hairymango

Tina - what does jump numbers have anything to do with knowing about organisations? I have dealt with the USPA, BPA, APF,NZPF. From personal experience I know that the BPA are not a shinning example of a way to do things. Also I know people that have operated dz's in the UK for over 20 years and guess what......... they have the same opinion of the BPA, as do many instructors I have met from all over the world - people with thousands of jumps and many years of experience. So thanks for your patronising comments but it doesnt excuse the fact that the BPA has the same way of thinking as you. Backwards. Im not trying to start an argument about which oragnisation is safer - its the people that jump that make the mistakes. For your information im not from the US, nor do I think I know everything. Im learning every day and will continue that way. I used to hook my passengers up in the plane before take off until my collegue told me about the time he was first on the scene to a jump plane which had crashed on take off and was on fire....... So back to the point of this discussion - give me one good reason why you should hook your passenger up in the plane before take off or an altitude that you can safely exit the plane. It takes longer to unhook a passenger than it does to hook them up. Add panic, smoke, fire, water to the equation and you have a big problem. How many times have you hooked/unhooked yourself to a tandem passenger?

Just because it hasnt happened in the Uk doesnt mean that it never will. I dont see any point in hooking up a tandem passenger when you wont be exiting the aircraft at that given altitude. The fatalities in Australia just highlight this situation. I would rather my passenger have a chance of survial than by attached to an unconcious/dead body in a plane that could be on fire/under water etc. Wouldnt expect the BPA to do anything about this because they are a backwards organisation.

I have a deepseed glove and have only done a 100 handycams on it and Im not impressed. The waycool gloves look like they are built to last alot longer than deepseeds.

thanks for the help andrew!

Thanks for all the replies. Andrew any rough ideas how many jumps a tm would get in a season (7 month period) or year at a busy turbine dz? Moving to NZ hey! it good over here, sweet weather and a massive tandem market. thanks

I thinking of emigrating to Canada in a few years and want to find out how work is out there for TM's. Good busy dz's to work at? Cost of living? how does it compare to the US? pay etc etc. year round dz's or just summer? Any info is helpful cheers

been working here in NZ for last few months. The wages are very good (even in the 'quite' months) and the living costs are not high. The people are sincerly friendly and the place is so beautiful. cons - No fun jumping

So you exit the plane the plane at 15,000ft (tandem under drouge) and your nice new fur hat with a protrack in it (not much weight) decides it doesnt like you anymore and detaches itself from your head at about 14,000 ft , your under canopy at 4,500ft. Now the question is does the hat drift further down the wind line than the point you opened or does it not drift as much as you did in freefall!? 30 knot winds at 15,000ft, no wind on teh ground So do I search more around where I exited the plane OR search further down the wind line from were I opened OR search around were i opened??? Im getting mixed opinions so Im putting it out there and maybe someone has some scientific knowledge of furry hats in freefall Thanks Adam

So you exit the plane the plane at 15,000ft (tandem under drouge) and your nice new fur hat with a protrack in it (not much weight) decides it doesnt like you anymore and detaches itself from your head at about 14,000 ft , your under canopy at 4,500ft. Now the question is does the hat drift further down the wind line than the point you opened or does it not drift as much as you did in freefall!? 30 knot winds at 15,000ft, no wind on teh ground So do I search more around where I exited the plane OR search further down the wind line from were I opened OR search around were i opened??? Im getting mixed opinions so Im putting it out there and maybe someone has some scientific knowledge of furry hats in freefall Thanks Adam

Guy is a moron, I got this reply from him. I knew he knew what he was talking about when I read "jump power is 15." lmao! Give him a call he is quite entertaining when your bored at work. ---------------------------- Hi Adam, my client's name is Mr. Paul Jones. he is located at the Old kent Road inside London. West Park Dropzone and his jump power is 15. So i would want you to get back to me with your last price of this item. MR. IAN WHITE +447023050268

Im editing on a comp at the moment but Im on the ground more than I am in the air it only takes me 10 mins max on linear system But I dont have a linear system over here yet, Im just tryinng to decide which system to buy. Im guessing my second option - because I tried a DVD which i made in the US on NTSC systems and it worked in some dvd players over here, So if I buy all NTSC devices that may work but it my not?

