Tandem Video

[grosfion 0]

Can someone give me a few tips about taking a video from a tandem?
e.g
- what kind of exit for the cameraman
- flying on the belly or sit
- position (below in sit or same level on belly)
- how to capture the deployment of the tandem canopy
- what kind of suit are you using
........
thanks
Marcus

[Canuck 0]

Exit - I'm at a Cessna DZ. I leave from the strut as the Tandem comes out the door. The most important thing is to come off just before they do, and let them fall to your level. For obvious reasons, never get caught above them, especially before the drogue is out.
Once flying, I stay on level or just slightly below, actually I do a bit of both. I fly on my belly, in my freefly suit. I try to vary the distance between about 2 to 6 feet. Some people will argue that you need a wing suit. I shot a 65 pound seven year old 2 weeks ago - no problem.
For deployment, I flip on my back and film the entire deployment. With my wide angle, I usualy get my feet in the shot, which looks kinda cool.
Hope this helps.
Canuck

[airdrew20012001 0]

The sky is the limit on exits, I have done all sorts. Leave from the post on the wheel (end of strut) is the standby. I fly on my belly although I sometimes do some pretty wierd sort of back tracking off the plane if I am late. The thing to remember is that if you don't want a ton of footage from way outside then the minute you leave the plane you need to basically drop into a dead track, think of tracking up hill. I shoot level, below, and above, try to get all the angles. Stay away from the drogue and the drogue bridle at all costs.
Always, and I mean ALWAYS, check with the tandem master if you are going to leave his field of vision or touch any part of his or her person or student. I jump in a freefly suit, I find my old wingsuit was too hard to fall fast in because of the wing and the booties.
Hope that helps.
Drewfus McDoofus

[prost 0]

Exit: Very dependent on airplane. The idea is to stay as close to the tandem as possible without hitting them or getting directly above them and always keeping them in frame. We jump a super Otter so I get on the camera step and leave a split second before they do. I trak up to them as soon as i leave the plane.
Belly or sit: Both can work great. Use the one you are best at. I use both.
Position: You need to be able to get below them in the sit or on your belly so you can see the student's face even if they look down. That is why you need a wing suit to shoot tandems. A freefly suit will give you plenty of lift but the extra lift on your upper body will let you fly in different positions. With wings you can get under them and use the wings to tilt you up enough to look up at them or fly with you knees down for even more pitch.
Deployment: If you are in a sit it is easy just keep looking at the tandem as they go up. If you are on your belly there is a lot of different things you can do. I have seen people roll sideways onto their back as the tandem deploys. I like to flip up. It is a lot easier to do this with wings. I like to raise my head at first, and then as they get higher I transition to my knees. I used to go all the way over onto my back but I changed it because I had to spend more time afterwards slowing down for deployment which would make me cut the opening short on lower openings.
Suit: I fly a winged suit if I am on my belly or in a sit. I have a tony suit with the C wings that attach in the front that will let you sit fly with it. If you need to slow down you can lay out more in the sit into a recliner position and slow down to the speed of the slowest tandem.
I hope this helps. If you are just starting get help from someone who is already shoting tandems. It will save you a lot of headaches and money.
William

[Danger 0]

I leave from the rear of the door on Cessna exits. Let go just when they exit the door. I tuck my arms behind my back and put my feet on my butt and fly with my shoulders. This exits drops me straight down which is the way a tandem falls.
For freefall I get slightly below on my belly. From video shot of me filming a tandem it shows my body on about a 25-35 degree angle to the horizon. This is accomplished using a winged camera suit to lift the upper body into position and using the booties to not backslide. Every once in awhile you can see the passenger, tandem master and drogue at the same time.
For the tandem opening shot I continue to watch the tandem as they open lifting my upper body and flying on my knees.
Hope this helps
Danger

[tommy 0]

We jump a King Air. I leave rear float a second before the tandem goes (usually on Set....).
I try to get just below the passenger looking upwards at maybe 20 degree angle - about 2 feet away. It's more challenging when the passenger is looking DOWN instead of ahead - in that case I slide back a foot or two and sink a bit more and look upwards to try and capture their face (but there is a limit to how high you can tilt your head up :) ).
I fly camera on my belly with a Bev suit with the LARGE wings that clip in the front and booties. I use this suit to sit sometimes as well (not during tandems.)
As far as deployment, I do it 2 ways... I either follow them up, raising to my knees, or go head down (like tracking at a very steep angle on my back) and look upwards, keeping them in frame. Both look pretty cool.
-Tommy