KevinMcguire89

Just to update you guys. I went somewhere else did a couple of pack jobs (happily this time) and was signed off yesterday afternoon. Even though it is a substantially longer drive I now jump elsewhere now..... Meh I feel so stupid now, in that I feel like one of those people in a bad abusive relationship who convinces themselves that it'll get better and therefore stick with that person.

Thats part of the problem. I did my packing test about 3 months ago. I passed as the test is pack it, inspect the sabotage, then jump it. I am still alive and didn't chop it so it worked fine.... but was told pack a few more to practice and we'll sign you off as said that is the most frustrating part of it. The 'some more' is unquantified and could be one could be ten million... But its a v good weather day and I have to work till late.... I'm just wondering when I should go have a talk tbh.

I've slept on it and I think it boils down to three options #1 confront the DZO about it. #2 Walk away to another DZ. #3 Continue being used and keep on packing for the packing cert carrot which simply doesn't exist. And turn up on DZ.com when I have 2000 pack jobs asking when I should be signed off. I think even though it risks getting me banned from this DZ, I think option 1 is probably the only way to go. Hell if Id o get banned it is only a case of a few more bucks in petrol to get to the next DZ. Problematic but not as problematic as option #3.

I could do that but they hold the power over me as this is the last thing I need for my B cert. Plus it means actually returning there to do this.

Its the packers. The CCI is OK, there is no rigger, the instructors are also OK. As said I kept fooling myself today is the day.... I thought that two Saturdays ago and after asking outright when can I get signed off, I was told soon.... and yet I think I've had enough of it. I'm pretty sure the DZO doesn't care as the packing fee goes to the packers anyway. But it means I have to keep on renting their kit.......

Skydiving has a very small community in this country, the total number of jumpers is less than 7000. Therefore DZs are extremely territorial and anything bad said about them tends to get around quite quickly due to the small community. If I mention the country and the DZ then it is quite possible to be blacklisted. 2 people received bans merely for organizing trips to other DZs

Where do you think it is?

Unfortunately it is true, whenever I've kicked up a minor fuss about it about going to another DZ, something usually pops up to make me stay and get suckered again. They were making me jump 340sqft canopies..... because I wasn't 'good enough'.... my own kit is a 170 which only puts me at 0.8 wing loading. So I had to rent their kit constantly. I only started to get suspicious when a few visiting instructors were asking me why I was jumping such a massive canopy.... funnily enough immediately after I was put down to a 190. 3 months ago it was five more and we'll sign you off right now. There were only four to do that day.... the next week it was as if the conversation didn't happen. two months ago same thing, I suppose I keep convincing myself today is the day... today is the day... My problem is that the next DZ is 160 miles away and gas costs a packet to get there and I can't spend 3 hours driving to an alternative DZ and 4 hours to get back.

Its a non American Drop zone, which is not USPA,, whereby to get anything more than an A cert you need to be certified to pack

Shenanigans ? Is my drop zone taking the pish? Simply I couldn't (past tense) pack. That was 9 months ago. 114 pack jobs later.... of which some were bad (as in not jumped) but most were jumped by me. Today I can pack, to the extent that the packers don't watch me nor do they even bother to check the pack job over. It goes right into the packing room, no checks nothing at which they sign the check ticket to say that THEY packed it. Claiming the repack fee of $8 each time. I'm constantly told to keep on packing and soon I will get my packing cert. It has gotten to the point where I'm thought to be good enough and they promise to sign me off. They then renege on this and tell me again if you pack a few more we'll sign you off. This reneging has happened 3 times and I'm starting to feel used. My thoughts are.... if they aren't watching me pack at all how come I'm not considered good enough? 105 pack jobs I have done have all opened fine (the first 9 were not jumped) and there have been no problems no cut aways, no reserve rides. So is my DZ taking the piss? In that if they will jump them and not check them then surely it is good enough? I keep thinking this week will be the week i get signed off... this week this thinking has turned into about 7 months now and I'm getting deeply suspicious they are pumping me for money in doing this as everybody thinks I'm rich on the DZ because I run a (loss making) business of my own. I've packed in front of another packer at another DZ and they can't see anything wrong with my packing. Your thoughts?