VideoFly

I checked my line set after my openings began to shift off heading. At 700 jumps on the canopy, some of my lines were three inches too short, so I changed them. The canopy flies much better now.

So what is your concern? I had the same problems and so do most new camera flyers. It wouldn’t seem like a big change, but adding a camera is very distracting. For tandems and AFF videos, I’d keep the top mount. Also, leave it plugged in on the ground and your battery will stay charged. Keep an extra battery in a jumpsuit pocket just in case you need it. Use a cam-eye if you have a lanc connection or a small mirror to see if your camera is on. Be careful of ceilings, ribs, doors and your camera height. It will eventually become second nature. As far as keeping subjects in frame, that will come in time. It is great that you got a camera after honing your flying skills. Practice a bunch, fly your slot, and have fun.

Thanks for your information. With so many new skydivers jumping cameras, it is important to point out some of the potential concerns. When my chin is pinned to my chest with risers strapped tight against my camera, I stabilize my body position, carefully grip my risers making sure I don’t get my fingers stuck, pull my risers apart while trying to figure out which way the twist is going, and try to fly and kick out of the twists. I wear a wrist and chest mount altimeter and check one of them to make sure I am at a safe altitude. I also prepare to cut my main and then helmet away if necessary, but have not had to do that in these situations. It’s a rotten feeling to be pinned that way and it is important to remain calm. Thanks again for keeping us informed.

One more thing...I love your canopy! Check out my picture.

Work by day, time with kids, school at night...like a machine. Like I said, you get into a groove. I am now a school principal, work weekends at the DZ, raise my three kids by myself and teach grad school where I watch others suffer the same regiment. It can be done and the wonderful reason they call a Ph.D. a terminal degree is that I don't have to go back and do it again. While I know I'm addicted to work, it helps to take care of my kid's college, cars, and other stuff. Keep a good positive attitude and you will do fine in grad school. It's a blast!

When my kid’s mom got breast cancer, my son Atom stopped cutting his hair at the age of seven (when he started packing). He finally cut it at twelve and donated it to Locks of Love. Now years later, my medical treatment is causing me to lose my hair too. While I don’t mind losing it, I can now know even more how devastating it can be to others. You have done a wonderful thing and are beautiful in many ways.

Great job, congratulations! I did my Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. while working full time and raising three kids. It is tough at first, but you will get into a groove. Once you are there, try not to let life detour your efforts. Grad school is usually more specialized toward your area of interest and far more exciting. You will love it and you will be great!

After lots of video jumps, I know what altitude I am at by judging the speed of the freefall and feeling the clock go by. I have also gained the ability to focus my cameras on my subjects while allowing my eyes to scan the ground, my altimeters, and look for potential hazards. Additionally, I use an audible altimeter, which beeps at pre-selected altitudes, but I generally know it’s going to beep seconds before it does. I also wear two large Altimaster altimeters, one on my wrist and one on my chest strap. Our tandem and AFF instructors often use my chest mount altimeter as an additional reference point for their altitude awareness. We also know where each of us will be at each part of the jump. Sometimes, if the spot is too long, the instructors will give me a break-off signal to let me know that we will be pulling high so that we will have time to make it back to the drop zone under canopy. All in all, video jumps are a team effort and we all watch out for each other. This kind of familiarity takes practice and consistency.

We love our PAC 750 at Skydive Suffolk in Virginia. It's a great plane!

There are several instructors that I have jumped with and filmed hundreds of times that I will film as they jump with tandems. We dirt dive, discuss, and rehearse these jumps. They are well aware of where they need to be at all times and are always there. If they dock on a student, they add a special quality to the jump and the student leaves with the unique experiences of skydiving and doing quality RW. Until they track far away behind the student within my view at 7,000 feet, they know where to be and where I will be to get certain shots. If things look precarious, we all know that they will leave and where they will go. Other than that, no lurkers on my jump. I have been hosed too many times with burbles, collisions, and disappearing skydivers. Either they don’t jump with me or someone else takes the video. I don’t care if they get mad at me (and they do).

