Shyandinnocent

Yep, I carry an extra battery in the cargo pocket of my suit. If in doubt -- I put it in. I keep 4-5 batteries ready at all times. Oh, yes! My only video bust (touch wood) was jumping a low charge battery on a very cold day. It died on me while I was hanging from the strut. Carry extra batteries in a pocket, but make sure the zipper/velcro is good. Those little suckers can make a big ding in someones head if dropped. Make sure you seek help and advice from people you respect and trust, and be wary of unsolicited advice from people you don't. Otherwise: ditto to all of the above. Don't run before you can walk. There is an awful lot of running going on in skydiving! Yes, I am a mother hen... It's never too late for a low turn!

Great day at work. If you think that is a wide position on exit, please bear in mind, that is from a helicopter at 20 knots exit speed! Am trying to make you jealous, is it working? It's never too late for a low turn!

I often find that if a customer is only looking at the ground, and not up at me, I can get them to notice the camera by hanging off the wings and getting right under and up in their face. After that, they usually notice that I am there, and interact with me/the camera much more. I don't usually grab them, as I do not wish to risk them grabbing me and holding on at release time. Might get my teeth kicked in, and I don't have dental insurance... It's never too late for a low turn!

Very few folk in the USA will know what a Cresco is! It's the smaller, older sister of the 750XL. Is the door not the same? It's never too late for a low turn!

I get glitches on my videos when they go over 4 minutes. OK, I use a lot of short clips, and a few transitions. But things run smoothly when played on the computer (1.66 Ghz powerbook g4) It's only after I have sharet my movie to both video camera and through IDVD that I experience glitches (and alas, NO. in different places every time, but normally towards the end) It's never too late for a low turn!

Transition training aside. We use springloaded pilotchutes and ripcords at our DZ and we teach our students to twist their bodies (as in a turn) on the count of one-three-thousand in order to send some clean air over their backs to send that pilot chute off into the stratosphere. We don't have problems with hessies, and we don't have problems with line twists. Apart from being a riggers nightmare (we just buy new ones when they die out), what other downsides can there be? It's never too late for a low turn!

Please excuse me for getting into this discussion, as I am a brand new instructor. As I just did my instructor training, I remember this well: we were taught to never have the instructor(s) exit from the outside, no matter how good a hold of them you think you have, as you risk the situation of the student refusing as they're supposed to let go, an you loose them. Now you are alone in freefall, and you have a freaked student stuck in the door, and maybe no-one inside to help them back inside. I have never jumped a King Air, so maybe with that door both JM's outside makes sense, I don't know. If it is just a matter of the door being small, I don't quite see the excuse of risking the above mentioned situation, just because you can't dive out a small door with a student. But then again I AM only new. We jump a Cresco at my DZ, is the King Air door very different? Is King Air high wing or low wing? It's never too late for a low turn!

I can go one better still... The only reason I had a new camera-helmet that day was that my old one (lovingly crafted on long nights, fibreglass flying everywhere, fingers glyed together with epoxy) was being painted by a friend. I had about 500 jumps in this helmet and could have flown it in my sleep. On this particular day, my friend had put the first coat on and decided to put it out in the sun to dry... On top of the rubbish bin... On rubbish collecting day... Sigh... ... Ant THAT, my friends, is a true story... It's never too late for a low turn!

Excellent thread! Reminds me a bit of the "all the little things about camera flying" one. I must have had at least 2/3 of those happen to me. But the day I should have stayed on the ground, everything went wrong on one jump-.. Upon gearing up in the plane notices that have no goggles. So I end up with the "emergency" goggles from the plane, which were giant big overgoggles for people who want to jump with their glasses. Of course no sight on these goggles, and brand new helmet, which I was unsure of jumping w/o a sight. Oh well, after having given my alti to a tandem master on the plane who had forgotten his own, we commence business as usual. So I climbed out, filmed the first tandem go, look into the plane to go with the second one, and by the horrible look on the TM's face realize that I were to go with the first. So I dive after them, catch up halfway down, and shoot pictures like crazy. The TM ended up going a little bit lower than usual, so I could get some decent video. When he released, i flip over on my back, as usual, and with both hands point up to them. That's when I nudged the aligator clip on my chincup and released the entire helmet. Damn. I managed to hold the thing on my head with my left hand for deployment. All that was going through my head was "please no mal, please no mal, ....." I didn't have a mal, no thanks to Murphy. And how was the video you ask? Absolute fucking shite. Completely wrongly sighted, and of the photoes, only about 3 were sellable. If there had been more tandems that day, I would have walked into Manifest and skulled a beer, to make sure I didn't have to do more jumps that day. As luck would have it, we didn't have more work, and we all went to the pool!!! It's never too late for a low turn!

Inspired by all the good tips in the "Words of wisdom for new tandem masters" thread, how about sharing some of that wisdom and experience for us new AFF instructors? What have you learned the hard way? What are the big red flags you have learned to recognize? Anyone have any specific advice for female instructors? All the more experienced instructors on my DZ are male, so not much help with that specific question there... Would love to hear from you!!! It's never too late for a low turn!

Normally around 80-90 from exit to landing on Rebel large. fine setting, but delete the not so good shots, so the customer walks away with around 70.... It's never too late for a low turn!

