Nicknero1405

Getting a good frame is step 2 of camera flying. I've barely begun step 1. How are you supposed to get a frame when you jump solo? You see nothing but blue skies, so that's not going to work. Step 1 is to get used to having something on your head while still keeping your mind to the jump and not to the camera. I don't have enough FS jumps to take the camera with FS yet anyway, so I'll take this chance to jump camera solo, and get my FS number to 200+ without camera before I'm taking it with me in FS jumps.

Instructors with less than 200 jumps. Sorry, but what!?!

Thanks for the message Bill, Last weekend I decided to just take the step and make my first camera jump. And I have to say, it was pretty good. Even though it was a solo jump, I trained my mind good enough to not make the camera a distraction, and it worked just fine. For now, I'll be making lots and lots of solo camera jumps before I take the next step into taking it along in groups. I guess I can see it as taking the student route all over again. One step at a time, and as few risks as possible at a time. For those interested, you can view my first camera jump here. https://nicknero1405.stackstorage.com/s/Hi794pM6AfZLvGH

When I started to skydive, I was thinking the same thing as this guy. "Cool I passed my AFF, time to put a camera on my helmet and start making awesome footage (of nothing but blue skies and clouds). What could possibly go wrong!" Hell, right now, two years later I finally (barely) meet the requirements to actually bring a camera. I got my B license, enough jumps, an (as much as possible)snag-proof roller mount, chin-cup quick-release, etc etc. But every day closer and closer to the weekend where I'm thinking about asking my instructor for official permission, I get more uncomfortable and scared that I screw something up. I've seen enough videos, and read enough stories where it goes wrong. And I want to be absolutely sure that the camera is not going to be a distraction for me. So if I ever end up using the camera, I'm going to only use it for SOLO jumps until I'm absolutely 100% guaranteed that the whole ordeal has become muscle memory where I can keep my full attention to the actual jump, and not the damn camera. And most importantly: Ask your local instructors for advice. It'll save your life.

Idk what in my message made you think the slider replacement was before the cutaway. It was after it, and by the two jumps I did with it, it was a huge improvement.

The slider has been replaced by a slightly bigger one BUT has two holes made into it to release wind pressure on it and making it come down faster. They said it's a common "fix" against hesitant sliders. I got to test it out twice and both openings were perfectly fine. Roughly about 500-800ft which is normal. However I broke my arm on a completely unrelated accident (fell over and caught myself with my arms) so I'm going to be stuck to the ground for a month or two.

It is being inspected this week, and I'm already negotiating having it replaced by a (much younger and probably better) 190 canopy. Would cost me some extra obviously, but well worth it. I honestly lost my trust in this canopy after that incident. And not trusting your own gear is not a good way to enter that plane again...

Haha yeah I know. I edited any post I could to fix that. But OP can't be edited anymore. Idk how I got by the wordt snuffle... o.O I guess I just overheard someone saying it at some point and thought I heard him say that instead of snivel. It's funny because "snuffel" is dutch for sniffing. Kinda like the chute sniffing the sky before fully deploying.

No I didn't. Honestly, I didn't even think that was an option. I was too busy pulling the rear risers and before I knew it I was at 2000ft. Altitude goes down really fast in such stressful situations. Yes... Yes I did for sure. I'm not denying that I made mistakes. I'm lucky that everything ended well with 0 injuries. I've learned my lesson, and I will do everything I can to avoid allowing this to happen again. Which includes, but is not limited to: The magical 2 flares, having my canopy checked by a rigger (Which is currently in process), perhaps opening higher for the next couple of jumps to make sure everything is fine, and being even more cautious while packing.

It was a Triathlon 210. (They say Triathlon is known for it's long snivels) I have had this rig ever since jump 25. So I have somewhere between 80-90 jumps with it myself. And it was a bit of an old canopy already. Although I forgot how many jumps it has done before me. Could be anywhere between 200 and 500 I guess. Either way, I have had long snuffles with this canopy every once in a while from the moment I bought it. Sometimes it opens extremely fast (Almost uncomfortably fast) and sometimes it takes a really long time for it to open. But never did it as long as that day I had to pull the reserve.

With a little over 100 jumps, I had my first reserve procedure. Story behind it? Well... My first jump of 2016, happened on the 10th of jan 2016 and I had a VERY long snuffle. Or however you call the process of deployment where the slider hasn't come down yet when you're still slowing down from terminal velocity. Anyway, I had the bad luck that the slider enjoyed it's time a little too much inside my main as it refused to come down. I opened on 3,500ft and the chute came out of the bag just fine. But at 2,000ft my beeper went off (Alarm to indicate that this is the time to decide if you chop the main or not.) But I got into a brain-freeze and I didn't know what to do. I had my hands on the back risers and I was pulling like a mad-man trying to get the chute to fully deploy, And eventually it finally fully deployed. I looked at my altitude and it said 1,200ft. HOLY SHIT! That could have ended way worse. It's simply too low for comfort and I should have already cut away. But for some reason I didn't. Second jump the parachute opened just fine. But third jump, it happened again. But this time I was prepared. If my beeper goes of again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!. I looked at my altitude and it was dropping fast! 2,000ft came close and yup, still no fully deployed chute. Beeper went of, and I had no moment of doubt: I had to get rid of this shit and get someone to check it out before it's going to be my death. So I chopped the main and pulled the reserve. All ended well, except of the main landing directly in the channel. aka water. :( I collected the main and let it dry. I found the freebag on a field a little further away and I kept hold on both of the handles Aka Cutaway and Reserve deployer. But damn, this was one heck of a day. I learned a lot this day and I'm glad that I'm actually able to share this story without any physical harm to myself other than a wet main. Here is a outside video from another guy who I jumped with. It's really hard to see because the lens was foggy due to the cloud we went through and I was far away. Even after zooming in 600% it's still vague. But you can clearly see the main and freebag flying away as I tumble down waiting for the reserve to deploy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb9KwNhPNMg

I guarantee many people were probably thinking of something else when reading this thread's title...

I wanted to do something special, but I couldn't think of anything that wasn't already done by someone else at my DZ, or wasn't too dangerous. So I ended up doing nothing special and it was just a regular 3-way during the winter academy.

I'm not really new anymore, but I just want to share the exciting news that I made my 100th jump last weekend. And that when I've only begun back in June this year. So can you imagine, 100 jumps in about 5 months? What started as a simple "JUST DO IT!" moment, ended up in what I've never expected. I met numerous of new friends, new awesome hobby, and overall just a life changing experience. If anyone would ever ask me if they should give it a try, I wouldn't hesitate for even a second and scream: "DO IT! JUST DO IT! DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS!" ;) Anyway, so far I've been interested in two disciplines: Formation Skydive, and Freefly. I can sitfly decently but I've much to learn in that area. And I love doing formation stuff with some friends. Cheers guys, and may the skies be blue even through the winter! ^^

Sooooo, this thread got from camera discussion, to possible death discussion, to math logics, and now a video sharing thread? What's next?