Camera jumps and mals

[evilivan 0]

OK, thought I would share this as it scared me a bit and I don't think I had considered all the variables when I first started jumping camera (about 500 jumps ago...), and therefore my be useful info for all prospective camera flyers out there.

I have been a 4-way cameraman for about 3 years now, and last week my team was training out in DeLand. We were doing lots of jumps (12+/day), so turning things round quickly with two rigs etc, and using packers - therefore we were setting the breaks/collapsing the slider etc out in the landing area after each jump. With back to back loads I may have been rushing this a bit........

Anyway, on one jump I had my right break fire (Xfire2 114 at about 1.95), and to make it more interesting, the canopy initially opened with a right turn and then settled (lulling me into a false sense of security) so I was turning off my camera when it started spiraling to the left. It wound up pretty quick, and this is the bit that I want to share: because I still had the loops of my wings over my thumbs, the toggles were a struggle to reach... and I jump a top mounted Sony PC100 on my Bonehead Flat-top Pro, which was getting caught up in my slider.... result: I couldn't reach or see my toggles to free the other break. I was about to give up and chop it when I went past one of my team mates, and knowing they couldn't be lower the 2k (we break off at 4.5k), I gave it another try.

Boring from here: I got the break free and landed under my main. But the experience shook me up a little, because of the limitations caused by the camera suit and the top mount - worth thinking about this if you are a new camera flyer......

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[FrogNog 1]

Sounds like the general note for incidents I have heard a few times before: "No single factor caused the problem, but the interaction of multiple, contributing factors did."

I am not going to offer advice such as "if you are jumping a camera on back-to-back loads with a Xfire2 loaded at 1.95:1 and a camera suit that prevents you from immediately reaching the toggles, you may want to change something."

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[Kevin116 0]

There's no such thing as an aircraft accident...They're all well planned if you look at them.

Kevin

[nacmacfeegle 0]

What kind of suit were you wearing Ivan?
I used to use Symbi suits when I was wearing wings, and they have those little fastex snaps that you can pop off really quickly.
Not all camera suits have the big wings that come down and attach below the legstraps. But this combo worked for my gorilla arms and big fat beer belly.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[USPA 0]

I had an interesting incident last year jumping video. One that I hadn't thought of before. During a tandemvideo skydive. A routine skydive (like they ever are? ) Waved goodbye to opening TM, turned around, dumped and on the moment of line stretch i felt my helmet getting lose and heard a snap unclicking. Since we've had 3 helmets (luckely not mine.. :) ) lost at our dropzone like this, I immidiatly grabbed my chinpiece (with both hands) to hold on to the helmet.

Probably because of this reaction I got linetwists in the risers fixing the helmet and pulling back. Because of the pulling on the helmet my hands were now stuck between my chin and the helmet and I was going into a spinning mal... "Very interesting" were my exact thought as i remember... Anyways I managed to get out of the twist by thowing my body around and since the TM openend at 5000, i was happly flying my canopy at 1700... . Although this was a freak accident it made me wonder... damn that could have been it....

Edit:

Full Face custom built helmet, standard top mount set up (TRV top and camera on forehead)
Contrail 135 loaded at 1.7

The trouble with skydiving; If you stink at it and continue to jump, you'll die. If you're good at it and continue to jump, you'll see a lot of friends die...

[davelepka 4]

Freeing your hands should take proirity over turing off your camera. Forget about the camera untill you are under a good canopy, and in clear airspace. On your average jump, this will add maybe 5 sec of extra footage on your camera. Big deal.

