Articles - Page 52 - Skydiveforum.com

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts

By admin, in Security And Scams, August 15, 2007

Time for a National "Sky" Patrol?

Back in 1936, snow skiing was a sport that only a few dedicated individuals pursued. The primitive
conditions practically guaranteed that anyone foolish enough to ski would eventually be injured.
On the snowy slopes of a Vermont mountain, just that happened to Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole when
his ankle snapped in a fall. His friends went for help, but eventually had to toboggan him off the
slope themselves, using a piece of sheet metal roofing material as an improvised rescue sled. The
ankle fracture was so bad that Dole was told he would probably never ski again.
A few months later, one of Dole's friends who had helped him down the mountain was killed in a ski
racing accident.

Dole was not only determined to recover and ski again; he was also determined to do something
about making skiing safer. He co-founded the National Ski Patrol in 1938, modeling it after some
of the informal ski patrols at local ski areas and grafting on some of techniques used by Swiss
ski instructors and mountain guides. After World War II, skiing boomed in popularity, equipment
and services improved, and the National Ski Patrol is now the largest winter safety organization
in the world. To this day the NSP serves an invaluable function in preventing or responding to
skiing accidents with special training and equipment.
Skiing and skydiving have many parallels. They evolved over roughly the same time frame, and
advanced rapidly after World War II. During the sixties and seventies national organizations
formed, services improved, training became professionalized, and equipment evolved rapidly.
Similar sports enjoyed similar progress. Swimmers and surfers have trained, well equipped
lifeguards. Climbers have mountain rescue specialists and spelunkers have cave rescue
organizations. But for some reason skydiving has never evolved an organization dedicated to
preventing accidents, responding to them where and when they happen, and evaluating them to
learn how to make the sport safer.
Considering the frequency of skydiving injuries, there is an obvious need for trained response.
All outdoor sports share some commonalities. Each takes place in an unusual environment, with
specific environmental hazards. Each has specialized equipment and skill sets. Each has an
undeniable element of risk, yet those risks are not mysterious and can be mitigated through
proper preparation. Skydiving can learn from other forms of outdoor recreation and develop a
national training program to prepare drop zone staff and volunteers in accident prevention,
preparation, and response.

Such an organization, modeled after the National Ski Patrol, may be just around the corner.
This December Skydive Arizona will host a training course that will also serve as an opportunity
to examine what is needed to bring this sort of organization to your drop zone. At the core of
the program will be a Wilderness First Responder course from a nationally accredited organization.
The WFR was chosen over standard EMT training because of a heavier emphasis on trauma, and on
managing it without access to immediate ambulance response, since many DZs are a long ways from
the nearest ambulance.

In addition to the WFR, the course will include modules on skydiving specific problems such as
aircraft and fuel safety, removing skydiving equipment from injured jumpers, recovering cut-away
equipment, problems involving tree, water, and power line landings, and incident investigation.
Relationships with the local emergency medical system and with the FAA will be reviewed.
Recognizing and mitigating hazards will also be discussed, as will incident reporting and the
possibilities offered by building up a national database of accidents.
The course, scheduled for December 1 - 10, 2007 is open to any interested skydivers, regardless
of their experience in the sport. Slots are limited and must be reserved well in advance.
The course cost is $600, which includes instruction, materials, and training aids. Graduates
will receive WFR certification from the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor
Leadership School. For registration details, go to www.airdropassist.org/wfr.htm

The course cost does not include lodging or food. Participants will be engaged in classroom
activities all ten days, and actual skydiving is not on the agenda. If you bring your rig, plan
on jumping before or after the course. Camping is free. Inexpensive team rooms or bunks are
available on the drop zone. There are several hotels nearby. For lodging and travel information,
go to
www.skydiveaz.com.
For other questions, contact Bryan Burke at: bryantburke@hotmail.com.

