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Found 523 results

  1. Andrey Veselov is an extremely skilled photographer, whose first taste at professional skydiving camera work began when he invited as a ground videographer for the Russian National Formation Skydiving Team; a few years after beginning skydiving in the Russian Airborne Army. His heart however always lay in photography and it wasn't long before he had a Kiev-19 camera attached to an anatomical helmet he made and was taking photographs of 4-way and 8-way teams. He later became a professional cinematographer and photographer with involvement in numerous world record team jumps around the world. Andrey, who runs skyphoto.ru has captured skydiving photographs in the remotest and most unique of areas, from Micronesia to Siberia and the North Pole. He boasts an unbelievable portfolio of thousands of world class images and has over 13 000 jumps to his name. Every year he participates as a Captain and a Camera Team member in various international big-way events. He is also the winner of various awards including the 1997 Interphoto contest of professional photography, where he took first place in the "sport-singles and series" category and the "best photography of the year / grand prix". He also claimed first place in the Canon Photo Contest in 2001. Be sure to check out the amazing work Andrey has submitted to dropzone.com VIEW ANDREY VESELOV'S GALLERY
  2. Deleted

    Saved By The Beep

    Most of us agree that canopy control is the most important, and most difficult aspect of skydiving instruction. Within this broad objective is the ability to fly a safe and consistent landing pattern. This is crucial for everyone, from the highest level of experience down to the beginner. The clear necessity for improvement in this area has been demonstrated time and again with the unacceptable frequency of canopy collisions and low turn accidents that have plagued our sport for far too long. General aviation has implemented many new technologies to assist pilots in navigation. These tools have enhanced aviation safety, and such devices are not considered crutches, but a necessary part of safe flying. Similar advances are now commercially available for skydivers as well, but many do not include these instruments in their safety toolkit; least of all for primary instruction methodologies. It is time for this to change. Altitude awareness is not something that ends once the canopy opens. Knowing precisely how high we are throughout the approach and landing is vital for consistency, and many of the traditional analogue devices are unable to provide truly trustworthy data. The digital altimeters that are now widely available are accurate within ten feet or so, but they have one tragic flaw: the pilot must look away from the ground, and away from the traffic, in order to access the information. Having water available does not guarantee that the thirsty will drink, and as altitude diminishes and stress level increases, visual altimeters are used less and less. As many high performance pilots have come to realize, audible altimeters are an incredibly powerful aid for heads-up access to the information that saves their lives. The time has come to utilize these tools for students and intermediate skydivers as well. A pattern is a simply a series of invisible points in space, what some have come to refer to as "altitude-location check-points". With three or four ALC's, a canopy pilot can follow a preplanned path through space to a predictable landing point. When these ALC's are programmed into an audible device such as the Optima, with its impressive tolerance of + or - only ten feet, the distracting glances at a visual altimeter become mostly unnecessary. More importantly, I have found that my canopy piloting students who use such audible cues are more aware of their surroundings, and are far less likely to run into other canopies on the way to the target. Even more importantly, by having their eyes focused "outside the cockpit" so to speak, the canopy pilot learns exactly what the ground looks like at the various altitudes. Therefore, I have discovered, if there is an instrument failure in the future, they have "calibrated their eyeballs", and are aware when they are too low to execute a hard, descending turn. Many instructors have grown accustomed to preaching the party line that relying on instruments for canopy flight is inadvisable. Although there is some merit to training our eyes to recognize key altitudes, simply trusting our inborn instincts is not an effective way to accomplish this goal. When a “flat-line” beep goes off in your helmet that marks 300 feet AGL, and you happen to be looking at the ground at the time, you immediately become a better canopy pilot. Furthermore, when you are focused on your surroundings, rather than a dial on your wrist, you are more likely to make the necessary course corrections that lead to the target. The primary reason for missing the target is, and always will be, failure to maneuver when a course correction is necessary. When you always know how high you are, and are observing your location in relation the target, you are far more likely to make the change that puts you in the peas. The safety concerns regarding the use of audible devices for flying a pattern can be addressed with a few simple rules. The first rule is, if you don’t get the first beep, assume that the instrument has run out of battery life, or is improperly programmed. When the initial pattern beep comes, verify that this is in fact the altitude that you expected it to be by looking at your visual altimeter. If it is not, or you hear nothing at all, use your visual altimeter for the remainder of the jump, and sort it out on the ground. Above all else, your eyes are your default, and you can veto what the audible is telling you, or not telling you. If it doesn’t look right, put your parachute over your head and prepare to flare for landing. There have been many technological leaps that have changed the sport forever, and audible information for canopy flight is proving to be one of the most profound. By knowing exactly how high we are at all times, we can act appropriately. We can relax more as we fly our approach, and enjoy the simplicity and joy of landing our parachutes without worry. Above all else, the reduction of the stress within each canopy pilot, both student and expert, has proven itself to allow for the full expression of skill that training has made possible. When we embrace such advances, we can more easily expand into the pilots we were meant to become. BSG Brian Germain is a parachute designer and test pilot, and runs canopy flight skills and safety courses all over the world. Brian has made over 14,000 jumps in his 25 years in the sport. He is also the host of the “Safety First” segment on SkydiveRadio.com, and the creator of many educational You Tube videos. Brian is the author of the widely popular canopy flight text The Parachute and its Pilot, as well as Transcending Fear, Greenlight Your Life, and Vertical Journey. His upcoming book entitled “Vibe Matters, emotion is everything” will be coming out later this year, along with the long awaited educational packing video “No Sweat”. His websites are www.BIGAIRSportZ.com and www.Transcendingfear.com and his YouTube channel is: www.youtube.com/bsgermain
  3. Everyone has some kind of disability; some seen outwardly, while others are not readily visible to the naked eye. Some live with the notion that the only limits we have are the ones that are self-imposed. This was clearly evident in my interaction with Alistair. Alistair came to spend a month at Skydive Arizona, his goal to become a more proficient freeflyer. I was so inspired by this young man that I decided to have a word with Craig Girard. I asked Craig if he would consider making a jump with him, Craig's response was a resounding yes! I then spoke with Greg Gasson about doing a photo shoot with him and Greg informed me that he had met Alistair in Sweden at a freefly festival. They had been in contact via email prior to Alistair's arrival in Arizona. Greg had taken the time to ensure that there wouldn't be anything that would prevent Alistair from jumping at the DZ, and of course he would certainly jump with him. Small world. Needless to say, Alistair is exuberant at the prospect of jumping with these two world- class skydivers that are now on his growing list of friends. One morning while waiting for the first lift, I asked Alistair how long he had been skydiving and why he partakes in the sport. He told me that his legs were "blown off" twelve years ago by a land mine in Ireland. He took up skydiving three years ago to experience life. In his easy manner he looked at me and posed the same question. I answered simply that I had found freedom and a sense of community. His response was a quick: "Exactly!" Alistair resides in England and according to him, is the first double amputee to take up skydiving in that country. He began his journey by experiencing tandems, three to be exact, and was then offered a course in freefall. Although he had static line experience from serving in the military, it was nothing compared to what he is doing now. Alistair says that he has tried everything from rock climbing to kayaking since his amputations, and found skydiving to have been the best rehabilitation. He states that he is better physical shape now, and his life much richer than before he lost his legs. Alistair went as far as to say that he even drinks less than he used to since he wants to feel his best for the next day's jumping. He offers that skydiving has given him his life back, and it is the only thing that he is interested in doing. His travels have taken him to several countries, and Alistair has found that the people in skydiving are generally approachable and open- minded. They are quick to offer him a hand up by lifting him into the airplane, other than that he isn't treated any differently. He feels as though he is accepted in this community, he belongs. There is of course, a curiosity that goes along with seeing a skydiver without legs, but for the most part he says that people are just glad to see him participate. During his visit here he was approached by one of the camera flyers for "Pieces of Eight" and asked if he was interested in flying with them. Alistair responded by saying he appreciated the inquiry and would get back to him. Alistair jumps in a custom made Merlin Suit that has small pockets on the legs to help catch air. He says that the suit has made all the difference for him in his freeflying. Alistair managed to maintain head-down all the way to break off for the first time while here, and is excited to learn to fly his body in this new orientation. I asked him if he had one piece of knowledge to impart to his fellow skydivers, what would that be? He said: "If you think you can't do something, you're right, you can't! Can't isn't something that I recognize in my vocabulary." Alistair has nearly 600 jumps to date and hopes to add an additional 100 before returning to his native England.
  4. When I graduated from college I headed west and became a wildland firefighter. Over the course of a decade I fought fire from Arizona to Alaska. During that time I worked fire with a variety of agencies and units ranging from prison crews, BIA crews, and hotshot crews. From time to time I also crossed paths with smokejumpers, and always felt obligated to kick it up a notch when in their presence. That was for good reason, for among firefighters smokejumpers are at the top of the food chain. Smokejumpers are often dropped into fires that are too remote for ground based firefighting resources to reach. They are deployed to fires shortly after they ignite while they are relatively small with the intention of putting them out before they grow into large conflagrations. They are left to their own resources to extinguish the fire, hopefully within a day or two of being dropped on the fire. If the smokejumpers are unable to quickly extinguish a fire, other resources are typically brought in on the fire within three days. Once other firefighting crews are in place, the smokejumpers return to their base of operations and await another call to deploy quickly on a fire. However, this is not always the case, as smokejumpers have been known to spend over a month on some fires. TrainingSmokejumpers typically spend several seasons as a hotshot, an elite ground base fire crew, before applying to be a smokejumper. Experience as a firefighter is critical to making it as a smokejumper whereas previous experience parachuting out of aircraft is not a requirement. In a given year, only a small number of those that apply make it as a smokejumper. Smokejumpers undergo rigorous training where the washout rate is high, either from injuries or from being unable to keep up with the physical training. Training consists of a large amount of physical workouts which include calisthenics and running. Classroom time is devoted to a range of topics including CPR/First Aid, parachute manipulation, pre-field exercise briefings and post-field exercise debriefings, and tree climbing. Field exercises are designed to make the candidate competent enough to successfully handle the diverse number of situations a smokejumper will encounter during smokejumper operations. They include cross cut and chainsaw use, map and compass orientation and tree climbing. Parachute training initially includes mock ups of how to successfully perform airplane exits and landings. Before a rookie smokejumper can make their first practice jump, they must successfully pass through the field exercise training. Rookies must then make a total of 15 practice jumps into a variety of jump spots with each successive jump increasing in difficulty. At any point in the training a rookie may be let go if it is determined that they may be unable to meet the challenges of the job. They are constantly being evaluated on their attitude, fortitude, and leadership qualities. Candidates must be self-reliant yet also work well in a team environment. They must also exhibit flexibility and adaptability as they must be quick to adapt to the ever changing dynamics of a fire. Dropping InThe size of the fire and the availability of manpower determine how many smokejumpers are deployed on a fire. A typical jump consists of two to eight jumpers and is usually made between 1,500 and 3,000 feet above ground level. Smokejumpers are used strictly for initial attack on a fire when other resources are not available. The first jumper on the ground takes the role of Incident Commander. This means a rookie jumper could be in charge of a much more veteran crew. Parachuting into wilderness terrain is a stressful endeavor unto itself. Landing in an un-scouted forest meadow on the side of a mountain after navigating erratic wind currents is considered a great option. That is the easy part. The challenge is to safely and quickly get the fire under control or out and find your way to a pickup location so that you will be available to do it over again. This translates into long hours working on a fire, often through the night when the humidity rises and the fire tends to slow down. Once the fire is put out or other resources arrive to take over, smokejumpers are released from a fire so they may be available as a resource for initial attack on other fires. For a smokejumper, a ride out of a fire by helicopter or on a four wheel drive vehicle is a luxury. Otherwise they must hoof it out on foot. When packing out on foot, they typically carry 100 lbs. of gear or more across rough, trail-less terrain. GearTwo types of chutes are used depending on which agency the smokejumper works for. The Bureau of Land Management uses the square or “ram-air” parachute while the forest service employs the round parachute. Over top of their fireproof clothing, smokejumpers wear a padded jump jacket and pants made of Kevlar. A motorcycle type helmet is worn with a heavy wire-mesh face mask. Each smokejumper carries a small gear bag containing their water, gloves, fire shelter, hard hat, and other personal gear necessary to keep them active on a fire line for an entire shift. Heavier equipment, such as chain saws, hand tools, enough food and water to last several days, and other gear is dropped separately and, like the smokejumpers, as close to the fire as possible without running the risk of having the fire burn it. Becoming hung up in trees is an occupational hazard and one smokejumpers train extensively for. In the event they become snagged in a tree each smokejumper carries a “let down” rope in their leg pocket for rappelling down from a tree. Alan Carr is an avid aviation buff that enjoys writing on all aspects of the aviation industry. He currently works with globalair.com to provide resources on aircraft related information.
