Age of active TIs

[DougH 270]

I was wondering what brought this up from the dead. Zombie post, just like all the old TI's.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[mbailey465 1]

Got my tandem rating at 21. Pretty sure Pablo Hernandez was like 18 or something when he got all his instructor ratings!

[massis 2]

UpstateBonehead

Some what related (I hope) but how old is too old to become a TI?

It seems that there are still active TIs well over 60 (hell, my TI during my student progression was in his 60s) but they all seem to have gotten their Rating in their 20-30s...

Is there an age that you guys and gals think is just too f’ing old to take the Rating Course?

IIRC over here in Belgium the maximum allowed age is 50 to get your rating.

[riggerrob 643]

It is difficult to set an upper age limit for earning TI ratings.

The limit is more about flexibility of mind and body.
Younger skydivers are still curious and mentally flexible enough to attempt new techniques.
Physical flexibility helps surviving those first few awkward landings.
Physical strength and endurance make those long days easier.

I earned TI ratings at age 29 and still do tandems at age 61. These days I breeze through tasks (e.g. packing) that I struggled with when younger because - over the years - I have learned more efficient methods.

[douwanto 22]

+1
32 when I earned my TI. 51 currently

Uncle/GrandPapa Whit
Unico Rodriguez # 245
Muff Brother # 2421

[funkhugh 0]

Earned my TI rating at 19, I'm 31 now.

[gilead1 0]

51 and active, don’t know for how long.
Just remember one point - a 22 years old doesn’t see much different between 30 and 60, both are very old.....

[JohnMitchell 16]

61 and still active TI. I work part time though, making about 400 jumps a year, so burnout is quite unlikely. I also like to mix it up with AFF and fun jumping. Not a bad life.

[LeeroyJenkins 3]

JohnMitchell

61 and still active TI. I work part time though, making about 400 jumps a year, so burnout is quite unlikely. I also like to mix it up with AFF and fun jumping. Not a bad life.

Part time, 400 jumps a year, lol. I get what you are saying its just funny perspective.

[JohnMitchell 16]

LeeroyJenkins

***61 and still active TI. I work part time though, making about 400 jumps a year, so burnout is quite unlikely. I also like to mix it up with AFF and fun jumping. Not a bad life.

Part time, 400 jumps a year, lol. I get what you are saying its just funny perspective.

Yes, it does sound funny. For decades, I had a full time J-O-B, 5 days a week, kids, western Washington weather, etc. to contend with. And every year I made a steady 200 jumps, year after year.

Now I'm retired and the kids are moved out, and we downsized to a smaller home closer to the DZ. Plus we find ourselves taking month long trips in the winter to do tandems in Hawaii. So now it's around 400 jumps a year, and loving it.

When I started jumping all those years ago, I never thought skydiving would ever be a career path for so many people. But, of course, tandem jumping changed everything. Used to be 1000 jumps was really something. Now there are so many people making 1000+ jumps each year. I can't imagine having 44,000 jumps by now.

[Douglas Jaques 1]

I’m 71, got rating at 38 

[steveorino 7]

Let me update my answer. The DZO is closing in on 50 and I'm 64 with 3000 tandems. Heck I have over a 1000 tandems on my new knee. Age is a hell of lot more than a number!  STEVEMACHINE!

[kaiser 20]

On 12/30/2014 at 3:53 PM, stayhigh said:

Just looks sad when you see a TI over 60.

Frosty? anyone know him?

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

 

On 8/14/2018 at 1:48 PM, steveosner said:

Not much rest for me - king air only takes 9 minutes to altitude!!

I know frosty and had the pleasure to work together for a while.

One of the coolest TI around back then.Still pulled of some tandem stand up landings when he wanted to,and all the young kid TI’s had a stupid look on there faces.

I heard he retired age 73 with 17.000 tandems under his belt.

”NOTHING SAD ANOUT THAT AT ALL”

[Islander-O 0]

On 12/30/2014 at 9:42 PM, Rover said:

When I started jumping in NZ the average age of a skydiver was around 28 and tandems weren't around.
In 3 months I'll hit 50 and the other TI I work with is 48. Both of us intend to keep jumping until we can't anymore
Just got me thinking, how old are TIs and are we a statistically aging group?

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

I am 65 right now and I keep going. I pack myself when the DZ does not have packers. Last year my best day was 9 tandems with an own packing.