DSE

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content

    12,933

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by DSE

  1. DSE
    If everyone is highly experienced, I'd likely exit this formation the same way you've diagrammed. If there are newbies in the mix, I'd have the base inside, have him fly belly to earth until he's in the slot and on track, and then transition to backflight. If the base isn't good enough to cleanly transition from belly to back while maintaining altitude and heading, consider either having base fly on their belly or find someone else for the base.
  2. DSE
    Doesn't matter if he didn't suffer, his record is marked and the FAA made a ruling. I do wish there were more active punitive issues when skydivers screw up; we've both seen situations where ego came before common sense and resulted in killing someone else. And the living didn't suffer for their actions. In comparison, this issue is miniscule. But he will likely pay for his jump ticket on this one.
  3. DSE
    Scott answered it the way I would. Keep the weaker flyers from flying the greatest distance. Keep the base back from the exit by a bit. This not only helps slow the build to a reasonable pace, but also lets the left side (assuming the turn is to the left) group up a bit before assuming slots.
  4. DSE
    This is how most experienced wingsuit organizers set it up. Putting out the base first is a mistake, IMO. This topic has been hotly debated, but the upshot is that if an inexperienced person is part of the group (for example) we want them closer to the base, not farther. If a five-way,putting three wingsuits outside and two inside is the 'norm'. One of the two inside is the base. Walking out the exit will demonstrate if there is crossover (where fatal collisions have also occurred). Every group jump should be dirt-dived, at least for the exit. Don't forget to plan breakoff, and discuss what should be done in the event someone gets low/lost. All of this is basic for those that follow the oldschool RW progression, but it seems that a lot of that knowledge is being bypassed.
  5. DSE
    Although we're all skydiving photographers, learning other photo skills do help with creating better aerial photographs. I've attended this man's seminars before, and he always sparks a new way of looking at things. If you're anywhere near Toronto, I'd recommend attending. The host is selling the seats for $35.00 vs the $99.00 that I paid earlier this year. https://www.facebook.com/events/281856125316836/
  6. DSE
    Are you sure the pilot was aware of FAA rules about jumping into a public area. Perhaps as far as he knew, as long as the guy had a rig it was legal. Sure, he's in command but that doesn't mean he knows all the regs(and I get that ignorance isn't an argument). On the other hand, it might be argued that the skydiver with so many years and so many jumps knows the rules about "demos" better than a pilot might. If the skydiver has a PRO rating, he certainly knows the law, right? Either way, the pilot already paid his price with a suspension and a ding on his record.
  7. DSE
    If people are enjoying their havoc, why would they be selling it? Ergo, none in classifieds.
  8. DSE
    Thanks for the info; it was posted originally as a beneficial tool for skydivers by a new account. I'm sure you understand why it's being ridiculed as a helmet mount. As far as everything else you mention, seems like it could be a pretty cool product for people that don't mind how bad GoPro's look attached to a plane. The mounting system is inherently flawed from the original design (gopro's, not yours) and makes for crap video when attached to any surface that will face wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_qJFIsGAiE That said, I wish you well with your product. Always terrific to see skydivers building creative tools!
  9. DSE
    I don't buy the conspiracy theories that these mattresses are unhealthy for you. It's a theory. Nothing proven, and nothing proven in an industry that is closely watched by not only watchdog groups but various governments as well. ALL gases have the potential to kill you, including compressed O2, for these sites to have claimed for years that foam will kill...they're lumping all foam into one category. True, all foams gas off, the question is whether it's enough to be harmful. The seat in your car likely is more toxic. FTC hasn't brought one case, even after at least 3 investigations in the past 2 decades.
  10. DSE
    you're being generous. We'll soon see them on 30 jump wonders with them. In colors that match their jumpsuits, helmets, and rigs. With deathbars, tethers so they don't lose that expensive setup.
  11. DSE
    I have three; two older style, they're hot, but you can buy a woven mattress pad that helps a lot with it. One of them is in a trailer/RV, and when it's cold at night, the bed starts out stiff and within an hour, it's soft and "normal." They do sleep warm. My third is the gel top, and heat is not a problem. It's got a different feel from the others. I'm about to buy another for a new apartment, and will not be spending the extra for the gel. One of mine is 5 years old and still great. One is three years old, the gel is a little over a year old. If you can get your hands on a factory second, they're great.
  12. DSE
    Andy, I can't begin to express what an inspiration it has been to watch the BLESMA Transformers going through the paces, and the skills, attitude, excitement, and achievements you and your team bring with you. Thanks for sharing the docco, wish I'd known you were making it!
  13. DSE
    If the student cannot demonstrate the task without any corrections, and without the instructor prompting, gesturing, or otherwise indicating an error, then the jump shouldn't happen until they can. Nope...you didn't take longer than the average, highly experienced skydiver. Guys with a lot of jumps are more time-consuming because they have a lot of muscle memory that isn't relevant to a wingsuit jump. And yeah, you rocked your FFC! Refer to earlier statement about instruction and student doing well.
  14. DSE
    http://funjump.com/products.html#pivotpad already offers this, specifically for skydivers, and without the snag hazard. It's adaptable to helmets too. And is available today, from dealers like ChutingStar.
  15. DSE
    Super true. You have to be so careful how you say things to students. I've worked very hard make my lesson plans as unambiguous as possible. And by watching what mistakes are commonly made, you can improve your instruction by focusing on those points. Student performance is the best indicator of instructional performance. Teaching well is not easy, but it's rewarding. This bears repeating. This is why coaches are taught to present demonstrations perfectly and succinctly to students, as the first explanation/demonstration is the one that sticks. I once observed an instructor who constantly 'bounced' on his toes the entire time he was in the door demonstrating setups. The student did the same on the ground, and of course did the same thing in the air, creating an unstable exit.
  16. DSE
    I haven't tried it, but it's HDMI 1.3, so it should be controllable. I'll dig in to that question sometime this week.
  17. DSE
    Eike was a gentleman in every respect. Always a good story, always had words, and always right there to jump with anyone, any time. His logbooks are legendary, and I was privileged enough to have held a few of them in my possession for a few days. They should end up in the Skydiving Museum, they're the most incredible logbooks I've ever seen (which is why I chronicled them for dropzone.com a few years back). He was the first person at Elsinore to welcome me in a wingsuit nearly 7 years ago. Eike was a fixture at Skydive Elsinore, but he'd touched the world with his demos all over the globe, and his constant travels to jump with and for old military friends.
  18. DSE
    _Technically_, this is correct. 1-Pilot chut 2-Main 3-Reserve It sounds like they were given a competent explanation, but they didn't properly comprehend their notes?
  19. DSE
    I can tell you that Utah and Idaho require the tags accompany the ashes. In the situations I've had experience with, the tags were part of the bag, not contained inside the ashes. I'd imagine it varies from home to home both in practice and type of tag. The tag is attached to the body prior to cremation (ankle, based on one of my experiences). https://www.affordablefuneralsupply.com/cremation/crematory-tools/i-d-tags/ The tags I've seen are round, not pentagon-shaped. And yes, they're heavy, about the weight of a 50cent piece.
  20. DSE