[SkydiveMO 0]

The lesson I always take away from incidents like Ivan’s and Paul’s is that if you are jumping camera maybe a non-elliptical canopy at a lower wing loading is your best option. If you are starting to do video for the first time or thinking about it take situations like these into consideration. Once you’re comfortable with the conservative canopy then progress onto the higher performance ellipticals. When I started jumping video I jumped a Triathlon. I could spin that canopy into line twists halfway up the lines and it would still fly level. Now I’ve progressed down to a Vengeance 135 loaded at 1.8. I love the performance this canopy gives me but I also understand the risks it can bring. I’ve been taken for a couple rides thanks to loose toggles and once for really uneven leg straps. I was able to get the canopy under control but was always slowed by either the helmet or wings. My experience allows me to quickly respond while remaining altitude aware. As they say in the Airborne “there is a fine line between HUAH and STUPID”. When you start strapping extra stuff to you for a jump you can quickly cross that line.

[evilivan 0]

Quote

I am not going to offer advice such as "if you are jumping a camera on back-to-back loads with a Xfire2 loaded at 1.95:1 and a camera suit that prevents you from immediately reaching the toggles, you may want to change something."

Then I probably shouldn't mention that this is my docile canopy.....

You have a point, but I suppose its down to what is acceptable risk (to the individual); as I open between 4 and 4.5k I think I have enough time to deal with most things that might be thrown at me - this incident included.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[evilivan 0]

Quote

What kind of suit were you wearing Ivan?

Tony Suit - has that clips/velcro arrangement (I hate the velcro - need to design a better method then that). Most of the problem was the fact that I had "mentally gone past" the opening bit of the skydive and thought all was good.... and then it dived off to the left. The thumb loops are actually very easy to get off.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[jimmytavino 16]

webbing tape on them to allow for a larger loop..
I never put the loop over my thumb... Rather.. i make a large loop and wear it over my entire hand...
It is easier to shed,,,( be sure to put your altimeter on first.. then the swoop cord loop over that...) Plus it is easier to really press the cords,, if you need to.. without wracking your thumb joints..
Then after opening,, a slight shake of each hand, creates the slack needed to " lose the loops".. You do NOT need two hands to work each thumb loop off...I also unclip the bottom of my wings,,,below my legstraps... This allows for better reach to my slider and toggles.... and also,, ( to a limited extent) reduces drag,,, while under canopy...( can you say,, "Long spot after a strung out tandem exit ? " )
IF you do go to larger loops,,,, be sure to keep them as tight as you can,, since there are cases where such a loop can hang up on a door frame,, or on a Floater handle...... Camera people should never
grab on the "corner " of any floater bar if they are wearing swoop cords... Stay on the bar itself... ps... I also ALWAYS do a solid Visual check to the back of my risers to be sure the locking cable for each 3 ring release in intact and properly seated..immediately upon opening.... Only takes and instant... and then I'm
"toggles in hand" and off and running....

[FrogNog 1]

Quote

Freeing your hands should take proirity over turing off your camera. Forget about the camera untill you are under a good canopy, and in clear airspace. On your average jump, this will add maybe 5 sec of extra footage on your camera. Big deal.

An experienced camera guy at my DZ told me he doesn't turn his camera off until he's on the ground. He says if his landing was uneventful, he rewinds the tape to the end of the freefall, then shuts it off, so when he records for the next jump he will overwrite his landing.

I didn't think much of this until I heard some people found someone hurt on the ground in an off landing. He had a camera on his helmet and they checked it, and it showed him with a good canopy at decent altitude, then next thing it showed the ground, not moving. (He turned it back on somehow after he crashed.) End result is zero camera information about what happened.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[evilivan 0]

Quote

An experienced camera guy at my DZ told me he doesn't turn his camera off until he's on the ground.

I used to do this for the same reasons (mostly still do when jumping in the UK), but when I'm in a humid climate I get moisture problems with the camera, which can be a real pain on back to back loads; therefore I turn it off after opening.

Agree with earlier points ref: making turning off the camera the last priority. Generally I don't do anything until I'm under a happy canopy in clear air. In this case I was misled by the initial turn to the right followed by level flight, and therefore assumed (I know I know) that all was well.... and then it dived off to the left. Awareness consequently gone up after a fortunately cheap lesson.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent