davepend

Very nice! Do you (or your DZ) standardly do FF stills of your AFF graduates? What a great service to offer! -dp

"f/8 and be there." --Allen Hopkins

Hey Mark, I get that same FlightAware newsletter, but didn't see that photo. I wonder if everyone gets a different random selection of photos each week. Anyway... reminds me a bit of when I had Henry sew that left-hand-opening pouch on the bottom of my rig (after I landed the Esprit flaring it like a wore out F-111 Manta.) -dp

You know what's strange? Telling people about a new website, asking them to go have a looky see, then not actually posting the URL. Strange. Even stranger would be to complain about something without offering a solution: http://www.fireflysuits.com/ -dp

Thanks. Turns out I've seen that clip before (in low res), but never realized it was the guys camera that got broken (thought it was just part of his bike). Wow. "Oh, this is broken?" he says, after picking up the third piece. Nice. And I've got a new desktop picture. ;-) Nice photo. -dp

It must've been pretty good... YouTube's taken it down already. (They only ban the really good stuff.) :-(

No offense intended, but I'm wondering how someone has eight years in the sport and is a moderator on dz.com and doesn't know the basics about her gear and the rigging rules. -dp

Does anyone out there who has Apple's iMovie 09 tried the new Image Stabilization feature on freefall footage? Anyone try any other IS post-processing on skydiving video? Before/After examples appreciated. Thanks, -dp

Worst camera work... ever.

Question for riggers regarding this: The ring is sewn to the main riser (not FAA regulated) but, since it's purpose is to pull the RSL lanyard attached at the other end to the reserve cable or pin, does this alteration require (legally) sign-off by a Master Rigger or the Manufacturer? -dp

I remember seeing on the MacInTouch website (http://www.macintouch.com) a discussion running about the new MacBooks and their lack of firewire ports. It specifically discussed the issue of downloading from video cameras that only have firewire ports. I don't recall of the solution involved a Firewire to USB adapter or what. The MacInTouch site is pretty well laid out and you should be able to search for and find the discussion there. Hope this helps. -dp p.s. Congrats on your new MacBook. I checked them out at the Apple Store when they came out. Nice machines.

The item that struck me as most offensive was (which I would add as point five): The "TC" listing in Parachutist (and USPA.com?) that implies (or would likely be inferred by the reader) that those DZs without a "TC" next to their name do not encourage students or offer training beyond the first jump. This may not be the intent of the "TC" listing, but it's definitely what people will assume when they see it. -dp

Me camera flying with Gary (TM) and Justin (Student) at Skydive Hastings in 2005. -dp

I agree with nsemn8r's post above. The manufacturer's rating was first and is still necessary to help ensure safety with DZ's tandem jump programs. The USPA rating is the add-on intended (in my opinion) just to generate revenue for USPA. (I wish I could arbitrarily require some group of people to pay me $40 to continue doing something they were already doing for years.) ***Disclaimer*** I am not a tandem instructor, just someone who's tired of USPA "fixing" things that aren't broken. As a camera flyer, I work regularly with the tandem instructors and their students.

The monthly staff meetings we had at our previous dropzone is what I used there for I-rating currency. Counting "safety meetings" around the bonfire might be a stretch, though. -dp

OFF TOPIC (sorry): Packing Jarrett, It's great that you like to backfly, just please stop doing it DIRECTLY BENEATH the tandems. That airspace belongs to them. -dp

HA! Mexican Tony?!? Tony, haven't you told the wingsuit guys your fun Ethnic Heritage story yet? -dp

I am neither a rigger nor a lawyer, and probably not any smarter than anyone else here, but no one's seemed to notice in the text of the bulletin: (emphasis theirs) The important part here is "to avoid a possible emergency situation." As a camera flyer (or skysurfer, or CReW person) I am avoiding a possible emergency by keeping my RSL snap shackle disconnected and stowed. Perfectly legal sounding to me (again, not a lawyer). -dp

Which kid, mark? What's he play? Are we all going to their show at the Intersection on the 25th? -dp

Actually, he (I) was top-mount video, front mount stills for a number of years before going side-mount. Going side mount, for me, has been much better. My neck problems may be just as much from walking the Earth for 40 years as it is from skydiving with cameras. Stating that my "neck is gone" due to jumping side-mount and that "the weight balance is to [sic] much to the side on opening" is misleading and untrue. Okay... that part's true. -dp

The quote may have been talking about the original birdman of the 60s. (The Oldsmobile Museum in Lansing has a small display of Batwing Flying skydivers in a barnstormers exhibit). Oh, and YJ asked me to mail back his suit. -dp

Com'on Tony, the linetwists weren't *that* bad. Your facial expressions on the handcam just made it look that way. I especially liked the little bit of drool towards the end. -dp (video guy who's, for the most part, getting along with his handcam-enabled TM)

Very well stated. I'm continually refining how I shoot/edit and am currently at about six to seven minutes (not including leader or trailer). I used to end up with 10 minutes or more, but that had too much airplane and/or canopy footage. One good way to know how much is too much or what to trim out is watch your customer as they watch their video. At what points are their eyes glued to the screen with an ear-to-ear grin on their face? This is the stuff you want to keep in. At what points are they fidgeting, chatting with their buddies, or wanting to go outside and watch their friends land? This would be the stuff you can probably trim out. Remember it's *their* video. As Quaid said, tell the story of their experience without boring them in the process. -dp