what to tell a newbie who's already strapped a camera to their head?

[RevJim 0]

Quote

Well, with 2 jumps I'd -hope- you'd make this wise decision.

ltdiver

Be nice, Lori.

Jumping a wingsuit with a camera is not that unlike jumping with very low jump numbers and a camera.

1. You are doing something besides filming that requires 

EVERY bit of your attention.

a. Wingsuits demand concentration to learn properly.

b. At low jump numbers, every jump demands 

full concentration just to survive.

2. No camera helmet is completely snag proof.

a. It is very possible to spin up a wingsuit on

opening, even with a square main. Spinning 

mal and cutaway anyone?

b. Poor body postion at deployment for newbies 

is a given. Combine that with a snaggy helmet 

and the desire to watch every opening and you 

have a recipe for disaster.

3. Emergency procedures.

a. In a wingsuit, your range of motion is

limited. Sure, you can reach your handles for 

cutaway/reserve with your wings hooked up, 

but can you reach your helmet snaps/buckles/release with your neck pulled 

tight by a line entanglement? Can you get out

of your wings in time to free your helmet, 

cut away, and deploy the reserve?

b. Your emergency procedures are still fresh 

in your head from all your training. Now you 

have a camera on your head. You have a 

spinning mal. It tangles on your shiny new 

camera. How do you get rid of it? Do you have 

an RSL? Did you disconnect it? If you did, can 

you explain why? If you didn't, can you 

explain that too?

I like my new Hawkeye, and I might strap it on if asked for an RW jump, but there are plenty of other video flyers ready at a moments notice to get on the plane. I'm jumping wingsuits almost exclusively, so why add any extra risk? The same should go for anyone that wants to fly a camera, yet thinks of their flight path to the formation before actually flying it.

Make the flying natural, then add the camera.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[ltdiver 3]

Nice write-up, James.
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon