DSE

A great listen, Nick. Thanks for sharing that.

Burn as a 1920 x 1080 AVC file, not M2T. 16Mbps DVD Maker is likely re-encoding the .m2t to another format.

It'll still render, but it's a faster process. HOwever, you lose menus...

You have some great ideas, valid questions, and a coupla misconceptions. An SSD is great for boot times, and it'll help operate the OS and application faster but it won't aid in render. You don't need two drives, one for source and one for final. It'll help, but it won't make lightning differences. Vegas doesn't use GPU to make a difference unless you're using a CUDA-enabled card such as GForce9 or newer. Be sure you look carefully at this if your goal is faster times. RAM...more is nice, but if you're only rendering one video at a time, 12 is beyond ample. If you're rendering 3-4 like a busy operation is running, then more is better. Speed of machine won't impact quality of image at all. It just gives you faster access to image quality. http://vimeo.com/16002861 password "vasst" might give you some insights on the software. This link will expire once the final product is finished and placed on the Sony site.

You don't feel horizontal direction with a container designed for vertical direction has no bearing on deployment? Or that the massive burble generated by some wingsuits offers no change in how a canopy deploys?

Lots of pix/video here of those same types, after jumping new wingsuits, being lazy in deployment, or not flying through deployment long enough. I'd make a WAG that it was body position. FWIW unless low, I would have dealt with it. Here's one from yesterday, jumping a new BAS. If the lines are turned in or if the slider gets into the twist, you'll sometimes see risers quarter or even half-twist.

It was done at a USPA dropzone in Puerto Rico. USPA license suspended and reinstated. Pilot took some heat too.

It might have value if you're tracking or wingsuiting. Otherwise...I fail to see where it would be a benefit.

yOu might be confused because I have a special mudflap cover that goes over the vertical velcro on the Wedge. And yes, the clear plastic pouch for the Viso is holding the thumbloop in place on this rig. On another rig, it's just a velcro loop minus the Viso case.

Sorry for the quality; Sometimes cell phones suck. Essentially, the wrist band is going around the mudflap and the Wedge's velcro bands that attach it to the mudflap and around the MLW. The thumbloop of the Alti is held by the front velcro on the Wedge. In my case, i've left the clear cover on because on occasion I use the Wedge for my Viso. Hope this helps.

Among several other things, yes. Scripting is kind of a big deal, the AVC decoder is too. The rest of it is kinda useless for most tandem/skydiving purposes, but there are a lot of other cool tools too.

You're using Movie Studio. Mann is using Vegas Pro.

Very nice for you. Travis is a pretty good kid. He did his AFF at my home DZ, and he stops by fairly often. He may have a big name, but his head isn't too big. It's nice to meet heroes, especially when they're doing what you're doing.

more than likely the old-timer with 4000 jumps would be better prepared. He may not be as current, but the guy with 100 jumps only has 3% of the of the experience the old timer has. The issue of jump numbers has been argued to death. Most of those that argue against them are the ones that don't yet meet them. Once they've gained the experience, many of them look back and find themselves saying "200 probably wasn't enough." When things turn bad (and they will at some point or another) most folks are grateful for the pocketful of experience they are required to have. But that doesn't fit well with the "me me me/energy-drinkl badass too cool for school" attitude that often rules the DZ.

Post #2: "Work on tracking and general skydiving skills. Jump relative to others as often as possible." In other words, "Jump, work on different things to gain more experience and airtime, don't focus on one thing." Sorry if that wasn't clear. 50 sit attempts might help get an understanding of instability; they won't make for a good freeflyer. One might as well recommend tunnel time instead. Flying relative to others IMO, is of greater benefit. I'm not a wingsuit expert with only 1000 jumps either, but I do know which students have been challenging and which ones haven't. AFF course candidates, Coach course candidates, and wingsuit students that started freeflying at 25 jumps are very, very often the ones that have more troubles than those that stayed on their bellies and off of their butts. It was good advice from Jay Stokes and my instructional mentors when I first started out, and IMO it is still good advice today.

