jimmytavino

Yes. Spotting is about spatial awareness,( knowing just where you are... in 3 dimensions) ....about anticipation, ( looking forward into the jump run) ....about giving directions (corrections, either verbally or with a light switch ) ...and about receiving feedback, ( from the pilot and then from the aircraft ). Trust your ears, (our sense of balance ) turn your head, and scan in all directions , as has been pointed out.. learn how to look straight down.... In order to spot yourself and the entire load safely, it helps to know the visual image from 360 degrees around the drop zone.( if you are visiting, get help from a local) It helps to know the plane and how it flies,,, on jumprun,,,( a C182 and a Beech King Air,,, are Not the same hahaha) And it helps to maintain a good rapport with the pilots..... communication between loads can go a long way towards, "dialing in the correct spot"... The worlds best spotter can be in the plane and that person Can put the group out over the place on the ground which is 'believed' to be the spot,, an intersection, or a treeline or a field...) but if the "powers that be..." who CHOSE that location as the spot,,, are WRONG>>>>>> well then we have touched on a real important point..... make sure you have the correct "target" when the light goes on and the door goes up.. ..For decades it was common to throw a W D I (wind drift indicator ) over the landing area at the intended opening altitude... and then use the drift of the streamer, to "guesstimate the spot"... today we can rely on accurate info. regarding ground winds and winds aloft...gps etc... but every jumprun, needs to have a confident spotter.... Once at an accuracy meet I went in the 182 for a 'ceiling check' /streamer drop. It was breezy, but it was my home DZ so i knew the terrain, and based on where we had spotted in the past on such days,,,I guessed at the spot,,, exited over it,,, with the WDI streamer in my left hand, let IT go at 3 seconds, pulled my main at 8 seconds,,,, and then followed the streamer back to the DZ.... It landed along the outside edge of the pea gravel!!!!

You've been practicing? Heehee, yes, you did "IT" correctly! 2 way...hmmm...will there be video? ...........

You're naughty!

" Could that work? ".... .. Well,,, Let's find out!!! Come on over and visit MY drop zone....and we'll see...

...... A good reason to watch your buddies altimeter as well as your own ( easier to see) , when ever you are doing RW with friends.....You simply must get an altitude reference, a few times during any jump,,,, no matter how much fun you're having,, no matter how good the points are going..... We used to emphasize the technique,, " Base has Altitude responsibility" but everybody keeps track.... then even if you are just a 2 or 3 or 4 way,,, SOMEONE assumes the responsibility for altitude the instant you START your skydive ... as for ground rush.... ... No Doubt!!!!!

When a videographer is is working an RW load, especially with Newtimers..who are doing RW,,,,. YOU need to be moving to the center and getting big,,,just as the group SHOULD be triggering separation... How do you know when??? screw audibles,,, use 'em but don't WAIT for 'em..... You gotta check your altimeter,,,as well as the ground ( I always try to learn exactly where we ARE ,,, over the ground at some point in any skydive.... I usually check twice,,, when the first point builds,, and then when I "feel" like we're a grand or so above seperation altitude,,, Then I start working toward the center,,,,, Looking to monitor seperation as it begins, and ready to deploy,, Now,,,, as soon as I am confident that I am "above" everyone... So andyman and revjim too....they were not under YOU,,,so much as you were over THEM..... sure ,,,avoid any and all collisions,,, but if you are the camera...you need to pull earlier...watch for the good trackers,,, and move quickly to the area they just vacated...... then the weaker trackers become less of a consideration,, (providing they don't "track without turning 180 first" ) ( in which case they didn't belong on the 5 way) But you are right to be tuned in to the experience level of the people you are videoing....all skydives are not the same... Intermediate jumpers sometimes do not see the people they are doing RW with,,, let alone the camera person

I switched from Sony Hi-8 camcorders to Mini-DV about 5 years ago now when I bought a Sony DCR-TrV-7..

__________________________________________________ ....True enough,,,, "We only live once," ,,,So I am gonna' enjoy myself, Thousands of times....just to be sure !!! "

.... But he does support my flying habit through our business... . ...... ..... NOW I realize what the picture is,,,, which you use here alongside your posts,,,,,Duh!!!! I had only just glanced at it before,, but now I SEE, it is a Cessna on it's nose.........hahaha You are not the chief pilot of this business??/... are Ya' Bro' ?? or maybe your role in this,,, was simply to just take the picture.....

LOL thats is what I do! look at the masses respones to it, then you can figure out what it is! lol i dont think I will be opening this either

" One entry is for the night jump briefing and one entry is for the night jump" Am I missing something here,?,,,that sounds like two entries for one skydive.... I know things have changed some,, over the years,,, but we usually logged One entry / jump...

Hello Babe

hahaha " Veeeerrryyyy Interesting""" ONLY ... I am not too sure about the "extension carrabeener (sp.) " which is seen on the TM's Upper Right Connection,,,,,.. that looks just like the thing which could fail,,, in cold temps....or under a heavy loading,,,, at opening.... ... though I may be overreacting....

..May She and your Uncle and all our loved ones who may have transitioned from this life,,, rest in Eternal Peace. In the past I and my family members have found some solace, in preserving a tiny tiny lock of hair of our loved one.......which we then separated out into a dozen and a half strands....I taped each hair to a holycard and gave one to each family member who desired one.....this way .....a true and lasting part of that person can still be with us........ I do not know ... if my thought was good, bad, right or wrong..It was an instant kind of thing...I debated with myself as I did it,,, and to this day,,, do not know if it might be considered inappropriate>>>>.. Afterwards , many expressed real thanks ,,, to have the memento.... and mostly the response was favorable... My intentions were good...But... did I make a mistake????? I only post this today Muenkel, in the event you may choose to consider it...(the window of opportunity closes quickly) I mean no disrespect.... peace

" Only if you spot it, with a pilot who's used to actually taking corrections!.."