By admin, in News, July 23, 2007

Adam Mattacola of Avalore Freefly

According to his bio on the Avalore team page (www.avalorefreefly.com), Adam Mattacola, apparently began jumping in 2004 at my local drop zone, Sibson, near Peterborough in the UK when he was still in his teens.
I don't remember him.
Back then I had 200 jumps and thought I was the right royal shiznit.
Who was I to look for the new AFF grads to jump with? Pshhh puh-
LEASE! I was too busy making sweet 2 way head up jumps and trying my
best to look like I knew what I was doing by colour coordinating my
free fly suit colours I had on order. I had just got my C and was
strapping a camera to my helmet. I was WAY too busy to deal with the
likes of this young scrote!
Fast forward a few years and an almost quick blink of the eyes later,
and the same guy is hot off the presses, having just rolled off the
newly awarded Euro 40 way HD record and the 11 way Brit HD record
days before his 22nd birthday and he has also been garnered the austere title of UK Senior FF champs 2005 with his Avalore team mates. So is a record holder AND champion. All in the space of a few years since he first started. Accomplished at the sprightly age of 21, a full decade younger than me.
"Hmmmmm", I pondered to myself this week, "how in the sweet name of
Buddha, Allah, God, Jah and Jehovah did this guy get SO good SO quickly?!"
Am I bitter? Of course not! That would be infantile. It's all love in
this sport (especially when I might run into the young hotshot at
some point and want some coaching off him!).
Seriously though, Adam is obviously one of what I like to call the
"new breed", one of the "rising stars" and all that other names
that people call those very talented, young people who seem to progress so quickly in their given sporting discipline. I was curious to find out how he had managed to do it, in such a short space of time, and share his insights with the members of the skydiving community, old and young alike, so that we could possibly learn something from him, and shine some light on an obviously very talented flyer.
So without further ado, I decided to find out just what the hell this guy
had been up to to progress so quickly and do so well for
himself in such a short space of time.
Enjoy!
Name: Adam Mattacola AKA Killa Cola

Age: 23

Occupation: Airkix wind tunnel instructor/ Coach; AFF Instructor and
Skydiving coach

First skydive (date and location): Tandem skydive Sibson August 2004, AFF Seville August 2004

Years in sport: 3

Number of jumps: 517

Number of mals: 0 :-)

