Superfletch

The "Skyhook" is probably the best skydiving innovation in the last 10 years in my opinion. It's funny because it's so simple. Your rigger sounds like an idiot to me. Sure you can malfunction a skyhook by not installing it correctly. Same goes for every other piece of skydiving equipment. Plus, if you're installing it incorrectly, you're an idiot. Like I said before... it's very simple. Thanks Bill for making skydiving even SAFER! 6 Months ago I was in the market for a new rig. It came down to three. After reviewing the data and trials for the "skyhook" I went with Vector. I'll be buying a new one this month due to the Instructors program through Vector. From now on all my new rigs will incorporate a skyhook. It's a no brainer for me. Why not have a reserve inflated above my head in 1sec? The "skyhook" IS going to save tons more lives than it takes... mark my words. It comes down to numbers and as I see them, the numbers are in favor of the "skyhook". Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

The PC100 is one of the older PC Style cameras. It does a great job. It has a 37mm lens on it which is a bit bigger than some of today's cameras. It's larger and heavier than the newer ones but lots of folks still use them. It's MiniDV. Anyhow, I'd say that $250 is a decent price on one. However, if you only have 51 jumps you have no business jumping a camera. Don't be in such a hurry. Learn to be a good skydiver first. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

I've got a Micron with a skyhook no AAD. I've got a Javelin with an RSL and AAD. I've got a Racer with no RSL and AAD. Rotate through them pretty regularly. I jump the Micron the most. I'd like to get a Vigil for it but can't afford it right now. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Just buy a helmet that you like and when the time comes get a separate camera helmet at that time. By then there might be a much better one on the market anyhow. Mindwarps are good helmets and I've heard a lot of people like the Velocity also. Anyway, you'll probably change your mind a hundred times before you actually need one. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Here in Missouri I believe our Tandem Masters get paid $35. If they pack the tandem that's another $10. 230# is our max, period. As a video guy I make $30 having to edit myself on DZ owned equip. Additional $25 for stills. I'm responsible for packing my own rig and owning my own equip. Although, if I'm getting slammed, the DZO has packed my rig on MANY occassions just to keep me in the air. I love that guy! hahahahaha Anyway, I find it to be pretty fair. I have no complaints. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

A month or so back I forgot my goggles on the way up to film a tandem. I went ahead and did it anyway. I was scarred to death that my contacts would fly out and I would be half blind. Anyway, I locked one eye shut and filmed the video in a super squint... heheheh After filming the deployment on my back I just shut them both real tight and flipped over and dumped. No problem... Hopefully I'll never do it again but you never know. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

I've jumped from time to time without an altimeter. I don't hardly ever look at it anymore so I don't feel it's a must. I rarely even take one on hop and pops if I'm rushing to the plane, just grab my rig and go. Occassionally when I'm flying video, one of the tandem masters will take mine because they forgot theirs or if I'm putting out students and find that theirs doesn't work on the way up I give them mine. I try to take one on every freefall, just to have it, but as I said before I rarely look. When I do look I'm usually where I thought I should be and I can't say that I have ever been surprised. I feel pretty comfortable without one but I highly recommend that everyone use one. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

There are so many reasons... I don't think I could pick one in general. I bought my camera when I had relatively few jumps. I wasn't very good (in my opinion) and I wanted to get better. I figured that by putting a camera on my head the "good" jumpers would want to jump with me and I would get "good" jumps. It worked. My flying skill improved immensley because I was no longer "thinking" about flying. My head was always in the "get the shot" mode and my body took over all the flying. I also figured that the other guys with cameras on the dz would want to jump with me and I might get some footage of myself occassionally. This wasn't the case so much. But that's ok. ahahahahah I enjoyed reviewing the footage SO much that I started wearing it on almost every jump. Once my flying skills were better than adequate I went and got my Coach and Instructor ratings and started filming instructional jumps. The video became a great tool for debriefs and my instruction became better. I was no longer the only benefactor from the camera, my students started becoming better flyers. It wasn't long that my videos caught the DZOs eye and he asked me to start filming tandems. Filming tandems is quite a different type of skydiving. Everyone was different. I started learning all new aspects of the sport and exploring my ranges. My flying skills started improving again exponentially. No hand RW will do that for you. I also got to "share" in that joy of the FIRST jump again. I love going out with the tandems. The extra money is great, don't get me wrong, but it's the FUN of sharing now that I really enjoy. The challenge presented in filming a tandem makes every jump fairly new and exciting. I'm constantly striving to improve so that my customers are able to take home a quality product that they too can share with people. Filming tandems taught me all about using the right tools for the job. It was no long a matter of grabbing a jumpsuit and going up. It was more like which jumpstuit. I looked at the tandem as kind of like a giant space ball. Once the drogue was thrown it didn't move around. I could fly up to it. Touch it. Whiz around it on all axis's. This allowed me to sharpen my skills in almost all the skydiving disciplines. As well as let the customer see themselves from different angles. Granted, you can't experiment too much with a tandem because of the danger involved, but a little here and there done safely adds up quick. I recently put a still camera on my head and have started enjoying that almost as much as the video. Framing shots is now a concern that I didn't have before. The still camera makes me pay MORE attention to what is going on to try and get the shot. It has opened up my awareness level which translates into me being an even better flyer. After all is said and done, I just love giving the experience of skydiving to someone, whether that be one of my friends or a perfect stranger I'll only meet once in my life. My quest for perfection only means that each one I hand out gets better and better. I LOVE shooting camera.

