The Diamond Quest '94 Training committee has adopted the following standards :

These standards should be used as a guide for both DQ camp leaders and participants to evaluate skill level of each jumper.

As always, the Training Committee and the DQ BOD welcomes all input so that we may continue to improve and serve the CRW community.

1. For a Novice to move to Intermediate he/she should meet the following standards :

• Understand the terminology (i.e., stack vs. plane, sashay, definition of proper grips, lockup, cascade, retract systems, etc.)
• Have a good understanding of proper communications in the air - clear, short, positive commands. Communicate breakdown properly.
• Can comfortable fly relative - end cell bump - with another canopy.
• Have good line skills - planing up and down, walking to an offset, deplaning.
• Understand echelon flying
• Have mastered basic flying maneuvers and understand when to use them (sashay, spiral FRD, rear risers).
• Understand how to set up an approach on a vertical as it gets bigger.
• Be able to set up and dock on verticals from 3 through 8-ways with moderate success.
• Be in control enough and understand the need to make zero angle - on center docks.
• Have a good understanding of how to set up and complete a base-pin with an experienced jumper.
• Understand wrap avoidance and basic safety and survival.
• Be able to pilot vertical formations with only minimum input from and experienced flyer. Have good heading awareness, make slow smooth corrections.

2. For an Intermediate to move to Advanced, he/she should meet the following standards :

• Be able to teach terminology to novices
• Line skill should include foot first grips when appropriate, not pinching off upward momentum, collecting in "bad docks" and making them work. Being comfortable with "line or slider" docks.
• Have good echelon discipline. Know when to plug a gap if needed and when NOT to plug a gap.
• Be able to explain the use of basic maneuvers to a novice (when to sashay vs. when to spiral, etc.).
• Be able to set up and dock in a timely fashion on any size vertical. Never off-center or off-angle (sideways).
• Be able to make timely lockup docks without much side-to-side motion behind the formation.
• Dock and fly 2 and 3-wide wing slots with fairly good success (75%).
• Have high base-pin success with other intermediate flyers. Have medium success with a novice.
• Be able to properly pilot any vertical. In the latter stages, be able to pilot diamonds.
• Be able to fly pieces relative (end cell bump with bi-planes).
• Understand and teach proper formation build and break sequence.

3. For Advanced flyers, the following standards should apply :

• Teach basic CRW to novices.
• Have high success with any base-pin combination.
• All docks should be smooth, quick (small split) no momentum, on target, no angle into any vertical or lockup slot.
• Have very high success with 2 and 3 wide wings. Fine tuning skills on all lower wings.
• Have high degree of control over the canopy. A measure of this is being able to "park" in a slot or alongside a formation.
• Echelon discipline should be outstanding and very tight.
• Be able to design basic canopy combinations for successful formations.
• Pilot open tops on offset formations.
• Top docks and piece flying with good success.

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Last modified : Monday, April 07, 1997 11:10:19 AM