Kit: Vortex2 Hurricane 120, PD120 with CYPRES

Describe yourself in one sentence: determined, loves a challenge,
loves to get laid and a little crazy.
Background:
I did a tandem jump in August 2004 at Sibson, I had always wanted to jump out of a plane since I was little....I've always been a little thrill seeker and who loves to do something new...in my head not many people have done skydiving and it scared the majority. I like to be
different. After we'd jumped that was it, I was hooked - no fear in me
at all and I had a big cheesy smile on my face which I could not wipe
off for days. As soon as I landed I went to the internet and booked the AFF!!!! I knew this sport was for me.
AFF in Seville 2 weeks later out of a small Cessna with instructors
Alex and Jonno (thanks guys). Levels 1-5 I passed first time without a
correction signal and with instructors letting go (no tunnel time at this stage).
So that night I suppose you can say I got a bit ahead of myself and
thought this was an easy ride and went and had a few beers.
But stayed out late and only had a few hours kip like you do and went to the DZ knackered. Level 6.....spin flip twist spin spin flip twist all the way down. Hmmm shock to the system. Maybe this is not such an easy ride after all. Repeat Level 6 and yes it was a repeat - literally! ....spin flip twist spin spin spin. Instructor said go home have some rest and lets finish the course tomorrow.
Went home had a kip then practiced on my bed all night. I soooo wanted this license. Then the next day I passed all levels and was one happy bunny. Jumped at Hinton. Got into freefly at around 50 - 60 jumps because it was something new and everyone said how hard it was.... I love a challenge, I love to learn something new and hard! I then went to Sibson and started to jump then had a Russia trip to Kolomna, it was great. 84 jumps in 2 weeks. Halfway into Russia I was still rusty in my sit and it took me along time to get to the base. As soon as I got there it was time for break off! Damn! Everyone started to mock me and I was like, "Come on... I only have 70 jumps!" So I decided "I WILL GET THERE BEFORE BREAK OFF!". So, out of the plane and zoom - but I didn't take into account stopping. Straight through the base. "Oops!". My nickname is "Cola" due to my last name and then they just added "Killa" as I tried to kill them all... hence "Killa Cola".
A lot of the jumps were 2 way sit with Dylan and now I can freefly.
(it's better to learn in smaller groups I think). After 200 jumps my buddy "Big Al" AKA Heman recommended me to Airkix to be an instructor. Thanks to him I got the job. I was an electrician before and was happy to leave. Weeks went on and everyone raved about how fast I picked up flying. I just thought they were being nice. A couple of months in and I was there flying around with the top flyers and then all of a sudden they were asking me how to do things. It was one big hit the first time it happened. The legends asking advice from me, all in just a few months! I competed in the World Challenge 2007 wind tunnel comp with Michi from Bedford. We came fourth, only 2 points behind Babylon, who were third. Avalore at this point, were looking for a third member as one had left. They asked me whilst at Airkix. I wanted to compete and get experience but had no money. Avalore has good sponsorship and let me trial for them at Lillo in Spain and they were happy with me. I am now a member of Avalore by spending next to no money - I'm very lucky.
I then wanted to be able to teach anyone, so I did my AFF instructor
course at Lillo so now I can teach from complete beginner to advanced
headdown and can now pass on my knowledge.
I heard about the Euro record and was desperate to take part.
It represented something new and challenging and something not many people can say they have done. The biggest I did before that was 7 way head down. I went from the trial straight into a 20 way. Wow! I was buzzing. Got onto the 30 way record attempt out of 70ish people who turned up for the trials. Deep inside I was exploding with excitement but trying to stay cool about the whole thing. We completed it first time. Then it went to 36 people, then up to 40. Then as a fun jump/British record jump we did an 11way - 3 points. Now, when I get the chance, I will train with Avalore for the Nationals and hopefully we will do well. Alot of other good teams are out there. I now do coaching for all levels of skydiving too. A lot has happened to me in a short space of time - sometimes even now I have to step back and take a deep breath and make sure I'm not dreaming as all of this has happened in the space of working at Airkix within 1 year!
What's a typical day like for you:
Wake up to a cheesy tune as an alarm on my phone, so I can't help
but smile even though I'm tired. Hot shower then turn it cold for a few
seconds just before I get out. Wakes you up. Go to Airkix to work, give
experience and enjoyment and share the sport I love with hundreds of people, and see them smile from ear to ear. Chill out when I get home, then do 'the thing I'm learning' at that particular time. I always like to be learning a new skill from learning a different language to playing piano or guitar or another sport. Then either go to bed or maybe go on my laptop and look at certain pages on the internet which I can't say about in this interview and...well...you know the rest!
Who do you look up to in the skydiving world and why:
I look up to every high achieving competitor as it takes a lot of commitment, hard work and motivation to be in a team. I also respect a lot of students due to there determination by not quitting when they come to a move they struggle to do.
Best jump you have ever had and why:
I think maybe the pants jump I did in Russia. Seven of us in just our
boxers and all not really very experienced. It was basically naked bodies flying all over the place out of control with the great expressions on their faces - so much fun but we froze our bollocks off!
Favourite type of jump right now and why:
Has to be a chasing dive with buddies, without trying to lose one another. It's true free flying as you fly at all angles and positions like eagles, carving tracking and belly/ back flying (which I feel are also important areas to be good at) and quick directional changes. Tracking also has to be one of my favourites as I can't do it in the tunnel, and there is so much to do in tracking, so many angles and different speeds.
How have you managed to progress so quickly in such a short space of
time?
Tunnel time for sure is the quickest way to learn skydiving
skills. It disciplines you to do everything on spot with a coach
right in front of you and if you hit that wall, you don't want do it again so you make yourself do it right! I always pushed myself and never let something beat me because it was too hard to do. I believed in myself and after I flew I watched back over my flights and made sure I understood how the wind works with your body instead of just flying and being able to do it without actually understanding WHY. That's the way to do it, making sure you understand why things happen. Being relaxed is a also a big part of flying, so if possible you need to be sure you're not sexually frustrated. Trust me it affects your flying!
Favourite coach you have had coaching from and why?
The Airkix tunnel instructors.... a friendly, helpful bunch who have
time for their students and they are very good at what they do.
What makes a skydiver experienced?
Attitude to the sport, safety wise, is very important and that's for both while under canopy as well as in freefall. Also, not knowing HOW to do something but more importantly, WHY it happens - that's the way to learn. If you understand "the why", it is better then doing it a million times and not understanding it. Some people with a couple of hundred jumps have better knowledge of the sport than some guys with a 1000 jumps.
What would you change in the sport if you could change any one thing?
Make it cheaper and be able to jump from a higher altitude.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I really don't know...I can see myself still in this
sport for sure, but I think mainly just coaching and passing on knowledge I have gathered over the years. I tend not to plan the future - I'm more of a guy who goes with the flow and whatever is around the corner, I've just got to make the most of it. You only live once!!!
Greatest non skydiving accomplishment:
4th in the Bedford World Challenge, but if you count that as skydiving
related then most probably being in a dance video doing breakdancing.
Favourite quote:
Make it happen and live your dream - life is only as good as you make
it.
Freefall or canopy ride?
Freefall - you share the experience with alot more people while it's
happening.
Swoop, or straight in?
Swoop - it's challenging and it's something new to learn, but it's also very dangerous if you underestimate it.
Jump numbers or experience?
Experience - if you have the knowledge and understand it, its better
than a bit of paper saying I've done 2000 jumps.
RSL or no RSL?
No RSL - could be a situation where it would not be best if reserve come out straight away.
AAD or no AAD?
AAD for sure just make sure it's the right one for what
you are doing....if you swoop - make sure you have a swoop CYPRES.
Fun jump or training:
Fun jump - no pressure and makes it easier to enjoy every moment of
the skydive
Noddy or Big Ears:
Noddy
Steak or Tofu:
Steak... rare
The journey or the destination:
The journey - the destination may not turn out to be as good as you
thought, but getting there is one big adventure and you have no idea how its going to work out.
Sex or jumping:
Got to be sex, as it is free......well for most people
anyway...sex while jumping would be interesting!
Money or fame:
Money. Fame could lead to no privacy. Money will take a lot of worries
away.
Many thanks to Adam for taking the time out to answer these interview
questions!

