Head positioning on deployment

[AlvaroCarvalho 0]

Hello all!

I was wondering...what should be the best head positioning to camera-flyers on deployment?
- Look over the right shoulder: this would protect a left side box and the camera-flyer would also be able to follow the deployment sequence;
- Look down;
- Fix the horizon.
- ...?
I would appreciate any comments and suggestions on this matter.

Blue skies!

Hey...ho...let's go!

[vdschoor 0]

I think it is different for different setups, I am not a physician, but I would think keeping your neck as straight as possible would be the best, at least that's what I do.
After I pitch I wait a split second and then grab the risers and look up at the canopy to see what's going on up there.

So pretty much what I do is look at the horizon.

Twisting your head might be better with a sidemount to prevent risers grabbing your camera, but I don't know how this will treat your neck when you would have a slammer opening..

Someone jumping a side mount could give better feedback here.

Iwan

[AlvaroCarvalho 0]

Thanks!

Protect my camera X Protect my neck...?
I'll go for my neck!

Blue skies!

Hey...ho...let's go!

[Canuck 0]

I try to keep my neck perfectly alligned with my spine, eyes on the horizon. I don't look up/back until I feel the canopy is fully open. That also helps keep the openings on heading.

Canuck

[jeremyneas 0]

Agreed, turning your head 90 degrees could snap your neck of you had a 'shotgun' opening, if it's strait you can hyperextend but to stop that, after you deploy, place your hands under your chin and cup your chin. At the same time place your arms on your chest. (elbows down, arms look like V's)

If the canopy opens hard your neck won't move. Keep it symmetrical. Also, you have more room between the risers with a sidemount than you think.

[Deuce 1]

I jump a relatively heavy setup and I just get aligned in the normal, head up position when I deploy. I wait to get stood vertical and slowed-down and then I look up to see what is going on. I jump two Spectre's because I don't want to sweat a canopy that has a higher likelyhood of spanking me or spinning up. Once I'm vertical, I look up and stow and release.

[AlvaroCarvalho 0]

Great replies...i kept this questions for too long...i glad i posted it here.
Canuk...if i put my elbows down during deployment, my wings will close and the fall rate will be higher...won't this "help" in a harder opening?
Thanks!

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

Great replies...i kept this questions for too long...i glad i posted it here.
Canuk...if i put my elbows down during deployment, my wings will close and the fall rate will be higher...won't this "help" in a harder opening?
Thanks!

I close them up a little too, although I don't hold my chin.. I guess it has something to do with my student days, jumping with a rip cord.. I like to reduce the burble above me a little when I deploy.
Your fallrate picks up a little maybe, but that is only for 2 seconds, since you do all this after you threw your pilot chute...

Iwan

[quade 3]

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As the d-bag comes out of the container, I begin to sit up and shift my ring-sight to the horizon in an attempt to have my head, neck and back in a straight line as the canopy opens. I feel that this gives the best protection against neck strains, but obviously, this might not work for you. It does work well for me. No matter what your body position, you want to get your hands on your risers as quickly as possible between the time you deploy and full inflation. An additional benefit of looking toward the horizon during inflation is that in this head level position, you can watch out for team members doing short tracks and high openings.

More tips for camera flyers on my web site.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[lister55 0]

Why is it so important to get the hands on the risers imediatley during the opening? Other than to steer it, or is that the only reason?

[quade 3]

This is important for ALL jumpers, but as a camera flyer, you will find yourself more and more in a position where a mid-air on deployment is a real possiblity. Lazy tracking, high openings, mis-set Dytters and 180 openings all conspire to kill YOU, the camera flyer. Maybe not on this jump or even the next one, but certainly over the course of 1,000 camera jumps you -willl- have some close calls.

You absolutely MUST be on the lookout for people opening near you and MUST be able to react as quickly as possible to avoid them.

I personally believe it's a waste of time to watch your canopy deploy because you should be able to tell how it's opening from the feel of it.

Eyes out toward the horizon helps you watch for other jumpers AND helps keep everything lined up to reduce neck strain.

Hands up on the rear risers means that you can immediately react when you see it all start to go wrong.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[lister55 0]

Ok. Now a question about good opening canopies. What are the favorites for good openings. I still want to have fun under caopy, so I dont want something docile, but I dont want a neck breaking canopy either. I currently jump a Stilletto and am having problems with it slamming me.

