dragon2

Topmount is safer for both you, your neck and your camera. You want a video system to start with, don't even think about adding stills. Right now, a CX105/CX100 + raynox HD3032 lens is the camera to have. Most any open-faced camera helmet that fits you, has a cutaway system, has room for an audible and has (the possibility of) a quickrelease and/or camerabox for the CX100 on top will do. The CX100/105 is a great little camera, good quality video for everything aside from in the dark (ie, BASE type stuff). ciel bleu, Saskia

I haven't done it, but shouldn't be hard using vista media centre and a remote that's compatible (any new remote at a cpmputer shop is), or use non-microsoft media centre software like you sometimes get with a TV capture card or comes with some laptops, plus the same media centre remote. There's probably lots of other options but this would be the first setup I'd try. For capturing, depends on which camera. If it's just tape, capturing in standard def using windows movie maker would work fine. ciel bleu, Saskia

You may be better off buying a freebag from a rigger/loft who has them in stock like our Parachute Case for instance (I've seen more request like that from Austriala/NZ). Their website seems to be this one: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3530224;#3530224 ciel bleu, Saskia

I agree with the "long waiting times is common knowledge", you could've known what you were getting into, this has been going for a long time too. I do like my Atom and Techno, I just wouldn't buy them new. ciel bleu, Saskia

Well yeah, as has been written about on this forum quite a few times, with safires you have to flare deeper than with the average PD canopy at standard brake line length (= quite short). FINISH the flare don't just flare like you're used to on your previous canopy but feel what this new canopy needs. Safires have tons of flare, I could land mine on my feet in zero wind coming from half brakes making it back from a long spot. ciel bleu, Saskia

For serious bellyfly, yes. For beginner jumpers, no, for freefly and stuff, no. ciel bleu, Saskia

Quickest plane-out pilot, 2nd safire2, longest (= best swooping canopy) sabre2. ciel bleu, Saskia

Why is that? All our competitions (including last year's World Championships CF) accept both 4:3 and 16:9, and have for the last few years. In fact I know our latest freefly team shoots SD 16:9 instead of the for his camera native 4:3. But most freeflyers use sidemounted PC series cameras, at least over here, so not as much HD cameras as in FS4 and CRW, yet. And for CRW competitions (CF2), no wide angle at all seems to be the thing now. But lots of HC5s here now, usually combined with the raynox .3. I really only see the ultra wide lenses used for AFF, where the quality isn't important at all. No VFS teams here at all, AFAIK. Would be nice though to have something wider than the raynox .3 with at least the same quality and about at the same pricepoint ... ciel bleu, Saskia

This one will definitely vignette on a HD cam (and who the *** is going to shoot 4:3 on a HD cam anyway), would be quite bad quality to watch (especially on a computer that's way worse than on a TV, vignetting-wise). It's even low quality already on a 4:3 SD cam, but since it's the only lens that's so wide that was worth it. But on a CX105, ouch Also ouch at a cheapo .5 with a HC5, why didn't you get a cheapo cam then if you're only gonna degrade it anyway ciel bleu, Saskia

Try a search here..? ciel bleu, Saskia

I traded a canopy on here, when my "new" canopy arrived it was on (old CRW) risers and the receiver complained I didn't send any risers with mine... Well, no... Also very much doubt he'd have had any use for my French reversed risers anyway... I also got a canopy once without links (thanks alot for that mess) and the one 2nd hand rig I bought unseen came without a few parts but since I bought it from the manufacturer they made good by sending me brand new parts

I only know of one conquest canopy, it went around at my DZ for a few years from new jumper to new jumper, until it was burned (on purpose) for frightening the hell out of one of them. He tried to use his front risers (for his A- or B-license drills), something this canopy can NOT handle. Rarely did I see a jumper come down so white-faced. I would not buy a conquest nor recommend it to anyone, I'm sure you can find a (much) better canopy. ciel bleu, Saskia

Sunglasses pretty much suck, good goggles rule. FlexZ / FlexZ minis are the best ciel bleu, Saskia

A rubber grippie thing (no idea what it's called, sorry) has worked for me a few times. If the ring is plastic you can also just crack it. Edit: looks like one of these http://www.viewpoints.com/Evriholder-Products-Easi-Twist-Jar-Opener-review-31e21 ciel bleu, Saskia

