All the little things about cameraflying...

[jtval 0]

easy.... ME. LOL I am the only REGULAR camflyer at my dz.

My DZO is WELL experienced but most of the time he's the TM and I am Camflyer.

(btw- I am not THAT experienced, but compared to the "nobody else flies camera" I guess I am the most experienced)

My photos

My Videos

[toronto_bill 0]

my contribution....

Doing video (w/ niteshot) of a 4 way night jump, and then taping over it the next morning when a cute girl bounces up asking for video for her balloon jump. Sigh.

Doing in-air video for a TV show, climbing out of a 206 cargo door and then see the "pro' camera man inside the plane have a problem with his battery and have to change it. 44 secs. I almost gave him the finger on camera.

My most common prob is the camera freezing and fogging up in Winter

[speedy 0]

It took me a while to figure this one out -
on climb out the wind would press on the camera cover just hard enough to switch the camera off.

So I bought a cameye -
The contacts between the cameye and the camera would vibrate in freefall and switch the camera off

So I bought a small mirror and duct taped it to the inside of the plane near the door.

And who else is sick of rolling the tape and then pilot can't get clearance to drop. (maybe just a German problem).

I could list a whole bunch of other things but a public forum is not the best place to do it

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[velvetjo 0]

Here are a couple more:

- sacrificing your body landing hard after barely clearing a treeline on a long spot with industrial haze and a borrowed rig for back-to-back (of course) all to get the landing shot

- watching the faces of the next tandems and their families as the TM bar-tacks your wing back on (ripped off during the landing above) while you're replacing the shattered filter on your 35mm

- trying to hang from an icy wing strut

- actually starting to like marginal weather conditions because there's more room in the plane without the fun (smart?) jumpers

On a side note, the closest thing I can figure to camera jumps for complexity in aviation is an instrument approach. Nothing else I've encountered requires as much multitasking and precision. Other jumpers who are experienced pilots seem to agree. But I'm still having fun with it!

Lance

[jtval 0]

BUMP

My photos

My Videos

[Icon134 0]

this is a good thread... thanks for the bump JT...

I did some fun-way video jumps this weekend... monday afternoon I got home from work and had recieved an email from a friend of mine asking if I can get a .wmv file to him of the dive he was on with some other jumpers...

I had told him I was putting together a DVD for several others and would be happy to make him one for $10... alas... it seems my skills aren't good enough to pay $10 for a DVD until the end of the year...

but he wanted to know if I could still make a *.wmv

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[Icon134 0]

This thread needs to get a bump every so often...

I actually had a pretty uneventful weekend of camera flying...

I did have some problems on my first jump Sunday morning when my original hypeye wasn't completely plugged into the LANC port on my HC5... which wouldn't allow me to turn on the Camera...

I didn't discover it until we were on jumprun when I tried to turn on my camera... I did manage to activate it and it worked fine... but it's certainly one of those little things...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[dragon2 2]

From this year, so far:

Bending your stills remote a bit on climbout because the door is smaller and on the "wrong" side and not noticing the autofocus got stuck on like 10" for 2 back-to-back tandem videos

Being so busy you have to borrow so much gear you wonder what color the main (what main again?) is going to be THIS time and if the rig is going to fit at least SOMEWHAT (having student-day flashbacks when cheststrap hits your chin on opening)

DVD players that eat DVDs so you have to redo some while you miss a jump or two to keep the customers happy.

Having someone sit on your camera helmet/rig, breaking the video camera all the way, and then sneak away without saying anything so bye bye 1100 euro videocamera And then having to do a few more jumps with said camera all wrapped in ducktape

Landing backwards for the first time ever, with a 1.5-1.6 WL, missing barbed wire but getting dragged camera-helmet-first through baby trees and weeds and stuff, almost ending up in the pond/brambles, and then having to go help your TM get up and untangle the tandem main from the brambles. The winds REALLY picked up during the climb up and we both misjudged our approach for the catchers, oops.

