Hand held camera in jumpsuit after deployment.

[cvfd1399 0]

I know some of you do this, probbaly for fun not for real "jobs". We did a 10k HNP the other day that would have been perfect for a hand held camera to snap a few shots. We are thinking about doing another one and bringing along cameras. I personally have a zippered thigh pocket with a closing flap on my jumpsuit. Camera is a 1.3 MP olympus D-400 I got for $40 as a DZ throw around so I can protect my other more$$camera. For in hand security that lanyard seems pretty sturdy. As far as toggles go I have always heard to never let them go out of your hands. I can reach them at the riser eyelets, so if they get sucked up to them , or if they are floating behind and above I can reach up and get them no problem. I think trying to take picture and keeping them in hand would be too much to deal with for a few pictures. Is that the main concern for not letting them go after you release them?

[Deuce 1]

You got your A license maybe one jump ago and you are going to take a camera out and take pictures in freefall, then pack it away and do your deployment sequence?

I wouldn't allow it if I was the boss of you.

But I'm not.

[quade 4]

Hmmm, what I got out of the post was he wanted to do a high altitude hop-n-pop, take out a cheapo/disposable and grab a few shots under canopy and how should he deal with that.

Ok, first things first . . . I'll admit I did that at about 40 or so jumps, BUT I had a plan.

First things first, manifest a high altitude hop-n-pop. Our drop zone does a lot of canopy control training and they'll let them out in our CRW area about a mile and a half to the west of the regular spot. This ensures there is little, if any, chance of a freefall or canopy collision with others.

So, hop-n-pop away from others, deploy, do not release your breaks immediately, but rather after you've looked around to determine it's safe, grab your camera and take a few shots, hold the camera at arms length and point it back at yourself. Then when you've finished up with the non-sense, put the camera back in your jumpsuit, unstow your breaks and continue on as normal.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Deuce 1]

Quote

he wanted to do a high altitude hop-n-pop, take out a cheapo/disposable and grab a few shots under canopy and how should he deal with that.

Oh. I immediately presumed the worst. I still don't think it's a good idea, and for quite a few more jumps I'd recommend he remains focused on the skydive from gear up to gear drop.

[cvfd1399 0]

Thanks for the info. We did a 4 way gripped exit at 14k then broke at 11 and pulled at 10k last time(10k is the highest we can pull here). It was good 4 canopies racing around and screaming at each other. I don't think we ever got close enough to hear each other anyway and that is how it was planned. I was asking for the whole group of us. Jump numbers from 21 to 120. I will pass on the info to the 120 jumper and let him take pics for all of us.

[quade 4]

I do NOT recommend taking pictures of each other in no-contact CRW until you guys can control yourselves and NOT be screaming all over the place.

Four guys circling each other geeking a camera is a canopy collision waiting to happen.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[cvfd1399 0]

There was 500-1000 feet between us in all directions. That is why I said we were screaming at each other in enjoyment, but you couldn't hear each other.

[flypunk 0]

Please listen to the advice given by more experienced jumpers, I know that we all have an itch to do things that push the limits and are new to us, but some are more unsafe than we realize at the time.

This is not a race to see who can do it the sooner, take your time, develop your skills, the oportunity will be there later on, don't be in a hurry to disregard good advice.

If you take a camera and take pictures of someone at 500-1000 ft it will be blue skies and landscape only.

...

[cvfd1399 0]

X4

[riggerrob 643]

We routinely do that with tandem students.
We tie their camera to a 1.5 yard string and drape the string around their necks.
We tell them to tuck the camera into the belly of their jump suits before the door opens.
After the canopy opens we give them a minute to take pictures of their shoes (with the airport in the background) and their smiling faces (with the canopy in the background).
Meanwhile, a tandem instructor (with a few thousand jumps) is doing a controllability check and steering clear of other canopies.
After a minute of photography, we tell the students to stuff their camera back inside their jumpsuits and grab the steering handles for a lesson in canopy control.
This routine has worked well on hundreds of tandems at Pitt Meadows.

[cvfd1399 0]

Have to ask our TM if he ever tried that thanks.