It's not THAT big, if you're used to flying the older TRV style cameras it's even lighter. A HC5 might serve your needs better though money-wise if you can find one. The A1 is better but for twice the money... I only jumped with a A1 once, this camera has a cloth "box" around it with 2 zippers and a metal plate inside. Real cool. See pics. Ask Parashoot where he got it ciel bleu, Saskia

No you don't need or even want IS for skydiving. For ground stuff it can come in handy but the value of IS in a wide angle lens is much less than that in a tele lens so you're not missing out on much there. ciel bleu, Saskia

A Lightning is a fair comparison Reserves that flare better are Techno (THE best flare of any reserve i've flown but don't think you want a PdF reserve in the States...), PD-R, Smart. I have one jump on a Tempo clone (Micron 175, WL 0.8) and I didn't even get it repacked I got rid of it that day as it didn't flare the slighest. Did 3 jumps on my previous Transfair (older model of Techno 128), flared fine (better than a Lightning), did about 10 jumps on a PD-R 126 demo, flared fine as well, similar to a Lightning 126. Try and get a demo canopy of your reserve model and size if you're getting another one, PD-R, Smart etc are available for jumping as a main. ciel bleu, Saskia

What format are you recording in then, and what lens do you use? Only things I can think of that can degrade the image to less then the usual PC/TRV style miniDV footage. Don't think I even notice much of a difference between my HC5 and my CX105 but haven't compared them side-to-side. I shoot HDV with the HC5 and highest quality SD with the CX105, both using a raynox hd3031 lens, and footage/dvds from both look great on the big plasma tv we have. Definately way better than most if not all PC style cameras the freeflyers use (with the single element lenses usually). ciel bleu, Saskia

Not a different viewing angle. You missed the point. cx100 playback is poor compared to MiniDV, especially slow motion. Linear editing may be possible, but the product will not be comparable. Huh? I take it you never actually USED a CX100/105 yet? You need to use the touchscreen for slowmo as there is no remote, but it is very possible to do linear editing using this camera. I do my editing on a pc but I had to do a linear edit yesterday when my graphics card quit on me. ciel bleu, Saskia

Yes you want a cutaway on a camera helmet, it's smart and it's mandatory in some countries/DZs. ciel bleu, Saskia

Thnx everyone

One of those days. First of all, in the town next over, the queen and entire royal family were in a parade for Queen's Day. Usually we fly right over that town, today a no-fly zone. Day starts out great, great weather and loads of old airplanes (Dakotas, Beech, loads of planes I didn't recognize) at our DZ, spotters having a field day and skydivers drooling too Then, while I'm under canopy during my first jump of the day, a flurry at our airport, helicopters taking off right through the pattern, lots of running people. Turns out some guy decided to take his car and drive over/through the crowds to get to the royals (?) and in doing so managed to kill 5 spectators (so far...), and injuring 13 more (including at least one kid). I thought skydiving was dangerous... Then, my 2nd jump of the day, doing a freebee tandem video for a collegue and being mostly alone in the sky, I turn 90 to fly my pattern, while looking for the other cameraflyer. My camera was turned off, 1100 ft. WHOOSH. Holy ******* ***t. A glider plane just passed right under me, at less than 2 meters (6 ft). Where the **** did that thing come from, I didn't see it until it was 1 meter away from me and they didn't see me either I guess. Me having a pink/yellow canopy and they having a red/white glider... Should be visible for miles Shook me up real good that's for sure. 3rd and last jump of the day I'm flying around paranoid, which I suppose is a good thing, however still feeling very mortal after all this. ciel bleu, Saskia

? What's wrong with Premiere? I tried Vegas for a bit, liked premiere pro better so back to CS4 and liking it a lot. ciel bleu, Saskia

A very big problem with fullface camera helmets is that you cannot cut them away, which makes them more dangeroud to jump than other camera helmets and which makes them not allowed in various countries/DZs. I'd think VERy hard before you decide to put a camera on a fullface helmet, the risk is more worth it for AFF instructors and the like than for sport jumpers never mind for camera newbies. ciel bleu, Saskia

You have to do a skydiving course, which is either AFF, StaticLine, IAF, tandem progression or a combination of these. 1200 for AFF sounds about right. After the course, you'll work towards your A license and further licenses. ciel bleu, Saskia