dragon2

How would you deal with customers who manage to delete the files? Back in the days of VCRs this was a fairly common problem, someone taping "Days of our Lives" over the tandemvideo ciel bleu, Saskia

We had an issue here in The Netherlands with the weather - the air pressure was fairly high for a couple days and the vigils would only work (stay on) if you offset the firing altitude. Of course we're at or even below sea level so pressure may be higher than elsewhere, but so is Belgium where the things were made... Anyway I think they fixed that particular issue later on but it sure was weird, annoying and expensive - on DZ sold all their student vigils for cypreses if I recall correctly. So, you might want to check the weather report ciel bleu, Saskia

Awwww ciel bleu, Saskia

I was filming a tandem on the rear step, when the tandem bag fell out in the plane. All I saw where lines coming at me, used my wings to get out of the way QUICK. Tandem opened below the tail, with 1 1/2 linetwist initially but that cleared itself. As soon as they passed over my head I opened and we did some proximity-flying as an attempt to make up for the video. () The passenger had a ball, he was allowed to steer for a lot of the time and it was pleasant weather so not that cold from 9k. We decided however to not hand him the video+stills but rather give him a coupon for a new tandem+video. Now before jumping, the guy had expressed an interest in jumping himself (staticline), he was only doing the tandem because of some friends that were in the same airplane. So, I made sure his coupon was valid for a SL course instead of another tandem if he wanted, since he had already had done his first AO Oh, and the 2way that had exited before us got called to the DZO for pulling high without permission ciel bleu, Saskia

Just the hassle of putting the jumps on -something- for a student is worthy of some payment, in my book. First off, the video equipment itself isn't free. Jumping with it isn't good for camera gear (+ your body) and brings extra risks. You also do not want to know how much trouble (time) it can be to deal with videofiles + students. First off you need to bring a laptop or something to the DZ, that's not free either and you run the risk of it getting damaged or even stolen (). Then, students often do not bring anything to put the files ON. So then you're stuck on giving them a cd (not free) or waiting until later when they do have a usb stick but then you have to go find their particular files again. "Just email me the video" eh, no. Dropbox etc work but then you have to go explain that to the not-technical-savvy students. Again with same, if they have no clue how to play or edit the video (and may even call you during work hours about tips how to edit it using their old Mac or whatever). And then you have the ones who want the video edited or at least playable in a dvd recorder. So, asking for a couple bucks (I ask a packing ticket) for "free" video is not a bad idea, IMO. Bacause it is NOT free in any way shape or form. ciel bleu, Saskia

Get a cheap canon eos camera if you can. Much easier to jump, it's skydiving industry-standard so switches etc are no problem, no issues with image stabilisation and easy enough to find other lenses, batteries etc. ciel bleu, Saskia

Slowly pull the cutaway cable on a (single-side) rsl equipped rig - disconnect the rsl first LOL - and see what happens. ciel bleu, Saskia

If AFF is too expensive for you, chances are keeping current with jumping is too. After your AFF license, you want to be jumping at least once a month, and budget 25-50 jumps annually to be safe(ish). Anyway if money is an issue, forget AFF just go the financially-friendly SL (or IAF) route. Initial costs of SL is about 1/3 that of AFF, and both methods will get you working towards your A license, SL just takes a bit longer jump-wise but you don't have to pay all that money at once and repeat jumps are waaaay cheaper too should you need any. ciel bleu, Saskia

you are kidding, right? you PAID a company to get images from google, which are hardly ever copyright free? and in such a small community too. you're wrong. all YOU had to do was ask. or shoot your own pics. ciel bleu, Saskia

I got center lines, and I could stick a hand out if I want to turn? (@2:08 but the whole thing is funny of course) ciel bleu, Saskia

Hmz since that is an exact drawing of a picture I took, aren't my copyrights being violated here somehow? Plus James' portret rights, as it's him in the picture ciel bleu, Saskia

I know you can view the video if you're logged onto facebook (I tried with a non-friend, Dutch account), but it's not my video so I can't change the privacy settings on it, and it's not on youtube AFAIK. ciel bleu, Saskia

