airdrew20012001

Hey kids, it's me. Jules has brought me the printouts off all you kind words and I can't tell you how much it helps. So here's the scoop: I ended up with several (7) broken bones in my left foot, four fractures in my pelvus, a break in the right hip socket, a compound fracture in the right humurous (sp?) and then broke every bone in my face except my forehead. It is my belief that my batrack saved my life in that respect. I have a total of 13 plates and about a half dozen screws here and there holding the whole me together. The nice thing is that there was no injury to my spine, backbone, or internal organs. IN essence, all the injuries are temporary and to answer the one million dollar question: yes, I willl return to skydiving as soon as it is possible.

thank you one and all for your kind words, they mean lot o me right now. I am still in the hosptol but doing better by the day. thanks ti some pretty crazy luck an my trusty batrak I am stilll alive to write this. Take care, iwill write more when i can see better xand sit up longer. Drewfus McDoofus

I will not respond to you because you have chosen a lame-ass handle. Skygod? Sheesh, get real. Drewfus McDoofus

I already have a full set up for doing RW, AFF< and tandems and have been doing them for a while. THe thing is, when I am doing fun jumps the last thing I want to do is put on my batrack with both cameras. My thinking is that I would like to get a freefly, video only setup. I have had sensational good experiences with my TRV 17. I have noticed that you can pick up a PC 1 for pretty cheap. What do those of you who have used one think of the PC1? Drewfus McDoofus

Quade - it appears by your picture that you too are a wise and very studly deathrack, er, I mean batrak flyer. Good for you, you will go far in life. Drewfus McDoofus

Dude, if the helmet is flat and you set the ring site to angle up then it won't be lined up with the camera's. I am probably not understanding your idea. Drewfus McDoofus

I have owned a lot of different containers over the years (racer, infinity, talon, and now a javelin) and I like the javelin the best. I think once you get past the 1999 model year then the 'unravelin javelin' no longer applies, the main pin protection is great. I have jumped a friends mirage a bunch of times but it doesn't fit me right so it wasn't very comfy. I think it really is a toss up. I agree that the pin protection looks better on a mirage and I do like the lines of it better. People who own mirage containers rave about them. Really it comes down to price and fit. I got mine with very few jumps with a PD reserve for about 1800 and it fits perfect so I am happy as a clam. Actually two clams and a mussel to be precise but whose counting. Other than me? Drewfus McDoofus

I have started doing rear riser flair and this is what I can report: a) Be very gentle, the canopy will buck and potentialy taco if you use too much. b) Practice up high a LOT c) Only do it for real if you have a really good set up. The ones I have done that have worked and worked well have been when I had the set up for a perfect hook, the one I did that didn't work so well was a rush job. d) have someone video you, it really helps. Go really slow, the potential to get thouroughly spanked is pretty high.

That is actually pretty common. My experience is that it comes from taping over other images. usually the image in the background is the stuff you are taping over. What I do because i shoot a lot of tandems is every now and then record over the whole tape with the lense cap on. It's the tape, not the camera. Drewfus McDoofus

Decide at 2 do at 18. That is my memory... Drewfus McDoofus

Considering that the recomended decision altidude is taught as 2 grand, that is too low. I usually pull between 2500 and 3000. It's high enough to be safe, low enough to give me maximal freefall time. Drewfus McDoofus

I use a velbon quike release plate (QRA-635) to mount my still camera and cannot say enough about it. As to the positioning, you are going to have to experiment around. If you are going to do a lot of headdown you probably wanna put it centered. Drewfus McDoofus

I was going to do the same thing. I had gotten a hold of a local metal fabricator who helped me with my ring site and was going to have him make one but by the time I got around to it I was so used to using the batrack as is I just said screw it. Drewfus McDoofus

Good post, my friend. It is good that others can learn from your oops and I am glad to hear you were not seriousely injured. The "can I make it back" decision is always a tough one. I shoot video so often I have to also consider that I am not going to get the landing shot, important to the student's video as it is, I have taken the easy safe out twice this year and am glad I did. Sounds like you did what a lot of people, including really experienced canopy pilots, would do. Good post! Drewfus McDoofus

Hate to say it but jump number mean didly. I know people with thousands of jumps who can't jump worth beans and people with less than 300 who are terrific skydivers and canopy pilots. Jump numbers are only the start. Drewfus McDoofus

I agree. Drewfus McDoofus

Hey folks, this post is for the newer skydivers out there. This last weekend I saw a pretty experienced skydiver (500+) jumps taking a fairly inexperienced skydiver (less than 30 I think) on a freefly jump. The lesser experienced skydiver was wearing a student rig complete with the reserve side main deploy handle for AFF. I film AFF at the dz pretty regular along with tandems and the like and sometimes the flaps (main and reserve) come open. Personally I thought this was a bad idea and let the experienced skydiver know that in my experience the student rigs were not meant nor fit for the kind of speeds and directions that sitflying put on a rig. Lesson: for you less experienced skydivers out there, just because someone has more numbers and holds ratings does not mean you should trut them blindly. The experienced skydiver agreed that it was not such a hot idea. After all, how is the newer skydiver going to check altitude? What if the main comes out when the newer skydiver is flailing about? On his or her back? Skydiving is an odd pursuit but do not leave your common sense at home. Always ask yourself: does this seem safe? "Don't be that guy" Drewfus McDoofus

I know of one DZ that has a jump minimum for even lurking tandems (500 I believe). Ours is pretty small so people basically know who is safe and who is not. Plus you need to have the JM permission, if he/she ain't comfy, it doesn't happen. I think it would make sense to call the home DZ of visiting camera flyers (reference check). For new people you could always have some form of a test. Have the instructor go out, lay a base, sink out, float up, see how the camera flyer reacts and go from there. Drewfus McDoofus

I fly a batrack with a trv 17 in a bonehead d-box. A canon rebel EOS G and tongues switch for stills with a cam eye II (wouldn't want to vid without it). The batrak has the cookable lining so it fits like a glove.

Gots me over 500 jumps and have about 60 month, wanna try the ole wingsuit wondering where there are proper training fascilities. Any suggestions? Drewfus McDoofus

There is life on earth? Hmmmmmm? First I have heard of that. Interesting theory... Drewfus McDoofus

I buy everything from Lisa at Square 1 and let her deal with attitudes of the manufacturers. Drewfus McDoofus

I have never heard of this hapenning so I don't know what to tell you. Odd that. Drewfus McDoofus

It's called a flat top because it is flat, not pitched. Both the batrack and the flat top pro are 0 angle camera platforms unless you tilt 'em when you bake the lining. Drewfus McDoofus

Don't forget the LANC jack, sucks to not have one. Drewfus McDoofus