DanglesOZQld

We don't chose our passengers and work on a fair rotating system for both handcam and jumps depending on what staff numbers are at the dz on a particular day. Most of the time "luck of the draw" sees a 50/50 ratio in getting the nicer passengers. We also get paid extra for those in the "overweight" department and not forced to take them either. In whining or anything similar I just have to remember what it was like to have a "real" job and smile when I think of what I have now and what things USED to be like!! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Havent done much sport for a while since moving up from Melbourne quite a few years ago and not put on that much weight at all. Have to agree that the Tandems do keep you in shape to a certain degree. At the very least it is a good idea to try and keep fit when doing them! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Ah, the AMAZING *SKYDIVING* RACE!!! Now THAT would be worth watching......but please make the competitors from more than one country! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Practise if possible a few times with height before having the landing. Have a slightly over loaded Tempo myself and have done a few never with any problems........... BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

There was an incident with a tandem doing handcam where the dentures went flying out - also won Funniest Home Videos (Australian) for that night and a not so small amount of money either!! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

I disagree that the entry costs are that high compared to other sports. I gained a Private Pilots licence on an apprentice wage. Just a matter of setting your goals and going for them. It would make getting the jump numbers required for instructor and tandem master ratings easier if you were jumping for free or much less using outside camerawork now and again to help with this aim. Having to pay for everything up to ratings level would not stop people from getting their ratings eventually in some cases but others who come across hurdles such as family and marriage would be less inclined to do so, therefore an increased reduction in the amount of available and qualified staff. We are already seeing this now due to prices increasing and other factors but with handcam I believe it will be another stress on the sport for numbers of future staff. I do almost everything at the moment so this really doesnt affect me but I can see the sport suffering in the future!!! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Seen a lot of different methods used to get the angles and pics required ; basically the skies the limit with almost any angle and view as long as it does not impair the operation of the "real" gear that saves our sorry asses from impacting the ground at a higher than wanted speed lol! BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Found the real freedom at 23 yrs old........was flying the aluminium boxes around for fun until then!! (And I copped a lot more flack from my old flying instructor than my own parents when I told him I was going to jump out of a plane lol!) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Here are two makers of quality handcam gloves with sites....... 1) WAYCOOL http://www.waycool.com.au/index.html 2) COOKIE COMPOSITES http://www.cookiecomposites.com/ "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Like I said, lets just see what happens in five years or so from now. I was also referring more to Australian jumping than anything overseas, US included. We operate a Let which takes 19 jumpers and only have one outside camera guy still employed - and he has hardly had any meaningful remuneration for many weeks............ BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

I will and have taken 14 year olds as this is the youngest allowed in Australia. We have had to try the harnesses on some this year to make sure the harness was secure though as there was one 14 year old who was the size of a 9 year old.............. Some females have me tightening everything up to the stops as well but never had problems ;) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Certainly the best video would be a combination of both Handcam and outside video. It all comes down to how much the tandem passenger is wishing to pay for this service. I won't go on any further than this post about handcam vs outside but we have already seen handcam take the work from outside video guys. It IS happening ;( BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

"8 Hours dry or no fly." -Works for skydiving and flying, and most of us know that there are limits to this as well such as the sensible (hopefully self regulated ones) that would tell you *sometimes* you need to take the whole next day off not just the 8 hours from last beverage!!! BSBD! -Mark "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

As a Tandem Master who has done a few Handcam jumps as well as starting out as an outside Vidiot I can see the good old handcam killing the sport. Another post topic perhaps. Good old money wins in the end with everything. Q - How did you become an instructor? A - By doing fun jumps on weekends and then OUTSIDE VIDEO WORK to pay for my jumps until I became an instructor and then Tandem Master. Lets see a lot of dz's "deal with it" in five years time Staff wise when there are not enough numbers coming through the sport from the above and also litigation aspects from AFF etc. BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Hey Punky, some sort of feeling at the door means you ARE UPRIGHT AND BREATHING! (IE- HUMAN! ;) I know of many people who had a fairly hard time getting out for one reason or another and it is not unusual. For some it is butterflies or the feeling that you have forgotten to check something and for others this feeling is a good one such as the high from their brain starting to register what their body is about to do ;) Both guys and girls experience it just that guys (like with crying etc) don't show (or try not to!) emotions where possible. I would much rather have a scared female telling me as a tandem passenger they are nervous as hell than an "oh so cool" male freaking once in the air and giving no hint of a problem beforehand. "This too shall pass." You are not the first person to go through this and wont be the last. Basically just go with what most of the (better!) comments have been posted here such as find a mentor/instructor who you are happy to learn from and friends that you are happy to jump with. You will learn from being under their wing and eventually love the sport like the chosen few who like you have made it a part of their lives. All the best! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Definitely Ramblers (Toogoolawah) for fun and after hours partying. Nice place! I work on the coast and there are a lot of our guys who go there for some fun jumps once the "work" jumps are done. BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Don't do too many fun jumps these days, but more than happy with our lil ol plane ;) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Give me a ZP anyday. Usually we suggest ex students to go with 190's if they are not too heavy and reasonably good with control. I did however start with a laser 240 and loved that thing for hundreds of jumps (very few rigs around second hand at the time I was ready to downsize.) The only thing I didn't like about the canopy was seeing all the others get back from a bad spot whereas I wasnt covering much ground at all! BSBD! -Mark PS -Maybe also get someone with more experience to jump yours and see what they think needs doing to it to make it better....... "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

I have actually found through the years, like I stated in one other post, that the injuries most skydivers get if they do get any occur when they are bored or not jumping!! Ask around and you might find this to be the case where you are also. BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

In Australia there was a place from Victoria that made an Airvan I think they called it, Gippsland Aeronautics by memory. This Alaskan bird looks like a slightly bigger version of a similar design with a turbine. In Australia I have always said something quick with a ten jumper capacity would be good for us! (Don't have King Airs all over the place here like you guys in the states but our Let spoils us enough where I am!) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

In 3,500 jumps only fractured two knuckles on one hand when as a student made a bad landing on a bad canopy. My fault! Nothing since! BSBD -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Fact checking?? The media is NEVER wrong...... WE ALL KNOW THAT BY NOW DON'T WE?? ;) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

We do our jumps from 6k , 12k and 14k and price them accordingly. If we cannot get out at any of these heights it is a free plane ride. Often there are say 2 tandems at 6k and the rest (up to 7 more tandems) wanting 12 or 14. Due to being held by air traffic the 6k jumpers often get a free extra to the higher height!! We use Strong rigs and the jumps from 6k are done in the conventional manner, drogue throw followed by normal release at 5k. It is a quick ride!! The only time we jump with the drogue acting as a pilot chute (drogue already released before exit) is when we use the Tandem gear for large (2,000 square foot) flag demos. BSBD!! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

We have used a boc pilot chute on our student gear for some time now. Much easier when it comes to conversions and no de arching looking for the ripcord handle (or chest mounted alti for that matter!) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

Had a waycool now for about 100 + handcams and it works a treat and is very well built and strong. BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"