airdrew20012001

Glad to be helpful. Best of luck! Drewfus McDoofus

Sounds like a great deal, PC's are good camera's. The only piece of advice I have is this: it is bad to try to go half in. Not so much with a PC camera, I think you will be ok. I bought a cheap camera and the cheapest helmet I could find and then replaced them a short while later. Now I am stuck with a POS camera helmet that I cannot sell and do not want to use. Luckily I found a home for the camera. When it comes to the tandems, the one thing I would caution is that because of the variables and danger involved I know I would be very uncomfortable jumping with a camera flyer who wasn't kind of dedicated and into it. Does that make sense? You are adding yourself to what is an already full skydive with lots of variables the least of which is a total wuffo strapped to the front of the tandem master. Thet are not to be taken lightly or casually. I say this all the time in my posts: ask a lot of questions. Things that you wouldn't think are dangerous are deadly so. Video of you buddies is one thing, tandems and AFF are a different gig. Anytime you strap on a camera you are adding another variable (riser strike, line entanglement, reserve pilot chute entaglement) to what really is a dangerous sport. Don't be too cavalier about just doing some vid, though the widespread use of video makes it seem like no big deal that is not the case. "Be careful, don't be a statistic" Drewfus McDoofus

I have had two in about 330 skydives. The first was a lineover and I knew immediately. I was spinning on my back and accelerating. The second was a real low speed call. I had a hard opening canopy (robo-Z) and snapped the line to the stabalizer on the left side. When no brakes were applied it turned gently to the left, when brakes were applied it acted like a lineover and dove hard. I chopped it at 2000 because I felt it would be too hard to land. Basically it failed the control check. I saw someone who sapped half of their A lines try to land their canopy and get dumped hard from about 15 feet. Hope that helps. The first one, because it was so impressive what with spinning me on my back and all, scared the poop outta me. The second, as it was a judgement call, was not so bad but more of a pisser because I was about a week past the last repack. Drewfus McDoofus

Depends on who you do them with. The ones I have done have always been amongst friends so there were never in negative flashbacks. I have heard that when done in a committed relationship they are killers in most circumstances. Real relationship enders. Have done them both ways: two guys or two girls. Both were good. Did one with my friend Scott and a freakshow bartender that was a blast..good times. Enjoy but go in with open eyes, my friend, open eyes. Drewfus McDoofus

I jump a flite suit by the folks in davis with a small wing and it works great for me but then again I am tall and skinny. One of the other camera flyers where I work uses a free fly suit made of a really heavy material with swoop cords and it works great for him. He also has a "Camera Suit" that I got to jump this weekend and I really liked it. A word of caution: if you decide to go with a suit from Davis (Flite Suite) be mindful that the arms and the booties are chronically too short and have to be sent back to be re-done. Sounds like you needa big ole wing and really draggy fabric. One thing I have noticed is that booties rock for RW and aren't that great for tandems but others disagree. I'd ask around. You can always call Kevin at Eugene skydivers, he's a big ole hero as well. Drewfus McDoofus

I have seen the following three stack rotaion (top canopy to bottom): alpha 104, xaos 120, sabre 130. Go figure. Not that I would have wanted to be in the middle of it when it went to poop at 1,000 feet, but I saw it. I think they broke it off at 1500. I would say that all three have a lot of experience, collectively over 2000 jumps. Drewfus McDoofus

His name is Urban Moore, he is out of Eugene (well Cresswell technically) Oregon. He also does some summer work in Florida. Drewfus McDoofus

LIke that? The student was playing spiderman in the door while on the step. My favorite part is the scared to shit look on his face. He was all amped onthe way to altitude then flipped when he put his foot on the strut. Drewfus McDoofus

'Cus he's british. Freakin' Europeans are wierd folk, worse than dern Autralians. Way worse than Californians. Drewfus McDoofus

Ok, I know that Qunicy was in Illinois so one might assume so is Rantoul but that could be wrong. Anybody know where this fictitous Rantoul is? Drewfus McDoofus

I fly a .50 kenko when I do tandems because I can get closer in and get better detail on the passangers face while still getting more of the passenger in. I also like the slight fish-eye effect for ground work and in the plane. I have shot tandems with and without it and I agree with the idea that the closer you can get, the less the head movement is noticeable. I seems like since I went wide angle there is less camera shake. I do take it off for bigger ways (8+). The only down side is that if you are out, you seem way out. You have to be a little more aggressive to keep the subject from looking like a dot in the sky. If you go to my webpage, the picture in the tandem section of the lady in the sunglasses was shot from about 4 feet away with a .5, the other pictures are from slightly linger distances but without a wide angle lens. (http://www.angelfire.com/extreme3/logerflyer) The RW was shot without a wide angle. For indside video (people inside a four way flower, being inside a 20 way RW) you NEED wide angle or it just doesn't come out. I tried a six way horney gorilla without my WA lens and it came out for shit. One test that sold me was that I could get a whole person, head to toe, in the frame with it and without i cut them off and the neck and knees if from the same distance centered on the same spot. Hope that helps. Drewfus McDoofus

