jimmytavino

maybe... but you should get paid something.. There is more to the sport of skydiving than getting paid, obviously you haven't found that out in your 2800 jumps which I'm sure you paid for*** ..... I guess I Know what there is to the sport of skydiving..... and getting paid, is the least concern......in MY personal case....I was pointing out that YOU ought to be getting much MORE than just the free jump.. on any demo... don't sell yourself short..... as for..."which you paid for".....fully half of those jumps were earned by packing student gear, jump mastering Cessna Load after Cessna load of static lines,,, ( perhaps while others here were youngsters ) instructing static line classes,,, packing some more,,, doing odd jobs for various DZO's, and then shooting and sharing video with my friends and with students...the last 9 years....because I have always done my best to contribute in some way,,, where ever I was jumping...If fair compensation is in the form of lift tickets,, i'm happy with that.... All I meant to say friend,, is a free jump from the dzo should be enjoyed at the end of the day on the DZ,, but when you go offsite for a serious, potentially risky, jump..( especially one which generates revenue for your DZO ) you should get the jump AND some $$$$$$....

...... When you do these "FREE demos,,," do you mean that the recipients of the demo get a freebie,,,,, or do you mean that the demo organizer puts a demo together,,, "let's" you and your buds DO the jump,,, ( or maybe joins you ) ,,, but then Does NOT pay you for it???????????? ... It's one thing to "get the jump for free" and it's another to Give away a demo......and I disapprove of both!! Years ago we established a good team of people to do demos.... But they were SOLD,,, and each jumper got PAID !!!! not a ton of dough,, but 50 to 100 bucks...each,,, AND the organizer also made some $$$$. Then some wise guys who had a plane, and were local jumpers as well,,,, figured they didn't mind doing such jumps for NOTHIN'..( except ego feeding) ..and basically killed the demo business in the area by giving it away.. ya' know???? I feel that any skydiver who does an "Off Site Exhibition Skydive" into a tight landing area... ought to be paid,, and paid properly........ if you do the jump,,,, for the jump,, you're probably being taken advantage of by the organizer, or DZO who SOLD the jump... ( and you can be SURE that a seasoned demo salesman,,, WILL work both ends of that deal... he's probably gettin' 500 to 1000 bucks,,, and then payin you Zip>>>>>>> but oh yeah... you got "the jump for free" ,,, and all the adulation that goes with it..... hahahah.. you're sellin' yourself short...(.IMHO ) especially if you're towing a flag or flying smoke... When you get paid nothing for your work..... doesn't that mean it is worthless ??? !!!! .......yeah yeah don't tell me about all the new students it brings,,,,, THAT only benefits the DZO.. not the jumpers on the load.... By the way.......... Are you from a cessna dz???with a single dzo,,,, who EVERYBODY thinks,,,,, is the world's greatest skydiver????and who uses that Aura, to wave carrots under the noses of his "staff",,, carrots just like "free demo jumps".... just wonderin'

D 12122

.. It's good to be wary of certain things,,, until we learn a little more about them..., but no need to let it intimidate you

________________________________________ .......yes indeed... but when I walk back,, or catch a ride back,,, i intend to have my main and hopefully my freebag,,,, in hand...... then we can all share the fifth,,,, with my rigger,,, instead of having to just start organizing a search party............ But I will concede that your suggestion may be right for students,,, or anyone using a small,, small reserve,,,, and maybe for the first time....

hmmm Got two wrong out of twenty..... but the test said I got an 80.... seems to me that 18 correct out of 20 ought to be a score of 90...... Oh well i also thought students needed 3800 feet,,, not the correct answer of 3300feet...

Thank you Bro' I stand corrected....... jaytee

I spotted my gear and made it back to the DZ for a stand up landing in the peas and finished the job I was paid for. I had one guy who I really respect at the DZ pull me aside a few days later and give me props for finishing the job. Really affirmed that I had made the right decision. JC ....Hmmmm... Interesting situation.....But yes... you did a good thing to # 1. spot your main and #2 be where you needed to be @ landing to complete your job... But.... sometimes after a cutaway people think that they need to just "head for the landing area",,, and someone ELSE on the dive will locate the main and freebag.... I dunno... A friend of mine did a cutaway on sunday,, and headed for home,, under his reserve,,, while a few of us @ the DZ tried to "spot" where his gear landed,,,, all we could really do,, was "get a line " on its location as it settled into some heavy woods east of the DZ... we looked and looked,, tramped around in the woods for HOURS.... and as the sun set..... had not recovered it .....so we got to talking,, and sort of determined that it MIGHT be best to stay "out",,,, at least until the main has landed,,,, and since it should descend faster than you do under your reserve,,, to really get a GOOD look at EXACTLY where it hit,,, then refer to an aerial photo at the DZ to initiate a search party... especially in heavily wooded areas....... If necessary,, and IF it is safe,,, landing near the main might make sense,,, rather than simply turning your back,, and "running for the DZ"...( he was NOT a camera person on a working jump)..... As far as a camera person is concerned, an out landing can occur without a cutaway,,, and so as a team... we ALWAYS cover each other at the landing area and if someone is long and lands out,, we video the landing of THEIR student for them... Of course with an otter load we often have 3 or 4 or 5 cameras on the load,, and so this is easier than say a C 182 tandem with just ONE cameraperson...(of course, 4 or 5 tandems on the load,,, increases the likelihood of a strung out exit..and if the spot goes long and the TM / cameraperson fails to adjust the opening alt.... the vid person could wind up too low to get back ) That is where someone on the ground needs to be tuned in,,, and able to grab a handheld,, and "get the landing",,, ( keep a vid camera handy,, just like you would the radio,, for such cases ) ..... True the first jump student has paid for a video,, and naturally wants a complete product,,,,,,, but In my mind that may have to take a back seat,,,, to MY wants,,,,,,which include the recovery of my main.......... feedback??????

"It really should have a name......" How about "Deuce Squared" ? to get unique shots, you need a unique set up..

Yup...... Twin Otter....just read about the rescue in Monday morning's newspaper.... Otters are used,, inpart because they have NO hydraulics to the control surfaces..... It's all cables,,,, so there is nothing to freeze, no fluid to congeal,,,,, and Plus..... we all know Otter Piots,,,,,, are FEARLESS>>>>. . I wonder if the "rescued" get extra altitude,, if they flash the pilots..????

P D Spectre 210.... @ 1.0... nice consistant openings

...... excellent review..StefB ........it is a model which has been available for maybe 8 or 10 years....that's where the VX-2000 is the better choice.. I never had much trouble with the image and use the built in filter as well as a lens filter. I try to set man. focus...and I don't run a wide angle lens on the 1000..( I have a dcr-Trv20 ( much smaller) with a .42.. to catch the wider shot. ) .... I never needed to have it repaired,, but have had cleanings and adjustments done by local servicepersons..... The plastic tape/conductor strips which tie various pc boards to one another, can disconnect,, but I have had some success going inside and reconnecting them... the microphone/ record indicator light...electrical,, required some work last winter...yes the tripod mount threaded attachment point IS held there with only 4 tiny phillips screws, and I can tell by the wobble factor,, when they need to be tightened.. I stay on top of that... I also further secure both cameras with a quick clipped webbing strap approx. 1 inch wide... it ties everything together, as a secondary attachment. ...........I still jump it since it works well . opening shock is tolerable for ME.... but a jumper should factor in their own " neck strength" and of course what type of canopy they use.... ( I jump a P D Spectre 210 ).

............and I bet they are Just as good as "the Wharvey Girls"..... and no doubt.,,, even prettier

..........Sure,, man..... here you Go ( ) ..... as a family man. husband and father,,, as well as camera flier.... I just might be able to appreciate the wide range of emotions which some of us deal with.....being stretched thin sometimes, between "conventional " responsibilities..... and Our love for the air....... If it is something personal,,,remember that your friends from jumping,,, all seem to be here, for YOU...

.... Sept. 16th.... the anniversary of my first static line parachute jump,,, ( AND my first airplane ride !! ).... a long time ago I composed a poem which partially expressed the emotion of that day... at your incentive I share it now..... Just One... There was a voice inside me I'd hear it now and then when days were warm or skies were blue or I was with a friend.

.........."high performance" = higher challenge... and those who assume this challenge have my respect ................ I certainly don't advocate "low" performance.... but I sometimes wish we could all be satisfied with "completely Adequate" performance.... upsize? downsize?... let's just stick w/ the right size... Tommy C ...... one of upstate New York's finest, a gentleman ..and a damn good skydiver too.... the Finger Lakes Family ( you know who you are!!! ) is often in my thoughts, and.... will now reside in my heart... as the healing begins.... jmy .

.... Years ago I knew 3 different jumpers who jumped a "Delta II Para Wing" Jimmy Parker and Paul Campbell at Seneca Falls NY both made many hundreds of jumps on one.....and Bob Peavey in Rochester jumped one for a couple of years....They were symetrical triangles,, and looked like an early version hang glider,, without the ribs, and frame... There was a long "packing band" and color coded lines,,, and as we packed them,, we would "flake" the canopy, bring in a set of lines, and WRAP this band around them,, then bring in the next set of lines, and do another wrap, as the band became shorter and shorter.... Then bag it, stow the suspension lines and "go jumpin'"..hahaha.. I made about a dozen jumps on my friends' delta II's ,and had great landings each time.... the windier the better, it seemed,, since it was hard to slow down the forward speed,, and they really didn't "flare".... I jumped one on a cross country once,, while the other 3 members of the dive, jumped strato stars and 7 cell clouds,,,, I was the last out,,but opened lowest,,,,( sub terminal openings did NOT work well for that Packing strap ) We were approx. 8 miles north of the DZ... I out floated all the squares,,, and was the only one to "get back " to the pea gravel... . Openings were "iffy" though,,,, and the canopy sort of faded out as the "ram airs" came on the scene... Another club member was an early owner of the "Paradactyl"... which was a bit smaller and had a more sensible packing procedure...but I never jumped the "Dactyl"... I learned early not to "press my luck " in this sport,,,,,,,,,, and that has made ALL the difference.... skydive softly, skydive often, skydive with friends