People complaining the photos are upside down and then keep calling you all day at work plus they keep calling the dropzone too to complain.

Having to constantly "rescue" camera flyers who keep forgetting things like card readers, firewire cables, laptop chargers, tapes, alti's, dvds, dvd covers, what have you, usually not getting even a thank-you and sometimes not even getting the item back and of course some jumpers just grab ("borrow") what they need without asking

Getting stuck on frontfloat climbout due to pilot not cutting and the large tandempassenger already blocking the door so no chance for a good exit.

Getting SO much ice on your stills lens on exit that the autofocus is now on the ice for the rest of freefall

Hanging from 3 fingers off the floaters' bar because your TM did a ready-set-g...eh-no count and then rocked back again because the TM behind him was prodding him so hard he thought there was a problem so he stopped, talked to TM behind him then looked at me and went quickly

Having to fix your wingclip on a boarding call, thank God for pullup cords

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[PhreeZone 20]

Shooting a still under canopy only to have the plug half out of the socket - rough opening knocked it loose, lucckly all the freefall shots worked.

Having the video camera in wrong mode so it didn't record the ground interview.

Hitting the creative zone dial on accident and moved the still camera from TV to AV mode with a setting of f4. I'm just glad it wasn't at the f22 I was using for experimental ground shots the previous weekend.

Leaving the CF card in the computer and having to run back to get it as the plane was taxiing.

Only having sunglasses that fit the camera helmet nicely and then having to wear them on a late sunset load, under canopy it looked like night with them on.

Getting a call to do a back to back as we are climbing through 7000 and told they would find me a rig by the time I landed.

Thats just this summer.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[mrwrong 0]

Well.. I’m still just a neewbee but an ‘interesting’ problem occurred a couple of weeks ago.
The left wingclip broke in freefall, very interesting situation until I realized what had happened.


So this meant sending the camera suite for repair.

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[Peej 0]

Quote

Well.. I’m still just a neewbee but an ‘interesting’ problem occurred a couple of weeks ago.
The left wingclip broke in freefall, very interesting situation until I realized what had happened.

So this meant sending the camera suite for repair.

Oh yeah, had that happen when i was a newbie too now i check my wing clips, swoop cords and all attachments regularly

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[DSE 5]

having batteries that read that they're full, but in truth, they just are showing memory and they die during the climb to altitude.

Gaffer tape that lets go in freefall, filling your lens with great shots of tape or cable.

Tandem masters that refuse to face the sun "because it hurts their eyes."

Vomit on the step and side of aircraft from a student that went back inside the aircraft after puking his/her guts out (everytime I look at Sergio, I laugh at that one). Camera step is slippery, side of aircraft is disgusting.

Glasses that fit your camera helmet, but they slip as you're tightening the latch in a hurry, and so air crawls under the lens, giving you "eye boogers" on your glasses.

[mircan 0]

Same here:
- wing clip (plastic) broke off while I was hanging at the Cessna strut which resulted in some very weird body positions during freefall (now I`m using RSL-style ones).
- CF card died and I noticed at the end of a 6 jump day :-p
- battery died on jump-run,
- tongue switch died on jump-run,
- airplane engine died just before jump-run, but I still managed to get my video,
- the thing with black goggles on sunset load,
- 200 lbs student stepping on your foot on the exit...
- ...which resulted in being late on exit and nearly got hit in the face by drogue,
- accidental switch from TV to "Depth of Field" setting,
- Your Cameye starting to flash "5 minutes tape left" warning, while you are starting your final turn before landing and the sun is already below horizon, leaving you to land blinded at one eye,
- some tape that you used to secure tongue switch of your still camera getting loose and dangling in front of your video camera during freefall,
- people that you film opening their parachutes at 7000ft without warning while you are above them,
- tandems throwing up allover the place (during climb, on landing...).

That`s what I remember from this year so far.

