skyjump122

Thank You Rob, I do not Know the recommendations of the other manufacturers, but as a Strong Instructor we were taught to leave them connected. The pitfalls of not doing so were clearly explained to us. Regardless of who designed and built the system the same outcome could lead to another sensless fatality. Manufacturers collect and evaluate incident reports, and solicit information from instructors for very good reason. They establish proceedures based on their reports and information from instructors. I am not the "Rule Boy" etc. that I have been named here - but I do and always will follow proceedures to the best of my ability, regardless of personal experience. I just hope some of what I said here, will prevent an instructor from making a bad choice. If someone really feels that their equipment manufacturer is making a bad recommendation, I suggest they contact them with their concerns. Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

No haven't got one of the new ones yet. Mostly jump 400's and one 360. I'd like to try a demo 366. Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Ok nuff said, The question was raised: Is it safe and/or correct to leave the lowers disconnected? The manufacturers do not recommend this practice, some quite adimately. Therefore the correct answer to the question is no. And yes I only jump either a SET 400 or 360 in the Dual Hawks. Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

complacency Main Entry: com·pla·cen·cy Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural com·pla·cen·cies Date: 1650 1 : self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies 2 : an instance of complacency ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I disconnect mine at 2000ft (and tuck them in between the student and me) after I know there are no canopy issues. As for high pivot point, if you are smashing your landings you should reconsider being a TI." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I was taught to loosen the laterals and reconnect them. I teach loosen the laterals and reconnect them. That said after seeing more than a few TI's struggle on landing because of the restricted lower body movement I now relaese them and connect them to the harness,on front with /sigma and the back with Strong after a complete canopy control check including a couple of hard turns and full flairs. It allows me to get my knees and feet well up and outside the passengers body for landing allowing me to protect my body and theirs during difficult landings. As for canopy wraps I will avoid them at all cost but am aware of and prepared to control my passengers body at all times. I saw BoB Holler flip a passenger threw the harness with the lowers attached in Tallahassee when I had 60 or so tandems. By the way I have 4372 tandems and 0 injuries to speak of. I think some of that is related to mobility during landing. My rule is dont flip over the student on landing and I slide more than I stand." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It must be wonderful to know that because of your experience level, and it has never happened - It will never happen!