I'd read this as "I am a coach." Do you read it differently?

Thank you for reporting back. You're very fast, that's wonderful to hear.

A "tracking pattern" is choosing a heading and a course to follow during the track. We usually start the track away from, and perpendicular to jump run and then turn down jump run (pending the final hook turn of the jump plane and where tandems etc.. may be exiting). Planning a good pattern is much more important while wingsuiting so you don't fly too far from the dz. I've been told that a horseshoe pattern is usually a good basic pattern (again ending toward the beginning of jump run. I also just started doing some wingsuiting and have just 4 jumps now. Having a good tracking body position may help out some, but you will need to make some adjustments to it in order find the "sweet spot" with the wingsuit. I didn't do a bunch of tracking dives or anything to prep for wingsuiting and still found it relatively easy to fly. The main thing to keep in mind is that wingsuiting is more dangerous for the simple fact that you have a 'straight jacket' on so to speak. That's just my recent nubie experience, but I'd listen to whatever DSE has to say for expert advice. Explained well. It's often called a "box", "90/90/90" or "3 Turns to home." Wingsuiting is more "different" because you have less freedom to move your arms, but the bigger "danger" is the distraction of the ground appearing to move differently than you're used to seeing, deployments are very different, there is more to do once you've deployed. Having a better sense of body movement with particular awareness of your legs will help in ALL skydiving disciplines ie; "if I move my hand here, it makes my legs go there," or "if I move my leg this way, it makes my body do X." Seriously, if you're a very new skydiver, relative work will rapidly prepare you for just about any skydiving discipline IMO, if for no reason other than it helps you understand your own body in the air.

Best way i heard on how to track is to pretend that]you are lifting a big beach ball get a good coach to show you good tracking positiong. I while I understand the image they're wanting to paint, it's not an image I use. Lie down on a creeper, put your hands on the ground, 14-18" away/outward from your hips. Place the forehead on the ground, let toes relax to the ground. Now point toes and lift butt in the air, as tho you were trying to open your cheeks. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat after a 10 second rest. Do this with an experienced tracker watching you and placing body parts in the right positions. Build the muscle memory, then go jump. Trying to learn/teach/comprehend tracking over the internet is not going to do much good for anyone IMO, but it could be a fun discussion that might bring up a number of interesting or creative visualizations.

Work on tracking and general skydiving skills. Work on spotting. Work on flying a tracking pattern. Work on canopy flight. Jump relative to others as often as possible. Tracking formations are good too. Stay on your belly and off of your butt. Skip the tracking suit. It's quite different than a wingsuit and entirely unnecessary (although they are fun).

I would be in favor of this direction, but then you're back to "mandated/regulatory" vs mere "education." Some folks don't seem to like that idea.

One of the JOS guys knocked me off not once, but TWICE because he kept thinking "like a cameraman" on the count. Third jump I decided that going steep and deep was the best thing. That's when they finally believed me when I explained this guy was leaving early and the base was falling apart in the door.

Hmmm...this doesn't sound correct. You can jump there with an A license. If the winds shift and they use their alternate landing area, which is at the other end of the field, they limit that to B and above. I've only been there a few times but that's what I remember. How long ago were you there? How about you pick up the phone and ask Blossom, Don, Marli, Mary, or Beth at manifest? There is a sign in front of the packing area, and manifest will tell you this too. Pacific may have different rules, I don't know (only tried to jump there once). I might even have a photo of the sign from last month. I'm there fairly often.

If it makes you feel better, anyone who has been jumping for a while either falls off or gets knocked off at least once or ten.

There is a difference between a "mandated course" and "a consistent baseline". "Mandated"=requisite up-training/advanced canopy training prior to achieving a C or D license (or whatever else better option) I don't feel licensing is the best direction but I also don't have a better solution to offer. "Consistent Baseline"=everyone participating in the training meets the same evaluation standard as opposed to S&TA, DZO, or handsome single guy passing off their buddy or cute chica.