Exit Practice; Freefall Positions; Student Accessories; Student Harness - Sigma TANDEM VECTOR Owner's Manual

SIGMA TANDEM SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL
The following briefing points will be presented in logical order as they would happen on a jump. The briefing points
listed here are the minimum points to be briefed. You may chose to include a few extra points from the progression
list to fulfill your targeted learning objectives for freefall transition.
Order of presentation:
Equipment

Exit practice

Freefall
Canopy control
Student task list
EQUIPMENT
Provide a briefing and/or practice on the following three items:
A. Student accessories
B. Student harness
A. Student accessories: retrieve and display the following items prior to gearing up: altimeter (optional), jumpsuit,
soft helmet, and goggles are a must. Select a tight suit. This will reduce extra drag from your student, aiding stability
after exit. A soft helmet is recommended as it is less of a risk if the Tandem Instructor were to strike the student's head
during the jump.
B. Student harness: Due to the complexity of properly adjusting the student harness, never allow the student to
adjust their harness entirely on their own. They certainly may step into the harness and fasten the chest strap, but
the remainder of the adjusting should be done by the Tandem Instructor. Explain the problem of the blood flow
being reduced at the legs and the shoulders and the importance of proper harness adjustment. It is practically
impossible for the student to do a good job adjusting the harness on his own.
EXIT PRACTICE
To complete the Student Briefing, go to the plane or airport mock-up early, and practice inflight procedures. The
inflight briefing should include: climbing into the aircraft and seating position, what to do on the way to altitude, the
hook-up procedures and the climb out and launch from the airplane. To practice, get into the plane and run through
the whole jump sequence once or twice, including an exit with the student's harness attached and tightened down to
yourself. Review the body position the student should assume for the exit launch and freefall.
FREEFALL
A. Freefall positions
B. Arm extension
A. Freefall position: Start by deciding on which exit position the student will use on the jump. Demonstrate and
explain the proper body position for exit and freefall to your student. Every stable exit and drogue deployment
begins on the ground with thorough training of the student in the proper body position. Have the student lie down
and practice the correct freefall position. Several minutes of practice here will make all the difference on exit and
freefall. Exit requirements from aircraft to aircraft may cause a variance in the position but the basics remain the
same.
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