The issue I ran across with my refresher student was that he kept asking what exact mal he had. When the instructor told him he was spinning fast and the canopy was not square, and getting not much reaction so followed by shaking him in the harness and putting an alti in his face. He kept trying to figure out exactly what mal he had, wasting time and altitude and talking a whole lot about it in the process, when all he had to do was optionally pump the brakes twice followed by performing his cutaway procedures in a timely manner. "Yeah but ..." "But if ..." etc etc etc I got the idea that he had been taught a whole lot of different mals, what name they had, and maybe how to try and "fix" them, and he got fixated on all that instead of pulling his *** reserve. I would like to know if that is the standard way the canopy checklist is taught over there, instead of the simpler "it's not square and/or the horizon is not straight and I can't stop the turn -> reserve procedure" we teach over here. I don't CARE if you know the exact name of your malfunction or cannot tell the difference between a lineover and a tension knot, just deal with a malfunctioning canopy in a timely manner, PLEASE ciel bleu, Saskia

It's not something new, it's something I've been using for years. I use it whenever I want to make sure a person sees me, and in my case this often involves me wanting to fly close to them under canopy for filming/photos (tandemvideo, newbies after a FS3 competition etc). If they don't respond, I take it they didn't see me and I stay the heck away from them. Most people here seem to know what the leg kicking means. It's also used as a "breakoff" signal after CRW (or me sticking close to another canopy for filming), "bye". But yeah, i suppose if you're exited you could use it also I did get a shot of such an exited jumper after the WorldTeam 2006 record, it's in the record video @ 3:13 ciel bleu, Saskia

ciel bleu, Saskia

Can you clarify this part? Identify what issues specifically, and what issues need to be cutaway? ciel bleu, Saskia

Heck, I'm looking for a GUY who doesn't mind... ciel bleu, Saskia

Hmm what did you learn for a canopy checklist over there? You know: 1000, 2000, 3000, check canopy, check for shape, direction etc? Can you spell your checklist out for me, including what to do if the canopy doesn't pass one of the questions? I'm asking because a month or 2 ago I had a refresher student who was originally trained in the Czech Republic, and it took him 4 (!) tries in the hanging harness to get a (reluctant) "pass". He very nearly was not allowed to jump, and that was after a solo refresher course which he had no particular trouble with, until that final test in the hanging harness. He said he was taught an "interesting" checklist, and I'm wondering if that was "standard", or not. ciel bleu, Saskia

Can't see all the pictures because I need a yahoo account, but they look... eerie? I'm not sure I have the nerve to go walking around in abandoned buildings, heck I feel uncomfy being ground crew for basejumps sometimes I think I'll stick with the creepy crawlers ciel bleu, Saskia

If you haven't already, you MUST check out a documentary called Microcosmos. It's a really incredible nature documentary primarily focused on insects. LOL I have that blu-ray on my to-watch shelf And I forgot about it, so thanks for the tip

Well, for SL you start as soon as you get off the rope, because you exit at various altitudes and that counts. During AFF you can get a lot of freefall stuff signed off already. So basically, you start as soon as you are freefalling. Of course solo don't-have-to-do-nothing type jumps have their place, you should do a couple of those

I don't know about other countries, but I expect most if not all work similarly. Over here you have to have a checklist signed off for your A, this includes passing either AFF or StaticLine and exiting from various altitudes and in different ways, various freefall maneuvres, landing accuracy, canopy control jumps, 1-on-1 coached jumps, packing, a written test, and the requisite number of freefall jumps and freefall time. So you could transition for sure and get your A, it may take you a little bit longer than in your original country because you would have to get the requirements matched up: you need to do or re-do any exercises you didn't get signed off before and pass the written test to get your A. Plus become a member of the national skydiving association. ciel bleu, Saskia

Left is the best safety-wise. If a sight is on the right, there's more change of your bridle snagging on it (ask Piifish about that one). If left is your best eye too, why change?! Edited to add: I've jumped without a sight the last year or 2. I can get the shot without that big hook on my helmet just fine, so why bother. Plus, I could sell mine well

Why don't you let the wingsuits go out last? Ie, after tandems? ciel bleu, Saskia

ParaSport Italia is renowned for their crappy customer service, L&B and Alti2 quite the opposite. If you just want a beeper, I'd get a solo. If you want to freefly, get 2 solos ciel bleu, Saskia