  5. Airplane Problems Engine and structural failures. If the engine is going to fail, it will probably do so when the pilot reduces power after your full throttle takeoff. If the engine quits, he will attempt the best landing he can, straight ahead off the end of the runway. Since you are helmeted, padded with gear and strapped in, you need only assume the proper position to be prepared. Draw your knees up, tuck your head down, fold your hands across the back of your neck and hold your head down to resist whiplash. As soon as the plane comes to a stop, get out FAST. If you are nearest the door, get moving. There are people behind you who want to get out. There is always the danger of fire, particularly if the aircraft has suffered structural damage on impact. Watch where you step, the plane may have clipped through some power lines. They can zap you and they start grass fires. Remember that the wings of the airplane usually contain flammable fuel. Occasionally, the jump ship suffers a structural or other mechanical failure. Twisted-on parts sometimes twist off or a canopy may get draped over the tail jamming the controls. Depending upon the situation and the altitude, your jumpmaster will select one of two commands: PREPARE TO CRASH or GET OUT (jump). The dividing line is usually set at 1,000 feet above the ground since at this altitude there may be enough time for an orderly exit and the pilot will probably be able to land his glider on the runway. The jumpmaster might tell you to jump and pull your reserve on the theory that it is somewhat more reliable and may deploy faster than the main and/or he may be concerned about the setting of your AAD. His instructions will depend on the circumstances of the situation. So, if you are below 1,000 feet when the challenge occurs, you will land with the aircraft. If you are over 1,000 feet when the rubber band breaks, your jumpmaster may direct you to make a normal static line jump, but you will do it all a lot faster; swing out onto the step and go. Student freefallers may be directed to make a jump and pull; this is where they will open their mains as soon as they clear the aircraft, or the jumpmaster may sit them in the door, pull their reserve and simultaneously push them out. It all depends on the altitude at the time of the emergency. Licensed jumpers are next, then the jumpmaster and, in the case of severe structural failure, the pilot. The purpose of getting out of the plane is not only to remove you from the area of danger but to lighten the load making the aircraft easier to control. The jumpmaster goes next to last because he must take care of those in his charge. The pilot goes last (he wears a parachute too) so that he may wrestle the jump ship to keep it flying until you are gone. The above rules are general and are for students. Experienced jumpers may elect to exit lower. For example, if the aircraft is at 500 to 1,000 feet, an expert skydiver may elect to jump and pull the reserve (which presumably opens faster). Of course you will follow the instructions of your jumpmaster, but sometimes you have to make the decision yourself. In the excitement of solving the engine failure or other problem, the pilot may allow the airspeed to drop, stalling the plane and allowing it to spin. In this condition the aircraft drops fast and the centrifugal force may pin you against the side or ceiling. Now is the time make the decision to scramble and get out. Depending on the size of your jump ship and the procedure at your drop zone, your static line may be hooked up on the ground, at 1,000 feet, or on jump run. Whether or not your main is hooked up may determine what type of escape you can make in case of an aircraft emergency. For example, if you hook up prior to boarding, and the plane crashes on takeoff, when you unbuckle and get out, you can expect to unpack your main about eight to 15 feet from the door (the length of your static line). The final point to remember is to watch and listen to your jumpmaster for instructions. When you receive them, carry them out quickly and without panic. Open Parachute In The AirplaneSeveral times in the past, jumpers have been pulled through the side of the jump plane when a container opened and a canopy escaped out the door. Rarely does this result in a fatality but usually there is severe damage to both the jumper and the aircraft. If either the main or the reserve open prematurely in the aircraft, one of two things will happen; the pilot chute and/or canopy will either start out the door or remain in the plane. You have only one course of action for each situation. The jumper whose reserve escaped out the door of this aircraft was lucky; he survived. If the main container opens in the aircraft, it is usually the result of excessive movement by a person in the aircraft. This could happen when you constantly shift positions, rubbing the static line and/or closing flap on an interior surface or snagging the static line on something during movement in the aircraft (from one position to another). With the Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) method, these hazards are real because hand-deployed pilot chutes use small closing pins. With long plastic coated cables for a main ripcord, the hazard is much less likely, especially when the ends are tucked into housings on a closing flap. If the main container opens, it is a simple matter to move backward pinning the errant canopy against a wall or flat surface. Show the problem to your jumpmaster immediately. Once satisfied that you have it well secured, disconnect the main canopy from your harness by operating the canopy releases (the method depends on the type of system you are using — your jumpmaster will probably do this for you as well as disconnect your reserve static line device). This is so that if it should somehow get out the door later, you won’t be connected to it. Now sit on the canopy and pilot chute so they won’t get away and ride the plane down. Sometimes the reserve container will burst open while you are in the back of the plane. The pin works its way out, or perhaps since you are in the back of the plane, you are not vigilantly guarding your reserve ripcord handle and it is snagged out as you move around trying to find a comfortable position. Grab the reserve pilot chute and canopy, cover them and hold them tight. Call the jumpmaster’s attention to the problem immediately. The reserve creates a greater potential danger than the main because it cannot be quickly disconnected from the harness. The deploying reserved canopy pulled the static - line student off the step. If, however, either of your canopies start out the door while you’re attached to it, you will follow it out. You have, at most, two seconds, and if you hurry you will experience a near-normal canopy ride to somewhere in the vicinity of the airport. But if you are slow, the developing canopy will act as a giant anchor, extracting you not just through the door but, more than likely, through the side of the aircraft too, causing great injury to you, damage to the aircraft, and exposing others still in the aircraft to great danger. The best solution is prevention. Always guard and protect your static line and/or your ripcord(s), canopy release handle and pins.
  6. Eyes In The Back Of My Head..... Remember when Mom told you she had "eyes in the back of her head?" With the Oregon Scientific Chameleon, she really could have em’! Ever wanted to see what’s happening behind the camera? Without the hassle of two cameras, syncing in post, and splitting screens/picture in picture? With the new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon, syncrhonized video with two channels/angles in a single stream is quick and easy. The camera allows users to see what’s coming up and what’s gone by with just one button. This camera is unique in that it features dual lenses, shooting two views to a single stream that may be displayed either side by side or over/under. This allows not only for POV, but reactions to the POV. The large button allows even the most thick mitten or glove to turn on/off the camera. Powering up the camera also starts record mode. Note: See our comprehensive side-by-side shootout of the top POV Action Cameras here OverviewAt 4.5 x 1.5 x 2.25 inches, this slightly larger than average POV camera is a single-button on/record camera. The only user-selectable option on the camera is a switch that allows users to determine whether they’ll shoot over/under or side by side video. All in all, it’s incredibly simple. The lenses are both 170 degree field of view lenses. In other words, they’re ruber-wide. Given that capturing action and POV reaction is the goal, they need to be wide, as they’re generally quite close to the subject on one end or the other. The lenses are pretty good on this low cost camera. Each lens can rotate 180 degrees; one rotates vertically, the other horizontally. The camera is not intended for shooting 3D content, as the two lenses cannot overlap or point at the same subject. MountingThe camera mount profile is somewhat higher than some of the other POV cameras; the dual V-clip mount may easily be removed for flush mounting. This will cover the microphone, but audio is rarely a priority in POV cameras. If for example, mounted directly to a helmet, mudflap, chest strap, or goggle strap, the mount is superflous, and the flush mount ability is likely preferable. Oregon Scientific offers several different mounting options such as ball mounts, flat mounts, adhesive mounts for surf, helmets, etc. Recording MediaThe ATC Chameleon stores files on a MicroSD, up to 32GB/Class 6 card. One minor observation; the recessed card slot housing makes it challenging for fat fingers to extract a card. The housing also offers a switch for camera status, a Micro USB port, and a switch for horizontal/vertical views. Like most of its small-imager competitors, the Chameleon displays rolling shutter bending at very high shutter speeds. Keeping the camera reasonably horizontal in high light significantly reduces this phenomenon (in all POV cameras). CodecLike all other POV cameras, the Chameleon also uses the h.264/mp4 codec. It offers a slighly lower bitrate than other cameras; it’s 8Mpbs compared to other cameras at nearly double the bitrate. Like most POV cameras, this low bitrate/high compression is challenged in low light, but in high light and contrasted scenes it works quite well. Audio is a single channel AAC stream, and is similar in quality to most other POV cameras. OutputThe Chameleon offers two output resolutions; 1920 x 720, or 1280 by 1440 (yes, that figure is correct, taller than wide). Vertical mode applies 1280 x 720 to each channel, while horizontal mode is VGA per channel. Vertical mode provides for the best imagery in most instances. Vertical mode also allows very easy splits for full-screen views in any NLE system. This is the mode I recommend for most purposes. Overall ViewThis camera is brilliant in design. Fast, easy to use, and offers a perspective that no other camera currently offers. Sure, one could purchase two separate POV cameras, have two separate streams, sync them in post, and have a similar result. However, it will cost twice as much and take twice as long, not to mention other variables. In this aspect, the Chameleon shines. The low bitrate coupled with small imagers makes it a challenge in low light. Additionally, the codec will not open in every NLE or media player. For example, while the files will open in VLC, the Windows Media Player or Quicktime Basic will not open these files on a PC. Corel Videostudio will not open these files, while Adobe Premiere CS or Sony Vegas Pro/Movie Studio does properly decode these files. This shot was taken post-sunset. The camera adds quite a bit of gain, shifting color and softening detail in very low light. This is similar to most POV cameras in its class. In this screengrab, the resolution/size shows 1280 x 1400 in over/under mode. The split view denies either view the best quality image possible; this is inevitable and I cannot ding the camera for the way it chooses where to split the image. Again, the unique and creative nature of the split view makes up for this, however. The creative views possible with this camera are unlimited. It is quite durable, can be dunked underwater (it is not waterproof for sustained periods of time, OS does offer a water housing), and is capable of drops from high areas. I dropped mine from approx 12’ and it was fine, even after landing on tarmac and impacting on the edge of the lens. In this image, the compression causes contrast to bleed into highlights and shadows, softening the details in the image, However, as a B Roll and unique view, this won’t be an issue in most scenarios. Post ProductionAs mentioned, not all NLE’s will properly decode this camera, but most should. Transcoding will be required for users of Final Cut Studio, while FCPX users will not need to transcode files from this camera. The width of the lens is the same FOV as most popular POV cameras, so it will cut nicely into other POV cam content. Another option with 155-180 FOV content is that a negative spherize and crop filter may be applied to flatten out a too-wide image. Expect to do some color correction. Bear in mind that two channels are now being corrected, so if lighting or color are dramatically different on one channel, the other will likely be adversely affected. It’s quite easy to split channels in any NLE for individual color correction. The standard AVC color correction process (Shift gamma, reduce yellow, pop sat) will help this camera really shine. A tiny bit of edge sharpening will benefit low contrast images (again, similar to other AVC-based camera files). SummaryThis camera has some terrific value for the budget-minded action-sport enthusiast. It also offers unique camera angles and an ease of use that is rare in the POV world. The angles alone make it a useful tool in any videographer’s tool box for walkthrus, capturing challenging angles, seeing around corners, capturing body positions while showing the environment, or just plain fun (I put one on a dog collar to capture the dogs ears and the wagging tail). The picture quality isn’t bad, the one-button record makes it ridiculously easy, and the price is definitely right. I’m happy to have a couple in my POV kit; they’ve come in handy already. If budget, a unique view, or simply another tool in the box are considerations, this is a terrific option. Price:$199.00 retail, available online or in sporting goods stores here. For More Informationhttp://us.oregonscientific.com/cat-Outdoor-sub-Action-Cams-prod-ATC-Chameleon.html For training on AVC or POV Cameras: www.vasst.com About The AuthorDOUGLAS SPOTTED EAGLE is an audio and video pro. He is a Grammy recipient with DuPont, Peabody, and Telly awards lining his studio; he is also a participant/producer in multiple Emmy winning productions. Douglas is the Managing Producer for Sundance Media Group, Inc. and VASST, authoring several books and DVDs and serving as a trainer and consultant for videographers, software manufacturers and broadcasters. He is the author or co-author of several digital media titles including Digital Video Basics (VASST), The FullHD (VASST), and Vegas Editing Workshop (Focal Press) among many others. Douglas is an accomplished aerial photographer who thrives in the adrenaline-filled world of fast-action videography. He is active as a multimedia producer, trainer, and presenter, utilizing the latest technology as part of his workflow.
  7. With under two weeks until Christmas of 2013, I hope you've already done your Christmas shopping. But in case you haven't, we've put together a list of potential gifts, ranging from high end gear (perhaps for those looking to leave themselves, or their loved one something skydiving related under the tree), to smaller stocking stuffers that could be a good gift for friends and fellow jumpers. Cookie Fuel HelmetThis open face helmet can be ordered as the helmet only for use as a basic, comfortable open-face helmet. Or it can be transformed into a full-on camera helmet with a top-mount, side-mount, cutaway chinstrap and outside access audible mount. Just as Cookie Composites revolutionized the full-face camera helmet with the G3, the Fuel looks to do the same for the open-face and POV camera helmet markets. The Cookie Fuel shell is made of a High Impact ABS / Polycarbonate Blend. It comes standard with pressed foam chin strap (non-cutaway) and blank side and top plates. The blank side plates will hold any audible altimeter, but the audible won’t be visible from the outside of the helmet unless the optional audible mount side plate is ordered. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star GoPro Hero 3 BlackCapture and share your life’s most meaningful experiences with the HERO3+ Black Edition. 20% smaller and lighter than its best-­selling predecessor, it delivers improved image quality and powerful new features geared for versatility and convenience. SuperView™ is a new video mode that captures the world’s most immersive wide angle perspective, while Auto Low Light mode intelligently adjusts frame rate for stunning low­‐light performance. Combined with 30% longer battery life, faster built-­in Wi-­Fi and a sharper lens, the HERO3+ Black Edition is the most advanced GoPro yet. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star GoPro LCD Touch BacpacRelive Reality Instantly with the GoPro LCD Touch BacPac. The LCD Touch BacPac is a removable LCD touch screen for GoPro cameras*. As a removable accessory, the LCD BacPac keeps your camera as small and light as possible, yet provides the convenience of an LCD screen when attached. Seamlessly attaches to the back of GoPro cameras LCD touch screen allows for easy visual control of camera (frame your perfect shot) and settings Preview + playback photos and videos including instant slow motion playback Integrated speaker with volume control 3.5 mm headphone jackFor more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Gear BagsLooking to stash all your gear into a single bag, making carrying a breeze. These gear bags have plenty of room, for your rig, jumpsuit, camera and your accessories. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Pro TrackThe ProTrack audible altimeter/electronic logbook is the standard for audible altimeters. The ProTrack continuously stores detailed information about the last 200 jumps and accumulates the total number of jumps and freefall time up to 10,000 jumps. The ProTrack has 3 selectable freefall warning altitudes. The Most Popular Skydiving Computer Loaded with advanced features, PROTRACK™ gives skydivers a full plate of information about their skydives INSTANTLY on the large LCD viewscreen. Whether you fly on your head, turn points like a banshee, dock first on a big-way, surf the clouds or are just learning to skydive, PROTRACK™ is the perfect audible altimeter solution for you. L&B; has also added special data collection parameters and preset dive types for both WINGSUIT FLIGHT and B.A.S.E. JUMPING making the PROTRACK™ even more versatile for every type of jump and every kind of jumper. PROTRACK™ can be easily set for 1, 2 or 3 loud and distinct freefall warning altitudes and will provide you with the ability to log up to 9,999 jumps! See your exit altitude, freefall time, average freefall speeds, maximum speed reached and deployment altitude of your skydive as soon as you land. No other audible altimeter available gives you the versatility, accuracy and reliability like PROTRACK™! PROTRACK™ is the most advanced, user friendly, and accessible audible altimeter electronic logbook/freefall computer available to skydivers. PROTRACK™is everything you would ever want in an audible altimeter. New technology advances in speed calculation have been developed by L&B; so that skydivers can now record and compare their freefall speeds accurately. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Stocking Stuffers Flexvision GogglesFlexvision Goggles: the goggles with a friction lock adjustment and without an outer rim to fall off! Flexvision are made from a soft, flexible, long-lasting plastic that is scratch resistant. Each pair is individually sanded on the inside for a smooth finish, and offer a wide field of vision. A thick bungee strap pulled through a small hole in the plastic allows the user to adjust the tension without need to make a knot, just pull to the desired tension and release. The friction Lock is a unique feature, especially for students and tandems where there is a need to change settings often. The Flexvision Goggles come flat, but then conform and mold to your face as you put them on and tighten up the bungee. Keep an extra set in your jumpsuit! These are one of the longest-lasting goggles manufactured specifically for skydiving and give you an unobstructed field of vision. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Neumann Winter Skydiving GlovesThese gloves are the standard for winter hand protection for skydivers from the company that knows gloves: Neumann. These gloves have a thermal-lined back for extra warmth in the winter. Neumann Tackified Skydiving Gloves are: Designed To Fit Like A Second Layer Of Skin Meets NFL/NCAA Specifications Ensure Finger And Hand Sensitivity Tackified Leather Palms Machine Wash and Air DryFor more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Skydiving Santa Christmas CardsWhat better Christmas card to send to friends from the dropzone than a skydiving Santa Christmas card. From Chuting Star Sugar Alpha"Skydiving and drug smuggling pioneer Roger Nelson lives life out of the box. Fueled by a love for adrenaline and adventure, Roger goes after everything he wants with gusto. But now Roger is ready to retire from smuggling. With a parachute center to run and a family to raise, Roger knows it is time to stop the cat-and-mouse games he has been playing with the authorities for years. He and his longtime partner, Hanoi, plan one final run to Belize, where they intend to fill their Douglas DC-3 with enough cannabis to set them up for life. But then Hanoi dies in a plane crash in an attempt to make some "legitimate bucks" flying fish in Alaska while they wait for the growing season to end. Left without a partner or plane, Roger remains determined to return to his family for good. To do so, he decides to stay true to himself and follow through with his retirement run. Roger must rely on a colorful cast of characters and the most unlikely airplane for a gig ever-Sugar Alpha, the legendary DC-3 with the secret fuel tanks and not-so-secret paint job-to help him complete the most daring run in the history of smuggling." The book has received excellent reviews and would make a great gift to anyone who enjoys a good book. Log Book CoverAn inexpensive and useful gift for your friends who jump. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star Beer MugFor more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store The Skydiving HandbookParachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff is the one and only how-to, where-to, basic-to-advanced skydiving manual. This up-to-date book covers all training methods in great detail: static line, accelerated freefall, Instructor assisted deployment and Tandem. It traces the history of the parachute up to modern skydiving, year by year. The chapter on emergency situations is absolutely fascinating. Full of statistics, it reveals the best solution to every possible emergency situation. The book goes on to coach you in your freefall progression, from the basics through advanced relative work and free style, and in flying your canopy, from the basics to advanced canopy relative work. The equipment chapter is lengthy because this is where Dan Poynter has always been strongest. He tells you all about your gear, what to look for, what repairs you can make and when to take it to a rigger. Another chapter covers special jumps: at night, into the water, BASE, para-ski, high altitude, Smoke jumping, with cameras and much more. The Appendix directs you to the action by listing clubs, drop zones, equipment companies, books, magazines and videos. Never before has so much skydiving information been available in one place-and it can be yours. The Skydiver's Handbook. Completely revised, ninth edition, softcover, 5.5 x 8.5, 408 pages, 260 illustrations, four-color cover. Over 82,000 in print. For more information and pricing visit: From Skydive Store From Chuting Star
  8. Shin Ito flying his Katana at about 12000 ft. The jump altitude was just 8000 ft. above ground level measured from the drop zone and because of the rising terrain at exit point our altitude was just over 5000 ft. above ground level. Hiking tracks visible on the side of the 3776 meter high volcano. Last Friday Jari Kuosma and Shin Ito performed wingsuit flights over Mount Fuji, Japan. Mt. Fuji is Japan's largest mountain, at 3776 meters in elevation. The flight was part of an upcoming Japanese documentary feature named "Jounetsutairiku" which is being broadcast by MBS. Both Jari and Shin, exited from helicopter at 12 500 feet. Shin Ito is a world record holder in wingsuit flying and Jari is both a professional wingsuit pilot as well as the owner of Birdman. The documentary will be aired on the 1st December 2013. "Part of the preparation was to check our jump craft, Eurocopter AS 350, that turned out to be a perfect lift, 10 minutes to altitude and very convenient stepping skis." "Our wingsuits taking a rest under the Japanese sun. BIRDMAN Katana was our primary equipment for the flights. The brand new wingsuit design is still a prototype and it is made for to reach very high speeds to cover the maximum distance." "We spent one day getting used to Japanese air near Narita airport. Airspace is very limited and we can only get 8000 ft., which is the max we will get at Fuji, 8000 ft. AGL." Mt. Fuji seen from freefall before opening the canopy. The weather conditions can change quickly at the mountain and winds regularly exceeds over 100 km/h on the top, like the jump day afternoon. Jari who filmed the aerial part of the documentary carried four GoPro 3’s and a Garmin Virb on his Z1. Shin carried two GoPro 3’s and a Garmin Virb on his belly. Mt. Fuji in an active volcano that erects to 3776 meters. Wind direction is west most of the time and the wind speeds exceed 10 m/s over 300 days a year. Team Fuji Birdman was prepared and had permits to wait for three weeks for the right weather conditions. After a three day weather hold three jumps were made November 22nd 2013. Jari Kuosma carrying five cameras to capture all the action from different angles. Shin Ito flying towards the DZ 3 km away, an empty parking lot that also served as a heli-pad. Last poses for the film crew of Shin & Jari after a very great day. Fuji-san on the back ground.
  9. Each year the boundaries of skydiving are expanded, giving way to new avenues of progress and to endless possibilities. The year 2012 was a big year for the sport, with a number of records being set. But aside from the records, there are also groups or individuals who slowly push the standards up with a display of skill. Other times we're inspired more by the surroundings and the cinematography of the video. We take a look at some of the most inspiring skydiving related videos from 2012. 1. Felix Baumgartner jumps from the edge of space One doesn't really have to say anything about this video, I'm sure everyone reading this knows all about it already, but for those that don't; on the 14th October 2012, millions of people around the world were fixed to live streaming of a world record attempt by Felix Baumgartner to set the highest ever skydive. The final confirmed exit height was 128 100 feet, allowing Felix to reach speeds of 833 mph during his freefall. Whether you love him or hate, one cannot deny the magnitude of this jump. 2. Gary Connery lands a wingsuit without a parachute This jump had a lot of media hype, not as much as the previous video - but the idea of skydiving without a parachute was obviously a subject that brought a lot of attention. The idea has been something that Jeb Corlois had been talking about for years prior, though his idea for landing was and still is quite different. Some argue that Gary Connery's jump was less landing without a parachute, and more just crashing into a pile of boxes. Though the technicalities of the jump aside, there is something liberating about the idea of being able to exit a plane without a rig on. Over the coming years, we will not doubt see further attempts to perform the act of landing without a parachute, and this first step - was definitely a jump worth the attention. 3. Vertical Skydiving World Record While this video was technically uploaded in early 2013, the footage is from 2012 and comprises of a record setting 138 person vertical skydiving record. The video was created as a marketing strategy by GoPro for the Hero action camera - and regardless of your POV camera preference, it's hard to argue that they didn't put together an absolutely amazing video. While only lasting just over a minute, it's a pretty awesome minute of viewing. 4. Skydive Dubai - Part 2 This video was a follow up to an extremely popular video that Skydive Dubai released originally in 2011, the original video has over 11 million views on youtube, and if you're looking to attract potential clients, what better way to do it than using viral networking to show just what an amazing place to jump Dubai is. While the footage may not show all too much groundbreaking skydiving, you can't help but want to head there immediately and get on a plane when you look at the view. If the point of a video is to get you up in the air, this video accomplishes that flawlessly. The best way to describe it, is fun! 5. Soul Flyers tear up wind tunnel Something for all the tunnel rats out there. Soul Flyers always manage to get one amped with any video they're in and this wind tunnel video is no different. There's some absolutely amazing flying in this video and for anyone who hasn't stepped inside a tunnel yet, it may well get them wanting to. The cinematography is also extremely good for a discipline that's notoriously difficult to get good footage of. Which of these videos inspired you the most. Let us know, or share your favorite skydiving videos of 2012 in the comments section below.
  10. "No matter how bad you think it is, never give up, because guess what, it may not be as bad as you thought it was." Jeb Corliss shared this lesson he learned with Conan following his—seemingly un-survivable—crash on Table Mountain. It wasn’t his first crash, and it may not be his last, but he’s been quite open about what brought him to skydiving in the first place. He uses his jumps to chase his personal demons away, pushing himself farther, faster, and closer to the edge, and as long as the sport doesn’t kill him, it appears to be working. Ultra-Runners have more in common with Jeb that you may think. Many of them are also chasing demons, using the tremendous personal challenge of running 50 or 100 miles, or even more, to explore their boundaries—to get closer to the edge—because coming back from the edge makes life’s hardships seem trivial… for a while, then it is time for a new challenge. Eric Friedman, a skydiver, an ultra-runner, and maybe just a little challenge starved, enjoyed running with a friend around their drop zone before a day of jumping. It was a regular habit and neither thought much more about it until, one day, while jogging on the beach in Hollywood, his combination of habits, and hunger for a new challenge gave Eric a crazy idea, “What if we combine skydiving with ultra-running? That would be awesome!” Like taking chocolate and peanut butter, smashing them into a ball, and launching that ball into space… and then making the ball run 50 miles, the first Skydive Ultra was born. Loosely organized, and with limited promotion, the first event attracted the nuttiest of the demon chasers who, based on the pictures, seem thrilled to be falling two miles before running 50. That was last year, and it was a small but memorable success. This year is going to be bigger, better, and even nuttier. 50 miles? Nah, make it an even 100. This will be for top honors but everybody likes to skydive and run right? So, this year, in addition to the 100 miler, there will be a 50 mile, a 50 kilometer, and some ‘short’ races like, you know, a marathon. There will even be a half-marathon and a 10k for you regular skydivers that just want in on the action. Skydive Ultra 2014 is February 1-2 (Yep, two days, have you ever run a 100 miles?) The drop zone is located in Clewiston, Florida but participants are coming from all over the world. If you aren’t already a skydiver maybe you thought that was your excuse, nope, first time jumpers are the biggest part of the fun! Tandem jumps will be offered but licensed jumpers are, of course, required to encouraged to participate. Bring your not-so-nutty friends and family, there will be plenty of fun to be had. There will be a tire-pull competition as well as horseshoes, Frisbee, volleyball, and more. Visit Skydive Ultra on Facebook, Google+, and YouTube to keep up with the event news and stop by the website for all the details. Maybe we aren’t all chasing demons, maybe we’re chasing dreams, or maybe we’re just chasing the guy in front of us, but no matter what you’re chasing, “…never give up…”
  11. Earlier this year we brought you the article Inside Squirrel Wingsuits, where we talked with Squirrel founder Matt Gerdes about the then new wingsuit manufacturing company. We discussed what set Squirrel apart from other wingsuits and where the company was aiming to go to from there. You can now find Squirrel wingsuits on a number of extremely skilled and well known flyers, and Squirrel is seemingly establishing itself as a trustworthy and reliable wingsuit company. The latest addition to the Squirrel inventory is the Swift. The Swift is a suit that is marketed as a beginner suit for both BASE jumpers and skydivers. While it is said to be easy to fly, it is stressed that the Swift is by no means limited to beginner flying and still a competent suit for intermediate and even experienced wingsuit pilots. When developing the Swift, Squirrel wanted to bring to the table a wingsuit that would be forgiving to fly, while at the same time providing the performance needed in a BASE environment and when flocking. There is also a focus on agility and the suit is said to be great for acro, backflying and other quick maneuverability. The DesignInlets The Swift's inlets are catered to efficiency, with the surface area being larger than on some other beginner wingsuits. Both arm and leg wing pressure is able to be adjusted using the internal zips, doing so will ensure that you are able to manage your ride to be softer, if you are a newer pilot. Leading Edge Leading edge construction is a pivotal and complicated matter in wingsuit design. While rigid structures on the arm would allow for enhanced performance, it would pose a safety risk, but at the same time an overly flexible design would cause a loss of performance. One of the key elements to developing a good wingsuit is to find the perfect balance between a rigid, high performance design and the safety that comes with the more flexible design. Squirrel suits say that they've found the right ingredients to allow the high performance, along with safety; thanks to their three-layer leading edge design. While the exterior layer is finished in Glideskin, a flexible, durable and smooth material, the middle layer is made from a static, non-flexible air-mesh material which is sized wider than the Glideskin. This stronger, more fixed middle layer ensures that the profile does not become deformed. Finally on the interior is a Lycra finish which provides a smooth surface. Only the first few centimeters of the wrist will allow for full flex, as to allow for easy BOC and brake toggle access. Planform Squirrel have gone with a stance and sweep that is extremely similar to their more advanced wingsuits. This will allow those who begin flying on the Swift to easy adapt and progress to some of the more advanced Squirrel suits. Should you begin jumping with a Swift and then later move on to the Colugo, you'll find the transition easier due to a familiarity. Likewise if you had to move from the Colugo to the Aura. Profile The Swift has taken its profile from the advanced Squirrel suit, the Aura; with adaptions made to the Swift's lower surface area and shorter chord. Squirrel say that the thickness of the Swift is similar to that of the Colugo, and was chosen because of the focus on stable trim flight. Features There is a focus that all performance enhancing features in a wingsuit should be standard. The aim from the company is to bring you excellent performance and features included in the price of the suit. All Squirrel suits include: Foam padded foot cavities, internal pressure-zips, nut-sack storage compartment, chest pocket / belly-cam access, mylar reinforced leading edge and rubber BASE soles. Access "Keep it Simple and Safe" has been the mantra for Squirrel and with easy BOC and brake toggle access being a focus in reliable deployments, the suit has been designed to allow for just that. Cutaways are totally unnecessary, says Squirrel, pointing out the extremely easy BOC access and ease of access for the brake toggles, in any situation. The Swift has been designed to bring the flyer the excellent performance while never compromising on safety. Features Force Feed - A 3D reinforced inlet with maximum intake to drag ratio. Developed as a primary safety feature. Innie-Outie (BASE Mode / Skydive Mode) - This feature allows you to easily change between BASE or skydiving mode. In BASE mode the harness will be located on the inside of the chest compartment, for reduced drag and optimum glide; this is enhanced by the zips being completely closed. In skydiving mode the handles are completely exposed at the chest, allowing for easy access and an increase in safety. RAD (Rapid Arm Deployment) - A simple arced cut at the wrist allows for increased ease in the reaching of the pilot chute and toggles. A small, yet highly effective feature. Get Stiffie - A Mylar-reinforced bottom surface on the leading edge ensures that the profile structure is maintained, as well as providing efficient feeding to the inlets. Get Stretchy - In BASE mode, the flexibility of the panels near the shoulder relieve stress on the suit during openings. Bar-tacks in areas also help prevent seam failure. Light Ribs - Porcher Sport Skytex ensures that the suit is light and durable, while at the same time being more stable than mesh. This helps in reducing weight and pack volume. Glideskin - This flexible and durable material is used on all Squirrel suits and is used on the leading edge, where it is able to provide a stable profile while at the same time allowing for flexibility at the wrist area. Airtight Construction - All Squirrel suits are tested thoroughly for airtight symmetry in order to ensure the highest build quality possible. Super Sexy Zippers - While safety and performance are at the top of the list, the Swift is also a good looking suit. The suit uses custom ordered YKK #10 Coil zips. You will have the ability to choose between five colors of zips when ordering your suit.
  12. iFLY has continued its global expansion of vertical wind tunnel centers with the opening of iFly Dallas this week. The company, who now operate 27 facilities around the world, cut the ribbon on the new North Texas on Monday, 18th November 2013. The center is located at the Stonebrier Center Mall in Frisco. The company has claimed that the center boasts the world's most advanced wind tunnel with wind speeds of up to 175mph. The tunnel measurements are 14’ in diameter and 48’ in height. It will cater to persons aged 3 to 103. Whether or not we will see the iFly Dallas center hosting any competition in the near future is left to be seen, and it does seem that given the location and the focus of the press release, that the Dallas center may be catered more towards non-skydivers who are looking for fun, as opposed to other tunnels that tend to focus more on competitive training. Never the less, the center will still be open to competitive skydivers and will also no doubt expand the already explosive growth of indoor flying. Over the past decade tunnel flying has become an imperative part of freefly training and is now an almost mandatory aspect of competitive training. The expansion and increase in accessibility has also seen an entire new wave of tunnel flyers emerge, as children under the ages of 10 have become proficient flyers. The impact that this may have on the growth of the skydiving industry will be seen in a few years. With these children already skilled in freeflying, it will no doubt give them a large advantage should they take up skydiving and begin doing it competitively - particularly within the freeflying discipline. iFly is largest indoor skydiving company in the world with 27 tunnels across several continents. The company has plans of further expansion and will see more tunnels being erected in the coming years. The company opened their Orlando center in 1999, and 10 years later, at the end of 2009 iFly had 18 centers up and running. In 2013 alone, they have opened up an additional four indoor tunnel centers.
