Rugby82

Best thing is to go to the gym. I've been doing this for about 10+ years now and it really helps. Eventually the basics are: - Squatting - Dead lifts - Shoulder/Military press - Bench press - Pull ups with your palms facing outward - Loads of lower back and abdominal exercises Look these up. These are the real basics for an overall strong body. Blue skies!

I think it was around jump #-600. Did a 4-way RW out of a Skyvan behind a 14-way RW. The captain of the 14-way told us to exit about 4-5 seconds after the big-way which seemed short too me. We did this becuase there were a lot of solos behind us. Turned out when I went in tracking I saw the bigway opening right beneath me. Opened as fast as I could and had to pump the rears to speed up the opening. Canopy was fuly inflated about 10 ft. to the side and 6 ft. above one of the bigwayjumpers. Blue skies!

This isn't true in all dimensions. It will enhance your field of vision in the dimension above, in front (and to the side) and will restrict your field of vision in the dimension below, behind (and to the side). If you want a larger field of vision in all dimensions (except straight above) you'll need a removable slider. This will also have a nice effect on filming side-mount under your canopy. No more slider covering the footage. Blue skies!

100% sure this is a scam. It's a well known method. Had the same experience while trying to sell my car a couple of years ago. Blue skies!

Nice Blue skies!

2500 ft a couple of times while seperating from a chaotic FF-jump with too many people for the experience levels. Too much people around me to open higher for my own safety. Blue skies!

Thanks for all the very useful replies. After weighing the pros and cons I ended up buying a Canon 550D. It may be a bit heavier, although not as heavy as a XXD or XD serie of Canon, but I also use it a lot when I'm not skydiving. It would be interesting to hear if there's a possibility to shoot both HD video and still images using only the 550D. I've also bought a CX115 for video to replace my much heavier HC5. All this to spare my neck a bit although my Crossfire helps a lot in doing this. Blue skies!

The Safire2 also has a very short recovery arc. If you're looking for a canopy with a longer recovery arc then I'd try a Sabre2. Blue skies!

Hi Graiki, Thanks for this interesting post. The footage looks really great. I've been having alook at the Sony SLT-series because of the facts you stated (less weight and smaller with 7 fps). I will be using a CX-115 for video and am planing to use the DSLR for photo only and maybe for some video when I'm not using it for skydiving. Can you tell me how the quality of the photo's are with the SLT-A33? If I'm buying a Sony it'll probably be a A55. There is no need to compare the camera with a Canon Mark-series because they are much more expensive and in my opinion too expensive for skydiving. Greetings, Erik Blue skies!

I know And I'll be there this weekend hopefully, provided my arm/shoulder is OK by then and I can jump. What's wrong with your 450? In general, you'll want to put more money into glass than into the camera body itself, ie, getting a good lens generally will help you more than getting another camera The broke into my home and stole it. Tha't's what's wrong with my 450D. Blue skies!

The CX130 has Optical Image Stabilisation which isn't suited for skydiving. The best choice will be the CX115-116 and the older 105-106. All other new Sony models have OIS which sucks for skydiving. Blue skies!

Hi Saskia, Wanted to ask you about the different camera's this weekend in Teuge if you're there. I'm the videoguy of 4igami. I've already shot some tandems and have done so with manual focus because the standard lens was too slow for auto-focus. I've also been looking at the Canon 550D which also looks nice. The camera will also be used for shooting other pictures than skydiving only. I just want a DSLR which is better then my previous 450D and can be used for all purposes. I don't mind buying additional lenses for the camera. Blue skies!

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Love Rollercoaster (Beavis and Butthead - Do america themesong) Blue skies!

Hi everyone, I've got a question. Last week someone broke into my home and stole my Canon 450D. I'm now looking for a new camera and am looking for some advice. I got the Canon because most people use them for skydiving but now I'm also looking at Sony and Nikon. I've been looking at the Sony SLT-A33 and A55. What I've seen is that these are smaller and lighter then most DSLR's which my neck will love. Does anyone have any experience with this camera for skydiving and does it work wit a conceptus Tongue switch? Are there models from Nikon that are also compatible with the Conceptus tonge switch and that are used for skydiving? I've been looking at the D5100 or D5000. Which current models of Canon are best suited for skydiving? I've found a 1000D, 1100D and 500D and also the compatibility with a Conceptus tongue switch. Thanks for the advice. Blue skies!