Edited to add:
- my goggles broke on jump-run while I was clearing them from fog so I had to jump without them which left me half blind to left eye for the rest of the day But it was last load...

dudeist skydiver #42

[kefran 0]

some from this year's good ones :

left wing tensor broke during freefall : wierd flying position (the TM was hilarous !)

passenger pushing my arm down while i docked him : nice move letting me spinning on my back right under them (good shots but ...)

having my rig thrown in the plane by the packers while taxiing

still cam turned to off when a student opened the door without saying it before (nice scratches on the rebel xt's flash too)

Tm forgetting me ... he just jumped letting me the only option of diving behind him

video battery died, took the spare one, just to see that ....... i forgot to charge it before

loosing the wide angle during freefall

calling a passenger Jeff all the way up to finally learn that his name was Simon once landed

being on a 45 mins call .... which turns 2 mins later in a 7 mins call

passenger deiciding that he don't want the video anymore 3 minutes before jumping

and lots of other funny things that i've forgot

--------------------------------------------------
I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution !

[PhreeZone 20]

Yours reminds me of one from this weekend... walking up to get on a fun jumping load only to be told I was videoing a student and the plane was on decend. Thank goodness for having a second rig to use.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[mrwrong 0]

The clip was checked before climb out, always do that. The problem was that the clip actually broke into 3 pieces half way down to deployment altitude

Exciting??? YEP!!!!!

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[billvon 2,991]

Sitting there with the door open, sure everything is ready to go, video is on, the still camera is firing, handles are in place, goggles on, everything tight - then climbing out and feeling the bottoms of your wings flapping behind you.

[mircan 0]

Quote

climbing out and feeling the bottoms of your wings flapping behind you.

Even better, you feel only ONE wing flapping.
And the TI is already shouting ...set, go!

Fun never stops

dudeist skydiver #42

[keithbar 1]

damn phree. so my " jumping with the sitflyers all weekend on my belly. and the one where we got 5 docks. I hit my cameye and turned the camera off on climbout ain't shit" it was a sweet jump though.

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[Skydave103 0]

Quote

The clip was checked before climb out, always do that. The problem was that the clip actually broke into 3 pieces half way down to deployment altitude

Exciting??? YEP!!!!!

That won't happen if you get one of these (see pic)
Have an RSL clip (yes I know there is a technical name for it, but I don't care and you know what I'm talking about)
attached to the end of your wings and there will never be a problem unless it's human error.

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[PhreeZone 20]

I use the same RSL clips but have my rings still on the camera jacket since I'm not always sure what rig I will be using and want to be able to take the jacket on any jump.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Skydave103 0]

Or add the rings to your other rig.

As a backup, I can clip the wings to any friction adapter or hip ring depending on the size of the rig and how it fits.

There is always room for adaptation.

Dave

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[Peej 0]

Quote

The clip was checked before climb out, always do that. The problem was that the clip actually broke into 3 pieces half way down to deployment altitude

Exciting??? YEP!!!!!

Oh that is interesting! I've had a swoop cord and a clip break while climbing out on the step but never in freefall

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[PharmerPhil 0]

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...As a backup, I can clip the wings to any friction adapter or hip ring depending on the size of the rig and how it fits.

I'd be careful doing that. I did that with a rig several years ago, and after less than a summer of jumping, the clips had worn the leg straps so much I had to have them replaced. Fortunately, it was an older Javelin with an articulated harness, and only two short pieces had to be replaced. If it had been a different rig (even newer rigs with articulation), the whole webbing up into the rig would have had to be replaced.

[Icon134 0]

Quote

damn phree. so my " jumping with the sitflyers all weekend on my belly. and the one where we got 5 docks. I hit my cameye and turned the camera off on climbout ain't shit" it was a sweet jump though.

My girfriends Cameye button is on the forhead of her helmet and on a 4-way exit she didn't quite time it right and bumped one of the jumpers in the formation... she did it just right to stop the camera recording... right after leaving the step...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...