Using Tandem passenger to keep fall rate?

[quinny 0]

I am a TM and vidiot and this weekend I experienced a fellow vidiot grabbing my passenger in order to keep his fall rate relevant. This did not suceed as we started going all over the place and I had to physically remove him(he had one hell of a grip). I have never used the passenger and have never experienced this before.
Your thoughts on the subject would be gratefully accepted!??

[TALONSKY 0]

I would never allow a video person to take grip to keep the fall rate. While a good video person should be able to match most fall rates, the tandem instructor and the video person need to work as a team so if you see the video person is struggling to stay with you, (although not a requirement but should be a secondary concern after making sure you have control of the skydive) the instructor should try and adjust the fall rate to help the video person out.
To answer your question I would never jump (or never again) with an incompetent video person that felt the only way they would be able to video the skydive would be by putting me and my student indanger by taking gripps to hold the fall rate.
Kirk

[OnYourBack 0]

Wouldn't like that at all. Also, by doing it he's never gonna learn how to keep himself there without grabbing on. Sounds like he needs some more practice and perhaps a different suit for the big ones.

[quinny 0]

Thats what I figuredQuinny

[riggerrob 558]

This is the first time I have heard of this practice - after doing tandems for 20 years.
Sounds like that vidiot needs a bigger jumpsuit and better flying skills.
Some DZs have a strict "If you touch the tandem pair, you are fired" policy.

Chris, you can eliminate that headache by using the hand-mount that I sewed for you a couple of years ago.

I would rather do it all myself (tandem and hand-mounted video) than risk a collision with an incompetent outside vidiot.

[Ron 7]

The video person would never be allowed near a tandem of mine if he can not fly with need help.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[FlyinseivLP2 0]

There was a thread a few weeks back where someone was talking about doing the same thing. If someone did this on a tandem of mine they wouldn't jump with me again. I do allow video guys to dock on my passenger but I know what is going on and they are flying the slot not using the tandem to keep them in the fallrate.

[feuergnom 22]

yep, i was thinking the same and was just searching for this "gem" but i couldn't find it.

so - is the o.p. one of the pissed of TI's from the dz where this wannabe-vidiot runs around?

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[quinny 0]

Yes I am, but the vidiot is not a moron which is why it surprised me so much....he wont be doing it again and Im glad others have posted so they dont think its me being anal!

• Quote

[OnYourBack 0]

"so they dont think its me being anal!"

Its nice to be liked but don't ever let the fear of being called anal make you do something on a jump that doesn't feel right. Especially with a person who has put their life in your hands hanging off of you. Trust your instincts.

[Ron 7]

Quote

yep, i was thinking the same and was just searching for this "gem" but i couldn't find it.

Here ya go

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[AFFI 0]

Something I am curious about – did this camera flyer have the experience (jump numbers) recommended to fly video with a tandem in the first place?


I am not quite sure how to word this, but here goes:

If an unqualified camera flyer made a poor decision like this perhaps it could be chalked up to the lack of experience in skydiving that was the basis for the poor decision. I guess what I am trying to say is that a camera flyer with say 200 jumps might be more inclined to make this poor decision as opposed to a camera flyer with 501 (or more) jumps, perhaps that is one of the reasons that jump number recommendations to fly with a tandem exist in the first place. My imagination can come up with some hazardous sets of circumstances that could result from a camera flyer having a tight grip on a tandem student just to match fall rate and maybe a more inexperienced skydiver might not be aware of the potential hazards this action could result in.

Sorry for fumbling my words, it is late and I am sleep deprived from many days of inadequate sleep.

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…