VsubT
Contributor
Hazing has no place in skydiving either. As a Tandem and IAD instructor, the last thing I wanted was an over-stressed student. Calm and focused is ideal, but anyone who’s not a little scared exiting an aircraft during their initial training may have other issues.
With that said, practicing emergency procedures to perfection and with lots of repetition is a must. These also need to be practiced regularly to ensure currency.
Bringing the tangential jumping discussion back to scuba, this is something that the dive industry can learn from DZ’s (who learned these safety techniques from military aviators) and do better. Simple lists of emergency procedure refresher drills posted at shops or on dive boats gets people thinking about & practicing them more. Pick 2 skills to practice on your next dive, etc. Annual “safety days” at the beginning of the season are another great idea, with local safety reviews and EP practice sessions.
Lance
PS - all the FAA cares about is the pilot’s license, the aircraft paperwork, a NOTAM filed for jumpers, and the rigger’s rating with an in-date reserve pack. USPA is a voluntary tool jumpers use for FAI competitions and to keep the Feds assured things aren’t too out of control. If you have all of the stuff above, plus landowner permission to land, an aircraft, and a rig, you can jump all you want without the USPA.
With that said, practicing emergency procedures to perfection and with lots of repetition is a must. These also need to be practiced regularly to ensure currency.
Bringing the tangential jumping discussion back to scuba, this is something that the dive industry can learn from DZ’s (who learned these safety techniques from military aviators) and do better. Simple lists of emergency procedure refresher drills posted at shops or on dive boats gets people thinking about & practicing them more. Pick 2 skills to practice on your next dive, etc. Annual “safety days” at the beginning of the season are another great idea, with local safety reviews and EP practice sessions.
Lance
PS - all the FAA cares about is the pilot’s license, the aircraft paperwork, a NOTAM filed for jumpers, and the rigger’s rating with an in-date reserve pack. USPA is a voluntary tool jumpers use for FAI competitions and to keep the Feds assured things aren’t too out of control. If you have all of the stuff above, plus landowner permission to land, an aircraft, and a rig, you can jump all you want without the USPA.
