What would YOU do...

[bomb420 1]

I had a fun video jump two weekends ago and finally had a chance to post it. So for those that are thinkin about slapping on a camera with low jump numbers, check it out...

4 Way Premature Deployment

HYPOXIC

[dragon2 0]

I'm always watching out for flapping things. The pilotchute was visible for a few secs before it opened, get the hell out of there, get on level or way to the side but not stay above if you see something like that. Afterwards, depending on altitude, I'd have leveled and shown myself to the other 3, to prevent any of them from tracking into my space (should they decide to also track and pull), and maybe even we'd decide to continue the jump.
Pulling in place soon after is dangerous as the unlucky jumper is straight above you and may have to cutaway.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[bomb420 1]

You may be able to see from the video that I am watching where the other three are going and actually had my hand on my pilot chute waiting for them all to clear. After the hd cypres fire jump I was on last year one of the things I took away from that was if someone gets pulled out earlier, you may want to catch up with them under canopy and check them out/ help them keep concious. On another note, hindsight is 20/20 and a black pilot chute on a black rig is not the easiest thing to see when you are focusing on the center and framing. I personally thought I did pretty good. Its funny I slid a tad when I first saw it come out and then was like, hmmm should give this a tad more room... love how fast your mind works in these situations.

HYPOXIC

[dragon2 0]

While I like the idea of getting to someone under canopy, I don't see how in this case. There'll be a lot of separation to start with and generally my canopy is smaller. Might also be good to get down quick and alert the DZ if they haven't noticed already.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Icon134 0]

I haven't had a premature occur yet. The closeset I came to one was when I was shooting a 4-way group and after opening one of the participants discoverd that his reserve handle was floating the entire jump. (he discovered it after opening as his handle was lodged under his chin...)

on that same jump another jumper (my girlfriend) lost her helmet visor.

upon reviewing the video we noticed the reserve handle floating... it was scary...

I'd probably get the hell out of there and deploy in clear airspace.

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[HSPScott 0]

Trunk,

Can you post it on something besides youtube? They have it blocked here at work.

I have have 2 canopies deployed below me, both in competition. The first was two guys messing around at the end of a dive, I had just let go of my pc when I saw one guy reach and pull the other one. Luckily, both of our canopies open at about the same speed. The second was during the jump on the close of a block, purely accidental. I dug my knees and watched my wife slow down dramatically. The judges didn't even give us the point for the close of block.

My advice for 4 way video is to stay on the outer edge of the feet/ burble. This gives you a good angle for the judges and keeps you clear of prematures.

[frost 1]

i'd continue the skydive as planned - that is i wouldnt track and open higher then planned. You were probably one of the first groups out, so there are others falling behind you.


I witnessed my friend's premature opening in a sit a few years ago. He didnt break anything but i did have to take him to an emergency room. That one was, as i suspect in this case, due to a loose BOC pouch.

You got lucky that it didnt open right in your face. Keeping an eye on "flapping things" is good advice :) Advice to properly maintain your gear is even better ;)

[bomb420 1]

Here is the video on vimeo.

That was my second time doing 4way video and I was doing it as a favor... fun fun.

As far as opening high, everyone has their opinion on it. In this moment, that was my decision. I quickly caught up to the guy and made sure he was ok. I also, as when I deploy in the middle, waited until I see the other groups open before I turned up the line of flight. In this case I actually immediately did a 180 away from the line of flight since there were no groups exiting before us. As for what if the guy had a cutaway... who tracks below a tandem? Who ever had a spining mal and ended up dangerously close to someone else even though they tracked? This is the chaotic sport we live in.

HYPOXIC

[DSE 3]

I've been on the giving and receiving end of a premature...no fun on either side.
Looks like you did great.
My opinion is that not all prematures are going to hang for a second like this one did; they'll easily be faster (and perhaps slower). I wanted to be out of the way of the one experience I had. the p/c whacked my foot as I turned away from the one I was over. However, I wish I'd had presence of mind to continue to stay focused on the preemie.
BTW, my preemie was on the outside of the aircraft setting up for a horny gorilla. I ended up unconscious for a bit after smacking the side of the aircraft. It was my 37th jump, rented student gear. The DZ has a policy of no student gear being used on outside exits or freeflying.

thnx for sharing this vid, Mark!

[Quincy 0]

As for your question ... depends on what altitude the premie happened. If it was low and near pull altitude ... a quick check to see if the premie gave a good canopy and if so, then pull in place. After all, that is probably what everyone is already expecting you to do. No need to add to more confusion by having the others trying to figure out who is tracking where. If you can't tell if the premie has a good canopy ... then you gotta track.

Had a similiar experience out of a CASA. On exit, noticed one jumper had his hand on the top of anothers head. Considering the crowd and the jump, thought someone was clowning around as most of the others had funneled. After a few seconds of him keeping it on top, I noticed the chin straps flapping. Fraction of a second later, the helmet flies off missing me by no more than a foot. Amazingly, the guy found the helmet with no damage.

Quincy...

[PharmerPhil 0]

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No need to add to more confusion by having the others trying to figure out who is tracking where. If you can't tell if the premie has a good canopy ... then you gotta track.