By admin, in News, July 22, 2007

Swooping is Not a Crime

A large sector of the skydiving population is currently in danger of extinction. This is because of the widespread proliferation of new DZ rules that prohibit 270 turns for landing or ban high speed approaches entirely. Consequently, many jumpers now find themselves homeless and considering alternate sports - not a good thing for skydiving.
These new restrictions come in the name of safety. We have lost many
friends this year due to canopy collisions, and the management at
several dropzones has responded by adding new rules in an effort to
prevent such accidents from happening in the future. There are several
aspects within this direction of policy that concern me.
Remember 9-11? We felt unsafe after the tragedy, and so we willingly
gave up many of our rights as free citizens. Now they are taking
nail-clippers away from little old ladies. It is getting ridiculous, as
is the policy banning advanced approaches. It is a knee-jerk reaction to
fear, and I think we all know where that slippery slope leads.
"My rights end where your rights begin."
This is the fundamental idea that forms civilization. In other words, if I fly my parachute into you in the pattern, I am in the wrong. I think everyone agrees with this and it therefore can and should be asserted that if my behavior does not have an effect on anyone else, I should be allowed to continue to do what I am doing, provided I am doing it in a safe manner.
We all need to challenge ourselves. This is what keeps us showing up at the dropzone every weekend. Thousands of people enjoy the challenge of high speed approaches and define the swoop landing as an essential part of their experience. They wait all week to get a few jumps in over the weekend, and now many of them are unable to get what they came for. To take that away is to cut many people off from the very reason why they skydive in the first place. Is that really where we want to go with this?
We cannot afford to alienate anyone. There are precious few experienced skydivers in the world and I would argue that we are the reason for the dropzone in the first place. I understand that there are a few DZOs that are doing very well running purely tandem operations, but this is the exception, rather than the rule. Most dropzones are a business of passion, rather than a pragmatic financial pursuit. If we wanted to make a million dollars, we would have done something else with our time. We do this because we love it.
The atmosphere created by having fun jumpers around is essential to the success of a dropzone, even if the profit is significantly less. Sport jumpers give the tandem students a reason to come back and learn how to skydive. They come back for the jumping, true, but they also come back for the connection to other people. They want to be part of a community, as do we all. We must therefore allow all aspects of the sport to continue to proliferate so that our numbers may grow.
It is that simple.
We can create sustainable solutions.
It is possible. We simply need to think things through and adapt to the changing needs of a growing sport. I remember the debate on my dropzone as to whether or not we wanted to let the students jump ram air canopies. Many were concerned that the "squares" were too much responsibility and that students could not be trusted. Are we saying the same thing about ourselves now?
We need to trust each other. True, we need to create a structured environment in which we can create a degree of predictability in the air over our DZs. Otherwise none of us would be able to manage all the variables in our heads. But as soon as we start back-peddling away from danger, we are becoming more similar to the groundlings we pass on the road on the way to the dropzone.
We must have specific runways where the high speed pilots can land safely, out of the way of everyone else. We must communicate our intentions in the loading area. We must create sustainable vertical separation before reaching pattern altitude. Most importantly, we must increase our level of awareness under canopy so that no matter what the circumstances, we can fly in traffic without risk of running into each other. We do this by remaining calm and keeping our eyes open.
We need to stop pointing fingers and making over-protective rules, and simply do what we need to do in order to be safe and still have fun. Let's work together and unite as a whole to make the dropzone a welcoming place for everyone.
Brian Germain

