alaskaskydiving

Its interesting how this stuff works out Jason. And these points are good ones, but these two points are just two of the puzzle. First, don't look at the fatalities to see whats going on in the sport, you need to look at the close calls, and understand the vulnerabilities of the equipment reletive to instructor competence. What that means is Nothing is perfect, and we get by with alot, you know this cause you hear of close calls at your dz all the time, well, sometimes, somewhere in the world, it is not a close call for someone, it actually happens. Those years when things are quiet, its not cause the grim reaper is not lurking, at all, if your an instructor you know this. Second, and I've heard this from very highly experienced people in the sport, my dzo has been in the sport for 50 years. The instructors in this sport overall are cycling in and out, and some very good ones from the nineties etc are leaving, which leads to a weakness in experience levels. When very good judgement, high experience people move one, stop speaking up, stop teaching, we all loose. Personally I see a tandem instructor under a 1000 tandems, depending on currency, maturity, and experience with malfunctions, still very novice. The big problem with tandems, is if two things go wrong, not just one, once you have two things go wrong, your chance of dying went way up. Tandems are dangerous, the key is working so hard to make sure that your trained well, great attitude, and ready for a passenger to give you anything but what you want. For all the humble TI's and AFFI's out there, I know you don't get enough respect nor pay for what you do, great job, matt aman

I've had my slider kill line on the left side of my slider half hitch around my steering line twice, while I was flying under canopy, in the last months, when I pulled it locked up, if this happened on a hook, I'd probably died, anyone heard of this before? matt

Sorry, my name is matt aman, I work, at skydive sedona in az. I am about to get out of skydiving as a full time instructor after about 7 years. I asked the question cause I am so idolated up here being the only instructor and being on call 7 days a week. New to dz.com, thanks to the ones who posted

I gotta hear this one. Without naming names, dz's or accidents "in the news." Whats the stupidest thing you've done or seen another instructor do? I'll start. I saw an aff lvl one go out the door one time about a half an hour after sunset in a very weak moon period. No shit, it could've been easily declared a night jump. You could barely see the student on landing from less than 50 yards away, wow

If they get their passenger to the ground safe consistently, provide them with a good orientation to the sport, and know their limits and learn, they are a good tandem person. I'll take a good attitude instructor who's boringly safe over one who's an additional risk anyday

Have noticed that our icarus 400's do this more when they are getting out of trim, I will sometimes grab the steering toggles while its sniveling, long snivel time helps, and start to fly it as it opens so as to keep it from that snap turn at the end that usually causes the twists. Also helps to pump open that occasional one that does not want to open. Great info on the wind vien stuff, I feel novice for not coming up with that, have cut probably 2 away for line twists, bet I wouldn't have if I'd figured that out.

Ever watch an aff student horrified in freefall, tumble and spin, and then have to chase them through the deck as they deploy while you are almost over you, its not fun, skydiving is fun, and dangerous, especially when you have to go out the door with them and their safety is largely your responsibility, if your not scared going out the door with a freaked out aff student, your crazy

Alaska Skydiving. 40 miles north of Anchorage.