davelepka

I'm not talking about shaking students hand, or flying up in a sit and making them grab your dirty shoe. Has anyone had any experience floating up under a tandem, on your back, and taking grips on the main lift webs of the student harness? I have seen Rickster float out of the door in front of the tandem, with his hand on the students chest, but he sets that up in the door. I'm talking about in freefall, drouges out, and you fly up and do your thing. Any takers? Anyone seen or heard of this?

Did anyone see the thing about Skydive Kansas? I saw it in another forum, and this place has got to be kidding. Take a look at skydivekansas.com (I know it not a link, do the work and type it). The expereinced jumper policies? Who came up with this idea? Look at the staff page, only one of them has an AFF rating, how do you do level 1 through3?? Only two of their staff members have over 1000 jumps. The only camera flyer has been jumping for 15 years and has 650 jumps? I've done more jumps than that in 15 MONTHS. I'm just in shock that that place even exists. I know either Rod Stieger or Alan Funt have to coming around the corner any minute now...

I saw a post where somebody refered to belly flying as the "student position". We all know of free-fly stundents working with coaches, and my DZ has a mandatory sit-fly jump (2 actually) for A-licence seekers (who are technically still students). Lets be fair, and call it what it really is, the deployment position.

I think that there needs to be a jump minnimum, but on top of that the jumper should be able to pass a skills eval. One idea is for the wannabe video guy to film an experienced camer flyer wearing a camera suit. The experienced jumper could present some reasonable changes in fall rate, a little sliding around, maybe screw up the exit count, the usual stuff. If the jumper can stay with him, and film the whole thing, he passes to shoot video. Sure it would cost $50 (two slots + a few bucks for the base), but you could make that back in an hour shooting tandem video. In comparison to the cost of a tandem or AFF rating, it's a bargain. Of course I'm opposed to the idea of a video "rating", this is idea is a way for the prudent DZO or consession operator to qualify an up and coming camera flyer. The other idea is that the DZO could buy the existing camera guys some back up rigs, hire an editor, and just get the experienced guys on every load......

I just started reading this post yesterday, and I'm sure this has coime up before, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents anyway. All the new guys need to remember this; cameras and camera helmets have become easier in the last few years, but the camera flying is still as tough as ever, maybe even tougher. For all the 200 jump wonders who strap on a lightweight side mount, and try to shoot video, keep in mind that you have to be the best flyer on each skydive you video. As the camera man, you are not part of the skydive, and need to have the skill to operate on the outside edge of that skydive. The jumpers you are filming are not paying attention to you, and they never will. If you are not capable of doing your job 100%, independent of the jumpers you are sharing the sky with, take the camera off, and focus on your flying. Additionally, to the guys looking for advice on freeflying with tandems, if you can't freefly on your own, you can't do it with tandems. I saw a post from a guy who was "backsliding all over the place" with a tandem (he was on his back) and couldn't figure out why. If this happens to you, do not come to the internet and ask for advcie; get a freefly coach, and get back up in the air. At a minnimum, get a fellow jumper to lay a base, and practice with him. An actual tandem (paying or not) is not the time to learn anything, for your safety, and the safety of the TM and the student. Keep in mind, no matter how much you think you can just put on the camera and "not think about it", you are wrong. The camera is a bigger distraction than you know, it will take up 90% of your brainpower, and if you can't skydive with only 10% of your brain, you need more jumps, more time in the air, more exposure to the unusal situations you will encounter while on actual skydives. I hope people don't take this the wrong way, I just want people to use their heads on the ground, and make good choices for the skydives they are going to make. Once you leave the plane, you are stuck finishing what you started. You can't change the people you are jumping with, the jumpsuit you are wearing, or the gear you have on your head. Be safe up there, and keep in mind that the manufacturers have the 500 jump minnimum for tandem video guys for a reason. Blue skies...