  13. admin

    Inside Squirrel Wingsuits

    There are constant advancements in the development of human flight and over the past decade in particular we’ve seen some pretty ground breaking achievements, thanks both to the pilots who push the envelopes and the gear manufacturers that are constantly coming up with new products, and researching the way forward with regards to these items. We had a chat with Matt from Squirrel Wingsuits, one of the new wingsuit manufacturer on the block. On your facebook group you mention that this venture is one of a collaborative nature and that there are some 'elite wingsuiters' involved in the project. Are you able to provide names of those who are involved? Squirrel was originally founded by Matt Gerdes, Luc Armant, and Dave Barlia. After a year of intensive work, Dave was not able to reconcile the inherent workload with his family life and returned to fun jumping. Currently the day-to-day operation is Matt Gerdes and Mike Steen, with testing and development the responsibility of us plus a list of team pilots that will be released on the website soon. You mention on the Squirrel website that "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself". That philosophy seems to be the primary reasoning behind the development of Squirrel. It is clear that you guys felt as though something was not being done correctly by other modern wingsuit manufacturers; is there something in specific that you felt was lacking in the current market and that there was a dire need for that had to be developed? In 2009 there weren’t a lot of people jumping “big” wingsuits in the BASE environment. Jade Tatom was the only person I had met who had ever BASE jumped a Tony suit. At that time (summer 2009) I felt that I had outgrown the suit I was flying and I was looking for something new but I didn’t want a Vampire because everyone else had a Vampire. I decided to get a “big” suit and immediately realized that it was awesome in the BASE environment. For 2009 and most of 2010, lots of people sneered at me and the other guys who were jumping these new big suits… there was an incredible amount of poop-talking that went on here at the Dropzone forum, in hindsight it’s really sad but it’s funny seeing so many of the people who were adamantly against big suits flying them now. I have to give Andy West and Dean Potter credit for being smarter than I was and basically enjoying their suits in private. I was a loud proponent of big suits and convinced as many people as I could (which turned out to be a lot) that wingsuit BASE was more fun with bigger wings… and by the end of 2011, a lot of people had figured out that more surface area is potentially advantageous in many ways. Anyone familiar with the evolution of wingsuit design in the past 3 years knows the rest of the story. I have liked every suit I’ve owned, for the most part. Tony makes great wingsuits and his and Jeff’s designs have (in my opinion) revolutionized the sport. But in 2011 I almost died twice and decided that I either had to quit jumping, or figure out a solution to the issue. In the end, Squirrel was the solution. If I die BASE jumping, now at least it will be in my own suit ;-) What is different about Squirrel wingsuits that sets them apart from the competition? Why would one be making a better choice by going for Squirrel as opposed to one of the other guys? If you look at the suit and fly it and can see and feel the difference, then you will know if the suit is for you or not for you. Deciding which suit to fly is (and should be) a very personal choice. I’ve tried my best to describe some of the details that are unique to our suits on our website, but I would never claim that our suit is better than another. It’s something that each jumper needs to experience and decide for themselves. The company is quite new, as are the products that have been released. How has reception been thus far? The feedback has been even better than we hoped. Our main concern is delivery times at this point. How many products do you currently have for sale, and how many are in development, with any possible release periods for upcoming products? The Colugo will be on general sale in late February. The Aura, a slightly larger suit, will follow. The Swift, our entry-level suit, will come this summer. How much time or effort has been spent into the research, specifically aerodynamic research for these suits. Are they going to be offering anything special with the way they fly? Anything you can tell us about the procedure that has lead up to the production. We are very lucky to have Luc Armant on board. He and Fred Pieri were instrumental in establishing the planform and profiles. Luc and Fred work for Ozone Paragliders, which for the past few years has been widely recognized as the world leader in high performance paraglider designs (currently about 80% of the top competition pilots are flying Ozone, which is insane in a sport with almost 50 brands). Luc and Fred are both complete and total geniuses, and their understanding of flexible airfoils is unparalleled. They have had some wild and awesome ideas, but there are major restrictions for wingsuits because we need them to be comfortable and safe (in my opinion safety and comfort come before performance) before we need them to be fast and efficient. Some of our early prototypes had massively stiff arms with reinforced tri-laminate surfaces and mostly-rigid profiles. The performance was amazing but you couldn’t even sit comfortably in the airplane. We remedied some of that with complex arm-release systems using magnets and Lycra and other things, but in the end it was all just too much going on when you’re standing on the exit point. Simplicity is so incredibly important in our sport. The first phase of development really made clear that comfort and confidence are the main priorities. A natural flying position, very clean and easy access to the BOC and brakes, and fast start-arc* in the BASE environment are our first priorities. When you start pushing speed and glide performance too much, inevitably there are sacrifices. We’re very happy with the performance but for me the most important thing is having the maximum amount of confidence that I’m going to get a fast, balanced, and predictable start, and then be able to reach my BOC clean and clear on every jump. I think that this is what pilots will appreciate on every jump. It’s human nature to be obsessed with performance, and I am not against that obsession, but I think that choosing suits based on their theoretical glide and losing sight of things like a fast start-arc and a really clean pull is a mistake. Nothing else matters when you can’t get your PC. In the past year we’ve seen more and more jumpers ordering the biggest suit possible – and while I agree that big is fun, I also think that we have to stay focused on ease of use and agility, especially for BASE jumping. And a lot of jumpers are not getting this point. The phenomena is like the opposite of skydive canopies, where jumpers feel cooler when they are flying something smaller; it seems like a lot of BASE jumpers want to be wearing the biggest suit they can, even though they would be able to fly much better lines in a more moderate design. *We define the “start-arc” as the vertical distance consumed at the point at which the jumper crosses an imaginary line extended at a 45 degree angle from the cliff edge. Your primary focus at the moment seems to be on attracting BASE jumpers, do you ever plan on expanding focus to skydivers as well? Every BASE jumper is a skydiver, too. Or at least they should be. In my opinion, skydiving is the single most important thing that you can do to improve your wingsuit BASE jumping. One of the most important features on our suits is the Innie-Outie zip system, which allows you to zip your BASE harness inside the suit and profit from the increased wing area and reduced drag which results, or you can zip your skydive harness onto the outside of the suit which allows you to access your handles safely and easily with no funny-business. Our focus will always be on wingsuit BASE jumping, that’s just who we are, but we all love to skydive and all of our suits are designed to be skydived safely and easily. Are there any professionals, whose names one may know busy flying Squirrel suits at the moment, and if so, who are they? Stay tuned for the list.
  14. A product service bulletin has been released for the MarS A.S m2 AAD. This after several reports of the device displaying the errors "Error No. 0" and "Error No. 1". These errors were not eliminated by turning the device off and then on again. The error has been traced to an issue with the device sensor. There is a mandatory compliance request for owners with affected devices to send said devices in for an inspection and subsequent replacement or repair. Costs involved in the procedure will be covered by the manufacturer. More information on this service bulletin and the affected serial numbers can be found at MarS A.S M2 AAD Service Bulletin pdf.
  15. Eliana’s huge smile is nearly as bright as the sunshine here in Arizona. Although she may be shy, she shares that smile on a daily basis. The warmth of that smile is inviting and uplifting to those around her. Most that have flown with Eliana would say they find her to be a gentle spirit in what is predominately a male sport filled with "A" type personalities. Her easy manner makes her approachable. Oh, and did I mention that smile…? My first experience jumping with Eliana was a real treat. Age: 29 Height and Weight: 5’6 140lbs. Birthplace: Passaic, New Jersey Marital Status: Single Team: Arizona Airspeed Position: Tail Jumps: 4,000+ Neither of us at the time were proficient free fliers, but we managed to pull off a three way. We had a lot of fun doing it and captured the jump with stills and video. I am happy to report that both of our skills have improved over the years, and we can actually be in the same skydive together! Not too long ago, Eliana, Craig Girard, Omar Alhegelan and I all went out and played a game of 'follow the leader.' We all giggled watching Omar and trying to imitate his flying, with us looking like fish out of water as he performed loops, spins and twists with ease. There is much to be said about this woman from New Jersey who had big dreams and made the sacrifices to achieve them. The following is a brief overview of that journey. Eliana was born in Passaic, New Jersey on Oct.1, 1974. Her parents, both from Colombia came to the U.S. in hopes of finding a better life. From the age of two to twelve her father moved the family back and forth from Connecticut to Rhode Island, always in search of a better job. After multiple trips to visit family in Colombia, Eliana’s father decided he wanted to move back to his homeland. The family took one final family trip to Florida to see Disney World, and her parents loved it so much that in 1988 they moved to Kissimmee, Florida rather than Medellin, Colombia. During Eliana’s senior year in high school she was unsure about what career path she wanted to follow so she decided to join the army rather than attending college like most of her friends. She said the army offered her financial aid for school which she really needed, the opportunity to do some traveling and also the opportunity to take airborne training. She asked her recruiter about it and he suggested Eliana request airborne school after basic training. Eliana was stationed at Fort Bragg in 1993 and it appeared as though airborne might finally become a reality. Upon her arrival to her unit she requested airborne school and it was approved. Unfortunately, shortly after she had her physical the army realized that she had less than a year left in the military. Eliana would need to re-enlist in order to be sent to airborne school. Eliana declined the offer, as she wanted to attend college. Eliana still wanted to skydive and so did some of her co-workers. After many attempts to try and get a group of people together she finally decided to go to the drop zone by herself. On October 1, 1995 she did a tandem jump in Raeford, North Carolina. While leaving the drop zone a member of the army parachute team who had been on the same plane ride up to altitude asked her if she enjoyed the jump and if she was going to go through the AFF course. She told him she loved the jump but couldn’t afford the course due to the fact that she was only an E-4 in the military. He told her about the 82nd Freefall Activity which is a military skydiving club. He said they had a static line program which was less expensive than the AFF program and that the jumps were discounted because it was a military club and she was in the army. Eliana told him she was definitely interested and he introduced her to one of the head instructors that happened to be standing just a few feet away. And so it began. On April 24, 1996 was discharged from the military and returned to Kissimmee, Florida where she attended Valencia Community College in Orlando jumping as much as she could afford. She worked in a few different places but finally settled down in a restaurant as a waiter and bartender. Eliana would make the trek to Titusville every weekend even if she could afford to make only one jump. In 1998 a Skyventure wind tunnel was being built in Orlando about 20 minutes from where she lived. A friend of hers from the drop zone suggested that she apply for a job there. Eliana felt that she was too inexperienced, but her friend insisted that she would be great for the job. When she gave the General Manager her resume the next day, she was immediately hired. While working at the tunnel Eliana became friends with the managers’ girlfriend who was also a skydiver. She was starting a 4-way team both for fun and to improve her skills. Eliana mentioned that she thought that would be fun and some day that she too would like to do the same. In December, 1998, Eliana started training with team Illusions, which consisted of Cecilia Ferrer, Cathy Hodge, and Rachel Vivier. Kurt Gaebel was their coach. They made about 50 training jumps together and had attended a few Florida Skydiving League (FSL) meets when Eliana’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Eliana quit the team, jumping, work and school and took care of her mother for the next four months until her mother’s death. In September, 1999, Eliana resumed her work at Skyventure and once again the opportunity to get on a team presented itself. She declined due to financial restraints, not having worked for four months. Team Kinetisis was still short one team member as the season started. When asked if she could fill in for the first meet of the season, she did and was hooked again. After the first two training camps some personnel changes needed to be made. Two of her tunnel co-workers joined the team and they became Deland Tunnel Rage (with Thomas Hughes, Glenn Mendez, and Kyle Starck). Deland Tunnel Rage was a very unique team because most of the members had very few jumps, with little to no experience in 4-way. Since most of the team worked at the tunnel and Glenn flew there regularly they all had very good individual flying skills. What they needed was to learn to fly as a team. The team agreed to hire Shannon Pilcher as their coach and they made 100 jumps throughout the year, did some tunnel time as a team, and competed at a few of the FSL meets. In October 2000 they competed at the US Nationals in Perris, California and won the gold medal in the intermediate class with a 15.3 average. A few weeks after Eliana returned from nationals, she received an invitation to jump with another team that was forming. The team was being considered for the US women’s 4-way team and would serve as the trial in that category. Lilac Hayes and Sally Hathaway from Skydive City in Zephryhills, FL and Sally Stewart from Skydive Arizona in Eloy, AZ were looking for a fourth member. Meanwhile, The World Cup of Formation Skydiving was to be held at Skydive Arizona in the U.S. Since there were no women’s teams that competed in the open class at the nationals, this meant that the US lacked representation in the women 4-way division. With only 30 team jumps together in November 2000, these women competed as Synchronicity at the World Cup and won the gold in women’s 4-way with an 11.8 average. Although they had only talked about doing this one competition for fun, they were now eligible to compete at the World Championships in Spain in 2001. The team agreed that if they were going to compete at the World Championships, they would have to train more. A plan was formed and they trained to go to Spain, hiring Joey Jones as their coach, making 300 jumps in a six month period, in addition to spending time in the tunnel. Their efforts paid off as they captured the gold with a 14.7 average. When Eliana returned from Spain a conversation ensued with Alan Metni of Arizona Airspeed. Alan had decided to retire, leaving a slot open on the team. Eliana jumped at the chance to try out. December 2nd Eliana received the call of a lifetime. She earned the slot and became the first and only female member of Airspeed! She started training with Airspeed Zulu that week which consisted of Gary Beyer, Chad Smith, Kirk Verner and Jeremy Peters. The plan was to make 1000 training jumps in 4-way and compete at the U.S. nationals in Chicago in September, 2002. The team experienced many difficulties throughout the year. Gary injured his shoulder while snowboarding, Chad quit the team and Eliana broke her ankle one month before the nationals so she was unable to compete. It was a disappointing set back. Since 2002 was the selection year for the World Championships in 2003, the national champions of 4-way and 8-way would get the U.S. team slots and would have the opportunity to compete at the World Championships representing the United States in Gap, France. Airspeed qualified in 8-way, and Eliana was selected as an alternate. By the end of November her ankle was strong enough to train with the team. In December 2002, 300 skydivers including Eliana attempted a 300-way world record in the skies over Eloy, Arizona. After 12 attempts they accomplished their goal. In January, 2003 the team began training 8-way. The team consisted of John Eagle, Craig Girard, Todd Hawkins, Neal Houston, Mark Kirkby, Steve Nowak, Dennis Rook, Kirk Verner, and Eliana. They made 800 training jumps by the end of August. In September, 2003, after a very exciting competition and a jump off round the team placed second behind the Russians. The team averaged 20.2 after 10 rounds and 20.1 after 11 rounds. Airspeed tied the Russians even on the 11th round, but the rules state that if the teams are still tied after the jump-off round, the gold medal goes to the team who had achieved the highest scoring round of the meet. Airspeed’s highest score was a 24 and the Russians highest score was a 26. In October, 2004 the venue for nationals was Lake Wales, Florida. The team competed in 4-way even though they hadn’t trained 4-way throughout the year. Airspeed Vertical with John, Craig, Neal, Mark and Steve came in 3rd and Airspeed Dragon with Todd, Dennis, Kirk, Jeremy Peters, and Eliana came in 4th. In 8-way competition the team fared better. They took the gold and Eliana became the first women to win a gold medal at the U.S. nationals in 8-way Opens. As 2003 was also a selection year for the 2004 World Championships in Croatia, the 8-way team qualified to represent the United States. Teammates John and Mark decided to retire from the team and were replaced with Andy Honigbaun and Mike Inabinet. The plan for 2004 is 800 to 1000 training jumps before September and to win the 2004 World Championships in Croatia. January, 2004 Craig, Dennis and Eliana traveled to Tok-li, Thailand to participate in the 372-way world record attempts. On January, 6 a 357-way completed and became a new world record thus adding a second world record to her credit. I asked Eliana what was the most difficult aspect of her journey. She offered that financially it has been extremely difficult, but she also offers that if you have a dream you need to find a way to make it happen.