www.TranscendingFear.com

By admin, in Safety, May 28, 2007

Skyventure Wind Tunnel for Montreal

By admin, in News, May 28, 2007

Iran's first Skydive Centre

By labyrinth, in News, May 18, 2007

Risk Homeostasis and Skydiving

Wikipedia describes the phenomenon as follows:
'Risk homeostasis is a psychological theory developed by Gerald J.S. Wilde, a professor emeritus of psychology at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada...the theory of risk homeostasis states that an individual has an inbuilt target level of acceptable risk which does not change. This level varies between individuals. When the level of acceptable risk in one part of the individual's life changes; there will be a corresponding rise/drop in acceptable risk elsewhere. The same, argues Wilde, is true of larger human systems (e.g. a population of drivers).'
Through the comparison of relevant Sky Diving statistics, recent studies in the field of risk homeostasis show that the introduction of a safety feature does not necessarily improve the generalredistribution
This phenomenon, due to a type of 'risk redistribution', was researched by Sky-Diving academics who spotted strange fatality rate fluctuations migrating back and fourth between open canopy fatalities, 'no pull' and 'low pull' cases and others, depending on the adoption of certain safety feature at that time.
The study employed the Cypres (Cybernetic Parachute Release System) Automatic Activation Device (AAD) as an example, which is specifically designed to deploy the reserve parachute at the required altitude, in the event of timing neglect by the jumper.
Risk homeostasis shows that varying individual trends toward risk adjustment become displaced by the introduction of a safety feature. The concept results an inadvertent psychological neglect of natural automated adjustments to these barriers. This leads to a generalised lowered level of risk, instead of unique to the area in which the safety feature is applicable.
The risk then becomes distributed across parameters and is referred to as 'accident migration'.
When this in turn was applied in relation to levels of perceived risk, it was noted that; 'Skydivers adjust their behaviors to maintain arousal at optimal levels'- a behavioral modification linked to inadvertent risk displacement. Levels of risk vary from one person to another and are adjusted in accordance so as to maintain a level of comfort most acceptable to the individual. On the other end of the spectrum, however, more risk can be introduced if the threshold is too low in comparison to what the individual is used to.
In other words, the tendency to take less precaution in presence of a safety measure does not necessarily result in a balanced distribution of risk and as a direct result, risk is inadvertently lowered in other areas. Where there may have been a decrease in 'low pull' or 'no pull' fatalities due to this mechanism, the open canopy fatalities increased, and the introduction of open canopy safety features appeared to coincide with an increase in landing fatalities.
A correlation can be seen concerning traffic accidents, where most of the evidence for risk homeostasis originates. Studies have shown that 'pedestrians are twice as likely to be killed in a painted crosswalk as in an unmarked one' and that driver side airbags in actual fact contributed to driver behaviors that increased accidents and fatalities.
Needless to say, the field of skydiving is a popular target for academic study on the topic of researching risk whether perceived or real. Sensation seeking provides the blueprint for studying risk-taking in social, legal, physical and financial for the sake of such experience. It has been found that personality types within this sphere can be genetically characterized by an elongated version of the DRD4 gene which regulates the production of dopamine and effects pleasure and emotion.
It should therefore come as no surprise that when comparing skydivers to non-skydivers it was found that the former have lower levels of death anxiety, which in turn lends itself to higher levels of target risk. It was also found that Skydivers accept significantly higher levels of risk and that 'More experienced skydivers monitor the risk perceptions of the beginning skydivers in their subcultures.'
Further research will be conducted into how to enforce precautionary measures within the parameters of these findings. To read the original case study visit www.vicnapier.com
Original Authors:
Napier, Vic
Pima Community College
Findley, Carolyn Sara (Casey)
Auburn University Montgomery
Self, Donald Raymond
Auburn University Montgomery

By labyrinth, in General, May 18, 2007

Service Bulletin - Quasar II

By admin, in Gear, April 19, 2007

RSL Removal on the Javelin/Javelin Odyssey

This letter dated February 27, 2007 from Sun Path Products, Inc. addresses the issue of Reserve Static Line Removal on the Javelin/Javelin Odyssey. Download the Letter from SunPath.

