bigdfreefly 0 #1 March 14, 2003 How many jumps should someone have before they start flying with a camera on their head? i have a pc9, nvertigo x, and metal d-box, with just under 100 jumps. i want to just get used to it on my head, and play with friends. Not planning tandem video or anything. suggestions? Do you want some SWEETSAUCE with that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefalle 0 #2 March 14, 2003 I asked the same question you asked so I'll tell you what I was told. Most people will tell you the magic number is 200 jumps. jumping with the camera is a task that takes alot of skill and attention in the air. If you're not totally competent in the air adding the distraction of a camera can be unsafe. YOU have to do what YOU think is safe not only for yourself but for your friends that your going to try to film. If you cant fly the dive without the camera, you pose a danger because you will try to out fly your ability to get the film. You may not think you will do it, but trust me you will. If your going to strap that camera to your pumpkin spend some time with some experienced camera flyers at your DZ most of them are a wealth of information and will give you advice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigdfreefly 0 #3 March 14, 2003 right on, that's pretty much what i was thinking... but it's good to hear what others have to say. how many camera jumps have you made? Do you want some SWEETSAUCE with that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RichM 0 #4 March 14, 2003 In the UK you must have 200 jumps before you are allowed to jump camera.Rich M Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #5 March 14, 2003 Roughly 200 jumps is a good starting point. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #6 March 14, 2003 Magic # there is none, the time is when your safe to fly with other people. When you can put yourself where you want to be when you want to be there. There is a guy at my Dz that has hundreds of jump's and he takes out half the dives he gets on when he is wearing a camera. Ability to fly determines if you should jump camera or not. Also limit your camera flying to jumps you could be on, Ie if your not good enough for an 8way freefly then you shouldn't be filming it. Or a 10 way belly fly. Remember taking out a big way only means there is more people pissed at you. But when the time comes remember Have fun! Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #7 March 14, 2003 Skydivers can be sort of obsessive about certain things and for me camera flying is one of them. So, in addition to what everyone else has said about 200 jumps, I'd also like to add that once you begin down the path of camera flying, it can be a limiting factor in your participation of other types of skydiving. For instance, because I camera fly for 4-way so damn often, I rarely get a chance to work on a lot of other things like freefly. Since you have about 100 jumps now and at the end of summer (ok, September really) the USPA is going to change the rating system quite a bit, what you might want to do instead of camera flying is make sure you complete all of the current D License requirements (night jumps, accuracy, ect.) and get that license first. I'm thinking that if you don't complete all those requirements by the time the change happens, you'll wake up pretty pissed off with yourself. Just out of curiousity, what kind of camera flying do you really want to do; tandem, AFF, 4-way, big-way, freefly . . . something totally new and different? Oh yeah, I almost forgot to add the link to my article on beginning camera flying HERE.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigdfreefly 0 #8 March 14, 2003 to start i want to wear it with my freefly buddies, but in the future i wouldn't mind making it a paying gig. I'm pretty sure at some point i'll be doing some tandem videos, but i'm not going to touch that until i have a couple hundred more jumps. i really just want to get used to having a camera on my head before i worry to much about what discipline i'm videoing Do you want some SWEETSAUCE with that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #9 March 14, 2003 Use the other logic, get used to the discipline, then add the camera.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigdfreefly 0 #10 March 14, 2003 no i'm not saying i want to neglect any discipline, i'm saying that while i'm videoing i don't really care what specific discipline i'm videoing. i'd like to be versatile, now all i need is a thousand jumps!! Do you want some SWEETSAUCE with that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #11 March 14, 2003 What I'm saying is if you want to video freefly, get good at freefly before adding the camera, then if you move to RW get good at RW before adding the camera in the discpline then if you get into doing tandem video you should be good at RW video already then add the camera after lurking a few tandems.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #12 March 14, 2003 My video concession owner was lamenting that he's got all these athletic young parachutists (as opposed to my stiff older self) with good camera equipment who want to fly video for him. Problem is, with floaty tandems, you pretty much have to wear a wingsuit (at 6', 195# I HAVE to wear my huge wing to slow down that much), and you have to be able to fly on your belly, doing non-contact RW with the tandem pair. Yes, you can wear a sit-suit, but it's still RW. Anyhow, master RW if you can find the people to do it with. Then become the next Olav.And read all the stuff by Quade. I did, and it really accelerated my progress. Getting paid to skydive. Whoda thunk it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #13 March 14, 2003 Quote Magic # there is none Let me put it this way. There have been a few times that people have gotten upset with me, because I said in a very direct way, that certain people have no business strapping a camera onto their head, with the experience they had when they came into this forum. Lacking any other knowledge about these people, I think I can come up with a half decent number that I can use as a benchmark. It's not a firm number, it's more of a range. That range for me, is about 200 jumps. If somebody has a lot less then 200 jumps, they'll get no help from me. What's undefined is the definition of "a lot", and my definition of that changes depending on how that person seems to respect the act that they're considering, and how knowledgable about basic gear and safety they seem to be before they come in here. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #14 March 14, 2003 Quote There is a guy at my Dz that has hundreds of jump's and he takes out half the dives he gets on when he is wearing a camera. It should be noted that even the best camera flyers occasionally take out a person or a group they're shooting. I've seen at least one of my camera mentors (a world champion camera flyer) take out a simple 5-way doing nothing more than falling straight down doing a horney gorilla. Of course, the object of the game is to do that as little as possible. quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #15 March 15, 2003 Quote the object of the game is to do that as little as possible. As LITTLE as possible? Crapola. 'Scuse me, I got a lot of apologizing to do..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
