Beginner with helmet camera

[cavscout73 0]

I'm not sure, but if you're suggesting that this whole thing is a ruse put on by working camera flyers to increase their own job security, I'll say that you're not the first hot-to-trot newbie to suggest that, and that it remains one of the most laughable suggestions I've come across.

There are a good number of threads these days about guys who want to 'cutaway' and work at the DZ, but they all seem to have about 100 jumps and no ratings. What I exaplined to all of them is that good jobs at the DZ are not just there for the taking. You need to be a skilled, experienced worker to show up at a DZ and expect to work. As an unrated, unskilled, newbie jumper, you're not going to get shit for a job, because that's not the way the DZ works. You need to hang out, spend money jumping, and become one of the 'locals'. Once they know you, and you start expressing an interest in working, you might get tossed some overflow work, where you can cut your teeth. After doing this for awhile, you become a skilled, experienced worker, and can go out and get a full-time slot being paid to jump.

The point is that I shoot video, and you couldn't take my job no matter how hard you tried. I put in many years of hard work, effort and determination to get where I am, and I continue to try just as hard to maintain my skills and the quality of the product I produce. Not to mention, I have no idea where you jump, and I have no idea where any of you DZ.commers jump. I don't see how any of you would be a threat to my job. It's a rediculous notion.

The bottom line is that the better that skydiving is in general, the better it is for me. The safer jumpers are across the board, the better off we all are. Less acidents, less funerals, less lawsuits, fewer DZs closing, fewer manufacturers failing, etc, etc, etc. It's all fun and games until it's not, then it get's very, very bad, and it only takes one 'mistake' to get there.

Let me get 'old school' on your ass - do what you want, but realize your playing a dangerous game, and stand to take yourself (or someone else) out of the game for good. I've seen 100 guys just like you come and go, some of them by choice, some of them by ambulance never to return. Maybe they're not dead, but they'll never walk again (or sleep without pain meds for a decade). You want to take your chances? Fine, keep your trap shut about it, and do your best not to take anyone down with you if you fall. I would suggest you take another path, and realize that the reason I can say these things about what I did jumping 15 years ago, and the 100s of newbies I've seen come and go is because I've made it this far, and it wasn't because I tip-toed through life. I'm a jumper, like you, but I've managed to stay just on the 'upright' side of the line, where others have spent some more time in the 'horizontal' orientation. If you can snap yourself out of your 'awesomeness' long enough to see that, and figure out what it means, you'll see that I'm only here to help, and that I might be a good dude to listen to. I'm not your dad, your boss, or your high school principal, I'm a skydiver like you. I'm on your side, so drop the defences and use your brain for making your choices, not your dick.

[popsjumper 2]

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Do I have my opinions and differences yep sure do, just as anyone will whether they have 50 jumps or 5000. we are all going to make the choices we make regardless of what people say.....

This is the mindset that worries me about people. It's the mindset that leads to major trouble.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[cavscout73 0]

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Do I have my opinions and differences yep sure do, just as anyone will whether they have 50 jumps or 5000. we are all going to make the choices we make regardless of what people say.....

This is the mindset that worries me about people. It's the mindset that leads to major trouble.

pops
thats why I went on to finish the statement up with
"but hopefully you"said Jumper" can at least take a little bit out of what everyone says, weed out the days of our lives drama which amuses the shit out of me on this site. see what people are saying and take something away from it."

I dont think it matters what part of life or sport, people will always make their own decisions good or bad but hopefully they take what more experienced people say and take something out of it to aid in what ultimately comes down to their decision.
yes it may be a dangerous mindset but I would say its just how a good majority of the world thinks.

maybe I am wrong about people but i really doubt it. so what can you do besides give some guidance or input and hope they take something away from it that can help them make better choices.