Let me start to say that I think audibles under canopy can be helpful for a lot of people but can never be more important than visual cues. As someone who has a major in Psychology and does look at things a little different as others I'll explain why. I also took BG's course a couple of years ago. Skydiving as we all know is a sport that uses all 3 dimensions. This is something people aren't used to and aren't really made for. The human brain can only process a small proportion of the stimulus we get while skydiving when we have low jump numbers (0-500 jumps). This means we will not be able to see and hear everything we would like, to be totally save. The recent incidents IMO have confirmed this. Now let's throw in the audible. Let me first state that it must be used as a backup like AAD's. There eventually is no substitute for thinking with your brain and looking with your eyes. The audible allows the skydiver to put more focus on his/her surroundings then on the altimeter which will have a negative effect on awareness for everyone around you. This should be especially true for jumpers with lower jumpnumbers (read 75-500 jumps). I don't think jumpers with less then 50 jumps should use audibles, but correct me if you think I'm wrong. These jumpers must first learn the basics before being aided in this way. Now let's go one step beyond this. Let's add swooping to the equation. You've just learned how to land your canopy in a tight space and understood the basics of canopy flight. You're used to all the stimulus under canopy and can handle this pretty well (assuming your not downsizing too fast). You're now taking away a lot of brain capacity for scanning your surroundings by inducing speed on landing which takes a lot of focus which cannot be directed towards other things around you. Add the small margin of error we have when swooping and you can imagine what will be left of your brains processing capacity. Not much. The audible can aid in having a bit more brain capacity and therefore make that human a bit safer when used in the right way. Let me make one thing clear. I don't think people should rely on audible for 100%. There is no substitute for your eyes. They can only aid you in becoming a safer and more consistent skydiver. Blue skies!

This is just plain bullshit. The biggest part of the course is on canopy flight. Canopy flight cannot be understood without vast knowledge of human psychology. If you don't know what your body is doing under stress and how you can manage this you will have a bigger chance of dying. Being calm and relax is the most important thing in canopy flight. Blue skies!

I've attended one of BG's CP courses and I can tell you one thing. It's worth every penny. BG is a great teacher. Blue skies!

Our dropzone offers basic first aid training once every year. If you're in the instructors training program you need to follow this course to complete the training. Blue skies!

Try mounting video and photo on a helmet like that. You probably cannot look up to reach your slider because the helmet will be too big. You cannot look to the side because the helmet is too wide and you will be stuck in your risers. The total-weight will also be a serious issue for neck injury when deploying. Blue skies!

With the mPOD (Magnetic bag) I always use a drag mat, this really works well. When packing outside or at our remote DZ, when not having a drag mat, I'll close the bag and walk it to the rig and than make the figure-8's. Blue skies!

I jumped both Sabre2 and now XF2 and I can tell you one thing, the XF is in a totally different league than the Sabre2. The XF2 is much more aggresive and needs more attention than the Sabre2. The XF2 will get you back from a long spot where the Katana doesn't do that. The recovery arc of the XF2 is shorter than that of the Katana but both will swoop very well. I love doing video and therefore chose the XF2 over the Katana because of the superb openings. Blue skies!

Already discussed in the photo & video forum. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3926798;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=sony%20nex&sb=score&mh=25 Blue skies!

This is a nice ne to read so I'll join in. Manta 280 - 70 jumps NAV 260 - 10 jumps NAV 240 - 10 jumps NAV 220 - 10 jumps Electra 190 - 420 jumps Sabre2 170 - 200 jumps Safire2 139 - 25 jumps Crossfire2 139 - 85 and still jumping it Wanting to make a minimum of 500 jumps under my current canopy. Blue skies!

Why must everything always be perfect. Humans aren't made to be perfect, they make mistakes. The world wouldn't be any fun if everyone was perfect. To add to this, humans learn more from their mistakes than they learn from things that go according to the book. Why then do we think that skydiving works in another way then life? Maybe because it's an Alpha-male world where they think it's fun to ridicule people and they think that they are all the best in the world and never make mistakes. I can tell you one thing. All the arrogant and cocky, so called skygods, skydivers made the same mistake at one point. They now just feel to good to give in to this because this seems to be the way to act in this sport. I personally made my bunch of mistakes which all turned out allright and I'm happy to share those with the students I teach because we can learn more from other peoples mistakes then from arrogant behaviour and trashing less experienced skydivers. Knowledge is the way to go and this will keep the sport alive. Not sharing your knowledge is the way to let this sport go downhill. Like Frank Zappa once quoted: "The mind is like a parachute - it works only when it is open.". These people's minds aren't open. If we want to advance in this sport more minds need to be open. Maybe my thoughts are different then others because I've got a background in Psychology but this is the way I see it. Blue skies!

Another problem is hearing people under canopy while wearing a FF-helmet. Had a close-call reserve opening a while ago and shouted to the guy next to me under canopy but he didn't hear me due to him wearing a FF-helmet. Blue skies!