When to Start Flying with a Camera

[murrays 0]

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Do you mean this incident? Ivan Lester McGuire

ltdiver

This was back in the days when the camera was the size of a large TRV style camcorder and the recording unit the size of a VCR.

If I remember correctly from Skydiving's coverage of this accident, McGuire had worked a night shift and hadn't had much, if any sleep. He also boarded the plane before the other jumpers and sat with his back to the bulkhead and he was in the last group to exit.With the tandem-master preoccupied with his student, this poor guy climbed out rear float and video'd the tandem jump without realizing he was missing his rig....due to the harness he used to carry the recording unit.....and without anybody else being in position to notice his dreadful mistake.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[diablopilot 2]

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It's not as if engineering a camera helmet without snag points is an impossible task

Too true, however from my experiance the "new" camera jumper has little time, patience, or experience to do this.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[ltdiver 3]

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It's not as if engineering a camera helmet without snag points is an impossible task

Too true, however from my experiance the "new" camera jumper has little time, patience, or experience to do this.

And so we, as experienced cameraflyers, need to keep a sharp eye out and volunteer to be mentors to the newbies. Invite them to ask questions and direct them in the way they should go.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[freeflyguy 0]

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As part of my routine for gearing up, I will NOT touch my camera helmet until AFTER I have my rig on.

That became my rule after that, as well.

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bzzzz

[skydiverek 54]

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This was back in the days when the camera was the size of a large TRV style camcorder and the recording unit the size of a VCR.

If I remember correctly from Skydiving's coverage of this accident, McGuire had worked a night shift and hadn't had much, if any sleep. He also boarded the plane before the other jumpers and sat with his back to the bulkhead and he was in the last group to exit.With the tandem-master preoccupied with his student, this poor guy climbed out rear float and video'd the tandem jump without realizing he was missing his rig....due to the harness he used to carry the recording unit.....and without anybody else being in position to notice his dreadful mistake.

Here is a video of this accident from deceased camera. Don't be afraid - nothing graphic, it was shown on National TV at 5 pm, back in 1988:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER0d4wcYfL0

[DougH 270]

Do you spend all day on the internet digging up videos to resurrect 3+ year old threads?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[VideoFly 0]

With over 800 tandem and AFF camera jumps, the learning curve keeps getting steeper. I can’t even imagine how much more I will learn and experience as time goes on. When I look back at when I thought I was good, I realize that I didn’t know much at all. My helmet is off to the video people with tons of jumps. I can only admire what you must experience when you fly camera. How long should a jumper wait to fly with a camera? Take your time. You need to be able to fly and react instinctively, oftentimes without thinking about what you need to do to get where you want to be.

[flyer299 0]

Well this post sure was a trip down memory lane. I don't even remember starting this post many years ago, and I found it very interesting to reread it.

Now I am a Tandem-I/AFF-I/S&TA and still fly video anytime I can. I look back 4 years ago and am amazed at what I didn't know back then. Although I never had an issue, never had a incedient, or caused an Issue, I belive the way I learned to fly video was incorrect. I had no one near me giving me good advice and I was left alone to figure it out. I look back at it and am amazed how wrong it was. Thankfully it work out.

Now I am working with a couple want to be Camera flyiers. I wish I had someone like me back then to teach me. I working with my Students to provide structure to them learning to fly camera. I am forcing them to focus on (of all things) FLYING SKILLS first. Of course they are itching to put the Camera helmet on and I am letting them fly with the camera sometimes under controled situations after practice of EPs, etc.

I think the sport has learned a lot since I started this post 4 years ago... I hope all new camera flyers can take advantage of this knowledge.

Skydiverek, thanks for pulling this up after all this time. It was fun to revisit!

[The111 0]

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I working with my Students to provide structure to them learning to fly camera. I am forcing them to focus on (of all things) FLYING SKILLS first. Of course they are itching to put the Camera helmet on and I am letting them fly with the camera sometimes under controled situations after practice of EPs, etc.

I'm not sure if I understand that last line, but I get the mental image of a father holding his 7 year old son in his lap and letting him steer the car. How is somebody only ok to fly camera "sometimes"?

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[flyer299 0]

I guess I shouldn't say the word Students, these jumpers have 190-200 jumps right now.

I don't just give them the camera and say, have fun, hope you don't hurt youself. I make sure I supervise their jumps where they wear the camera. This way I can make sure they are developing good habits (example, practice EPs, check for secure fittings, make sure Gear Check is complete). After they have had a chance to practice the good habits a few times then they can start flying with less supervison.

I never had that when I started. I brought my camera to the DZ the first time only expecting an instructor to look at it and tell me if the setup was good or not. Instead someone with 150 more jumps than me said, "Get on the load and come video me". Being young and stupid, that is what I did.