This is very, very scary! Regardless of the brand of tandem equipment. If you are disconnecting and leaving the lowers disconnected you are creating a hinge point at the shoulder. This hinge point can kill, either during a cut-away or landing. I have also seen this practice, and have told the instructors in every case of the dangers in doing so. I did not bring this to light to knock anyone - I pointed it out to possibly save some lives. Now I just saw this "missed one for strongs. disconnecting and clipping them back into the piece on the back." This does nothing to prevent the hinge point at the shoulders! It only prevents the straps from hanging, and probably takes just as long to do.... Plain and simple, the lowers need to be connected at the hook-up rings. When I was still wet behind the ears as a tandem instructor, I witnessed an equally bad practice being followed by the veterans at another DZ. Out of respect for their experience, I kept quiet being the newbie. A year or so later this same practice at the very same DZ resulted in a tandem fatality! This is not a decision that should be based on what others are doing! A group of people doing something wrong doesn't make it safe. I have seen complacency result in a fatality one too many times. If you see this being done, please be the one to step up and say something. Thanks everyone Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Almost forgot Thanks for the music link - Iv'e been looking for a good place to go for royalty free tunes. Sony pc-109 I edit with an Apple Powerbook G4 Final Cut Express HD. I have been thinking of going to an HD cam, but you need a Blu-Ray burner to sell HD video right? Not to mention buying a new glove too $$$$$$$ Jump Strong - SET 400 Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Hi Rigger, Your points are well taken, let me addresss a few. 1) I tried a short lanyard but that posed it's own risks. Unlike a helmet the camera will fit down the front of my jumpsuit at the first sign of a problem. 2) If we are the first tandem out the student is between my legs. If we have a solo jumper getting out low then the student is in the back facing forward. If we are last again facing forward in the back. In all cases the student is seatbelted in until hookup. I have had to do a quick hookup and the student rolls over onto knees, it works. Our plane is a 185 and holds 5 jumpers. ( I could get into more detail ) 3) I do a handles check on every jump - when you see the shot of the drogue in droguefall, that is the result of my checking the reserve handle, after checking the others in sequence. 4) depends what you consider long I guess. 5) I loosen but keep connected just by tugging the friction adapters. 6) The students hands are in the toggles helping with the flare. I teach them to finish the flare with their hands at the top of the thighs. This teaches them to finish the flare, and keep their hands in. I also do at least 2 practice landings while still up high. One thing I picked up on from the Jump Shack recommendations is to film the practice landings. I think I will begin shooting that, and the practice arches before the jump. I prefer to have the camera paused during set up and landing - I want my full attention devoted to the landing. I take a shot of the ground below. I later edit with a cross zoom to the on the ground reaction shot. Another good thing is to give the student the job of carrying back the drogue & bag. You can be filming that as they walk & talk. But the big thing is, it gives them something to do other than find a propeller to walk into. It's like keeping them, and any friends on a leash. Martin sorry I misunderstood, I thought you said you pitched the drogue with the left - didn't make sense to me either - but then I don't know what you jump. Thanks Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Thanks, Not only for starting the thread but for sharing the dive flow. One thing that I kind of wondered about was disconnecting the lowers - do you loosen and re-attach? I only mention it because I was taught to not land with them disconnected. If you happen to fall forward on landing and the student sits this could result in a serious injury, or broken neck. I don't want to start things off wrong, I just kind of picked up on that. I loosen and if needed disconnect, but then re-attach immediately. I saw the shot of the first tandem leaving before you and love it! My exit is a little bit different, the drogue is on the right - Strong. Again thanks Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Yahoo! This is what I was hoping for, to get people talking about what makes a great handcam video. The reason I made such an issue of the lens is that I think many handcam instructors use the severe wide angle as a crutch. Thinking with a wide enough field of view, all they have to do is point in the general direction of the student and pocket the video fee. I just feel handcam can stand eye to eye with outside video for quality, if we put the effort into it. Maybe a thread devoted to handcam would be good? (technique, safety and equipment) I just kind of jumped on the bandwagon here. Thoughts anyone? Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Hello again, First I was joking about the cutting myself out part. I feel the video should convey to the viewer what the experience is like. I only mean to say that the image need not be badly distorted to accomplish that. By positioning the camera to allow the earth to have some (1/3) of the frame it doesn't look like a face in a box. I also meant to say that the camera need not be pointed only at the student the entire time in droguefall. The drogue shot is from doing my handles check. A quick pan shot of the horizon and or ground below can lend a sense of the surrounding enviroment. I am seeing a lot of video that looks like a convex security mirror in a store, that distorted image is what kept me from doing handcam for a long time. I assumed that was the only possible way to do it. When you shoot outside video it doesn't look like that. I keep the .3 on the camera the entire time, establishing shots, interview, ride up etc. and use some stock stills as well. I just don't want handcam percieved as a cheap, low quality video. it doesn't have to be. Thanx Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Thank you all, We will (and should) always have our preferances. I'm not saying the .3 is the best, only that it can be used, and offers a closer to life view. We can also pan the camera a bit to get more surrounding area. Ideally the subject would occupy 2/3 of the frame, and surroundings remaining 1/3 in front of them. This is common practice for video composition. "Rule of thirds" I don't mind cutting myself out - cuz I'm butt ugly anyway I anticipate having a letter in the February issue of Parachutist - regarding the slamming letter in the December issue. Handcam is really getting a black eye everywhere lately. If we are going to take the place of an outside videographer, we need to provide an equally good product - How we accomplish that is up to the person shooting and editing the video. I haven't seen any forums or threads specifically devoted to handcam, sorry you guys are catching my venting. Blue skies 2 ya Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Hello, I posted some video on Youtube and one here.The one titled handcam sample is the same one here, that way you can download it to watch it in another viewer. They had to be compressed for posting. The Handcam Sample video is the most recent and was shot with a brand new lens. I keep the wide angle on the camera throughout all the shooting - prejump - ride to altitude etc. A super-wide-angle lens gives the viewer the feel of looking into a convex security mirror at a store. I feel this just sends the quality down the toilet. Everything is so distorted, it makes it difficult to sit through. When you watch these notice no black corners - ( Vignette ). Some I have seen actually have a round frame from distortion. With the .3 you don't get that at all, and the distortion is not bad. I do not sell lenses!!! My goal is to elevate the quality of video going out the door. The people watching our videos, are our would be jumpers. Some quality lenses can be found at: http://www.royallens.com/product_description.php http://www.waycool.com.au/redeye03lens189-p-1.html My Videos: Handcam Sample http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8l4ASMNfFk susanne youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63_rW3m929I The Screamer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp483N6L05A Dan Wang - uploaded by student http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy9lq5eUAJQ Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?

Hi All, First let me thank you for posting the Jump Shack Recommendations. Something that disturbs me is the quality of the video going out the door. I have seen many posted on Youtube, that look like they were done using a shot-glass for a lens. The lens I use is a Royal Diamond 0.3x with a 110 degree field of view. With a little practice the student is perfectly centered in frame, and any distotion is minimal. Your responsability is to be a tandem instructor first and foremost, but if you are going to shoot video also - Please stop using fish-eye 170 or 180 degree lenses! Sell a quality product! I'm not selling a lens, just sick of seeing video that looks like it was made from a tunnel with a round window at the end. Youv'e got 54 lbs. of gear on your back - 160 lbs. of stupid on the front - 5 handles all in the wrong place - And a pilot chute in tow - What could possibly go wrong?