skydived19006

Is there really a discernible difference in 5mp/8mp/12mp stills? I realize that we're losing the image stabilization, but don't really see much of an option. I had thought that placing the video on bottom would subject the video to slightly less shake. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm looking for input on GoPro models for Hand Cam. What are your thoughts on GoPro models for stills and video? I currently have old stuff, so need to do a ground up upgrade and put together a couple of gloves for a 182 operation. Here's what a few minutes of me looking at technical specifications tells me: I can go with the basic Hero ($129) for stills, it'll do 1 second interval and 5 megapixel. I think that I'd go with 5mp regardless the camera just due to the file size of 200 to 300 pictures. I would be just as well to go with the Hero+ ($199) for handcam video. It'll shoot 1080 or 720p at 30, 50, or 60 fps. The Hero 3 you're basically stuck at 30 fps. I understand frames per second, but don't know how much difference to the eye going from 30 to 50 or 60 fps would matter. Maybe 60 fps would be appropriate considering that we'll run part of the video in slow motion? Anyone have any good reason go go with a more expensive/capable model then the $199 Hero+ for video? I don't really mind throwing a few hundred more dollars at it if there's a clear advantage. I did a search, and don't really see this discussion. I did a post in the Photography and Video forum, but those guys, I think, don't really have much interest in discussing Handcam. I think that I'm settled on the Pivot Pad HC Glove. It looks like a pretty darn well designed system. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

My dz takes these to mean: until the "two intentional back to earth maneuvers", only instructors can conduct the ground training. Coaches can observe the jumps, just not train them for the jumps. As my IE put it, that's only practical if we have multiple students at a time on each jump, or if the instructor is injure or sick and has the coach go in the plane as a substitute. In normal situations, the person who trains them also goes on the jump; it's pretty fun that way. You're doing it as BSRed. The thing it, I don't see why these Coaches can't learn to do the ground training as well. If they can observe the freefall, and debrief the thing... Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Pretty much the same where I trained up. I didn't, at the time, know the rules, so thought it was all on the up-and-up. The pre-jumpmaster JCC training consisted if first dispatching freefall students, then training on handling the static line. I think that I was dispatching freefall students. As you I was sub 50 jumps, and signing log books with my A license number. Then, we'd attend the next available JCC, typically once a year. Those JCCs were reminiscent of the conversation on "The Group W bench" in Alice's Restaurant. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Bump I did write that Waiver Request, it was approved, and we didn't kill anyone, so successful in implementation! To my knowledge, the USPA has not altered this BSR, so another Waiver will be requested for 2016. I have a few folks attending a Coach Course at this very moment, so hopefully I can add a few more named individuals to the list this year!! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I don't really know much about the coach rating, never had one. But I've seen coaches teach the entire FJC. Aren't they able to do ALL ground prep for subsequent jumps? I'm sure you remember the old model. First you were a Jumpmaster, and could do and train anything BUT the FJC. Later you got your instructor rating and could then teach the FJC. Considering how critical a good FJC is, I was surprised when the USPA lowered the requirements to coach rating. It's pretty darn convoluted John. I believe that most of the confusion comes from the idea and implementation of the Integrated Student Program. My experience with it tells me that they built it around the AFF model, then just "dropped in" Static Line and IAD. So, Coaches are allowed to run the initial ground training except for "method specific portion". For SL/IAD that portion would be the aircraft exit by my interpretation. Coaches are allowed to take over after the 7 AFF Levels are completed, so categories E, F, and G. Translate for IAD/SL, those students were top floor, basically just finishing up. I wrote a Waiver Request to allow my Coaches to conduct the category C jumps after a good H&P (I chose that point because I thought that it would meet with the least political resistance). So, now the Coaches can finish up Category C (10 second freefall), and do Category D 2-15 second, 2-30 second, and top floor for the 90 and 180 degree turns. That adds another 10 or so jumps to what a Coach can train. The problem is, and I didn't understand this until some years later, that Coaches are not allowed to conduct the ground training for those Category D jumps, only supervise the air portion! My current Waiver allows my Coaches to do the ground training for all the jumps that they're qualified to do. I made a short "proficiency form" indicating that I'd given them instruction (I'm an IE) for the Category D jumps. I'll see if I can attach that form. The attached form was a cut/paste from another proficiency card, and I tried to copy the format on the training objectives, signatures required, etc. I need to submit a report for 2015, and resubmit for 2016. My ultimate goal is to have the SIM updated to reflect these changes. There's a problem with implementation, in that the "extra training" is not necessary for AFF Coaches, and I don't think that the BOD is interested in having "Method Specific Coaches." Maybe some sort of, as we would say in the airplane pilot world, an Endorsement to be added on the Coach Rating for the earlier ISP Categories? I think that there's another thread in here on this topic from last year. We're having a bit of "thread creep" here. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We loiter the 182 at 4,000' for multiple passes dispatching IAD students. Once they're in freefall, they exit at various altitudes for the next 7 or 8 jumps before they're going to the top. It would not be efficient at all to do that with a turbine aircraft. Staffing is also an issue. One IAD instructor can dispatch three IAD students on one load. Or put out two on IAD, then go higher with a FF student. A skydiver can be an IAD instructor with as little as 200 jumps, where it's more like 500 for AFF. A lot of the folks out here do less than 100 jumps a year, so it would be 5 to 10 years before someone could typically qualify to be an AFF I, and the majority are gone on to other pursuits before achieving those numbers. Some small operations are choosing Tandem Progression, so it's not as AFF Instructor Intensive, or that's one reason to train Tandem Progression. In the end, it's all governed by the bottom line. Other than a few operations like ours who would really be better off not doing AFF, but feel compelled by social and market pressures. You can't be one of the cool kids if you're not doing AFF after all! Edit for spelling, and to add: I've also had a bone to pick with the USPA Coach Rating. I was the driving force in changing the scope of what a Coach can do at a SL/IAD operation. I currently have a waiver allowing my Coach (only have one right now) to do the ground training for the free fall jumps that she's qualified to do. Another rule which needs to be changed. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I believe that aircraft is the deciding factor and efficiency of operation. We're a single 182 DZ and offer tandem and IAD training. AFF would tie up the airplane, and be a huge staffing problem. If you look through the DZ list, there are still a large percentage of operations that do not do AFF. So, that date is still potentially somewhere out in the future, if at all. Martin Wichita Ks Edit to add: Ok, I'm wrong. It looks like about 10% of DZs are tandem and SL/IAD only. Another 5 to 10% are tandem only. Out here in the plane states, AFF is less common. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I made copies of that manual. Give me an email address and I'll send em over. One is the with the staples pulled and ran on a copy machine, so pages are all out of order. The other is slightly less quality, I printed a copy, collated the pages, and ran again on a machine to pdf. Martin [email protected] Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill. I want to kill! I want to see Blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth! Eat dead, burnt bodies! I Mean: Kill. Kill!" And I started jumpin' up and down, yellin' "KILL! KILL!" and he started Jumpin' up and down with me, and we was both jumpin' up and down, yellin', "KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" and the sergeant came over, pinned a medal on me, Sent me down the hall, said "You're our boy". Didn't feel too good about it. Proceeded down the hall, gettin' more injections, inspections, detections, Neglections, and all kinds of stuff that they was doin' to me at the thing There, and I was there for two hours... three hours... four hours... I was There for a long time goin' through all kinds of mean, nasty, ugly things, And I was just havin' a tough time there, and they was inspectin', Injectin', every single part of me, and they was leavin' no part untouched! Proceeded through, and I finally came to see the very last man. I walked in, Sat down, after a whole big thing there. I walked up, and I said, "What do You want?" He said, "Kid, we only got one question: Have you ever been Arrested?" Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I went down and got my physical examination one day, and I walked in, sat Down (got good and drunk the night before, so I looked and felt my best when I went in that morning, 'cause I wanted to look like the All-American Kid From New York City. I wanted to feel like . . . I wanted to be the All-American Kid from New York), and I walked in, sat down, I was hung down, Brung down, hung up and all kinds of mean, nasty, ugly things. And I walked in, I sat down, they gave me a piece of paper that said: "Kid, See the psychiatrist in room 604." I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill. I want to kill! I want to see Blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth! Eat dead, burnt bodies! I Mean: Kill. Kill!" And I started jumpin' up and down, yellin' "KILL! KILL!" and he started Jumpin' up and down with me, and we was both jumpin' up and down, yellin', "KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" and the sergeant came over, pinned a medal on me, Sent me down the hall, said "You're our boy". Didn't feel too good about it. Proceeded down the hall, gettin' more injections, inspections, detections, Neglections, and all kinds of stuff that they was doin' to me at the thing There, and I was there for two hours... three hours... four hours... I was There for a long time goin' through all kinds of mean, nasty, ugly things, And I was just havin' a tough time there, and they was inspectin', Injectin', every single part of me, and they was leavin' no part untouched! Proceeded through, and I finally came to see the very last man. I walked in, Sat down, after a whole big thing there. I walked up, and I said, "What do You want?" He said, "Kid, we only got one question: Have you ever been Arrested?" Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Good point Mike, we'd need to drop the USPA GM as well in order to not piss in anyone's Cheerios. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