  16. Learning to fly our parachutes is absolutely necessary for long-term survival in this sport. The philosophy that the canopy is simply a means to get down from a skydive is gradually becoming a thing of the past. This may be as a result of individuals with such an attitude dropping out of the sport due to canopy-related injuries, or from the insurmountable fear that comes as a result of a lack of control over their experience. Regardless, many jumpers have been taking an increased interest in flying their parachutes better. Reading and talking about canopies is the beginning of this process. We must understand the principles that allow our canopies to fly. To make a real difference in our capabilities, however, we need to physically experiment with our parachutes in flight. We must practice in the real world. Here are a few exercises that will increase your abilities to save your own life, and enhance your feeling of control while under canopy: Pitch Control Exercises Manipulate the canopy on the pitch axis using the brakes. Look at canopy to notice the amount of pitch axis change. Notice the difference between "soft" and "sharp" inputs: slow application vs. quick. Why? Controlling the pitch angle is how we manipulate the angle of attack of the wing. Without a dynamic change to the angle of attack, we will be unable to increase the lift of the parachute enough to change the direction of flight from its normal full flight glide to level flight. This maneuver is essential for safe landings. Pitch Control With Bank Angle Begin a turn using a single steering toggle. Apply the opposite toggle while still in the turn. Experiment with soft versus sharp inputs to negate decent. Look at canopy to notice pitch changes.Why? Having the ability to control the pitch axis while in a bank is what gives the pilot the ability to control the decent rate while in a turn. The natural tendency is to loose altitude in a turn, but this is not necessarily the result of turning with bank angle. By increasing the angle of attack while in a bank, we can increase the amount of lift that the parachute is producing, and even alter the flight path to level flight despite significant bank angle. Dive Arrest: Toggle Turns Place the canopy in a spiral dive using a single steering toggle. Arrest the dive as quickly as possible by sharply applying the opposite toggle as well as the inside toggle; the inside toggle is not applied until the two are matched in the degree of input. When the toggles are matched, a short stab of collective brake pressure is usually all that is needed to achieve level flight. Exercise both banked recovery and wings level recovery. Why? Turning too low is the preliminary cause of many injuries in our sport. Unfortunately, most canopy pilots assume that bank angle must be eradicated before arresting the dive. This leads many to waste valuable altitude in the process of leveling the wing. In situations with very little altitude remaining, this may delay the collective brake application until it is too late. By rehearsing a transition to zero decent while still in a bank, the pilot becomes accustomed to applying the toggle on the outside of the turn as a learned instinct, reducing the chances of a turn leading to serious injury. Dive Arrest: Front Riser Dive Place the canopy in a dive using the front risers. Rehearse dropping the front risers and quickly stabbing the brakes. Rehearse both straight front riser dive recovery as well as turning dives. Why? While acceleration on final approach can be great fun and usually leads to longer swoops, the acquisition of speed is not really the hard part. What keeps us alive is the judgment and skills necessary to save us when we dive the canopy too close to the ground. If we rehearse the solutions to the dangers, the likelihood of a dive resulting in serious injury is reduced. Letting the front risers up slowly may be the best way to get a long swoop when the dive is rounded up slowly and with ample altitude. Unfortunately, this muscle memory may not serve us when we are really low. In the time it takes to smoothly let up on the front risers we may find ourselves planted in the ground like a shrubbery. Dropping the front risers allows the pilot to keep their hands down, ready to stab the brakes aggressively to arrest a mortal dive. A short, sharp, shock on the brakes may be all that is necessary to place the jumper back under the wing, and to the higher angle of attack that saves their life. Slow-Flight Practice Place the canopy in 90% brakes and hold for 60-90 seconds. Make controlled heading changes of 45-90 degrees. Notice the difference in responsiveness as compared to full flight turns. Notice that lifting a toggle on the outside of the turn reduces the risk of stalling the wing on the inside of the turn.Why? Most pilots spend the majority of their canopy ride in full flight. This means that the feeling of the canopy in this mode is most comfortable to most people. It also means that flying in deep brakes places many out of their comfort zone. This means that most people are feeling somewhat uncomfortable just prior to putting their feet on the ground every single jump. In fact, this anxiety often causes people to hold their breath, and then offset their steering toggles toward the end of the landing in order to get to the ground sooner. They simply want this part to be over. In order to land with great consistency, we must become intimately aware of the flight performance of our parachutes in very deep brakes. The more time we spend in this flight mode, the more comfortable we will be. If we are to land well, we must be as comfortable with deep brakes as we are with full flight. Brian Germain is the author of The Parachute and its Pilot, a canopy flight educational text. Brian is also the President of Big Air Sportz parachute manufacturing company, and teaches canopy flight courses all over the world. To learn more about parachutes, or to order the book, go to: www.BrianGermain.com .
  17. Imagine as a Dropzone Operator waking up at 7:30am on a sunny summer morning to discover that the dropzone has been broken into by thieves in the middle of the night and that all your student equipment is gone! On the morning of June 1st, 2007 Skydive Ireland received a serious blow when all of our student equipment was stolen in the middle of the night by thieves leaving us grounded and unable to take our customers skydiving. All of our Solo Student rigs and all of our Tandem equipment was gone just like that without trace leaving us completely disabled with very little options. I mean let's face it, in our industry the option of taking a trip to the local adventure store to replace your stolen parachute equipment just simply does not exist. Irish winters are really long and here we are having just arrived at the peak season of summer with the sun shining and an empty gear room with no manufacturers nearby and no friendly dropzone to offer assistance in our time of need, it is well and truly at that point you say to yourself…. We're F**ked! This is the type of scenario you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy and this disaster threatened the DZ's very existence since we were a new DZ and only a few months old at the time. We tried to remain composed and think of a clear plan of action to recover from this situation with our first instinct to go on the search for our brand new equipment that was lifted in the wee twilight hours of a summer's morning. The police were dispatched but the real truth of the matter was that the equipment was gone and our worst fear was that this was a specifically targeted job since no other valuable equipment was stolen. Whoever did it knew what they were coming for. There were mixed feeling as we found it difficult to believe another Skydiver could possibly be behind this hit. We figured if it was regular thieves that they would have found more value in expensive wide screen televisions and other similar types of equipment that would sell very easily on the street. With only two skydiving centers in Ireland who were these people planning on selling stolen student parachute equipment to? Having come to terms with the mornings events and dealing with the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach I knew that we had to figure a solution fast and turned to the Skydiving Industry for support. What I suppose was the standard thing to do I did and that was to call the manufactures of the brand new equipment and surely they would be willing to use their resources to rescue us. The Tandem rigs we had were Paratec Next Tandem since we are based in Europe I figured it best to deal more locally for my Tandem gear. So calls were made to Paratec and the situation explained and the consequences of what would happen to us were easily understood. In naive hope I never thought that there would be an issue of support but I was greatly disappointed beyond words to be told by Paratec that there is no equipment they could dispatch to us to assist their customer and fellow skydivers recover this emergency and that they cannot part with their one and only Tandem Demo rig. I wasn't impressed. A cold chill rand down my back with the shocking realization that we were now isolated from other Tandem Equipment Manufacturers who were now all based several thousand miles away and now in the month of June the parachute manufacturing industry was in peak demand with typical 12-14 week delivery schedules. I hurried to dropzone.com in desperate search of some used Tandem Equipment in the classifieds but there was nothing there that was suitable or easily accessible. The other dilemma of course was that all of my Tandem Instructors were rated under the Vector Tandem program so we didn't exactly have the option of just going with any Tandem rig that was available. I'm sure you can start to appreciate the nightmare situation we were now facing and running out of options. It was time to revert back to the manufacturers and try to plead for their understanding to help them understand how serious this situation had escalated. I mean seriously, does it get much worse than this? I made the best move as a dropzone owner that I have done to date. I picked up the phone and called Strong Enterprises based in Orlando Florida. I was greeted by a very friendly Sales Manager named John Makoski who immediately begin to work a plan to dispatch replacement equipment without delay to get us back in the air. I mean this guy dropped everything he was doing and put Skydive Ireland on his highest priority and he just couldn't believe that something like this happened to us. It was due to his concerned response to our situation and seeing lighting speed response to getting this situation under control that I was finally able to regroup and feel the weight of a thousand elephants lift right off my shoulders. Here was a manufacturer who I had never bought a single piece of equipment from or never benefitted their business in any way begin to treat my small company like I was their biggest client. Within a few hours John had gotten approval from Mr. Ted Strong who everybody knows is the owner of Strong Enterprises and was authorized to immediately dispatch 6 Dual Hawk Tandem Systems from their large inventory of stock and make the arrangements to get them to Ireland without delay. I couldn't believe it! This was incredible and I just couldn't express how grateful I was to be picked up in the hand of this Parachute Manufacturing Giant and begin to feel that everything was going to be alright. Then suddenly I had an anti climax when I realized that none of my Tandem Instructors were certified to use the Dual Hawk Tandem. With this piercing feeling in my brain another whole began to bore deep when I thought to myself that perhaps this company might take advantage of me and demand a higher than normal sale price since I didn't have any other choice and finally I began to wonder how am I going to afford 6 new Tandem Systems in light of our break in and something I haven't mentioned yet was that our stolen equipment was not even insured. This is not good. So now I am wondering how this is going to pan out and that I still have to get 6 Tandem Rigs each weighing about 65 lbs to Ireland as fast as possible and at a price I could afford and then find someone who could just fire up a Dual Hawk Instructors Course to get us rated to use the equipment. This is when Mr. Tom Noonan, Strong's Tandem Course Director was introduced to me and in a friendly and supportive voice over the phone said that he had taken the initiative and booked flights direct to Ireland and will personally deliver the equipment and spend the time here to qualify all of my Instructors on the Dual Hawk Tandem and that they will provide the new equipment to me at a hugely discounted price and that they will allow a few months for me to be able to pay for the vast majority of it all! If any of you reading this has ever experienced an immense rush of extreme and unquantifiable feeling of gratitude, relief followed by a dash of excitement and an overflow of amazement at this level of concern and support it was actually quite hard to digest and realize that these guys were willing to do all of this for me. What an incredible level of customer focused service. This is mind blowing stuff and every Dropzone Operator should be seriously paying attention to this. I can honestly say that this is something I have never heard of another manufacturer do in this type of situation in my 13 years of Skydiving. Lets be honest and say that this was a huge risk for Strong in that what if I went bust because of this situation and was not in a position to repay them for their equipment and I had it in Ireland. But they weren't one bit concerned about this and only cared about getting my little DZ back up and running and the deal Tom made with me was that I would have to buy him a few pints of the black stuff in an authentic Irish pub. That was an easy deal to agree I can tell ya! It wasn't long before I was at Shannon Airport shaking hands with the man who flew through the night across the broad Atlantic loaded with Parachute Equipment for delivery and to provide immediate expert training and certification on the Dual Hawks to get us back in the action. This was now all starting to feel very surreal. With his surname being Noonan and being from Boston it was evident Tom was from Irish descent and had always looked forward to visiting his ancestors home. As we sat in a typical Irish Country style pub with symbols of the old Irish culture and harder times of the past it was about 7:30am it was time to start cashing in on our deal. So I ordered a few pints of the black stuff and Tom, Darren and myself toasted to a new chapter and to recovering Skydive Ireland and feasted on a full Irish Breakfast till we were as fat as cows. Now beginning to show signs of a long night spent travelling and with a fully loaded belly and a nice few pints of Guinness we headed back to my house so Tom could refresh and get some sleep. Darren and I unloaded the car and all our new gear was in black gear bags and it felt really good holding Dual Hawk Tandem Parachute Systems in my arms and feeling like everything is getting back on track. I don't think I will ever be able to explain the feeling accurately enough so I won't even try or I'll end up just babbling. So with Tom now out for the count I was anxious to try on our brand new Dual Hawks so we pulled out two of them and immediately begin to start dissecting the rig to discover it's features and to see how it feels. As a certified parachute rigger for more the n10 years I immediately begin to admire the workmanship of this parachute system and to examine its components which at first glance had me realize this was not just another Tandem System. With features such as the dual loop main canopy closure to prevent a nasty horse-shoe and the anti-line dump line stows. Even the fine detail of the position of the RSL to deal with a possible riser breakage to avoid a premature reserve deployment. I really liked the feature of the Master 400 sqft Reserve canopy which is comforting to know this canopy is thoroughly designed to meet the most demanding Tandem nightmare. One of the really exciting things about it was that they were all equipped with the brand new development from Strong which is the superb all ZP material SET 366 Main Tandem Canopy configured with Single Brake setup. I was not getting really buzzed about flying this new toy. It was obvious that this rig was built for Tandem Skydiving from the ground up and was rugged to last the test if time. We now had a serious set of kit that made our stolen Tandem Systems look like plain old modified sports rigs. I couldn't get over the size of the Drogue and what I immediately liked was the simplicity of the main and reserve deployment sequences. On our other Tandem Systems there seemed to be a confusing amount of handles which offered a great risk of causing the Instructor confusion in a high stress situation. I had always thought the more handles the better because of more options but then thought that simple is better given the statistics that ALL Tandem Fatalities were due to Instructor error. I was now keen to complete the Strong Tandem Instructor Candidate Course which for us would be the cross over from another Tandem Rating so it meant less jumps to become certified on the Dual Hawk then if we were starting out as new Instructors. Later that day when Tom arose from the dead we made a plan to get going the next day with the Course Material and waste no time in getting it completed. Throughout the course I found Tom Noonan to be an excellent Examiner to work with and what was most apparent was that not a single ounce of ego was present in his natural ability to make a person feel comfortable and help us understand the functions of the Dual Hawk and was patient with all of our questions and comparisons and scenarios with the what we had been used to jumping and now getting excited about jumping the Dual Hawk. I was anxious to feel what freefall will be like with the position of the Drogue attachment at the base of the Reserve Tray unlike the Vector 2 style system which gives a really nice position in freefall and makes for an excellent Student freefall position for the Video and Photos. I can honestly say from going as passenger that the Student Harness is the most comfortable out of all the harnesses which makes for some very happy customers. Tom did an excellent job at completing the course qualifying myself and my Instructors. He worked very hard and was very committed to his very high standard of safety and awareness and we all learned a lot of valuable skills and information from him. He is a true professional and loves what he does and I was glad that with his proud Irish heritage he was able to visit Ireland and Skydive at my DZ with beautiful views of lakes and mountains Tom became attached to the place and has since returned again to Ireland to spend time with us doing further training to qualify a Strong Tandem Examiner to make us more self sufficient. Tom has become a great friend and I will always be grateful for what Strong Enterprises did for my dropzone. Without them we were well and truly hammered. I could spend a few paragraphs telling you what I thought about the other manufacturers lack of support in our time of need but it would just simple take aware from the value of this story but what I will advise from our experience is that when choosing your equipment especially when you're living depends on it is imperative you choose a manufacturer who can back you up when the shit hits the fan. I have only good things to say about the Dual Hawk and with almost a year of full time jumping the Dual Hawk and sweet soft opening of the new SET 366 and zero cutaways I can only say you will look long and hard for a Tandem System of this caliber. Once you see past the fluff of the other Tandem systems with other manufacturers competing to be the most inventive it stands to this day that the Dual Hawk is the most proven Tandem system in the world and was designed by a great man who was the true pioneer of Tandem Skydiving, Mr. Ted Strong. Thank you all the Team at Strong Enterprises in Orlando Florida. You saved our bacon and have been a huge source of support and inspiration to my dropzone and you are to be applauded for your concern and the dropzone rescue operation you handles so professionally and I hope one day I can repay you. I am glad to report that some of our stolen parachute equipment surfaced in Eastern Europe in the country of Lituania which we were able to retrieve. The gear had been in use at a Skydiving Center and when I discovered this I made contact with the Dropzone to inform them they were using stolen Parachute Equipment. Investigations are pending to source that carried out this terrible crime and to ensure they do not do it to another dropzone again. Blue Skies, David Byrnes DZO - Skydive Ireland www.skydiveireland.ie
  18. Just days after we brought you an article on the Ninja wingsuit by Birdman, they have come out with a press release for the anticipated Katana wingsuit. We mentioned the Katana in last weeks article, touching on whether or not the Katana was in fact a renaming of what was originally advertised as the Samurai, while in development. The Katana is Birdman's third wingsuit in their 2013 line, following the Blade III and Ninja. The Katana wingsuit has been developed by Jari Kuosma and Shin Ito and focuses on speed and distance, where as the Blade III was a flocking suit and the Ninja was an acrobatics suit. The Katana wingsuit sports large wings and quatro-wing design with a drag reduction system which enhances the flow of air on the top of the wing, allowing for quicker speeds and longer distance in flight. The design still allows for quick and flat turns without having to maximize the surface area. Birdman wanted to develop a wingsuit that while being large, was extremely quick and at the same time capable of easy maneuverability. Technical Specifications: Aerodynamically shaped, transparent reinforced sail material with BIRDMAN DRS. Emergency cut-away for arms. 10 mm YKK zippers. Reinforced 3D air-intakes with air-locks. Hook knife pocket outside. Two inner pockets. Reinforced 2 mm thick leather bootie. High collar. 210D double coated extra sturdy nylon. Semi- rigid long- and short ribs made from BoPET material. Fully breathable inner lining for comfort. Thick protective knee & bootie area. Leading edge: Aerodynamically shaped, transparent reinforced sail material. Thick, moisture absorbing back pad made from Spandex. Large size erected air-inlets with airlocks. Back deflector and leg wing DRS. Semi-rigid and shaped leading edge. 10 mm wide YKK zipper.Sales for the Birdman Katana start in November 2013. Birdman is a company with a long history in skydiving and was one of the first companies to produce wingsuits to skydivers, over a decade ago. The company is has undergone some changes after taking a hiatus and now pushing their new line of products in 2013.
  19. Today recognizes the 216th anniversary of the first parachute jump, made back in 1797 by French aeronaut André-Jacques Garnerin. Garnerin, who was born on the 31 January 1769 was a student of the legendary ballooning pioneer, Jacques Charles. Charles himself, a decade before Garnerin's record was set, set a record of his own when along with Robert brothers, he became the first to used a hydrogen-filled balloon for manned flight. Garnerin, no doubt heavily inspired by his professor, began to forge his own path in the aeronautics world, becoming the Official Aeronaut of France. France was undoubtedly the hot spot for aeronautic discovery and innovation in the 18th century, and in 1783 it was the Frenchman, Sébastien Lenormand who invented what is considered the first modern parachute. The original design that was used by Garnerin for the first parachute jump was naturally a far cry from what we are familiar with today. The parachute itself was made from silk and was approximately 23 feet in diameters. The device was constructed using rope to connect the basket to the edges of the material. Prior to ascent the parachute resembled a closed umbrella and consisted of a pole which ran down the middle, with rope that ran through the pipe. This was used to attach the parachute to the balloon that he would be ascending with. The occasion of the first parachute jump itself took place in Parc Monceau, Paris on the 22 October 1797. Garnerin made ascent to a height of around 3,000 feet, before cutting the rope that connected the parachute to the balloon, and in turn allowed him to begin his descent. The descent was anything but smooth and Garnerin had to deal with the basket swaying violently during the flight, as well as having what could be described as a bit of a rough landing, with the basket scraping along the ground. In the end though, Garnerin had successfully completed the first parachute jump and paved the way for modern parachuting. Despite the fact that Garnerin was the first to perform a manned descent with a parachute, it is worth noting that 12 years prior to this, Jean Pierre Blanchard had used a parachute with a basket attached to perform parachuting demonstrations using a dog as a passenger. While given the advances made in France each year in the latter part of the 18th century, it was inevitable that a manned parachute jump would occur. It was Garnerin who made it happen first and can in turn be seen as the first modern parachuter in the world. Google honored this anniversary by adding a parachuting game to the Google doodles. Be sure to go check it out!
  20. Seven months ago, Birdman re-entered the world of gear manufacturing with a new website, new products and what was almost a completely new team. Birdman took a hiatus in 2010, when the company went through a change in ownership structure. Earlier this year their website was back up, boasting a new look and advertising some new products, which included the branching out into watches designed specifically for BASE jumpers and skydivers. They immediately released the names of three new wingsuits that would be in development: The blade III, the Ninja and the Samurai. For more details on the resurrection of Birdman, check out The Return of Birman which was published in March. When the site went live they had only given information on the Blade III, while both the Samurai and the Ninja were said to be 'coming soon'. The Ninja has now been made available for purchase, along with information about the suit. The Ninja is selling at Birdman's online store for 149, 800 Yen, or $1527 US (at time of publishing). This is about $200 less than the Blade III. The suit seems to be aimed towards the intermediate to advanced flyer and is sold as a suit of high agility. Birdman's online store provides the following details for the Ninja: "NINJA is a brand new wingsuit concept from BIRDMAN®. It’s been designed to be the master of aerobatics, which means it has sharp and accurate turns, agility, easy recovery from all flying positions and ability to accelerate faster than any other suit in it’s class. Just like a true NINJA. This power is created from it’s drag decreasing quatro-wing design while the agility comes from it's aggressive profile and superior air-inlet / air lock design.. All this sums up to the best performing & funaerobatics wingsuit you have ever flown.. and, it’s BIRDMAN® *Recommend to try after completing FFC. The NINJA comes all included; Quattro-wing drag reduction, 9 large air-inlets with air-locks, semi-rigid ribs, mini-ribs, two large pockets, inner lining, high collar, easy access leg zippers, extra soft kneepads, extra sturdy booties & 10 mm YKK zipper and over the shoulder zip for easy dressing. It will be offered in 4 color scenes. FRONT Leading edge: Aerodynamically shaped, transparent reinforced sail material Emergency cut-away arms 10 mm YKK zippers Five (5) reinforced air-intakes with air-locks Hook knife pocket outside Two inner pockets Reinforced 2 mm thick leather bootie High collar with NINJA and BM logo 210D double coated extra sturdy nylon Semi-rigid long ribs made from BoPET Semi-rigid short ribs made from BoPET Full, fully breathable inner lining inside Thick protective & reinforced knee & bootie area Mini-ribsBACK Thick moisture absorbing spandex backpad Large air-inlets with airlocks Back deflector with air-pass Reinforced and soft shoulder blade Semi-rigid shaped leading edge Extra long 10 mm YKK zipper with QR pull tab Snaps for booties and leg wing"Also of interest on Birdman's websites is that there is another product on the webstore called the Katana which is said to be coming soon, though there is no mention of the Samurai. It's unclear at this point as to whether the Samurai and the Katana are two separate wingsuits we can be expecting the company to release, or whether there was perhaps a renaming at some point that hasn't yet synced up completely. Have you tried any of the new Birdman products? Comment below and let us know what you thought.
  21. In the earliest days of skydiving, photographers were excited about the advent of the “lipstick camera” for its small form factor and ease of use. The camera(s) could be mounted on a wing, helmet, or other foundation, cabled to a recorder, and used for new angles in aerial production. They were also horribly expensive. In modern times, we’ve seen the camera shrink in size, and dramatically improve in image quality. In many cases, this size-shrink inspires kludgy form factors, and this is where the Replay XD camera shines. With a nod to the stylings of the unobtrusive lipstick camera, the Replay XD is very slim in size (same diameter as a quarter), and easy to use. All electronics are packed into this small cylinder, where several features are found that no other camera offers. Replay XD shoots in one of three user-determined resolutions; 1080, 960, or 720. Framerates of p30 or p60 are user-selectable. The camera is powered up via a button mounted at the front. Users know it’s recording by the red indicator light and the haptic (vibration) feedback that occurs when the camera is put into record mode. The camera may be set up as a one-button record, or other modes may be defined by the user. MicroSD cards are used for storage, and the camera supports up to a 32GB card, allowing for ridiculously long record times (up to 10 hours, and Replay offers a battery pack to support long recording times). These small cylinder cameras may be mounted at any angle, any pitch, on any surface with great ease. The Replay XD is much smaller in overall profile than any of the other cameras, which is why it’s long been a choice in the motorsports and aircraft industry. Mounting the Replay XD is no different than mounting any of the other popular POV cameras; peel n’ stick the 3M tape, and put it where you want it to go. The camera can be rotated in its mount until it has been clicked in place. Once clicked, it’s locked and cannot be rotated. The Replay XD uses a 135 degree FOV (Field Of View) so it’s a bit more narrow than some of the other popular brands. However, this also provides for a more natural view, something many sports enthusiasts prefer, as the narrower FOV does not have a distorted image. I like that Replay XD offers lens replacement kits for 5.00; this means I’m not spending a lot of cash for scratched lenses, and lenses can be replaced in the field. Replay takes lenses fairly seriously; they’re the only POV manufacturer that offers lens adapters so that external lenses or more importantly, filters, might be added to the camera setup. This is a tremendous advantage for pro’s wanting the best image possible. With a mini HDMI connector on the back of the camera, it is the only live output to be found on any POV camera offering. This means that not only can the camera be connected to a broadcast device for live streaming (without the degradation of using low bitrate video via wi-fi), but that the camera may be connected to the battery-operated ReView monitor for checking camera placement, angle, level, exposure on a production-grade monitor. Lastly, the live HDMI output also allows users to plug straight into any television monitor while setting the camera on a helmet and checking the aimpoint. Another pro feature, is the ability to access the core functions of the camera and modify camera settings for specific purposes. Opening the .txt file at the root of the camera, allows users to modify bitrate (very important), white balance, exposure/compensation, saturation, contrast, audio gain, and more. The menu selections also allow the camera to be set to a one-button record, or one-button power up, second button-record mode. The file settings may be saved off, making it ridiculously easy for a camera monkey to set up multiple cameras. Replay XD is also the only POV camera that offers timecode in the stream, providing significant benefit for multicam operations or legal use. The camera is capable of shooting interval stills, at full resolution from a 5Mp sensor. Files may be custom-named in the .text file, or simply auto-named by the camera. The camera records mp4/AVC files and wraps them in a .mov package, readable by any NLE software or media player on any platform. A micro usb connector is used to charge the camera, and to transfer data from the camera to a storage device. Memory cards may also be removed for external read/transfer. The Replay XD isn’t waterproof, but I was able to dunk it to around 10’ of ocean, and in any sink or tub. It’s not designed for underwater use (they have a housing good to 100meters), but the camera is quite capable of going through rain, incidental water, and other “wet” situations with ease. The all-billet aluminum camera is ridiculously tough, as seen in this YouTube video where I drove a Dodge Challenger back and forth over a running camera, and even popped the clutch, spinning the camera out from under the car. Image quality is what I’d expect out of a POV camera. It’s subjective to say it’s better or worse than other POV competitors. The image sits quite nicely alongside media from high end cameras, and in fact, this camera is used for many broadcast television shows, including live feeds from NHRA and other race competitions. It’s been used in major-motion picture production, and sits nicely in the mix with other high-end POV cameras. The things that set the Replay XD aside are its form factor, the durability, and the features usually found only on broadcast equipment. The factory package comes ready to roll; battery is partially charged, memory card included, 2 mount systems, pads, charger, 12V charger, carry bag, USB cable, storage bag for camera, Cordura system storage bag./Things I really like about this camera: External audio/pro audio capability Live external monitor (to any monitor, but the ReView is very cool) Lens/filter adapters One button operation Super low profile/inobtrusive in a wide shot. Aluminum billet mounts Body durability/toughness Image quality with user-defined tweaks Timecode for multicam use Field-changeable lens covers The awesomely wide variety of mounts ranging from lightweight plastic for general use, to billet aluminum for more permanent or high-risk mount locations.What I don’t like: USB port. This is a Micro USB port, and the cables are nearly impossible to find in a crunch. If you’ve got the cable with you, great! But if you don’t, and your battery dies, you’ll wish you had a RePower charge kit with you. Rubber buttons. At first glance, these are great. But, it is possible to skin them off if they’re struck with great force at the inappropriate angle. Rubber water seal O-rings. These keep the camera watertight, but they also can fall off if the back is frequently removed. In a tight spot, it’s difficult to get to the release tabs on the low-boy mount. I did find that using a flat screwdriver or popsicle stick got me in there, yet one would think there is an easier way.The camera kit sells for 299.00 with all accessories, and is available from most skydiving supply stores.