Reserve Static Line (RSL) and the Javelin/Javelin Odyssey
Reference: This letter supersedes SPP letter regarding removal of the reserve
static line (RSL) dated 16 May 2005.
1. Is the RSL a part of the TSO’ed components of the system?
YES
2. Can any or all of the RSL components (RSL lanyard, hook Velcro on
reserve riser, guide rings on pin flap and main riser RSL ring) be
removed from a Javelin/Javelin Odyssey without voiding the TSO?
YES, however the FAA determines this to be an "alteration". This means
that only a master parachute rigger can perform this action. (Ref. AC105-2c)
Once the master rigger removes the requested RSL components, the
alteration must be noted on both the packing data card and the master
parachute riggers log book.
3. Does removal of the RSL void the TSO?
YES, this only applies if someone OTHER than an FAA master parachute
rigger or foreign equivalent removes any RSL components, or the removal of
the components is not logged on the packing data card.
4. Who can pack a reserve in a Javelin/Javelin Odyssey without a RSL?
As long as a master parachute rigger has indicated the removal of the
components, (i.e. lanyard, rings, Velcro) on the packing data card, any senior
or master rigger or foreign equivalent can repack the reserve.
5. Who can pack a main in a Javelin/Javelin Odyssey without a RSL?
As long as a master parachute rigger has indicated the removal of the
components, (i.e. lanyard, rings, Velcro) on the packing data card, any senior
or master rigger or foreign equivalent, anyone under the direct supervision of
the afore mentioned or the person making the next jump can repack the
main.
5. If I am a senior rigger and I get a Javelin/Javelin Odyssey to repack
that has any or all RSL components removed, what do I do?
The senior rigger will need to check the packing data card to see if the
appropriate entries have been made. If yes, then the rig is "legal" to be
packed by a senior rigger. If not, the rig will need to be taken to a master
rigger who can approve the alteration and note the removal of the
components. The master riggers data card/log book notation is only
certifying the alteration.
6. Who is authorized to remove the RSL and when?
Only a Master parachute rigger or foreign equivalent can permanently remove
the RSL components thus altering the TSO’ed system.
The user can "disengage" the RSL lanyard by disconnecting the snap
shackle, if in an emergency situation or to avoid a possible emergency
situation ONLY. The owner/jumper (unless a master
rigger) is not authorized to permanently remove the RSL lanyard.
Sun Path Products, Inc. position on the removal of the RSL components remains
unchanged. "Permanent removal of this part is highly discouraged and NOT
recommended". However we do acknowledge situations that the user may wish
to have the RSL components removed from the system or not have the system
installed with the components at all. Therefore this guidance should serve as
reference for fielded systems as well as new assemblies.
Systems manufactured after Feb 2007, come with the RSL/Collins lanyard as
standard items. This incorporates the Marine eye reserve ripcord, Curved
Reserve Pin with lanyard and the RSL/Collins lanyard.
The Skyhook can be added by the manufacturer as an option by adding the Red
Skyhook lanyard to the RSL/Collins lanyard and corresponding skyhook on the
reserve bridle.
An alteration to the RSL/Collins lanyard on the post Feb. 2007 rigs will require a
terminal pin reserve ripcord which must be replaced with factory TSO’ed
components only. *** (reference Pg 6. of the Javelin/Javelin Odyssey Owners
Manual Rev. 2 Issue 01 March 2007)
Download the Letter from SunPath
Dave Singer

Engineer

Sun Path Products, Inc.
Derek Thomas

President

Sun Path Products, Inc.
Sun Path Products, Inc. * 4439 Skydive Lane * Zephyrhills, FL33542
Phone 813-782-9242 * FAX 813-788-3057 * www.sunpath.com

By admin, in Gear, March 6, 2007

Livin' on the Edge - Literally.

About 2500' feet above the floor of the Grand Canyon.
Tied in with 5/8 rope, bits of aluminum and steel cable holding five cameramen in place on sheets of ice/soggy snow, we're shooting the Performance Design Factory Team (PDFT) as they become the first terrain swoopers in the world flying inside the Grand Canyon. The Factory Team are the most experienced and talented athletes in the skydiving world, having won world event competitions as a team and as individual athletes.
Our task was to shoot in places no camera has ever accessed, and this project was a techno-marvel at every twist and turn in the several miles of dirt road (and sometimes virtually no road) it took to arrive at shooting locations.
Unable to physically scout the area, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems were used in conjunction with specific areas that were discovered, chosen, and mapped out using Google Earth Plus by the Factory Team members. None of the five jumpers had ever been in this remote area far from the beaten path of tourists. Satellite phones were used for general and emergency communications, as there is no cellular coverage (or power of any kind) on the site. Base camp was established at the Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo (Dine) reservation in north central Arizona with a 2.5 hour drive to each shoot location. The nearest airport is Tuba City, AZ to the north, and further to the south in Flagstaff, AZ. The video aircraft based themselves out of the Tuba City airport.
The shoot is in a remote area, miles from the nearest power outlet or electronics store, temperatures are hovering just below freezing at noon, and zero/single digits in the early morning and late afternoon. We needed cameras that would be capable of moving 120mph and manage fast exposure changes from bright sunlit sky and clouds to the dark recesses of the Grand Canyon, that could manage the cold and wind. No stunt nor camera setup could be rehearsed, as helicopter time is exceedingly expensive for this no/low-budget project.
The stunts the skydivers performed were dangerous enough on level and familiar ground. Flying wings of nylon and string at speeds approaching 100 mph while skimming the rocky soil for distances of up to 150 feet, then at ground level, executing a nearly upside down barrel roll only a couple of feet from the edge of the Grand Canyon would be considered an extreme act of athleticism. Place cameramen with shoulder cams directly beneath them that need to avoid the canopy pilots, and the canopy pilots need to avoid the cameramen; even the slightest strike could easily kill the canopy pilot and toss the tethered camera operator over the edge.
Due to the budget, location, availability of crew, and the speed that setups had to happen, we chose to use HDV camcorders on this shoot. The Factory Team was already prepped up for the HDV format, as they currently all fly Sony HVR-A1U camcorders on their camera helmets. Each member of the team flies a camcorder to shoot POV, while team photographer JC Colclasure flies over, under, and around the team to capture an overall perspective from the air. All aerial camcorders are fitted with Raynox HD wide angle lenses, while the helmets are fitted with CamEye and Brent's Sights camera indicators and sight rings.
Four Sony HVR Z1U, three HVR V1U, and eight HVR A1U camcorders were used on the shoot, plus two Canon XLH1 camcorders used for long shots using a variety of lens lengths. The lighter camcorders were critical, as they needed to be quickly rappelled into the canyon strapped to our backs, quickly set up on canyon ledges when positioned by helicopter, and able to be flown on lightweight jibs over the canyon.
Dave Major aka "Clem", a Hollywood stunt coordinator and stuntman managed the harnessing and safety tie-downs; Jack Guthrie, a DZO (Drop Zone Operator) and safety officer oversaw all safety aspects of the shoot, managing the cameramen on the rim of the canyon and the cameramen flying in the Cessna 185 aircraft and helicopter. Each on the shoot was required to wear a harness at all times, and be secured from at least one point for each shoot position. Cameramen Matt Wimmer, Joey Allred, Dave Major, Jack Guthrie, and boom operator Benjamin Bressler are all accomplished skydivers, some with great BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, Earth) jumping skill, which was of great benefit when consistently 2000 feet from the ground. The Performance Designs Factory Team all wear Skysystems or Wes Rich camera helmets, Bonehead ShuVue (foot camera mount), and belly cams to capture a variety of air-to-air angles. Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo, Jonathan Tagle, Jay Moledzki, and JC Colclasure are all not only world record canopy pilots; they're all very accomplished aerial camera operators, and have flown for a wide variety of television broadcasts as aerial camera persons.
We used lightweight tripods with Bogen 516 and 526 heads were used on a variety of sticks, but at all times, the kit was kept exceptionally light. The tripods were used for the long ground-to-air shots, as the lenses were fully extended, and needed to be kept tight on high speed objects, virtually invisible to the naked eye. Upon reaching a preset altitude of approximately 3000' AGL (Above Ground Level) the pilots would pop skydiver smoke, allowing them to be more easily seen and tracked. We also used the Gorillapod camera grippers/mounts, wrapped around rocks, scrub, and lighting poles to capture unique angles without being seen on in the frame of other camcorders. Audio Technica wireless and microphones were used mounted to KTek Graphite boom poles. We chose the wireless system as both receiver and transmitter were battery operated, and the KTek Graphite pole was chosen for past performance in exceptionally cold environments such as the Sundance Film Festival and various snowboarding competitions. Aluminum boom poles become loose, and are exceptionally cold to hang on to for any length of time.