[quade 3]

There are a lot of canopies that open nicely if packed just the right way, but what you really want in camera flying is a canopy that opens nicely if you give it to a random packer and she doesn't have a lot of time to get you on the next load.

I do know of at least one camera flyer that is more than happy with his Stilletto, but I know far more that when push comes to shove and they absolutely have to have a soft opening because of all the crap on their head, they choose a Spectre.

It's -very- forgiving of pack jobs, very reliable and in the right hands is also very swoopable and also fairly accurate too if you want to do Pro-type landings.

I -highly- recommend the Spectre. I have two loaded at about 1.3:1 and use them for -everything-.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[LouDiamond 1]

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Now a question about good opening canopies. What are the favorites for good openings.

This is kind of a subjective question and will get ALL kinds of replies so I will give you mine. I have found that rolling the nose 4 and 4 on my Stiletto and double banding all the stows except the locking ones has helped with reducing spins and off heading openings. With that said I still prefer the Firebolt for it's incredibly soft openings. Unlike most canopies where you get line stretch and then feel the canopy inflate, the Firebolt is open and flying by the time you look up. No snap or feeling the canopy inflate. The other things I like about it is that it flys level even with massive line twists. I think the Firebolt riser turns a little bit more aggressive than my Stiletto and has a greater angle of attack when in the corner. The recovery arc is also quicker than my Stiletto. As soon as you come off of the riser it planes out nicely. The lift at the end during landings is enough that you can pop back up if you so choose. For camera work, I think you will be hard pressed to find a canopy that opens softer than a Firebolt IMO.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
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[Canuck 0]

If you want a canopy that opens super slow totally consistently, and then flys like a bat out of hell once it's open - go Crossfire. I thought Stilettos opened soft until I started jumping my Crossfire. The other nice thing is that on the couple occasions I have managed to spin the Crossfire up, it has flown completely straight and level while I kicked out. I really believe you can't find a better performance canopy for camera.

Canuck

[skydiver51 0]

On opening I keep looking at the ground. I have had one hell of a slammer that put me in the hospital with a brusied lung and other injeries. By looking I keep my chin close to my chest for less travel of the head if a hard opening happens again. The camopy I use is the Icarus Omega. I jump a 190 wing loaded 1.2:1. No matter how I pack it it has never opened hard. I don't roll the nose, just let it hang. I pull the center of the slider up to the gromets to help cut down the snivels to 500 ft. I roll the tail about 5 or 6 times. I will buy another Omega when I get the cash. Oh, by the way, the canopy that slammed me was a Sabre 150 that belonged to a friend. I don't blame the canopy since that's the first one I have ever jumped one.

Just my two cents worth that works for me.

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[aerialcameraman 0]

Keep the head straight and level but do not tighten up your neck muscles or you will pull them or even tear. A wise photographer once told me, "If you have to look up to see what your canopy is doing then you shouldn't be jumping a camera yet." You shouldn't have to look up during openning, you should be familiar enough with you setup and canopy to know what is above. Only when the canopy is onpen should you have to look up. Granted you look up to check as soon as you are upright.

[ltdiver 3]

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It's -very- forgiving of pack jobs, very reliable and in the right hands is also very swoopable and also fairly accurate too if you want to do Pro-type landings.

Absolutely true.

I, too, have a Spectre loaded at about 1.3:1 which I use for everything. From cameraflying, to RW student work, to my PRO rating and jumps. You can pack it like shit and it -still- will take care of you. You should have SEEN some of the pack jobs I gave my canopy in that 25-30 knot wind we had at Perris this weekend! And it still opened nice and took care of me and my neck.

As for the neck position on deployment. Yes, keep eyes level and ahead, preparing to avoid other jumpers on EVERY dive you make. Again, just this weekend, we had a very long spot (spotted by a VERY experienced skydiver who I trusted to get us within range of the DZ). He was the one tracking -away- from the DZ on break-off as well. He tracked short and pulled high! Just about 100 feet in front of me (and I opened facing away from the DZ...facing him...because that is what line of flight had been on exit!).

I was so very happy to have a nice deployment and was able to grab my risers, turn, and avoid a potential collision. Oh, and yes, this 'spotter, high experienced skydiver' was flying a high wing loaded elliptical canopy. He would have closed the gap VERY fast had I given it time to do so.

Just another story to make aspiring cameraflyers THINK.

ltdiver

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