Me, I would want three poeple to hold the canopy properly oriented and inflated. Make sure the launch point is high enough to basically get instant line stretch. Jump way the frick out. Use a very docile 7-cell, not my stilletto 135. Wear a lot of pads just in case. I also the like the water idea in case it goes to shit. Also, have an emergency plan in case you end up in the lines, in the canopy, in the water, et. Find someone who has done it, like the guy in the photo, and ask if there is anything in particular that could make it extra bad. I, personall, never re-invent the wheel if I don't have to. Drewfus McDoofus

Pooh - Bittie Drewfus McDoofus

If so, how were they? What was the cost? How much time should one have before one bothers attending? What was the format, ie, how many jumps? Drewfus McDoofus

*bowm chica bowm bowm* Drewfus McDoofus

Anybody use 'em? How do they work? Any problems with shifting, opening, or creating camera shake? Drewfus McDoofus

The weather sucks down here, is there any good video's on how to freefly that would be worth buying/viewing during the down months? Drewfus McDoofus

understanding as I do the need to jump alone a lot at first, I was wondering if anybody knew of some good practicing tools? One guy told me to turn my hands so my wrists pointed towards the ground for better feedback from the wind, that is the sort of thing I am looking for. Also, what's the easiest position to master first, daffy or normal? What have other people done to learn that has worked for them. Drewfus McDoofus

Sorta. For stuff that is really up close you don't really need it, the feedback you get from the first few video's should teach you where your head needs to be. For the CRW stuff, it might be helpful because the further the object is away, the more you need to angle your head up. You might be able to learn this quickly but a ring sight is nice, you can also use to help you frame the picture as well (ie not cut off part of the formation). I might suggest you loose the .43 for CRW, other wise you have to be sort of on top of them. Another one of the videographers where I shoot took his off for tandems because you don't really need it, i am about to the point where I am going to do the same. Then again, I also have over 100 video jumps. At first I used it a lot, now I don't remember using it anymore at all. I would recommend you go to office depot and get a cheap laser pointer and mount it so it lines up with your camera. That way you can use it to check the aim as it WILL get bumped in flight occassionally. I had one get loose on me the fly to the side while I was on the strut. Video turned out mediocre, tandem still paid for it. Had I been able to go without I wouldn't have cared. That's what's i think. Look around, ask a lot of questions. Drew Drewfus McDoofus

My experience with the dbox I have for my trv-17 was that I had to do some modifications (dril, plyers) to make it work right. Hole over the zoom switch, et. Don't know what the problem is, would be willing to bet either way. Did you try plugging the cam - eye into the camera to test it before you put the whole set up in the d-box? My friends who jump pc's with d-box make very few mods but I will ask them when I see them next and let you know what they say. Drewfus McDoofus

Bat rack, trv 17, rebel eos g, got em. Using a Flite Suite camera wing suit, not that happy with fit or customer service. Have seen other problems with suits ordered by friends. Drewfus McDoofus

I wish I was going to Eloy this weekend...oh....wait.....I AM going to Eloy this weekend. See you there! ps. My rig is cooler than your rig! Drewfus McDoofus

I don't care about crazy flashy colors, will go for something plainish. I want one that will last. Any companies I should avoid? If it helps, I am 6'3" and about 180 out the door. Drewfus McDoofus

I am heading to Eloy for the first (case of beer) time this weekend. Where are the best places to hang out once the beer light goes on? Do they do the bonfire and beer thing like most places? Thanks for your time. Any comments on things I have to do or people I should try to meet would be appreciated as well. Thanks, Drew Drewfus McDoofus

Personally, making an artistic video is the best part of doing tandem video. Staring at a freaked out wuffo from three feet is durn boring. I shoot about a 15 minute video, all custom, no stock footage. i ahve seen DZ's where they have some stock footage and I think's it's really cool, am putting together some of my own these days. I try to let the video be ruled by the circumstances, the person I am shooting and the like. I start by fading into our DZ logo in the hanger, some running around the hanger, shots of the gear. Then I like to fade to the student gearing up, sort of get to know you video. Then I like to interview the friends and family if there is any, some goofy add-lib shots. The usual getting into the harness, walking to the plane, et. I found that using the fader and moving my altimeter forward to show the progress to altitude as an effect is cool. Not my idea, ripped it off from a guy at Skydive Oregon. I then put one take of the jump with no music or effects from exit to opening, then redo with slo-mo, different effects and tunes. Get the landing, post ump stuff with music fading out. Then I get an exit shot, pause it, put the music back on and leave that as the closing shot. My 2cents. Drewfus McDoofus