Sure people always ask me about why I jump out of a plane. The simple answer is "why wouldn't you?" But it's a more complex question as to why you would act as an instructor for a student jumper.
Given that getting to the DZ takes a day out of your life, that you essentially get petrol money and willingly except a fairly large risk the question "why would you be an Accelerated Freefall (aff) instructor?" sounds quite reasonable.
I can answer with a story. The other day I left home at 5:30 a.m. to start at the DZ around 7. Two buddies doing their student program together; I got the one who was finding it a little easier - for now. We blasted through about 3 jumps and it was all good. Number 2 was experiencing a few challenges with his own jumps. We all get them - uncontrolled turns, some instability, nervous jitters. Everybody faces their own demons.
Randomness had it that I jumped next with number 2. He was a wreck. I just got him to calm down and have fun on the jump. I didn't do anything special - I just did another skydive - but for this guy we changed the path of his training.
When people ask me why I am so caught up in skydiving this is but one of the reasons. Perhaps I'm not creating world peace but I am making the world a tiny bit different - one piece of confidence at a time. More skydiving mindsets in the world can't be a bad thing.
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