Gear planning easily became the greatest apparent hurdle. Being as remote as we were, batteries were critical for lighting, sound equipment, camcorders, wireless systems, radios, and satellite phones. For this reason, we choose to carrry four LitePanels and lightweight stands, we planned on weighting the stands with stones slung in canvas bags. Water could not be carried to the cliff ledges for reasons of weight and safety. Stones were also chosen to weight down the jib assembly used over the edge of the cliff. RedRock Micro MicroFocus' with 18" whips were used for tripod mounts on both dolly and tripod setups, adding in speed of focus during pans. We also needed to be assured of on-site monitoring, and Adobe/Serious Magic DV Rack HD served the purpose quite well. Cameras above or on the rim in sunlit areas were fitted with 4X4 polarizing filters for shooting against the sky, into the sun, and for intensifying colors against the sunlit canyon walls, causing the parachutes to brightly stand out.
Other challenges were picking up great field audio. Everything in the canyon echoes and rolls, and distances ranging from over a mile to mere feet made levels a challenge to control without using automatic level controlling. We didn't want to allow auto control, as the noise of the helicopter constantly triggered auto-level controls boosting noise as the heli flew farther and closer to our microphones. We used Audio Technica 4073 mics for rim-edge placement, hanging microphones off the rim into the middle of the canyon to capture the crack of opening parachutes and the sound of rushing cloth during wingsuit jumps and canopy deployments. We also wanted to capture the very distinctive sound of swooping canopies at high speed, both at near and far distances. For the near distances (less than five feet), we used Audio Technica 4053 hyper cardiods to block as much helicopter noise as possible.
Camera operators are staged at three points in the canyon. Covering the landing area, in-canyon flight and terrain stunts required helicopter placement, as the bottom of the canyon and mid-points in the canyon could not be rappelled or fast roped, and while we could have BASE jumped into the bottom of the canyon, extraction still required heli time. At many points, the cameraman had to free-step from the helicopter to small rock areas, due to the helicopter not being able to set down in small spaces. This added to the importance of highly portable camera kits. The overall scale of the canyon is not to be underestimated. For this project, we all underestimated the scope of distance, and even though we had our longest lenses in place, shooting 2000 feet even on a rock-mounted and weighted tripod could become an exercise in hunt and peck to locate the skydivers when they were 5000 feet in the air moving at exceptionally high speed. There were occasions where we were separated by as much as 8,000 feet between the exit point and landing areas.
We set each camera to capture a specific range of action, given the speed at which we had to capture the moving canopy pilots. The canopy pilots gave very accurate space limits within which they'd be flying, but no aerial stunt or precision flight could be predicted to specific marks due to winds. However, once near the ground, the canopy pilots flew their wings within millimeters of mark points. Cameras set to capture at full extension, super wide, tracking, and fixed closeups were designated prior to the jump/stunt. This makes for a wide selection of camera angles for the multicam edit, offering anywhere between 6 and 14 camera angles per stunt. VASST infinitiCAM in Sony Vegas 7 software was used for cutting dailies to get a glimpse of what we had in the can each night. Ultimately, we brought home more than 100 hours of footage between all of the camcorders on the shoot, in four locations over 6 days. Logging was managed with the Sony Media Manager for Vegas, allowing us to mark all dailies, access similar scenes, search by logged keywords, and create stunt folders.
On site storage for dailies was captured to Western Digital "MyBook" 500GB external drives, connected to a laptop via 1394 connection. Only key scenes were captured for immediate review at various angles, to save time on the ground.
Mornings started before sunlight, and the shoots ran straight into night, squeezing the last moments out of the golden hour, to create as many romance shots as possible. During one late afternoon stunt, the winds at 4000' AGL were significantly different than winds measured at ground level, and winds generated by the cooler air in the canyon. The canopy pilots were significantly blown off course by rogue winds, causing them to not only miss their pre-assigned marks, but put them at risk of not being able to generate enough drive to fly over and subsequently into, the Grand Canyon area. This added risk cost us a few camera angles since only two of the canopy pilots entered into the sight picture and frame boundaries. These sorts of challenges are common when working with unpredictable high speed sports, and camera operators need to be prepared to improvise if anything is to be captured at all.
At the end of this segment of a much larger project, everyone was exhausted from the long hikes carrying gear, shooting in very cold conditions, and the long hours. As skydivers often say, "we had fun and no one died." That sums up the project quite nicely; we had a great time under adverse conditions, captured some incredible footage (have *you* ever seen a parachute fly upside down at ground level?), and put to bed the second segment of one of the most exciting chapters in this forthcoming feature-length project. For me personally, the greatest part of the entire experience is hanging out with my heroes in the skydiving world, learning new canopy techniques, and the opportunity to join my videocraft with my passion for skydiving. From my viewpoint as a videographer that skydives, , these two weeks have been similar to hanging out with Spielberg, Cameron, Coppola, or other great director. Except these guys fly.
The great achievement wasn't just that we succeeded in capturing a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but that we pulled it off using small format gear, easily carried and packed from point to point in short periods of time, trying to pace the flights and lighting .Thanks to the light weight and maneuverability of the small-format camcorders, livin' on the edge may be dangerous, but missing the shot was never a worry.

All photos in this article shot by Justin Carmody, Performance Designs photographer using Canon 5D and a bag of lenses. Screen captures from Sony Vegas 7.
Additional video camera assistance and aircraft piloting from David Major, Michelle Knutsen, Jack Guthrie, Debbie Zimmerman, Mannie Frances, and Ryan Crissman.

By admin, in News, March 1, 2007

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