The Evolution of The Student Parachutist
If you all wonder where Tandems (student parachutists) came from, and why they are the way they are, here it is.
1. Up until the mid 1980's all first parachute jumps were static line jumps - very scary and also quite dangerous. This is were a student was expelled out of an aircraft at low level with a static line attached to the aircraft used to deploy their parachute.
Student was all alone once he/she exited the aircraft. Most dangerous method of training due to many students becoming immediatly unstable on exiting the aircraft, with possible fowling of parachute deployment.
Most students never did a second jump.
2. Accelerated Free Fall arrived in the mid 1980's. This is were the student and 2 instructors leave the aircraft together at 10,000 ft or higher. The instructors hang onto the student during the free fall and keep them stable up until the student parachute pulls their own ripcord and deploys the parachute.
This method was a safer but the student was still left to his/her own devices once the parachute was deployed i.e. had to handle failures in a mind set (not much stiuational awareness) which was not conducive to a favourable outcome.
Most students never did a second jump.
3. Tandem Student Parachutist training arrived in the late 1980's, it was to be used for the initial stages of the program above. This is were the student is attached via a harness to the front of the instructor. They exit the aircraft attached and therefore stable. The freefall drill is exactly the same as above including pulling their own ripcord to begin parachute deployment. The instructor is still there if the student screws up or there is an emergency.
This is by far the safest method of initial training for a student parachutist. Until last week only one death in Australia in over 15 years.
4. Today in most cases the deployment of the parachute is carried out by the instructor.
Still to this day ALL Tandem Masters MUST be instructors. ALL so called "passengers" MUST be students.
Probably 99% of students never do a second jump.
The saftey record of this form of training is such that it has become extremely popular method of introducing one self to sky diving. Ask many younger sky divers today how they got into the sport, and they will tell you through doing their first tandem.
So now that the APF has made the initial training so SAFE and therefore popular, it seems everyone wants to regulate it. Hmmm go figure!
Parachuting is about parachutists - NOT pilots.
The owners, and instructors use the same aircraft as the students.
Higher caliber operations require higher caliber pilots who require to be paid properly and are less likely to break rules - JUST LIKE IN G.A.
RWS888
Who the hell are you to judge the aviation experience of another whom you have absolutely no idea about.