1. Introductions
·        Agenda
·        Instructors/Participants
·        Purpose and Goals
·         Teach CReW basics - in class, on the ground, and in the air
·         Introduce Diamond Quest
·         Raise interest in CReW and encourage its growth

2. Equipment

·        Rig
·         easily accessible hook knives - no plastic zack knives!
·         minimize snagging lines, reserve protector flap
·         trapezoid or triangle reserve handles
·         No AAD, SOS, or RSL
·         extra wide leg straps, make sure leg straps are even
·         riser covers to accommodate extra stuff on risers
·        Canopy
·         retracting PC
·         marked lines
·         uncascaded center and outside A-lines
·         mesh slider
·         cross connectors
·         front risers - dive loops, trim tabs, grippers, Nasser toggles
·         easily accessible, self opening soft toggles
·        7-cell vs. 9-cell
·        Clothing
·         socks and gloves
·         cover arms and legs
·         no hooks
·         helmet - unrestrictive hearing

3. Terminology

·        Commands
·         left, hard left
·         right, hard right
·         incoming
·         heavy
·         light
·         complete
·         break, break it down
·         drop me
·        Other terms
·         stack
·         plane
·         stair step
·         wing
·         lockup
·         vertical
·         off set
·         base
·         pin
·         pilot
·         spiral
·         sashay
·         front riser dive
·         plane up
·         echelon
·         lurking
·         wrap
·         stall
·         top dock

4. Basic Safety

·        General
·         Safety first
·         Never lose sight of formation
·         Never fly below and in front of formation
·         No more builds under 2,000 ft
·         Communicate when problem occurs
·         Do not land any formation other then a biplane or 2-stack
·         In case of a cutaway, follow person(s) under reserve and equipment
·         When landing out, land together near a main road. Check in at manifest on return to DZ
·        Pre-jump
·         Make sure manifest, aircraft pilot, and other jumpers know you are doing CReW
·         Get winds aloft from manifest or aircraft pilot
·         know direction of prevailing winds in case of landing out
·         pin checks
·        In the Air
·         Know your canopy
-         how it opens, control immediately
-         practice all maneuvers: spiral, sashay, riser dives, etc. until they are instinctive
-         Make it an extension of yourself
·         Fly with legs crossed
·         Span of control is between float and dive
-         full flight
-         sashay: with toggle, with risers (front and rear)
-         spiral: with toggles, with risers (front and rear)
-         stall: with toggles, with rear risers

5. Formation Types

·        Vertical - stack, plane
·         formations sink more as they get bigger
·         echelon discipline, don't get behind
·         smooth docks, get picture and fly it in
·         stop oscillations
·         approach from left
·         abort to right
·        Offset - stair step, diamond, box
·         diamonds fly fast
·         wings need outside trim
·         lockups must make inboard dock

6. Pilot-Pin (The toughest formation)
·        Pin
·         exit - smooth hop and pop
·         control canopy, find pilot
·         get relative to pilot
·         start smooth, gentle turn towards pilot
·         allow canopy to sink and drive into pilot's grip
·         upon contact, let your canopy fly
·         proceed based on formation type
-         stack
-         plane
-         offset
·        Pilot
·         exit - smooth hop and pop
·         control canopy, find pin
·         get relative to pin
·         start smooth, gentle turn away from pin
·         slow canopy and float a little so pin can make contact
·         upon contact take a grip with free hand
·         get grip with second hand and get feet in lines
·         check spot, make course correction if necessary
·         proceed based on formation type
-         stack
-         plane
-         offset
·        Taking a dock
·         never grab tail section, bridle, or pilot chute
·         do not grab canopy moving rapidly sideways
·         wait for canopy to make contact with you
·        Flying the formation
·         pilot steers
·         has full range of control like a single canopy
·         keep formation on heading, or adjust smoothly for spot
·        Flying in a formation
·         Sit still with legs crossed
·         watch your canopy as well as others in formation
·         stop oscillations
·         communicate as necessary
·        Alternate ways to build a base-pin
·         Pin comes up from below
·         Pilot takes a top dock

7. Beyond the 2-way

·        Exit, approach, set up and dock
·         Base and pin exit first
·         build formation in direction of flight
·         exit - smooth hop and pop. Left or right echelon depending on aircraft
·         control canopy, find base
·         must have discipline
·         get in echelon relative to base, don't run past formation
·         set up
-         stack
-         plane
-         offset
·         must have sight picture, fly to contact, call incoming
·         do not chase a turning formation, cut off at angle
·         if far below formation, try to flat up while staying close
·         person taking grip
-         let canopy come to you
-         signal turns, if any
-         sit still
-         call complete only when secure grip taken
·        Breaking down formation
·         wave off any incoming canopies
·         communicate "drop me"
·         break down from bottom to top
·         formation has right of way, upon being dropped get away from formation
·        Building and Flying Off-sets
·         Stair-steps
·         Wedges
·         Diamonds

8. Safety and Survival

·        Types of emergencies
·         wraps - when canopy is wrapped around jumper
·         entanglement - when canopies are entangled
·        Avoid a wrap/entanglement
·         from top
·         from the bottom
·         Avoid flying formation through turbulent air
·         watch for entangled pilot chutes
·        If wrapped/entangled
·         top
-         cover handles
-         check altitude
-         communicate
-         work out the way you came in
·         bottom
-         communicate
-         check altitude
-         give what help you can
-         make decision to stay or cut away
-         communicate your intentions to wrapped person
·         in formation, but not in wrap/entanglement
-         communicate, give information
-         get rid of good
-         hang onto bad

9. Master the Basics

·        Rotations - plane, stack, compressed stack
·         spiral
·         sashay
·         over the top
·        Rotations - off sets
·         diamonds
·         wedges
·         stair steps

All the topics listed in the preceding outline must be covered during novice training and also reviewed with experienced jumpers unfamiliar to Diamond Quest practices. For novices allow about 2 to 3 hours for the lecture; generally done on Friday night of camp. On Saturday work on one-on-one skills progressing up to 5-way dives. On Saturday night conduct an additional lecture of about 1 hour to review activities of day and plan for next day. On Sunday work on larger and more complex skill building dives.

The following are notes to support the novice training outline:

1.  Introductions

Review agenda, introduce instructors, and if appropriate have participants introduce themselves. Cove the purpose of the seminar and Diamond Quest’s goals of sharing knowledge and increasing participation in CReW.

2.  Equipment

·        Describe the importance of minimizing snags on equipment. Explain problems with AADs, SOS, and RSL. Emphasize use of metal hook knives.
·        Review the different parts of a canopy, use graphic or photograph.
·        Hard rule: No 9-cells. Explain basic difference between  9 and 7 cell canopies and why different performance envelopes can cause problems.
·        Explain line burns and need for personal protective attire.

3.  Terminology

Start the familiarization with CReW terminology. Go over terminology, keeping in mind these are novices. Do not take for granted that everyone knows CReW lingo.

4.  Basic Safety

·        Emphasize safety from the very beginning. Cover the basics and review throughout the weekend.