The best I can tell is that the two machines have a very minute head alignment issue. Does anyone know how I might be able to get them realigned alike? Like I said they both work perfectly they just won't share recorded tapes. My guess is that the tapes from the new one won't work in other recorders either since the tapes from the old one do. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Yeah they are both NTSC... Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

I recently purchased a used PC105 off of eBay. I'm having a problem and I was wondering if any of you have seen/heard/know of what I am experienceing. It's driving me nuts. I've got this new one (used) and I've got the one that I have always had. Both Sony PC105s. Both cameras seem to perform flawlessly in record mode and playback mode. When I swap tapes between them is when the problem occurs. Neither camera will playback good video from tape shot from the other machine. Tapes I have recorded from my original 105 won't playback without the video and audio skipping and glitching in the new(used) one. And visa versa. But, video taped on my original plays back good on the original. Video taped on the new one plays back good on the new one. The problem only occurs when I try to playback video that has been recorded on the other camera. I don't have this problem when I shoot video on my original 105 and drop the tapes in other cameras at the DZ and I haven't been able to shoot video on the new one and try in on any other camera other than the 105 I already have. I was just wondering if anyone out there has experienced this and might have some suggestions for me to try. Thanks. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

I myself never received a FJC certificate but I have my original 4 place logpage inserted in the front of my first permanent logbook. I'm proud of it and show it off to whomever wishes to see it. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

The Stiletto is a fine canopy... I've jumped one for a few years. I started on a 150 and I currently own a 135 and a 120. I suppose the reason it is called the spinetto is because if you open in line twists with uneven risers the canopy will dive into a spin just as if you were to release one toggle or pulled a toggle in full flight to induce a turn. I would have to believe that any canopy will produce the same results. I haven't jumped many other canopies of different types but I would classify the Stiletto as twitchy. It doesn't take much toggle preasure to get it to dive and I guess that's why it doesn't take much uneveness of the risers to get it to spin up. The problem is that once you are on your back in line twists spinning to the ground it is very hard due to the g-forces to kick out and that is where you get your cutaways. i don't believe the canopy has a tendency to spin up, you're already spun up when it dive into it's turn. Anyway, I hope that helps you. Like I said, it's a fine canopy, very responsive and VERY FUN! Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

This one made a full front page of the Outdoors section of the Springfield News-Leader a couple of weeks ago. My first published photograph... yeah, yeah... I know... :) The tandem master is my buddy Jim Phillips. His passanger is his sister-in-law. It was her first jump and she loved it. The best part was that the newspaper gave the photography credit to someone else... hahahahah Just my luck! Anyway, I know who took the shot. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Tim... it may or may not be a good camera, however, take my advice... if she purchased it new, take it back and get a sony. You won't regret it. I'm sure she meant well, but most camera flyers use sonys. Just ask around at the dz and tell me if you find one of us that isn't using a sony. If for no other reason you'll be able to borrow our patch cords, batteries, lenses, etc. I just purchased another Sony PC105 off the internet yesterday... I paid $421 shipped. You'll be able to find something similar if you look around. Also, you can purchase new relatively cheap too. It's up to you but like I said... we all use Sonys. And what's up?!?!?! Are you honing in on my job? hahahahaha Didn't even know you were interested in shooting tandem videos. If you need any help just let me know and I'll teach you everything I know. :) Oh yeah, Happy Birthday! What kind of helmet setup are you interested in? Or have you even given it that much thought yet? See you on DZ! Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Phree is right... if you're using it as a still camera, you're getting less than a Megapixel of data... translation: shitty stills. If you're trying to record video on the memory stick rather than tape, that sucks to because it's all choppy. They are pretty much useless other than to grab stills off of video for display on your computer... they look fairly nice on the screen but don't print well at all. If that's the case just get a small one and download them to your computer periodically. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Norm... can you export the sound track as some sort of sound file... open it with a sound editor and erase the music leaveing only the narration, then re-import it? Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

OK... shred away... :) Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Yeah Norm... you putz... Did you even ask me if you could re-edit any of my stuff... or Nick... huh? ;) Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

here's a couple I've shot this year so far... Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Once again, Freefall Express in Mt. Vernon, MO (Exit 44 off of I-44) is having it's annual Hillbilly CASA Boogie. Swing on by and have a blast with us... You won't regret it. We have a ton of fun every year. See you there! Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

You guys are horrible... hahahaha Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Is that Matt Yount flying the tandem? Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

Murrys... you rock man... I tried the save it as a Quicktime DV file and went that route and that seemed to have worked... I don't know what I would have done with out all your guys (& gals) help. This forum has been a real life saver from time to time. Thanks to everyone that has given me input over the few years I have been screwing around on here. I love you guys... :) Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer

I've been working on a video recently and I burned it to DVD yesterday... torwards the end of the video the audio on the video clip got out of sync with the video... the music tracks stayed in sync. I restarted the computer and then burned another dvd and the same thing happened. When I play the preview through iMovie it is all sync'd up like it is supposed to be, but after it is burned to DVD it is out of sync, only torwards the end of the video though... the first 45 minutes are fine. Anyone experience anything like this before? I just tried to extract the audio from the video clip and I'm going to burn another DVD but this is going to take about 6 hours to burn... Blah! Anyhow, I thought that I would post and see what you guys think in the mean time. I'll let you know if that resolved my issue or not. I was just hoping maybe that someone out there had experienced this before and could give me some insight. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer