ks@astra.ecn.purdue.edu (Kirk Smith) (04/16/91)
I am an AFF JM on the staff of a moderate sized drop zone. I suspect that we will soon have a AFF student with some special considerations. Namely, he has one leg amputated. Although some of the staff were a little apprehensive at first, I don't really see any major problems. However, I am not sure of the best way to instruct how to counter the built in turn. If you have trained a student in the past with a built in assymetry, please drop me a line as to what kinds of things worked best in the training. Also, another consideration is special rigging to keep the leg strap on. We have 2 master riggers that can work something out safely, but again, if you have experience with this, comments would be helpful. Kirk Smith
karenk@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Karen Klemm) (04/18/91)
> I am an AFF JM on the staff of a moderate sized drop zone. I suspect > that we will soon have a AFF student with some special considerations. > Namely, he has one leg amputated. Although some of the staff were a little > apprehensive at first, I don't really see any major problems. However, > I am not sure of the best way to instruct how to counter the built in > turn. If you have trained a student in the past with a built in assymetry, > please drop me a line as to what kinds of things worked best in the > training. Also, another consideration is special rigging to keep the > leg strap on. We have 2 master riggers that can work something out safely, > but again, if you have experience with this, comments would be helpful. > > Kirk Smith Contact Larry Yon (I'm not sure of the last name spelling, but he's well- known) at Perris Valley, in Perris, CA. He's a very experienced jumper with one leg, who I believe may even have some teaching experience. He was a skydiver before he lost his leg, so he is likely to be able to explain how to correct for the built-in turn. Nice guy, too. He'd probably like to help out. Anyone located closer to Larry who could make this communication possible? Karen Klemm
tcliftonr@cc.curtin.edu.au (04/24/91)
> Namely, he has one leg amputated. > I am not sure of the best way to instruct how to counter the built in > turn. A couple of weeks back I dropped in to York(WAust) dz. In the plane I found that the bloke I had been scratch-matched with had an artificial leg. But we agreed on a jump which had four 360 turns and two backloops. The jump was completed high, and we stared at each other for a while and dumped at 3 grand. On the ground he said that we were turning the points so fast the centrifugal force was pulling off his artificial leg, so he hooked it over his real one and continued turning points. He could not have been significantly using either leg for turning, or at least, he can do without. After all, for a turn one needs only put on a propellor shape. We dont need legs for that. We mainly use our arms, dipping in the intended direction. Anyway, theissue is probably about adaption. I bet the student would be s pretty experienced at that - why not ask him? Roger Clifton Kalgoorlie, West Australia