I agree with the first part, but don't think you should ever "track" if that wasn't the original plan. All you need is a little horizontal separation to provide a lot of safety. I also think that turning and tracking not only isn't necessary, but is much slower than simply backing up. The fastest way to gain immediate separation is to pull your legs on your butt, and stick your arms out. It is way faster than turning first. This is not a classic track where there are lots of people and lots of separation needed, this is two people trying to get an immediate horizontal offset (kinda like a tandem).

BTW, if you pull your legs up and stick your arms out, you will go backwards very fast. But you may also start sinking fast. To counter this, stick your arms out and push them down and you will maintain most of your altitude above the team/formation/whatever. Try it! We used this during the 139-way sequential record last November at Z-hills when we had five videographers in the air. (It is also cool looking on video...)

[DSE 3]

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To counter this, stick your arms out and push them down and you will maintain most of your altitude above the team/formation/whatever.

Ed Dickenson showed me this maneuver last year in the tunnel, and damned if it doesn't work really, really well. Just watch out for the wall behind you.

[kashton 0]

I'm confused. How does that relate to jumping a camera with low jump numbers

That John Denver's full of s**t man...

It's a great day to be alive

[ltdiver 3]

Surprised nobody has commented on this particular frame of the video. Might want to start tucking this in as well...

ltdiver

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

[DSE 3]

Nice catch, Lori.
I still stow mine "like a student" with rubber bands attached to the slinks simply because the excess can come out of the keepers on deployment. I don't stow my slider behind my head, and don't worry about needing to pull it over the rubber bands. Others occasionally give me sh** for it, but they've never, ever, released my excess on deployment.

[ltdiver 3]

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Nice catch, Lori.
I still stow mine "like a student" with rubber bands attached to the slinks simply because the excess can come out of the keepers on deployment. I don't stow my slider behind my head, and don't worry about needing to pull it over the rubber bands. Others occasionally give me sh** for it, but they've never, ever, released my excess on deployment.

Not only that, but look at the toggle. Seems like it needs to be secured a bit more as well.

edit: My rig with 'floppy toggles' are secured by velcro, and my rig with the velcro-less toggles are stiffened. They don't fly out like that on deployment. At first I didn't like the stiffness of them, now looking at that frame I'm sure glad PD designed them that way if they're not velcro'd down.

ltdiver

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

[DSE 3]

Maybe, maybe not. If the toggle has a keeper above and below (mine do) then it requires a lift up/pull down. Mine are about the same distance apart as you can see in this shot, and they're secure.
Mark, wanna comment? Mark *is* well known for not keeping his ice tucked, so you might be right.

[ltdiver 3]

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Maybe, maybe not. If the toggle has a keeper above and below (mine do) then it requires a lift up/pull down. Mine are about the same distance apart as you can see in this shot, and they're secure.
Mark, wanna comment? Mark *is* well known for not keeping his ice tucked, so you might be right.

See my edited post above. (found I needed to clarify a bit).

ltdiver

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

[bomb420 1]

Yes you guys got me... I do need to stow my excess.... The toggles are double stowed so I'm suprised they have that much slack in them, guess I never noticed. Fine, fine, fine, I'll start stowing them this weekend

HYPOXIC

[ltdiver 3]

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Yes you guys got me... I do need to stow my excess.... The toggles are double stowed so I'm suprised they have that much slack in them, guess I never noticed. Fine, fine, fine, I'll start stowing them this weekend

Just us cameraflyers looking out for a brother. Other jumpers may try to kill you in the air, let's not do it to ourselves too.

ltdiver

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

[bomb420 1]

Kashton,

I made that comment because when most are first starting skydiving, their reaction times to events are more delayed than people that have been jumping for a while. I was trying to use this video as an illustration to someone with low jump numbers that wanted to start shooting video. The unexpected happens and although sometimes things happen brutaly fast (ie cypres fire going headdown) other times you have a split second to react. That is one of the reasons why most of us agree its better to gain some jumps and increase that awareness before strapping a helmet on one's head.

My illustration somewhat got lost, but that is all I wanted to convey. As far as the poll I meant @ the moment of the pilot chute in your face. Oh well.... I choose the rodeo mr bill one, wheeeeee

HYPOXIC

[Peej 0]

And you make a good point re: low jump number jumpers flying camera.

Your and my time in the sport and jump numbers are similar and i too have shot a fair bit of 4way both in competition and on fun jumps as well as shooting tandem video. I absolutely agree that with higher numbers and more time in the sport you do respond to things quicker and make better in air decisions as your awareness grows.

The best example of this for me was a few hundred jumps ago, i went out on a tandem, shot the whole thing and only when i sat down to edit it did i notice my TI had no goggles on for the whole skydive. Yet i had been flying right in front of him the whole time.

Somehow we boarded the plane minus goggles for the student so he handed his goggles to the passenger. I was so busy focusing on getting my video right and focusing on the student that i failed to notice that. Now with more experience i am so much more switched on and able to multi-task more than i ever could. Sorry if that gotwordy i was just trying to further illustrate your point and answer Kashton's question.

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[kashton 0]

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Kashton,

That is one of the reasons why most of us agree its better to gain some jumps and increase that awareness before strapping a helmet on one's head.

^^^^^wait did I read that wrong?


Lol, I'm just messing. I understand your point now. It is a wise one. Thank you for the wisdom =)

That John Denver's full of s**t man...

It's a great day to be alive