piahenzi

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Everything posted by piahenzi

  1. piahenzi
    you know I love you, but you cannot start trashin' Harleys here... shld we take this outside ???
  2. piahenzi
    I've been checking the site regularly to get their schedule but so far nothing posted for 2008. Hope they do it soon! If you get any news, pls let me know. Might just be able to squeeze in a few and maybe get one tiny step further....
  3. piahenzi
    it's always the same....
  4. piahenzi
    I can't believe the things I learn on this forum :). Homeopathic remedies for camera/lens woes....it just keeps getting better
  5. piahenzi
    Oh, decisions, decisions.. and here I was going for rear float as of yday... Oren also told me to get front float down asap but I need some more flying skills/practice as well as getting in tune with the headgear/aim/timing etc. I have been doing just the vid these first three jumps and lost the tandem for a few seconds after the exit. . Once I get a few more exits with stills under my belt, I will definitely take you up on some help.
  6. piahenzi
    Luckily I am wayyyyyy old enough to be past the "groupie" stage of my life :) There are blessings in ageing... Ground footage - true enough!! I figured I shld start at the beginning so the three practice jumps I did also included the ground/plane vid practice which takes a lot more than one expects at first (especially if you want to avoid heavy editing) and the experienced guys and (and chicks) make it looks so effortless. Like you said and I have to remember every time, I have to give myself some breathing room.. I did not put down my first or even my thirteenth 270 exactly where I wanted... Many good thoughts and observations.. thank you!!
  7. piahenzi
    Give yourself time to learn, and remember that a safe conservative plan (like exiting early) will produce a nice, quality video that a customer will be thrilled to take home. Learn to shoot those, and get yourself a position on the video staff. Then work on your fine tuning, and worry about the kind of quality that would take another vidiot to notice. _______________________________________ Thank you - I think that's the part I really need to hear. I tend to expect too much from myself too early in the game. Luckily I do have a slot in the Vid room but that adds to the pressure to start producing asap. :) Rear float it is for a while... P-
  8. piahenzi
    Drogue - yeah, I got that briefing before I went ( I have lurked on some pre-vid with friends) and have a healthy respect for that. Exit is the main problem for me right now. I have been so used to rear float with the 4-way video that I started this summer, that the front float "money shot" is elluding me right now. Good advice to wait it out if late... Audible setting also good tip - I found myself late to leave /pull back on the last one and had to turn and track - therefore not getting the opening sequence on vid.
  9. piahenzi
    Okay - a lot of you have already helped me with editing et al components and I thank you again for your input and guidance. Now comes the jumping part. Any tips and tricks on the flying/exit etc? I've only done 3 tandems (practice jumps) and learned so far that this is a whole new ballgame... which brings a new challenge
  10. piahenzi
    Thanks!! I checked that out and seems to be a little more than I need but perhaps the only way at the moment. DSE had something to offer as well used so might try the "lower cost" road but appreciate the input and direction. This video gig looks a lot easier as a funjumper than when you get down and dirty with it.
  11. piahenzi
    Thanks but Apacer is also discontinued and out of stock (
  12. piahenzi
    Just starting out getting components together for tandem videos. A lot of the guys at our DZ use an Alera Tech Photo Cruiser which takes camera flashcards and burns the pics direct to a CD w/o PC. I called Alera and they discontinued the product and there dont seem to be any alternatives. Checked various retail outfits and ebay and countless other sites with no luck. Any ideas out there or do I have to use my laptop with CD burner?? Re still camera the current consensus/usage at my dz is the Kodak Easyshare modified.
  13. piahenzi
    it is, after all, all about YOU isn't it Have fun at Nationals... bring back some good vid from there, too!
  14. piahenzi
    Nice!
  15. piahenzi
    right you are... I've been called out...
  16. piahenzi
    ...that's only because you "balled" yourself in the pond.
  17. piahenzi
    Hah! I knew it! Love the t-shirt!
  18. piahenzi
    I can tell you for a fact that he has those gloves and that KOSMONAUT helmet... that is the Russian... I'll put money on it.
  19. piahenzi
    do keep us posted! Love the update and sorry to hear SunnyDee got injured. Hope she is back in the air today.
  20. piahenzi
    I am paying $1600 /year for $250K coverage with Prudential. I look at it as part of my skydiving budget and that's that. As the main breadwinner for my family ( hubster and a kid) it is NOT an option NOT to have insurance. I got the impression when I filled out the paperwork, that being a current skydiver - ie more than 50 jumps/annually was a benefit to the rate... believe it or not. Term insurance is the way to go because if you stop skydiving before your insurance term years are up, you can just stop paying. I doubt you can do that with whole life insurance without being in default and losing part or all of your invested premium. Let's face it, we never know how much longer we will be in the sport - be it illness, family pressure, $$ pressure etc....maybe I am wrong here but whole life insurance just never seems like a good deal and for skydiving and all the variables involved, it definitely seems risky
  21. piahenzi
    I got a 10 year term policy thru Prudential as well. Seemed the most competitive and inclusive. It still amazes me that being a healthy, active and current skydiver costs more than being an sick, 200 lbs overweight couch potato with heart disease, diabetes etc...this country has it all backwards...
  22. piahenzi
    Re Medical costs and Dr fees - read MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE!! That is what is causing the high prices for services... let's face reality here. On another note, what about the costs for life insurance to cover skydiving?? A bit off topic here and maybe a new subject altogether for the forum but for those of us who are breadwinners for the family the USPA coverage is just not enough. I am currently paying $1700 annually for a 10 year term life insurance policy for $250K that covers death caused by skydiving. Anyone out there got a better deal??
  23. piahenzi
    Premature Toggle Fire/Spinning XF Openings: I have the same problem on my XF2, 99 - the toggle fire causes a severe spin and sometimes ( as in last weekend) caused line twists - could not recover with harness and risers before it went there - managed to get out of the line twists but it was pretty hairy and I was close to chopping - AGAIN !! This happens a lot and I have new Sunpath risers and a new canopy. I check the brakes again right before stowing the risers into the container as the top tab does seem to slip out some during packing. I hate worrying every time it's pull time that I am going to end up in a dive/spin/mal on opening. Makes for stressful jumps. Anyone have any ideas?
  24. piahenzi
    Thank you! Will give it another try.
  25. piahenzi
    Called the Best Western and they do not have the rooms blocked under any possible spelling version of XKEYS INVASION or anything blocked from 12/28-1/8. Maybe time to make another call down there? Thanks!