The problem with RW with a large-wing camera suit is the sudden lift you’ll get when reaching for grips. Even with a tight and close grip, your wings provide excessive lift unless you keep your elbows against your ribs. With some practice, you can compensate with your legs and arch, but other jumpers might have a hard time moving with you. A small wing suit might help but it might place you in a somewhat vertical position, kind of like a mantis, but with some force pushing you backward when you want to be driving toward the center of the formation. You might want to try a good old balloon suit with ample cloth between the waist and underarms, which may be better to give your entire body more lift.

One went in at an air show in Virginia Beach last weekend. I saw my first biplane go in at an air show over 40 years ago. While it was tragic to watch his wife race across the field in her station wagon to the wreckage, in an odd way, it intrigued me to dream of flight and eventually become a flyer. We accept the risks associated with extreme flight and aerobatics and we deeply mourn and revere those heroes who die achieving their dream.

I do a gear check on myself and others, check for clear airspace and a good spot, check the plane, and then say GAME-ON.

National security depends on an educated populous. It’s a shame that the government takes advantage of students and charges such high interest rates for the education that helps to ensure national security. They give you more than you need. It is great at the time, but not 20 years later when you are still paying interest. Your 30 grand eventually becomes 100 grand. I bought a house at a better rate than an education. My house has become worth more than my raises have produced. If you are trying to get ahead, the student loan may be your best bet, but as for a rig, try to get the money elsewhere. It is a shame to pay 12 grand for a rig 15 years after you have outgrown and sold it.

Our DZ borders the Great Dismal Swamp in Southern Virginia. Most of the time, we follow mains in or keep a good eye on them as they land. Then we put jumpsuits on and duct tape our sleeves and cuffs down tight before venturing out into the woods. Even with a tight cover-up, we often suffer the unmerciful wrath of thorns, mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. Sometimes, the mains are never found.

America the Beautiful would be nice.

When I think about Hendrix, I remember sitting in small groups in Washington Square Park with a relatively unknown guy named Jimi playing his guitar and singing more than I remember the great Band of Gypsies tour and many of his popular hits. The same is true for Zappa and the Dead, who a while back, often entertained in small venues before they became popular. For me, I guess it is about where we were, perhaps even more than the music itself. If you young guys aren’t sure what I’m talking about, just Google it.

I am so sorry to hear about your lost gear. I once bought a stolen rig on eBay and after seeing it listed with USPA's stolen gear list I returned it to the rightful owner. I lost out, eBay did nothing, and the police in the thief's home town did nothing. Anyway, please see if you can list the gear with USPA, Dropzone, and any other lists so we can keep our eyes open. Hopefully. the gear will be retrieved and the jerks who stole it will be punished.

That's sick.

I joined AARP and the only benefit I have received is ten times more junk mail. I don't even open the junk anymore. On the other hand, the 50s are pretty cool so far.

I've had good luck with spray Shout. It has even worked after drying clothes, but that makes the job more difficult.

When looking for a specific shot, I find that ground preparation, conversation, and dirt diving is important. Also the experience level of the jumpers and your familiarity filming those jumpers may be important too. With a well rehearsed jump, choreographed to leave you a safe place to catch your shot, and predictable jumpers, in the best case scenario your shot may be as hoped. However, when a jumper is not in their slot as planned or altitude becomes a concern, I recommend that you do just as you did and get the best safest shot possible. When jumpers want you to get a specific shot, they have the responsibility to be where they are supposed to be. Perhaps after landing, a debriefing and identification of concerns could lead to another plan and another jump.

A teacher in my city was found guilty of similar horrible acts. His sentence was reduced to 58 years. Hopefully, he will be tortured by inmates for 57 of those years and die before being released. We need to keep a zero tolerance stance toward harming children. There is no excuse for it.

A couple of weeks after buying new tires for my car, I noticed that one of the wheels was different and there was an old off brand tire on it. I could not believe that someone had the nerve to steel one of my wheels and tires, but they at least left me an oldy to drive on. I complained to my kids for days as I tried to figure out how someone could have the nerve to do that. It wasn’t until about five years later, when my son slipped during a conversation, laughing about how he once borrowed my car without me knowing and hit a curb, denting the wheel and blowing the tire. Afraid to have me find out, he bought a cheap used wheel and tire and put it on the car, hoping that I would never notice. Kids... you’ve got to love them!

My 120 and 150 Cobalts almost always give me long snivels. I have heard that the 170 might whack more often. It might well be a line set or packing problem.