As I understand Mike, the FAA requires that instructors have received the manufacturers training. Once that requirement is met, there is no requirement for an ongoing relationship with either the manufacturer or a private member organization. In order to receive that initial training, one would likely be required to pass the FAA medical as it's required as part of the training. I'm an Eclipse IE, I do the training, document everything well, give copies to the new instructor, and retain records, so we have proof that the manufacturers training has been accomplished. We maintain no relationship with the manufacturer, somewhat because there is no manufacturer. We all maintain USPA ratings as well, so are maintaining the medical. But, there's no law indicating that we must do so. I/we could drop the USPA rating, and do tandems all day long with no medical certification at all, and break zero laws. Straighten me out if you believe me to be mistaken. As I understand with UPT, the instructor signs a contract with UPT indicating that they will abide by UPTs rules or face civil legal action. Still not law. Martin Myrtle Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

7 of the 8 are current directors. Sounds like status quo, not change. The board of directors could improve if Sherry Butcher was gone. My opinion of Sherry has gone both ways over the years. Currently leaning more toward favorable. Change more due to a personal interaction. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

7 of the 8 are current directors. Sounds like status quo, not change. I think that especially considering what it looked like 10 years ago, that this is a descent line up of NDs. I do agree though Krisanne, it tends to be a "beauty contest", people voting more on name recognition than anything else. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Looks like Rich will no longer head up the S&T Committee since he's bumped off the BOD. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm at a point where we need to do a ground up restart on our hand cam equipment. I may be over complicating it, as it seems to come down to what gloves options are available. I have a few GoPro2 cameras that I'd like to use, at least on the still side, but don't see a glove option. I'm also confused by options for video, 3, 3+, 4 silver, 4 black, Hero+ (don't really need an LCD back screen). Maybe go with the Hero+ ($199) for stills, and something else for video in a Pivot glove? I REALLY like the Sony cameras for their image stabilization. But, there's always a "but", it looks like the HDR-HZ1 it goes to a 120 degree field with image stabilization turned on. And, I don't know what glove would work, though there is s Pivot mount for two HZ1s. Is there an "industry standard" of two GoPros? And if so, which models are typical? I need to put together two gloves for a 182 operation. I did search this forum, the latest information I could find is a couple of years old, and didn't really address my questions. And a couple of years is a generation in this area! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm going to spread that around a little, that's some funny shit. It can't hurt to package a real issue in humor, people who wouldn't otherwise give a shit what happens at USPA will actually learn something! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Except for how much money you have left to spend on your first gear!! In many areas, you won't have a choice of training methods. Or at least not without traveling a greater distance. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'm not fully versed on what exactly AFP is. My understanding though, it's a Tandem Progression AFF program developed by Roger Nelson (also pioneered AFF) where the student's progression and training go all the way through A license. Not 7 Levels of AFF, then "neophyte" status. Tandem Progression with a little more structure after the tandems. Or, maybe they simply don't want to refer to it as "Tandem Progression" Here's a suggested training schedule from one DZ. Day One: Tandem 1 & 2 Day Two: Ground School, Tandem 3, AFP 1 Day Three, AFP 2-4 Day Four: AFP 5, 6 Dave Five: AFP 7, High solo, Low solo Day Six: 2 related skydives, 1 coach jump Day Seven: 2 Coach jumps, 1 relaxed skydive Day Eight: 2 Coach jumps, 2 relaxed skydives Day Nine: 2 Relaxed skydives, A-License checkout skydive My opinion, in the end they all get you to the same place. AFF, AFP, Tandem Progression, IAD, or Static Line. With AFF or AFP, you'll spend $3000 to $4000. IAD/Static Line will typically run you from $2,000 to maybe an upper end of $3000. And once you're licensed, nobody gives a shit, or will ask how you trained. DZ management will push AFF or AFP as "the best", and often denegrade IAD/SL as "old school" or some such. The truth is that it's all about money. If the DZ is flying a turbine airplane, they do not want to loiter the thing over the DZ on multiple passes, or low passes for IAD/SL, it's simply not cost effective. If the DZ is running a 182, then it really ties up the airplane to take one student to altitude on the first few with two instructors. Also, for the smaller DZs, maintaining staffing for AFF can be difficult, or in many instances, simply not possible. As far as quality of instruction goes, method is moot. You can find good and poor in any method of training. There's my two cents/rant for the day! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Reading through this thread is a bit like mastrbating with a cheese grater. Interesting, but painful!! And, it seems to have just gotten bloody! BSBD Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'll get on that. We tell people quite often that the weight limit is 230 lbs. "So, I can't skydive at 280 lbs." "No, but you have the option of diet and exercise, and doing it at 230 lbs." I'm 6'8" tall, and there are quite a few things that I simply can not do because i'm tall. I don't fit in little cars. Some amusement park rides can not accommodate me. I'm also not the most attractive guy who ever walked the planet, so was always discriminated against by hot women. Life ain't always fair, if you believe otherwise you're in for quite a few disappointments in life. Lucky for big guys, they have the option of losing weight. I didn't mention, I'm 210 lbs at 6'8", but I don't stay at that weight by eating an unlimited calorie diet and leading a sedentary life. Not to say that this particular guy isn't 280 lbs at 15% body fat. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

It looks like you could complete your A license at Maytown through IAD for under $1,500 (hell of a bargain!!). You'll get a whole lot of "push" toward AFF "It's better!" "IAD and static line are old school", etc. Believe me, it all gets you to the same place, which is an A license. IAD at Maytown will cost you $1,500, AFF anywhere through A license will tend to run $3,000 to $4,000. Put that money you saved into your first rig. Once you have 50 jumps, the one question you won't tend to hear is "How did you train". Nobody gives a shit at that point. They only care about how your skills, etc. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Dave, Jeremy is Manager and instructor at SDKS, and has helped me with tandems from time to time. Beyond that, I'm sure that he can speak for himself. Jeremy is an active and very affective instructor. Great guy to be around, full of positive energy, and huge asset to any dz kuchy enough to have him on staff, or otherwise helping out. Martin myrtle DZO Air Capital DZ Wichitk Ks Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

How does the empty weight compare to what it was originally with the 520? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