jont 0 #1 August 16, 2004 I always wave before I pull. Always struck me as an extra bit of safety, even if no-one is above me. Bit like signalling before a turn on an empty road - just in case I've not seen someone. Perhaps a late diver who I didn't notice not making it to the formation. Perhaps an aweseome tracker from the next group. So even if I'm above a 4-way who were last out of the plane, I wave off from habit. This weekend I was asked to film my first 13 way, largest formation to date. An infinitely more experienced cameraman decided to come on the same lift, to film as outside camera. I asked him what the plan would be at break off - he told me to do what I would normally do, pull in place as soon as the first person left the formation, and he would look after himself. As the formation built, I was steep above them, and he was filming upwards from underneath them. At the end of the dive, as they turned to track, I could see him clearly almost directly below me. I waved and pulled while he continued filming me - don't know what he did after that because I lost sight of him on deployment. On the ground, he took me to one side and told me I shouldn't have bothered waving because I was top camera and there was no one above me to wave to. I think his point was that by taking the extra time to wave, I was eating up altitude and giving him fewer options. That just made me wonder - do other cameraflyers wave before they pull? jont Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallcrab 0 #2 August 16, 2004 First 13-way? BEER! You want to get yourself a decent camera suit if you are going to film big ways John ;-) Use your wings Johnny.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #3 August 16, 2004 force of habit I guess..it's the way i was taught... even on solos or hop & pops.... doesn't take that much time.. and if you pull at a reasonable altitude on all your jumps... it absolutely doesn't ' eat up altitude '.... As for a cameraperson "pulling in place"...i prefer to move to the "middle " of where the formation WAS..... as separation starts...just in case there are weak trackers who may slide under me...and those are just the type who may drop a pilot chute in your face WITHOUT a wave..... Move to the center wave and deploy..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xheadrasta 0 #4 August 17, 2004 I agree with Jimmy! I always move to the middle, wave off and pull. I, like Jimmy, was taught to wave before I pull so I do. I feel silly sometimes when I know I'm the only one out there but I just always seem to do it. ScottI read somewhere to learn is to remember and I've learned we all forgot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prost 0 #5 August 17, 2004 I even wavr off when I am the only one in the sky like when I take a tandem out of the cessna with no one else on the load. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldgit 0 #6 August 17, 2004 To do anything only occasionally is bad drills You will do it 99 times out of 100 unnecessarily but rest assured you will not do it the one time it counts and you really need too. Stick to doing the same drill all the time. You know it make sense John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #7 August 17, 2004 QuoteI even wavr off when I am the only one in the sky like when I take a tandem out of the cessna with no one else on the load. Part of the reason i wave is because i am excited...to be in the moment of a skydive... The big wave is an expression of that..especially on a hop & pop,, when acceleration is so noticable. ( Plus i want the people on the GROUND to know I am about to pull.) hahahaha .. As we conclude a freefall,,we should shift into "deployment mode"..... and for many, that starts w/ a wave.. while Looking around and above if we are in the air with others. Then square up, go to the handle,, and throw.... yelling "yahoo" as the slider comes down, is optional Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jont 0 #8 August 17, 2004 QuoteYou want to get yourself a decent camera suit if you are going to film big ways John ;-) Thanks dave, good suggestion. Would you advise getting a gopping one that makes me look like Tomo's camera bitch? jon t Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Courteney 0 #9 August 18, 2004 I get the occasional laugh when I do it, but fuckit, force of habit and it isn't a bad habit to have. Whenever I'm filming I actually forget that I'm the camera man and "don't need to wave off", but when pull time comes I go through what I was taught. If the experienced camera man was under at break off and didn't really move to clear sky then he wasn't looking after himself and you should'nt feel wrong about "burning altitude". Cheers, Courteney....drags me down like some sweet gravity!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D22369 0 #10 August 19, 2004 I do every time, I catch a lot of flack from one of the TI's when he sees the video....he always asks who I am signalling.......LOL, better safe than sorry RoyThey say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #11 August 19, 2004 Man they gotta be real weak to slide under you if you are in the middle -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #12 August 20, 2004 QuoteMan they gotta be real weak to slide under you if you are in the middle well i don't start out in the middle.... i often video from the perimeter,, and move around out there,, but only get directly above a group , if it's a four way team... So if i'm on the outside edge,,,,of say a 10 way or a 16 way... sure... a weak tracker,,, can easily get under me IF I stay out there... So that's why I move to the area just vacated by the others....... ... if separation happens a bit LOWER than planned,,,, you bet,, there will be someone who gets antsy and basically does a 180 and pitches,,, I. E. NO track .. And THAT is exactly who i am looking for,,, as I fly past them and into the center...If they DO "fail to even remember" that there is a camera person above them,,,, i'll do my best to "fly defensively" and watch out for themmmmmm!!!! skydive softly skydive often skydive with friends Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #13 August 20, 2004 Yes. I always wave off before pulling; like everyone else, it's automatic for me and it doesn't hurt to do so. But has it ever made a difference in a dive for any of you? I mean, have you ever found yourself directly above someone and thought, "I'm ok right here for now ... they're not waving off yet..." ?? I guess for me, it doesn't make any difference whether the guy below me is going to wave off or not; if there's someone directly below me, I assume that they are not going to wave off before pulling and I get the hell oughta there. I always hope the guy who might be directly above me is looking at it the same way! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #14 August 20, 2004 yah i know what yer sayin - i was just jokin around, but heck, even on a bigger way, filming on the outside still should put you around what, 30 -40 feet from center? if someone can't track that far, they got probs. -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