Thanks for your information. The weight issue worries me a little bit, but I must admit that I bought it anyway. The price was that good that I can sell it again without much or any loss if it turns out I cant use it. I have been using the 18-55mm for tandem vids, but it sucks and I hate selling photos that I aren't 110% happy with. They don't know better half the time, but I do! Do you recon the sharpness is an issue with this Tamron? (I haven't recieved it yet, so have had no opportunity to try it out... Taa... It's never too late for a low turn!

...offered a Tamron 14ml lens for not so much monies... Does anyone know... I mean 14mm of course... It's never too late for a low turn!

Hi Have been offered a Tamron 14ml lens for not so much monies... Does anyone know this lens? Is it heavy? (have only little scrawny girly neck for camerajumping) Does anyone know if it has a lot of 'fisheye' disortion or if the picture is reasonably flat? Is to be used mostly for tandem vids, so if anyone has any good reasons pro or con, I would love to hear from you. Thanks It's never too late for a low turn!

1. Having to film the 120 pound Tandem Master with the 40 pound Japanese tourist under a Strong drogue and realizing you left your wings at home... 2. Asking the turbine to land when you're on Jump Run, because you forgot to put film in for a "Celebrity Tandem" Oh, yeah, we weren't doing still yet. That's a whole different can of worms... It's never too late for a low turn!

Don't bet on it. They like the extra monies too much. Australia has used handicam for years now, and it doesn't look like anyone's getting sick of the extra work. In the mean time, I had to find other work to supplement my income... With just Cessnas it IS hard to survive as a camera only person, when DZ operators can sell a video to the tandem, as well as get someone else to pay for the extra slot. I also feel for the new tandem master, who isn't allowed to take a camera up with him or her. It is also very hard for them to get the experience they need to qualify for full time jobs in a country where many operations are handicam only. If you ask me, handicam is the invention of the devil, as I'm only doing a tenth of the jumps I have been used to doing. My husband has almost doubled his income, though, so I guess it does benefit me anyway... Pros and Cons, the debate still rages on here Down Under. Like it or not, Handicam is here to stay!!! Damn it! It's never too late for a low turn!

pac make very good aircraft and very good skydive accesories for them. to say that they are not camera friendly is silly. maybe the person who bought your one is just cheap. these planes were 'made for skydiving' and come equiped to do so unless you want just a basic model(are a cheap ass) Hear hear No better jumpship around!!! It's never too late for a low turn!

Yes, I know. Our pilot recons the problem is the same w both aircraft, though. You can still float a bunch of people, just don't take too damn long... Send us your thoughts, it is still a "relatively" new aircraft for jumping, so us that use it, would like to know of any problems others experience... It's never too late for a low turn!

Don't know the american product, but all us in the Australias use Way Cool gloves, and have for years! I can vouch for these gloves, having seen them in use for years at my DZ where I work. My significant half has gone through 3 cameras but still use the same glove (2000 tandem handicams), and it's still going strong! It's never too late for a low turn!

The plane owner (Not us) removed the large step because people were floating 2-3 people on it. It was to far back and causing flight problems on jump run. I hate the camera step on the PAC right now. Its doable but really it sucks bad. Totally hosing everyone with a 3" step because people aren't smart enough to know putting 3 ppl behind the door is bad sucks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I absolutely ADORE the PAC (we call them Cresco here in Oz). We were stacking up 10 ways in the door with no problem. Floating 2-3 people have not been a problem for us, just don't take too bloody long (disrupting the airlow over the tail). It is the most comfortable plane for camera exits I have jumped, with the long step and handle. Even a little girl like me can hang off on one hand. Sorry you lost your step. It really is a wonderful plane!!! It's never too late for a low turn!

Get your TM to do a whole body count, that way you can see your passenger swinging ready set go... Or you can get your TM to stick his hand down and give you a hand key from hip level. Unless of course he's (she's) one of those people who have to hold on... Good luck! It's never too late for a low turn!

I bought an expensive switch as well, a bite one, but had to stop using it. It was a bit long and went too far into my mouth, so I always gagged on it in freefall.... So I built myself a tounge switch, and it is very easy to do (even a girliegirl like me can do it). Just went to a electrical supplies shop and get a plug to fit your camera, a bit of wire, and any little buttony sortof thing. Solder the bits up and start shooting. I gluegunned the switchbit up a bit to have something to bite on, and just put little waterballoons over to avoid spit getting in there and ruining it. I made myself 5 of them to have spares, but the first one has lasted me over 500 jumps. Good luck and happy jumping! It's never too late for a low turn!

Thank you Dan I will contact your company direct! IM It's never too late for a low turn!

I did a video jump on this one that crunched my neck so much I have my navel in the video one frame.... It hurt It's never too late for a low turn!

I've been reading some of the other threads on this topic now. I think a lot of Cobalt owners agree that the canopy flies great. I think so too. But the openings are so hard that everybody on my DZ that has tried it, say they will never jump this canopy again. They range in wingloading on that canopy from 1.2 to 2.2. Apparently Atair recommends that you dump in a flat track to get better openings. And that falling slower leads to harder openings. This makes no sense to me at all. Can anybody explain this? It's never too late for a low turn!