Hi, Need some advice if anyone can help? I working in the UK with NTSC cameras, I need to edit into PAL format via digital video mixer / dvd recorder I am planning to do the following....can anyone give advice if this will work or not? Hook my camera into..... NTSC to PAL convertor (eg Atlona or SECAM), feeding into............ Video mixer (eg Sima SFX-9 or Videonics MX-1)..........then into a DVD recorder. OR Just get a region free dvd recorder and make a normal dvd and it should play in dvd players here?? Thanks Adam

I had the same problem on my PC109, happened about 2 mins before the 1st load of the day was about to take off - I got to sit on the ground Found the reset button and it worked for 10 mins. 2nd load Im sitting in the plane before takeoff and it does it again so we taxi back and the TM has to take his handycam as Im of no use to him. Anyway as I bought the camera on ebay and dont have any type of warrenty, I had to get on the internet and do a little research. I found a very interesting site with 'lots' other sony customers describing the same problem - E61 error message, zooms in all the time and stays out of focus. Most didnt have pc109's but they all sony cameras. Anyway heres the interesting bit ....... people had contacted sony and been told how much it will cost to fix, and one person writes how they heard of a fix which is.......... dropping there camera from a good height onto the lenses......I couldnt believe this but apperently it works!!!!! all the people on the forum are raving how it works and how happy they are that they didnt have to pay sony all the money http://www.pechorin.com/m/2004/08/07/SONY_E6100_ERROR-217896.html I didnt fancy dropping my camera onto its lenses just yet, so after reading the whole forum I found the error means there is a problem with the motor that controls the zoom (thats why a good thump to area around the lense fixes it) So instead I took the time to take the camera apart and blow on the area around the inside of the lense......it works perfectly now but I dont recommended taking it apart as springs and other bits popped out and it took me a frustrating two hours to get it back together....... So if you get this error message the advice of people that have had the same problem and dont want to pay $$$ is drop it on its lense and it works perfectly.

Thanks for the tips, spent 30 mins in the tunnel and found out what I was doing wrong. I found it easier to fly my arms in more of a box position than the usual way I fly which is mantis, then I collapse the wings by pulling elbows back first and then down to my sides, instead of just forcing my elbows down.......dont know if that makes sense? anyway it made it easier to control and I wasnt fighting the wings when I changed my fall rate. Then I was stable and able to move around with just my legs.

Thanks for the tips, Im going to spend some time in the tunnel today at Skyventure, malaysia. I'll see how it goes and come back with some questions.

I'm lookin for advice on filming tandems with a camera jacket. Ive done some searching and cant find the info I need. The TI's/Camera flyers that taught me about flyin camera told me to learn how to fly my body first and then use a camera suit/jacket second. So I done the first part and now need help with the second. I dont usually have a problem and get the money shot just flying my body in my freefly suit on my belly, but there have been a few jumps recently where I have sunk out as the passenger is 50kg and the TM isnt to heavy either. Im dearching, pulling them hips back, gettin big and I see the tandem floating above me out of shot. So I have this nice new firefly medium wing jacket that would be perfect for these occasions if only I could fly it. I want to be able to fly it fast or slow and in full control - but I dont feel like Im in full control and still feel like wings are catching air even though my arms are in. I dont have a problem flying with my arms in on heavy tandems with my freefly suit on, but with the wings its a different story So any tips on body position would be great, how do you fly with your wings collapsed? Do I have to put my arms behind my back to properly collapse them? what position are your arms? fast tandems I put my elbows to my hips and with my hands at my shoulder. how do I gradually increase/decrease speed? what are your thoughts on camera jackets V's Camera suits - am I at a disadvantage as I dont have drive from booties, or any drag on my legs if Im wearing shorts? Thanks

Anyone know anything about this video? was the guy badly hurt? http://www.big-boys.com/articles/doublemal.html