  22. Deleted

    Journey to the Bigways

    From Student to the 100th Jump Making it to my first Nine-way and then suddenly being welcome into RW jumps During early 2005, I became interested in big ways while I was still a student skydiver. As a deaf person, I discovered the deafskydivers.org website, and they were planning an upcoming Deaf World Record event. They required 100 jumps and a B license to participate in the event. A daunting goal, this gave me the incentive to jump as often as I could at my home dropzone. At jump #99, the largest formation I had ever jumped in was a three-way. For my next jump, I set forth trying to get the biggest RW formation the drop zone would let me build. This became a nine-way, made mostly of Skydive Gananoque's instructors. For my 100th jump, we created a successful 9-way jump even though I funneled the exit! Before this jump, I had a hard time finding willing RW buddies. Word went out I'd accomplished a two-point nine-way. Now I was suddenly being invited into four-ways, five-ways, and six-ways, jump after jump! As a result, my learning experience experienced a big bang after this milestone jump. photo by Dave "Fuzzy" Hatherly Deaf World Record 2005 First experience being “cut” from a bigway event November 2005 was my first skydiving vacation. I flew to Florida to participate in Deaf World Record. It was like a deaf boogie, organized by the infamous Billy Vance and John Woo. Before the event, I went to Skyventure Orlando for the first time. I was floored to learn that John Woo had 20 hours of tunnel time, and is a World Team member having completed the 357-way World Record the previous year. He told me he had about 700 jumps. His story was an inspiration, even if it was an impossible dream at this time. Over the next few days, 20 of us jumped several attempts to break the 14-way2003 record. I learned a lot, and docked on several formations that exceeded the size of my 100th jump formation. Eventually, they had to give “the speech” to four jumpers to reduce subsequent attempts to 16. I was one of the people to be “cut” from the final formation. My feelings of disappointment disappeared as I witnessed the Deaf World Record from the ground, the subsequent first night jump, and giving my glowsticks away. The photo with the goofy smile tells the whole story of Deaf World Record 2005 experience. Attending Canada Big Way 2006 Failing to get to the 59-way level, but managing to get to the 30-way level I learned about the Canada Record during late 2005, and wanted to see if I could possibly qualify for this event. It seemed far fetched that I might participate in an 80-way but I kept my mind open. During 2006, I completed my first 20-ways during boogies when the Twin Otter visited my Cessna home dropzone. The dropzone told me to go and attend the Canada Record anyway, to 'try out' and see if I was good enough. At this event I had my first taste of big way education, such as stadiums, radials, sheep dogging, red zone. Alas, I was cut before I went past a 21-way. The event proceeded to complete a 59-way while I jumped a side 20-way camp for people who were cut from the main formation. I learned many valuable lessons, including from Guy Wright: Never look up when I fall low. After that advice, despite still being a sloppy flyer, I consistently recovered from falling low during these jumps. I made many bad impressions with Guy Wright, however, TK Hayes invited me to participate in a 20-way. Later, it became apparent there was too many jumpers, and it became two separate 30-ways instead. This became the consolation prize: My first multiple-plane formation load, and my first 30-way, that I completed, docking 14th. Guy Wright's Big Way Camp 2007 Struggle trying to stay current During 2007, I had a major downturn in my jumping frequency due to job and love life situation. Nonetheless, I attended a Guy Wright big way camp at the same dropzone as the Canada Big Way 2006 event. However, I got cut very early during the first day as I was very uncurrent and my previous impression at Canada Big Way 2006. In addition to my lack of currency, I had also gained weight, so I had much more difficulty falling slow, so I kept falling low too often! Discouraged, I gave up on big ways for the remainder of 2007 except for the easy 20-ways that occurred at Gananoque's Twin Otter boogies. Perris P3 Big Way Camp May 2008: Finally Persistence Wins! Finally reaching the 50-way level In the previous two years, I kept hearing about the famous “Perris Big Way Camps” as being the best camp to learn about big ways. I was getting current again and I worked a little over an hour of tunnel time and 20-way jumps previous to the camp. Finally having the prerequisite jumps, I attended the Perris big way camp for May 2008. They require 250 jumps with 50 jumps in the preceding 6 months. It was to become the best skydiving vacation ever. As a deaf jumper, I was very challenging to the Perris P3 team, because I often required a little more maintenance than everybody. Load organizers dislike high-maintenance jumpers, and it was always a challenge to make myself as low maintenance as possible. I was struggling trying to learn as much as possible, with the help of other jumper writing notes for me! I persisted and climbed my way through ever-bigger formations, and the final jumps on the final day, I was to become part of an outer weed whacker (“weed whacker of last resort”). On the third last jump, I fell low. On the second last jump, I successfully docked but others in my whacker did not make it. I approached a discouraged-looking guy and encouraged him, good job, you can still do it. He was a guy, very much like me, who was trying so hard. I gave him a good pat on the back and gave him the encouragement. The thrill of diving fast from a trail plane, and slowing down on time for a dock. I almost fell low on this jump, but I docked – DOCKED! Then I committed the sin of looking away from the center and to other jumpers docking on me. He was struggling, going to fall 1 foot low below me – but I made a last minute decision to drop my level slightly below, while still docked, and help catch him. We docked in a mutual grunt of effort. Right in the nick of time, the final person, about to go low too, caught the very end of the weed whacker and promptly pulled our entire whacker low again, a whole 2 feet below the formation level, with the chain becoming almost diagonal! However, we quickly leveled out without funneling. We DID IT. I was sloppy, the video showed my instability as I caught the other skydiver, but I felt I played “hero” on this jump – helping other new big way jumpers like myself complete the formation. While I was not ready to truly play the role of hero, I had so badly wanted the formation to be complete – and it was my job in the weed whacker of last resort to try to make it succeed. On the other hand, skydivers are supposed to look towards the center of formation. Despite this succeess, I still had lots to learn. But it was time to celebrate – I was so happy I was part of a complete 49-way formation! photo by T.C. Weatherford Perris P3 100-Way Camp September 2008 Now reaching the 100-way level By now, I was starting to think I might make it into the next World Team if I tried hard enough. I started to hear that the next World Record might be happening in year 2010. I then made a decision to gamble and “go for broke” for the Perris P3 September camps, and try to bring myself to the 100-way level. The Perris camps were organized as a 50-way camp the weekend prior and a 100-way camp the weekend after. I had only gotten a conditional invite for the 100-way camp based on the performance of my 50-way camp, but planned my vacation as if I was going to possibly be accepted into the 100-way. As a deaf skydiver, I hunted down interpreter help to try and decrease my maintenance level even further. Jan Meyer stepped up to the plate and offered to be my debrief-room interpreter and to double as a dedicated big way coach. I surpassed the performance of my previous Perris May 2008 visit. It worked – I qualified for the 100-way camp. The next week, I finally did my first 100-way as I had dreamed of doing someday. The Future... Even though I am still very much a relative newbie to bigways still yet to be part of an invitational big way event, I now have a new goal: Be part of The World Team within my lifetime, whether in 2010 or later! Although I now have enough experience to be invited to the smaller invitationals listed at the bigways.com site, I still have a long way to go, and lots yet to learn!
  23. We have a newer and more comprehensive action camera shootout available. We set out with 6 of the most popular models of action cameras in an all-out camera review. Our desire was to uncover the answer to the question "What is the best POV camera on the market?", and at the same time determine the strengths and weaknesses of the cameras being reviewed. The overall performance results were a little surprising to us... Could the GoPro be dethroned? It’s the “Me” generation, and modern action cameras provide transparent windows into the very lifestyles of these individuals. “Check out what I’m doing” seems to be the prevalent theme. Quite a few electronics manufacturers have recognized the vast market for small HD cams. As a result, action cameras have undergone a tremendous shift from the low-resolution bullet cameras of 5 years ago. Today, we have POV cameras that shoot 24p, 4k resolutions, p120 frame rates for overcrank/super slow motion, and a whole lot more. Setting out to find the best action cam, I assembled a collection of mounting points onto my Bonehead Flattop Pro camera helmet. This skydiving helmet is perfect for testing cams in the most demanding situations. On this helmet I have mounted: Sony HDR AS15 (3 ea) GoPro Hero 2 (3 ea) Replay XD (3 ea) JVC Adixxion (1 ea) Drift Innovations HD (1 ea) Contour Roam2 (1 ea) It’s a total of 12 cameras on top, plus one wrist-mounted for documentation. When possible, each of the action cameras are tested in one of three modes: 1920x1080p30 (Full HD/30 progressive frames per second) 1280x720p60 (HD/60 progressive frames per second) 1280x720p120 (HD/ 120 progressive frames per second) In this comparison, the following criteria shall be observed: Overall quality in identical lighting conditions Quality in low light Audio quality Features/flexibility Ease of use/setup/ out-of-box experience Slow motion/over-crank quality Third party support Codec/post production And off we go… Overall Quality This is the most subjective conversation of the lot. Rather than shooting charts, I chose to shoot actual subjects/scenes. Subjectively speaking, the Sony HDR AS15 is the best of the group in the most common 1920x1080p30 modes. Colors are natural, whites are white, blacks are black, and the gamut is smooth. There is no banding from the codec, and the dynamic range is broad. Watch this video full screen for best comparison. The GoPro Hero2 produces a warmer overall image and it appears warm, but balanced when viewed alone. Standing next to the AS15, however, the Hero2 image reveals itself to be softer and less contrasted, with colors that selectively pop and/or are over saturated due to the more limited dynamic range. In the below image, note that clouds appear as ‘industrial haze’ vs being white. However, some people do prefer a more warm color to neutral/proper white balance. White balance is as much an aesthetic preference as it is a standard. My eye (and post workflow) prefers neutral colors. * Low Light Next, low light tests are performed. The purpose of this test is to see how well each camera performs in low light conditions. Typically, small format cameras are very challenged in low-light scenes, due to the small image sensors filled with high pixel values. Many sports activities take place early morning/late afternoon, or inside cramped quarters. Low light scenes are where the Exmor processor (used in the Sony HDR AS15) outshines all others. Although the images have a blue cast, color tone is closer to the ‘eye-view’ of the scene. The 1280x720p60 modes in the GoPro Hero 2 and the Sony HDR AS15 proved to yield the best overall images for clarity, smooth motion, and exposure, but they display quite different in presentation. Among these cameras, it’s interesting to see the differing methods used for handling the range of white to black: blooming whites to light the scene or reducing whites to balance the color. Although the Drift HD has less noise than other images, it also is the least useful image overall in how little information is contained in the frames. The Sony AS15 shows more noise than the GoPro Hero2 in p120 modes, yet also has more of a useful image. The gain can be brought up in post on the Hero2 (I did look at this), and the noise becomes about equal. However, the AS15 also offers better clarity, sharper edges, and smoother contrasts. Audio Quality Sound reproduction is an important part of the video experience. Audio was tested both with and without waterproof housings on relevant cameras. This is a no-brainer. Waterproof box or not, the Sony HDR AS15 wins the audio test quite handily. With a stereo mic and 16bit audio, the AS15 trumps all the competitors in every way. Adding the waterproof box to the Hero2 or Contour Roam renders them nearly useless. Drift, JVC, Contour+ and RePlayXD all are water resistant to shallow depths, and do not need housings. Therefore audio quality outside an external housing was superior to the Hero2 in all examples. As you can tell from the helmet setup pictures, we tested one GoPro and one Sony inside their housings, but without their respective front lens assemblies. This was not only to match up lenses, but to also give each action camera the best audio opportunity possible. Audio is a somewhat important part of action sports, and isn’t forgotten by most of the manufacturers. Sony, GoPro, Drift,Replay, Contour+ all allow for external microphones to be connected. It is important to note that the Sony HDR AS15 offers no audio in p60 or p120 modes. Features/Flexibility This is incredibly subjective, as one person’s pleasure is another person?s pain. In my view, this is where everything outside of image quality becomes part of the purchase decision. I reviewed what I like/don’t like/found missing in each of the cameras. This section has no specific rhyme nor reason; it’s merely my personal impressions of the camcorders themselves, without looking at the packaging or image quality. It was easy to compare image quality, as all of the cameras use the .mp4 codec, packaged in a variety of containers such as .mov and .mp4. Bitrates are similar on all of the cameras, so the real variations come in the imagers, lenses, and usability. Lenses are varied from 115 degrees to 180 degrees on these cameras. Some have selectable Field of View, and where possible, I selected as close to 120 degrees FOV as possible to best service the similarities in the test. Only Sony and JVC offer stabilizers, so the stabilizers were disabled for most of these tests. In the ATV stabilizer tests, Sony HDR AS15 performed significantly better than the JVC Adixxion. RePlay XD I LOVE the simplicity of this camera. One button powers up the camera, it vibrates and provides LED feedback for record, pause, and battery level information. It is water resistant, and can be stashed almost anywhere due to its tubular aircraft aluminum form. RePlay offers several mounting options, including swivel/ball head mounts made from aluminum billet. Quite simply put, it’s a tough camera. RePlay offers a mounting ring that allows for wide angle lenses to be attached to the camera. Since the lens is only 61 degrees in width, it is substantially tighter than any of its competitors, and a wide angle adapter will be necessary in some situations. The lens rotates, allowing for side or flat-mount surfaces. This camera is a staple in the NASCAR circuit, and it’s easy to see why. It also offers HDMI output for live previewing or uncompressed output to a Ninja or similar device. The HDMI output can feed an wireless HDMI system for broadcasting over a remote area. Additionally, RePlay offers a waterproof cable connection for underwater HDMI use, perfect for placing the camera under water while monitoring or recording above water. For advanced users, the RePlay XD has certain settings that may be modified in a Notepad application (one that is .txt only). This allows users to customize the camera. Out of the box, this camera is ready to roll including a MicroSD card. Battery life is approximately 2 hours in 1080 mode. RePlay also provides users with a very nice Cordura case for storage. The camera cannot free-stand due to the round body; a beanbag with weight is the only way this camera can sit on its own. Fortunately, the RePlay comes with several plastic stick-on mounts. This camera uses a proprietary mount system, but in reality any conduit mount/tiedown works nicely. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com JVC Adixxion I was excited to check out this camera because JVC brings great things to the table. They mark the second professional camera company joining the HD POV fray, which makes it clear that POV is a strong bet in broadcast B-roll cameras. The form factor is nice, and I love the standard ¼ camera thread provided on two sides for side or top mounting on a helmet, roll bar, fuselage, or whatever. The camera is easy to operate, using two buttons for control. Menus are easy to navigate, and users may configure vertical or horizontal positions. JVC also has wifi available on the camera, and can stream live to UStream directly from the camera without a PC. Also there are Android and iPhone apps available for external camera control/linking. JVC uses WiVideo to configure the camera. I could not get the app to function with the camera on my laptop, tablet nor two cell phones. The camera locked up and required battery removal on multiple attempts to configure the wireless setup (ver 0483). It does upload directly to UStream without any difficulty. Otherwise, users will need to install an SD card (purchased separately) and the device is ready to roll. My test unit was charged to approximately 10% of life. A beautiful feature on this camera is the electronic stabilization mode. It smoothes out images very nicely (yes, this works for skydiving, as it is EIS). The image quality does suffer with the stabilizer engaged. Battery life is approx 110 mins in 1080 mode. I found the camera buttons clunky, and the mounts that come with the camera had several of us scratching our heads, wondering “WTH were they thinking?”. Perhaps because of the standard thread mount, JVC felt that creative mounting solutions should come from the user? The camera comes with a plastic ball swivel stick-on mount that cannot be trusted in any sort of medium impact activity. The Addixxion will easily snap out of the ball swivel. It also comes with a rubber mount to go on an elastic goggle headband such as ski goggles, similar to the “jockstrap” mount that is available for the GoPro. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com Contour Contour really stepped their game up with the + model, offering Bluetooth control of the camera and preview over a cell phone or tablet (low framerate). Similar to the RePlay, Contour thoughtfully provides a MicroSD card in the box (why doesn’t everyone do this?) The camera features a GPS receiver that embeds the GPS signal in the video stream. Some users may find great benefit in this feature. It’s fun to open the GPS data in GoogleEarth, playback the waypoints while watching earth, and re-live the experience. GoogleEarth may be screencapped for additional (and interesting) B-Roll footage. Recording can be enabled simply by sliding the locking record switch forward. The camera automatically goes into record mode, so there’s no clumsy fumbling with small buttons that one sometimes cannot see due to mounting systems. The Contour+ does have some external controls for features such as white balance (accessed via cell or tablet device over BlueTooth. Video may be streamed over HDMI, as with most of the other cameras. Out of the box, this action camera is ready to roll including a MicroSD card BlueTooth preview and control is a nice addition, although it was very choppy and slow on my Samsung Galaxy SIII phone and Galaxy Tab2. Battery life is approximately 90 minutes of continuous record in 1080 mode. The form factor is very well thought-out for most applications; however, the proprietary mount system is a personal dislike. The camera cannot freestand due to the rounded bottom. A mount, housing, or similar device is required to use this system. Mounting the camera on a tripod requires additional adapters not easily found due to limited distribution. Contour is the only camera that comes with a tether in case the camera is knocked free from its mount. While this may be desirable in some sports, in skydiving, BASE jumping, or paragliding, it is not a wanted feature. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com Drift HD This camera wasn’t originally on my list of cameras to test, as it has always seemed like a toy camera company to me (I had one of their original SD cameras and found it wanting). However, pressure from several friends around the world caused me to re-think my position. The RF remote control is cool. It lets the user configure the camera(s) for remote start/stop, and it can sync multiple cameras. With a rotatable lens, the camera may be placed at any angle. One can monitor over a streaming HDMI output, or use a built-in preview screen that may be powered down to save on battery life (this is a big plus in this camera). The packaging is pretty nice too , acting as a case for the gear. Only RePlay and Drift offer a package to store the camera when not in use; I like this feature. The rotatable lens isn’t without flaws. In vertical mode the angular distortion all but renders this camera useless, due to the already-challenged quality of image. With a battery life of only 45 minutes in 1080 mode, this is not a camera for lengthy shooting. Drift does offer an extended life battery… you’ll want it if this is the camera you choose to purchase. The Drift comes with a pair of stick-on mounts, a strap mount, and the remote control. The remote is necessary in gloved environments: the big buttons are easy to hit, while the camera’s tiny buttons are easy to miss even when not wearing gloves. The Drift HD can free-stand without any assistance, and the standard ¼ camera thread on the camera body makes it easy to mount on a tripod. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com Sony HDR AS15 The HDR AS15 is one of the newest camera choices, and it’s Sony’s first foray into this market. The switchable FOV from 120 to 170 is terrific. I’m a bigger fan of the narrower views as they don’t distort the image, and provide a closer to ‘natural’ image. The glass lens is a Zeiss, and it does not disappoint. Coupled with the Exmor sensor/imager, it is a beautiful combination. A one-button camera-on/record enable feature makes this identical to the Contour+ for speed to record. Out of the box, this camera is ready to roll, minus a needed MicroSD card (purchased separately). The AS15 offers wireless control and camera setup. Connecting to my Galaxy SIII, Tab2 10.5, and iPhone 4s was simple and painless. Each camera has a control code printed on a sticker. I don’t care for this; Sony should provide more than one sticker, or better yet, print the code inside each camera. If the code is lost, it’s not easy reconnecting without linking via USB to discover the password. Using wireless for constant monitoring cuts the battery life by around 25%. The wireless is challenged in a way, as only one unit may be controlled at a time. Had Sony used a different network scheme, multiple cameras could have been controlled from a cell or tablet device. Hopefully they’ll look into this with future updates. Operating the camera is easy: the two menu buttons are simple and the menu flow is logical. The electronic stabilization system is standard Sony sweet smoothness, and no one can really compare with what Sony has given users of stabilization modes. Sony uses the CyberShot batteries, both standard and extended life. The camera comes with two battery trays. This is a benefit, as batteries may be found at any Walmart, Best Buy, or other big-box store. Sony’s mounting system is the most robust of all the various camcorders; a standard ¼ camera thread in the bottom of the waterproof housing is easy to mount. Compared with the non-precision plastic mounts offered by GoPro, JVC, Drift, and RePlay, the massive ABS plastic mounts provided by Sony are rock solid and will not chatter in even the most extreme vibrating environments. Outside the box, the camera doesn’t mount well to anything without some sort of other mount assist. The camera cannot free-stand because of its rounded bottom. Additionally, the external mic connector and HDMI connector are in the bottom of the camera. Sony has a box with LCD monitor available for the camera, making it more bulky, but also utilizes this accessory port on the bottom of the camcorder. With the LCD/box option, the AS15 may be easily mounted on a tripod or other mounting system. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com GoPro Hero2 This is the camera that changed up the world of action sport photography, and which has been the longest running action sports camera in the market, now in its third version. GoPro comes out of the box with a squarish form-factor, sharing the ‘box’ format with the Drift and JVC cameras as opposed to the longer, more slim stylings of the RePlay XD, Contour, and Sony camcorders. The 170 degree lens may be switched to a 127 FOV (used for most of these tests) via menu settings. The menus are the most challenging aspect of using this camera; alternating between the power/function button and the shutter/select button can become confusing, even for the most seasoned user. I have around 20 of these cameras, and still sometimes have to go all the way through the menu cycle to reach the desired setting. Out of the box this camera is almost ready to roll, coming with a partially charged battery, 2 mounts, and a waterproof box (SD Card not included). GoPro offers a WiFi backpack system for 99.00, but I could not get it to work with my cell phone. The remote start/stop switch worked properly. The remote system may be paired with multiple GoPro’s for simultaneous start/stop. GoPro uses a proprietary mounting system, but this is of little consequence. One can go to Walmart or other big-box store and purchase additional and widely varied mounts. GoPro offers far more mounting options than any of the competition. At first glance, this is very nice of them; however, they need to offer a wide variety of mounts simply because they are proprietary. To mount a GoPro on a tripod, for example, will cost another 10.00 just for the adapter to mate its proprietary mount with a standard ¼ camera receiver. Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com Overcrank/Slow-Motion Modes Overcrank/Slow motion not only allows for better viewing of very fast action, it also adds drama and lends a sense of timelessness to fast and exciting scenes. All of the cameras in this shootout offer a p60 mode in 1280x720 mode. Only the Sony HDR AS15 and the GoPro Hero 2 offer p120 modes. Sony records p120 in a true 1280x720 mode. GoPro Hero2 records a resolution of 848x480 when in p120 mode. One frustration with GoPro: they pack the frames, so the NLE doesn’t see the native stream. Sony flags (and plays back over HDMI) the proper slow motion/overcranked content. There is a benefit to the non-standard method GoPro uses, as it allows for real-time playback “on the set,” although editors will have to manage the timeshift in post. In this video, both p60 and p120 modes can be compared in well-lit conditions. In this video, both p60 and p120 modes can be compared in very dark conditions. In this p120 scene, the image goes from brightly backlit to exposure-compensated. I appreciate that the camera does not bloom nor pop when the exposure shifts. “Rugged-ness” Ok, this wasn’t part of the original plan, but it’s well worth mentioning. Riding on ATV’s with these little cameras made it obvious that people are going to break them if they put the camera into harm’s way. RePLAY XD easily walks away with this; you can stand on them, drive a car over them, drop them from great heights (I dropped one from several hundred feet), and they’ll come right back asking for more. The JVC is well-built too; JVC claims they can be dropped from 6’ and survive, but frankly speaking, any of these cameras can survive a 6’ drop, so that’s somewhat of a chuckle for a marketing bullet point. In their external cases, the GoPro and Sony are both very tough. The lens is the weakest point on any of these cameras, which again is a nod to RePlay, as they have a replaceable cover over the lens while keeping a virtually indestructible low profile. Out of the box, the Sony is perhaps the most fragile, with the GoPro and Drift HD being in the same categories. Third Party Support This category easily belongs to GoPro. They’ve been in the market longer than anyone, and until the announcement of the GoPro Hero3, the form factor hasn’t changed, allowing third party vendors to build custom-molded helmets, aluminum billet mounts, custom-colored housings, and even camera controls. That being said, Sony, RePlay, and Contour all offer additional mounts, housings, LCD displays, cabling systems, remotes, and other accessories. Additionally, Sony, JVC, and Drift all offer standard threads which eliminates the need for a large portion of the third-party tools built for GoPro cameras. Codec/Post Production All of the action cameras in the shootout are using the h.264 codec (AVC) packaged in one of two containers. Apple users of Mountain Lion OS are able to directly stream video from all the cameras on their machines. Windows users who run Windows XP or newer will have no difficulty playing back footage from these cameras. The Galaxy Tab2 has no problems playing back the files directly from the cameras or cards in a card reader with no transfer of data. For editing, all Windows applications will natively edit the files without difficulty. Users of Adobe Premiere CS5.5 or newer can edit native files on their Mac, but users of FCPX and FCP Studio7 will need to log/import the files and convert them to AIC or ProRes. This is one place where the shootout yielded a surprise; I’d expected Sony to use the superior AVCHD codec vs using AVC. The HDR AS15 is mainstreamed by using the AVC codec, which puts Sony squarely in the middle of a group where they could’ve had a significant advantage over the competition. To sum up this segment: none of the cameras have an advantage over the others in post, with the exception of the GoPro H2 with the ProTune upgrade installed (the 35mbps rate may have some transcode advantages in post, depending on the subject). SUMMARY With all features, shapes, sizes, and mounts aside, it boils down to two main challenges for the best action camera: image quality and ease of use. In all image-related aspects of this shootout, the Sony HDR AS15 easily offers a superior image quality over all competitors. For low-light, brightly lit, and overcrank modes both bright and dark, all members of my team and I selected the Sony AS15 footage. In blind tests with others, they selected the AS15 as best of all images. In 1080p30 mode, my preferences (in order) Sony HDR AS 15 GoPro Hero2 RePlay XD In 720p60 mode, my preferences (in order) Sony HDR AS15 GoPro Hero2 (this is GoPro’s best mode, IMO) RePlay XD In 720p120 mode, my preferences (in order) Sony HDR AS15 GoPro Hero 2 In low-light environments, my preferences (in order) Sony HDR AS15 GoPro Hero2(p60mode) Contour+ (p60 mode) For color accuracy, my preferences (in order) Sony HDR AS 15 GoPro Hero2 RePlay XD (It was a difficult choice between the RePlay XD and the JVC Adixxion when the subject was well-lit/sunlighted subjects, with the JVC lens protector removed. The RePlay’s sharper edges gave it the advantage). GoPro, Replay, Sony, and JVC offer white balance settings either through menus or through .txt-based edits of the camera’s operation set up. All of these tweaks were avoided; every camera was “out of the box” for best/most fair comparison. Images from the JVC and the Drift HD are simply too soft for any sort of professional use. Removing the JVC lens protector (not recommended) somewhat improves the image. Overall, most every one of the cameras offers features, form, or function that other cameras do not have; particularly when looking at factors outside of image quality. For me, the final image quality matters most of all, and it’s the aspect we tested most thoroughly in this shootout. Keep your focus tight, dse Joel Hindman, Darren Burke, Andreea Olea, Tom van Dyck, Karl Gulledge, John Hamilton, Chris Warnock, Lob Lobjoit, Sydney Owen-Williams, Skydive Elsinore contributed to this article. About The Author DOUGLAS SPOTTED EAGLE is an audio and video pro. He is a Grammy recipient with DuPont, Peabody, and Telly awards lining his studio; he is also a participant/producer in multiple Emmy winning productions. Douglas is the Managing Producer for Sundance Media Group, Inc. and VASST, authoring several books and DVDs and serving as a trainer and consultant for videographers, software manufacturers and broadcasters. He is the author or co-author of several digital media titles including Digital Video Basics (VASST), The FullHD (VASST), and Vegas Editing Workshop (Focal Press) among many others. Douglas is an accomplished aerial photographer who thrives in the adrenaline-filled world of fast-action videography. He is active as a multimedia producer, trainer, and presenter, utilizing the latest technology as part of his workflow. Editors Note: We are aware that the above review lacks the competition of the GoPro HD Hero 3, which was released shortly after we completed the review. We are as interested as you are to see how the HD Hero 3 compares to the other action cams reviewed in this article, in particular the Sony AS15 and we aim to bring you the answer to that question in the near future.
  24. CRESWELL, Ore—Eugene Skydivers and the City of Creswell found a resolution to the long running dispute about skydivers landing on the Creswell Airport. On August 15, the city council addressed the matter during a public meeting. Community members were given an opportunity to voice their support or concerns about skydiving returning to the airport. Two key questions were at issue for the resolution to move forward. The first was to allow skydivers to cross the airport’s runway, and the second was to settle a lawsuit filed by Eugene Skydivers’ owner Urban Moore. Following public input, the council voted to accept the agreement by passing the two issues. The votes to affirm the runway crossing and the settlement were decided by a 5-2 and 6-1 decision, respectively. The agreement will end an eight-year battle between Eugene Skydivers and the City of Creswell. Moore declined to discuss the terms of the agreement, but states, “It’s a shame it took this long, but I’m glad the agreement is moving forward. If the resolution holds up, I look forward to a new working relationship with the city as we reintegrate onto the airport.” A time frame has not been set for when skydiving operations will resume at the airport, but Moore expects it will take some time for all the details to be worked out. The council’s vote “definitely helped pave the way for skydiving to resume, full time at the airport, much sooner than if we continued our litigation”, stated Moore. For additional information visit www.eugeneskydivers.com or the City of Creswell’s website www.cityofcreswell.com. About Eugene Skydivers Eugene Skydivers opened for business in February 1992 at the Creswell Airport. The organization has served the Eugene area, Southern Oregon, and Northern California for the last 22 years. Highlights for Eugene Skydivers include exhibition jumps for businesses, charities, political campaigns, and hosting a successful Oregon State skydiving record attempt. This year more than 1000 tandem jumps were safely performed. To date, Eugene Skydivers has executed an estimated 68,000 skydives. Business operations are Thursday thru Sunday and by appointment.
  25. Get ready for the Garmin VIRB, the latest new action camera to be revealed. While Garmin are well known for their GPS navigation devices, the company also boasts a variety of other technology devices, many of which revolve around maritime activity. In recent years Garmin has released several marine radio communication devices, as well as dabbling in the production of camera technology. However, Garmin has decided to take a step in a new direction - joining companies such as GoPro, Sony, Contour and JVC in the production of POV action cameras. It's a brave step by Garmin, but if they manage to effectively integrate the device with their other products, there may well be room for them in the GoPro dominated market. Garmin VIRB DesignUpon first sight the device is quite good looking with an appealing display screen on the top of the camera, and a large power button on the side of the device. For those who helmet mount their action cams, this small change from what other cameras typically offer can really make things easier, allowing you to feel whether or not the device has been turned on or off. The build of the device looks almost like a hybrid between the Contour and the Drift HD action cams. The main concern when looking at the VIRB design, is the convex lens, which seems to extend a fair degree out from the camera. While the Sony AS15 has a similar design, there is no getting around the fact that the exposure of the lens would in turn pose a risk of damage, especially in sports where you'd expect the camera to take a knock. Garmin do show an image of the VIRB with lens covering housing attached, but it remains unclear whether this extra housing is the underwater housing, which is an extra option. The device will be made available in either black or white. Technical DetailsThe VIRB is as expected, a high definition recording device that will allow video recording in 1080p quality, with a 16 megapixel CMOS processor and allow for up to three hours of filming from a full charge. Data is recorded onto a MicroSD card, with a recommendation of Class 10 - as to be expected with HD recording. The device will also sport a 2000mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. Out of the box the VIRB is waterproof for 30 minutes to a depth of 1 meter, while the purchase of a scuba diving housing device will extend that depth to 50 meters. The display screen is 1.4" large and while remaining on, uses very little battery life. The "WideVü" lens is comprised of 9-element glass and offers the user three modes of recording: Wide, Medium and Narrow. Built in lens distortion correction and stabilization enhances video quality. True 1080p HD Recording 16 Megapixel CMOS Processor 1.4" Chroma Display 2000mAh Lithium-ion Battery ANT+ Wireless Connectivity VIRB Desktop Software Waterproofing Wi-fi Connectivity (Elite) Device PairingIt is clear that from the start Garmin would have to provide a form of functionality that separates them from other action camera manufacturers on the market, and this is where device paring comes into play. Using ANT+, the VIRB will be able to connect with other Garmin devices such as watches, remotes and cycling computers. While Garmin hasn't revealed exactly what one can achieve with the pairing of their devices with the VIRB, it certainly opens up a new avenue that most of the other action cameras lack. Options and PricingThere will be two VIRB options available, the basic VIRB device which will retail for $299.99 and then the VIRB Elite which will set you back $399.99. The differences between the two devices lie mainly in the functionality available. The VIRB Elite will offer wifi connectivity, allowing you to connect the device to your iPhone or Android smartphone. In my opinion the main selling point for the Elite is the ability to track your elevation, speed and other variables. This data will then be able to be overlayed on your video. While certainly limited to a small group of people, when in "Ski Mode" the device will also be able to detect whether or not one is on a chairlift and in turn pause recording for that period. With the VIRB scheduled for a September release, there isn't enough video footage to really make a claim as to the camera's quality. Though it's expected that the camera will rank up along with the other action cams out there, and it's certainly worth keeping an eye on. In the mean time, for a preview of the device's recording quality, you can view the official advertising video for the Garmin VIRB below.