Deployment Positions....

[Zoter 0]

Please stick one up here with anything 'different' or unique that YOU do before/at/during/after deployment.........with either sidemounted or top mounted camera setups.....

[quade 3]

http://futurecam.com/first4wayTeam.html

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On breakoff (let's call it 4,000), I might give the wings a little pop and deploy as I continue to watch the team. As I said before, I usually watch to see who has left the formation last and will show that on the debrief tape just to subtly drive the point home.

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.

Individual team members probably have more than enough separation from each other, but if one dumps a little high and you maybe have a little bit longer snivel and they have a 180 opening, well, it can get interesting and you need to react pretty damn fast. Looking out toward the horizon lets you see what might be coming up to meet you, and you may even be able to shift your weight during inflation to avoid it.

After opening, look around to see who in your team is where. Give 'em a quick head count and see if there were any cutaways. If there was a cutaway, first look to see if you can spot the reserve. If the jumper looks OK under the reserve, then check to see if anyone is chasing the main and freebag. Especially watch for the freebag -- they can be a lot harder to find than the main. Make sure that at least one team member is following each piece down; main, reserve freebag and jumper. Fill in where required.

If everyone seems OK under canopy, then unclip your wings, release your thumb loops, stow your slider, turn off your camera, release your brakes and start flying back to the landing area. Since you're probably the high opener, you should have plenty of time and altitude to scan for traffic and fit in with the landing pattern. Usually, there's no need to rush and spiral down between canopies -- try to be predictable. With the ring-sight in front of one eye, you don't have the best vision so be a little more careful.

Once you've landed, if you can, go over and do high-fives with the team, but generally keep your comments to yourself. Generally speaking, you're not a judge and you're not their coach. They usually already know if they brain-locked or went low so additional negative comments from you aren't helpful. However, positive comments about really cool jumps are almost always welcome.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[salsicha 0]

during the opening, when you sit up, it's also a good moment to pay attention to any twist, so you can fix it with your hip before it increases.

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___________________
salsicha - shaggy
www.skydiveinrio.com
Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

[riggerrob 558]

I fly similar to Quade.
However, I like to grab the chin part of my helmet (old-school, Bonehead full-box) with both hands to minimize neck injuries during deployment.

[The111 0]

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I fly similar to Quade.
However, I like to grab the chin part of my helmet (old-school, Bonehead full-box) with both hands to minimize neck injuries during deployment.

Reviving old thread...

Neck injuries being due to inertia from extra weight on your head and possible hard opening? Or due to possible snag? Or both?

I seem to remember once or twice hearing cameramen say they shifted their head forward (i.e. plant your chin on your chest) to keep the head away from the risers/lines. Any thoughts on this idea? Accepted/rejected practice?

Also, everyone talks about "sitting up", which is something I'm used to hearing fellow wingsuiters say too. With them as well, I always wondered, do you mean intentionally fly your body to a head high position as the bag is coming off? Even in all my wingsuit dives, I always let the deployment sit me up as intended, I never sit myself up (although I guess I do intentionally stall the suit and get head high, which could be considered "sitting up" to some I guess).

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[skylee_pinoy 0]

i fly a sony TRV418 mounted to steel plate flatform (which make it heavy for me)

stable arch position, CHIN TOUCHING CHEST, deploy pilot chute... i don't know if anyone here is using this technique (top mounted)

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

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Also, everyone talks about "sitting up", which is something I'm used to hearing fellow wingsuiters say too. With them as well, I always wondered, do you mean intentionally fly your body to a head high position as the bag is coming off? Even in all my wingsuit dives, I always let the deployment sit me up as intended, I never sit myself up (although I guess I do intentionally stall the suit and get head high, which could be considered "sitting up" to some I guess).

I can only speak for myself, but I do sit myself up before the canopy pulls me straight. I go into sort of a knee-flying position, hanging in my wings.
This is to insure that my head is in line with my neck and spine during the entire opening sequence.

Everybody has had hard openings, and they don't always pull you gently into the upright position before going off like a bomb.
That's why I want to be straight as soon as possible.

I don't feel like the increase in speed by transitioning to an upright position has a lot of effect on the opening-speed of my stiletto, so this for me is the technique I want to use.

"Don't make me come down there" - God.

My site:http://www.skystudio.nl/video.html
Some of my vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomSkyStudio

[rhys 0]

i could make your stiletto open slower than a crossfire

interested?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

After my reline (about 50 jumps ago) my stiletto is opening schweet, but I am always interested in techniques for even softer openings !!!!!

"Don't make me come down there" - God.

My site:http://www.skystudio.nl/video.html
Some of my vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomSkyStudio

[rhys 0]

o.k.

you may know this already but here goes,

i had a heatwave for over 800 jumps and my camera rig is quite heavy, after the third visit to the physio and not enough money for the crossfire i wanted i learned to slow that mo-fo down. i have tried the same technique on stilettos and the owners have praised the openings and some changed to this technique.

so flake 'everything' as usual. then roll the nose into the centre cell, ensuring even tight rolls on both sides and not to roll the centre cell 'AT ALL'(if the centre cell is rolled at all, the opening will erratic and off heading). present the centre cell to ensure an on heading opening. you have probably tried this before but tidy is very important.
then, take the first section of stabiliser on either side and tuck these between the slider and the a's and b's and right out into the section of stabiliser between the a's and b's, and b's and c's make sure the stitching on the canopy makes the same pattern on both sides at the front( this is the important part).
then, because the nose has been rolled so much you 'must' roll the tail between the b's and c's to ensure symmetry, this also prevents a lineover. make sure the rolls are even and tight. dont roll too much. when wraping the tail great care must be taken to ensure the tail stays between the b's and c's.

continue as normal.

this will create a little snivel but not too much and inflation from the centre out. my heatwave opens as slow and nice as my crossfire.

it takes a little more time than usual but after a while it is as quick as usual. our plane(brand newish cresco 750) has a 20 minute turn around and i am usually waiting for the plane.

i hope this saves you kneck a little it definately saved mine.

also my physio told me to keep y spine in a strasight line for deployment. look at the hirizon once upright, if you tilt your head forward or back then you can over extend and briuse you bone. this is what happened to me. i was off for a week!

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[ltdiver 3]

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also my physio told me to keep y spine in a strasight line for deployment. look at the hirizon once upright, if you tilt your head forward or back then you can over extend and briuse you bone. this is what happened to me. i was off for a week!

Sounds like he/she knows their stuff. Also in the business, I completely agree.

ltdiver

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