QuoteThe main thing "awesome" about being a TI is the responsibility. Once one loses sight of that, things can go to hell in a hurry.Quote.... That's what makes being a tandem instructor so awesome!
The truth.
Matt
+1
Funny story on that score. The Bush twins made tandem jumps at a SoCal DZ in July 2001, and the same TI was tasked with taking them both because he was the DZ's best.
So I asked him afterward how it felt to have the lives of the President's daughters in his hands. His reply:
"I just kept saying to myself, 'Don't hurt the President's daughters or the IRS will audit you for life. Don't hurt the President's daughters or the IRS will audit you for life.'"
44
SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.)
"The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names."
"The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names."
One of the T-I's that took their Grandfather on his Tandems told me a similar story, but his was with a CIA van and long lost lands.
Matt
Matt
An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!
So, start being safe, first!!!
QuoteOne of the T-I's that took their Grandfather on his Tandems told me a similar story, but his was with a CIA van and long lost lands.
Matt
I think the word you're looking for is "Rendition".
Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.
Remster 30
QuoteQuoteOne of the T-I's that took their Grandfather on his Tandems told me a similar story, but his was with a CIA van and long lost lands.
Matt
I think the word you're looking for is "Rendition".
What do you mean, I'm now an enemy combatant?????
Remster
QuoteQuoteOne of the T-I's that took their Grandfather on his Tandems told me a similar story, but his was with a CIA van and long lost lands.
Matt
I think the word you're looking for is "Rendition".
Maybe, there was an IRS agent, SS Agent, and a dude from NASA too.
Matt
An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!
So, start being safe, first!!!
av8rdav 2
The instructor didn't, in a way, force her out the door. Search for the Today Show video and you can hear from her the story. You are all judging the instructor without knowing the full story. Video does not always reveal everything that was going on at the time.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-Benjamin Franklin-
-Benjamin Franklin-
skydiverek 63
QuoteThe instructor didn't, in a way, force her out the door. Search for the Today Show video and you can hear from her the story. You are all judging the instructor without knowing the full story. Video does not always reveal everything that was going on at the time.
Or, she was bribed to say so.
QuoteThe instructor didn't, in a way, force her out the door. Search for the Today Show video and you can hear from her the story. You are all judging the instructor without knowing the full story. Video does not always reveal everything that was going on at the time.
The problem with listening to what she says is that's way after the fact. This jump happened sometime last year, and the video didn't go viral until one of her relatives posted it online.
So you have a woman who made a jump, was unharmed, and felt like she had a good time and was well taken care of. In her minds eye, everything went according to plan, and she held those beliefs for a year.
How many tandem students have you seen who are scared shitless in the door, and only end up jumping because they are too scared to even protest the process of moving to the door and exiting? These same jumpers will land, and then proclaim that they had a great time and that they loved every minute of it. There's something about standing safely on terra-firma that tends to 'alter' their veiw of how it all went down.
Forget about the interview on the Today show, or anything else you heard about this jump. Let's say that the woman did fall out of the harness, so all you had to go by was the video. Does it appear that she is a willing participant at the time of exit?
DougH 270
QuoteThe instructor didn't, in a way, force her out the door. Search for the Today Show video and you can hear from her the story. You are all judging the instructor without knowing the full story. Video does not always reveal everything that was going on at the time.
Another one of Dause's faithful followers? We know you love Bill and his cheap jump tickets at all costs.
It doesn't matter what she says on the Today Show, I am inclined to think that the drop-zone fed her a whole line of bullshit puppies and flowers. It doesn't even matter if she ACTUALLY wanted to jump.
1st and foremost her harness was not adjusted properly. Her willingness is irrelevant here. Here tandem instructor flushed her safety down the drain before they even boarded the plane.
2nd even if she wasn't refusing to go in the door, that exit was absolute shit. The instructor should have backed up and re-evaluated the exit. Instead he barreled over grandma, effectively stripping the poorly fitted harness off of her. If he put more effort on correcting the exit in the door, instead of rushing out, we probably never would have known what a shit job he did on the harness!
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P
=P
She actually backed off that in later interviews.
The whole incident was a fatality narrowly avoided by PURE LUCK!
The Former T-I getting fined is a good START to fixing the issues seen in this video.
Matt
The whole incident was a fatality narrowly avoided by PURE LUCK!
The Former T-I getting fined is a good START to fixing the issues seen in this video.
Matt
An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!
So, start being safe, first!!!
You know, an accident is one thing. We all know they happen. But blatant disregard like in this case? If she was a family member of mine he would have gotten more than a fine.
"Are you coming to the party?
Oh I'm coming, but I won't be there!"
Flying Hellfish #828
Dudist #52
Oh I'm coming, but I won't be there!"
Flying Hellfish #828
Dudist #52
The truth.
Matt
So, start being safe, first!!!