-I payed for there jumps even after I offered too. and this is not a small little DZ eather...we are talking full time turbine DZ on the coast of FL.
I just dont see why more people can't be a "mentor" to others instead of trying to suck money off of people who can just afford to skydive as it is....
marc
"...a mind stretched with new idea's will never regain its shape"

[DanG 1]

I, unlike you, don't see the point of flaming others on this forum.
As for your 'real rating' comment: I am just a poor student, so I can't get all the ratings at once. Last summer I got my Skydive U Basic Body Flight Coach rating (a very real rating), and this summer I am going to try for AFF-I.
This thread is going nowhere, so I am finished. Flame me all you want.
- Dan G

[mikefarmer 0]

Well, Dan, I am feeling pretty silly myself. I really didn't intend to get into a flame war with you. My point is simply that I think that the comraderie that is fostered by helping "kids" is well worth the lack of monetary gain. I believe the ISP is good for the sport. I also believe that most of the USPA leadership, just like anyone who posts to these forums, has good intentions. I also tend to believe, however, that large DZs, which will benefit from coaches freeing up their I's, have a lot of sway in USPA, and this is sometimes not good for everyone. Anyway, we're all skydivers, and I will always take a brother skydiver over a whuffo, so I apologze for sounding aggressive.
Peace Out
Mike
Sky World

[LawnDart21 0]

I agree with everyone. How's that for playing "Switzerland"? LOL In all seriousness though, I learned alot during AFF and what would be the equivalent of the new ISP coach jumps when I got my license in 2000. But it wasn't until I got my license and started jumping with an experienced jumper that I really learned how to be a safe skydiver. (I mentioned him in my "Sky Less Travelled" story). He (Ed) never asked me to cover his slot and we made a lot of jumps together. He taught me so much during those jumps, I'd be hard pressed to pay him back, to which I joked to him one time and all he said was "do it for someone else when your turn comes." Since then I have tried to do just that. I got my coaches rating so that I could eventually get my tandem rating, and to be honest, I take up prelicensed jumpers for the DZ, and they pay my slots, 'cause that's how the DZ wants it. But once a student gets their license, I tell every student I will be more than happy to jump with them and i always insist on covering my own slot (because I believe it's the right thing to do). So, I guess I'm kind of a contradiction there. Prelicense, USPA requires a rated coach, so while I don't necessarily agree 100 percent with getting a free slot and $10, I atleast feel confident that the student is getting their money's worth, in that I believe in my heart I fly my ass off on coach jumps. I also reationalize it by thinking that I too, paid the same coaches fees before I got my license. As a sidenote, I had a prelicense student fail a low exit twice, and he was all upset about the expense he was continuing to incur, so I asked manifest to make an exception and bill me for my own slots on the low exits until he passed it and to deduct the $10 coach fee from his charge. It took him three more tries to pass and he is on his way to becoming to a solid skydiver. Wow, I'm totally rambling now, I really don't want to get back to work,........LOL Anyways, I think everyone has a valid point in a way, I mean our system is not perfect, but as long as we reach out to low time jumpers and try to remember what it was like to be broke with a new A license, and help out where ever possible for free, then everyone will be a winner. Phew! I'm exhausted now!
Blue Skies and Warm Tropical Breezes
Tom

[Aviatrr 0]

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Most of all, I couldn't tell them with any conviction that it will someday be _their_ turn to make coaching jumps for free with other newbies.

Hell, if you guys need some help at Tent 1 this year, count me in for a few days......but not every day...I have to have some time do to all the novelty jumps and some CRW.. Mike