    Voyages of a Skydiver

    DSE commented on DSE's article in Gear

    Since the time of this article, several applications for mobile devices (phones/tablets) have been developed for Android and IOS platforms, and most DZs seem to accept digital logbooks. the Paralog system allows for user to actually sign the e-logbook with their finger or stylus device.
  21. DSE
    diffuse, diffuse, diffuse. Can you hotlight vs flash?
  22. DSE
    Still working on it. 5 scenes, 18 cameras, a variety of factors...it's a big article. It'll appear first here on dropzone.com. I still have the super slow motion comparisons to shoot as well, but that'll be done in a day or so. THanks for the patience!
  23. DSE
    The P3 and the Shadow are by far, the standards of acro. These are nimble and precise suits, and whether being used as a starting suit, or in the hands of a skilled flyer, one can't go wrong. You do want a suit that fits tight, that hugs your body so that it responds properly and promptly to input. Baggy=draggy and draggy doesn't work well for acro.
  24. DSE
    This will work for landings; we beta tested this unit just before NAB. The SoloShot2 is pretty cool, albeit slow. The acquisition will be the problem for swoopers, and I wish we'd tried it from that perspective. For those tandem vidiots that can't get the shot right yeah... mount it to your helmet while practicing bad-ass freefly moves. Just don't forget to get the transmitter puck back from the tandem student.
  25. DSE
    I "flipped out?" "Freaked out?" Wow. You have an exceptionally high opinion of yourself. Your exit is challenged. It sucks for flock or acrobatic efficiency. It presents more to the relative wind and prop wash. But you know better. Oops, I "flipped out" again.