airborn11

yes, I have read that a higher deployment + decision altitude is advised when jumping camera, but all the camera people I know pull at 3K like everyone else at my DZ... My camera helmet is pretty snag free I think. The only two snag points would probably be the chin strap and the camera lens itself (which sticks out slightly from the body of the helmet). I *may* be able to cut away my helmet with one hand, it's just got a standard plastic clip buckle on the chin cup like most helmets do, but I feel like if I wanted to cut it away I would instinctively reach up with both hands to do it and that's why I don't watch to peel my reserve pad first!

Hi. Like many freefliers, my rig has a pad for the cutaway and a pad for the reserve. I am just about to start jumping camera and prior to this my cutaway drill has been to "break" both pads upwards and then "punch right, punch left". When I start jumping camera, I intend introducing a slight delay after cutting away in order to ensure that if the departing main canopy snags on my camera I can cutaway my helmet before deploying my reserve. This also means that I won't be able to break the left pad until I know that I don't have to cutaway my helmet (which takes two hands). If I broke both pads at the same time, then cutaway, then found that I had to cutaway my helmet - I'd have to "drop" my already broken left pad and I don't fancy having it flapping around everywhere... My drill will therefore be: 1. break right pad 2. punch right pad > 3. break left pad 4. punch left pad Obviously this is a longer sequence than just breaking both pads and punching right then left. I understand, of course, that this is a by-product of jumping camera and that there is additional risk. So, questions: * Is the sequence I have described OK? Is this what other people do? * Having never had a cutaway, I am interested to know when cutting away from a mal, when you cutaway do you tend to pitch forwards - i.e. belly to earth - or backwards, or just fall straight down? I appreciate that this could well be different in each individual scenario - I am just interested in hearing examples. * Does the clean air (if the main has slowed descent somewhat before the cutaway) make it hard to "get stable" after a cutaway? Are there any problems with deploying my reserve if I was in a back to earth position after cutting away? * I have read about people getting into wraps with either their canopy or lines after cutting away. Is this only likely to happen with spinning mals / elliptical canopies? Many thanks in advance, ajs