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How did they do that? What did their new DZ offer that the old one did not. If a DZ is a pleasant place, it is a lot easier to stay put.

Exactly. Only a xenon strobe is going to meet the requirements in a small size. Anyone who does not believe that needs to go do an experiment at night to test it. 3 miles is a loooong way to see a light.

Here is all the info: http://www.replayxd.com/product/1080-mini/ Specifically: F2.8 Wide Angle 110 Degress @ 1080p 120 Degrees @ 720p That is why I decided that I need some kind of sight on my helmet.

Well, to clarify, in post #7 I mentioned a pressure/temperature sensor and asked if an accelerometer would be available. Those 3 sensors only, which I think is all that is needed for simplicity. If we wanted more sensors, then yes, I think the hardware might need to be more defined before the software.

Josh, thank you for that post. Yes, sometimes it is good for the sport to do the extra work to help one of our (future) friends participate in skydiving.

Peter, you have outdone yourself again! Excellent research.

That's interesting, because I don't recall hearing it used until a couple years ago, and that was in relation to a canopy course.

You got into a lot of detail very quickly! I am suggesting that the program flow (hence the flowchart suggestion) should be considered first. The hardware can be selected later, and there are a lot of choices. We would just need to know whether to include accelerometers at all when writing the program flow. From what I can tell, many of the "issues" with current AADs have been because of "exceptions" in the operation that were not provided for. Or to put it another way, I think the firmware is a larger consideration than the hardware.

Do you have a skydiving tattoo somewhere obvious? You know how some whuffo dudes are threatened by that.

Just my opinions on where we would need to start: Someone would need to specify what sensors would be available. I think we can assume a pressure sensor, temperature sensor (only for pressure sensor corrections), and perhaps a 3 axis accelerometer if the microprocessor has enough computing power. I don't think an AAD needs anything else. Someone could choose a flowchart editing program, perhaps an online one, and then have flowcharts go through some kind of review process, where one or more program flows would be the current or "preferred" program.

Yes, I hear it is very strong stuff. The reason I added the screw is because where I had to place the mount to avoid seeing part of the helmet was not on a very flat place. The edges of the mount stuck up from the helmet. What do we know about how well the tape works for this kind of situation? I can't say that I know a lot about it. Very good then. I don't have a mobile device like that so I didn't know. This camera's setup is looking more attractive all the time.

"... with Hobbyking stabilization." The word "hobby" does not exactly inspire confidence in a vehicle leaving the ground with a human on board ...

Good catch. I only briefly proofread the items I was given. They simply stated it incorrectly.

Well, this peanut says, "Go for it!". There will be challenges, and the instructors might work a bit more in certain areas, but he can succeed. It would be a good idea to let him know that if something happens that prevents him from continuing, that he will probably not get as much money selling the rig as he would like.

http://www.replayxd.com/product/1080-mini/ I have been doing skydiving video and stills for many years but have done less of it in recent years because I just don't like the encumbered feeling I have when wearing a camera helmet. Also, when jumping with students, I have always felt like the camera would distract me. The Replay XD 1080 Mini is just what I had been waiting for because of its size, simplicity, and pricing. Here are my thoughts on it. This review does not include any technical information because others can report on this better than I can. I have never been much into "specs". I just put cameras on my head and go skydiving. For $140 you get the camera, several mounts, a memory card, and a USB cable, a very good deal in my opinion. When connected to a computer it is recognized as a USB disk drive. I mounted it on the right side of a spare Protec helmet using the lowest profile mount, on the flattest place I could find. The mount allows the camera to be rotated at any angle, so I had to experiment with the rotation and make a mark on the mount for repeatability purposes. (I don't think this alignment would be easy to do at the DZ with the camera right out of the box.) Any snag hazard is extremely low. I do not trust double-sided tape so I included one screw. I had to have it forward a bit so that it did not view any of the helmet. For this reason, (and because it is not extremely wide angle), I needed some kind of sight, because it does not face directly forward. In keeping with my desire for simplicity, I am using a pair of goggles with a mark on it. Close enough. The neatest feature is that it has a vibration motor, and only 2 buttons, on/off, and record. It vibrates 3 times for "on" and "record", 1 time for "stop recording" and "off". Fantastic, no more asking your friends, "Is it on?" The modes and controls are minimum because the large majority of the configuration can be changed in a simple text file with a simple text editor on your computer. So what I have wound up with is a video helmet that I can treat exactly like my normal Protec, with my googles stored up top on a little rubber "foot". Just position the googles, turn on the camera, and start recording. As simple as I can make it.

Corey, you might get some ideas from here: http://www.skydivestlouisarea.com/USPACentralRegion/SpecificTopics.htm It is called "Instructional Rating Seminar Topics", but some of the respondents had items that could be Safety Day related.

Tom, would your DZ do that to a student that made their previous jumps at another DZ within a couple of weeks previous, and had nothing but good comments in their logbook?

I think that is close enough, although to me a H&P would be only a few seconds. I have never understood this from the viewpoint of a canopy "deploying" (once out of the bag}. The slider controls the canopy spreading and adjusts for airspeed. I have to believe though that numerous people experience worse openings at slower airspeeds. I think it must be bag and line stow issues. Has anyone experienced these kinds of bad opening that went away when they switched to a "stowless" bag?

How long has this been there? !!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banzai_skydiving

He didn't, but I have been noticing a slow evolution toward having the student have their hand further forward rather than on their helmet. I don't correct a student if their hand is "close enough". What matters more anyway is how good of an arch or hips-down body position they have while reaching and throwing. Whenever I have taught the initial first AFF jump deployment, I have told them to use "arch, reach, throw".

I think all Directors should. Jan Meyer developed a web-based voting system that was used for a couple of meetings. By its very design it recorded all the votes, but it was a lot of work on her part getting it to work, plus not many people seemed that interested in it. Wait a minute, it's not exactly like that. Voters may ask for their own vote to be recorded "by name", which is then listed in the meeting "minutes". No one is forced to vote by name.

Not only that, but if they are taught different ways at different DZs, or taught one way at one DZ and go to another, and are told that a particular method is wrong. I just called Michael Wadkins and he told me that he refers to the single-arm turn as an "alternate method", not "new", because he has been teaching it for a while now. He also told me of still seeing people teach turns by twisting their body, not like a propeller, but like if you were standing straight up and leaned over to the side. He says he corrects them when he sees that. I have to agree. I just hope that instructors do not contradict each other, but are instead open-minded about "alternatives".

Oh, my, Bill, I hope that you don't think that it would be simple. If you can think of a way, please suggest something. Actually at this point, I would be delighted to just not see individual members penalized in the ways I previously mentioned.

So it is OK with you that an individual member, who is proud of their home DZ, does not even get to see their DZs name mentioned while receiving an award? (You do realize that I am talking about Paul (my very good friend for whom I am delighted to present an award to) don't you? Not myself or Mike Mullins.) By the way, I don't see much opportunity for "advertising" in Wings and Things". :) There are very few true, significant advantages to being a Group Member DZ, and that is why "advantages to GMs" have been "manufactured" by removing/denying things for/to individual members. What is really a travesty is that many USPA members have been made to think that GM DZs are "safer" than non GM DZs.

Not only that! If an individual member is presented their jump number or freefall time award at the DZ and a picture and text are submitted to Parachutist for inclusion in the Wings and Things column, the drop zone's actual name is mentioned only if they are a Group Member. In other words, if you jump at a non-GM DZ, you are a second-class member. No ratings course for you. No mention of your drop zone's name. See the attached pictures.