StevePhelps 0 #1 May 5, 2005 We took and 80 year old lady up for a tandem last Saturday. She never looked up at all, nor did she open up to fly. I arched like a mutha and tried to fly below her in a modified mantis. Got some pretty good video considering, but oh, what I would give to be confident enough to fly on my back below the TM. http://www.skydivevideo.info/538libbytandem.wmv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazydiver 0 #2 May 5, 2005 Amen to that. I am relatively confident that I could do it, but not risking it is much better than trying to fly under them on my back and floating up and bashing into the tandem student or something. The day will come. The only time I have flown with tandems on my back is with really fast fallers I have found that a rocked back sit position is sort of back flying, but similar to sit flying. You can kind of get under them. I need to go do more two ways and try to fly around the other guy on my back. If that lady wasn't falling to fast, one thing I do is knee fly. You can speed up and also get right under them. Basically, the main air deflection points are your shins (paralel to the earth) and your arms stretched out in front of you. Your trucnk is completely vertical. Sometimes big wings will prohibit you from doing this. Try it out. Its an extremely versatile position and you can point your camera straight up at the passengers face! Cheers, Travis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePhelps 0 #3 May 5, 2005 I'm 225 before gear so with a 130# tandem and 110# tandem master -- me sit flying or knee flying is usually too fast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #4 May 5, 2005 There are two things that help that. Practice, and practice. Lurk non video tandems and try it. Do the same with 4 ways or other RW. Come on out to the tunnel, and we'll teach ya.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linestretch 0 #5 May 5, 2005 QuoteThere are two things that help that. Practice, and practice. Lurk non video tandems and try it. Do the same with 4 ways or other RW. Come on out to the tunnel, and we'll teach ya. I agree to all of this. You gotta pay yer dues to get there......and once you are there, you'll be 'da man'! No more hurtin back from arching...and it looks cool.my pics & stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Caseadilla 0 #6 May 5, 2005 How many of you can do this with out wings? . I know a few guys that do this with out wings but they are little guys. Does anybody have any outside video of ppl shooting tandems on there back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePhelps 0 #7 May 5, 2005 JJ Looks great! Are you flying your back or your butt (sit)? I can sit fly with or without the camera suit but I tend to fall too fast -- even with wings. Gota lose some weight, I guess! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linestretch 0 #8 May 5, 2005 it's more of on my back, but that changes depending on the speed of the tandem. It's really sorta fucked my sitflying though. and I can't (or haven't tried) do it without wings, and I know I have huge problems with pants on...gotta be done in shorts for me. And NEVER had a problem with slow ones.my pics & stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #9 May 5, 2005 Find yourself some tunnel time to work on it. I took my camera suit back/sit flying in the tunnel in Perris when I was down, it really clued me into how much I suck. I did notice an incredible improvement in the air, though. The position is a relaxed sit. The wings help you recline... _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miami 0 #10 May 5, 2005 QuoteCome on out to the tunnel, and we'll teach ya. Hell yea...I got a total of about 15 minutes sitting with my camera suit in the Perris tunnel...made a world of difference. Can't wait to get up and practice on a tandem! JP and Christy really helped me out in there.Miami Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #11 May 5, 2005 Looks likme a pretty huge wing ya got there.. Norman kent swears by a tight fitting leg on his suit . He even wears a lead weight on his ankels to help keep his feet down and falling easyer.He also wear those wrestling shoes because they don't creat drag .. A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueSBDeath 2 #12 May 6, 2005 Here are some of me. ArvelBSBD...........Its all about Respect, USPA#-7062, FB-2197, Outlaw 499 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePhelps 0 #13 May 6, 2005 You make it look easy -- no doubt I could do it (fly on back) as I have before, but I worry about transitions if I start to sink on them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ffejdraga 0 #14 May 6, 2005 Steve, Like JP said, it is all about the practice. I am weighing in at about 230, 6'1" but it is no problem with the right suit.(mine is a Flite Suit Camera suit) I just went up the first few times with some non-video- getting tandems to practice. The real trick, for me, is to be able to go completely on my back, and reverse arch when they are really light...lifting my hips to get up near them. Once I figured that part out, the rest was easy. Plus, no one says you have to do it, practice, and when you get some beefers going, feel free. The other day i did one, the TM weighed about 120 and the student was a little less. I knew it was going to be tough, so i went out flat, and actually starting sinking out. So i said "screw it, at least I will catch them in the frame", so I transitioned to my back. I was actually doing better on my back, got back up to them, all the shots I needed, close ups and everything Give it a shot. here is a link of me with a tandem from last year: CLICKY (photo by Dave Bryce) good luck jeff agard D-16906 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #15 May 6, 2005 You guys would let us fly in the tunnel with camera suits on? I need some help flying on my back too. I can do it, just not with my wings on. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #16 May 6, 2005 Work on your freeflying first. Then tandems just turn into a slow freefly jump. It goes without saying to stay out from directly underneath them. Asdie from the risk of a premature deployment, your burble will suck them down on top of you. Of course, if you're low, and can't get back up, a shot or two of burble can get them down to you, but you didn't hear that from me. Also, stick to the fat guys to begin with, for obvious reasons. You can work down to the lighter ones by transitioning to your back for the last 1000ft or so of each jump. If you can't hang with them, you sink out just before they dump. As you get more confident with the slow ones, you can transition higher and higher each time. It actually works out well, because you get both points of view on the same jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gandhi 0 #17 May 6, 2005 i fall pretty quick on my belly anyway, anything from 125 up to 155mph... when learning to sitfly, i've been taught to fly on my back rather than belly when i loose the sit, the reason being that we fall much faster that way (the natural monumental arch that your arse creates! is this not an issue when transitioning onto your backs that you will just sink out before revers-arching? i'll check out what my protrack says on saturday to confirm if im talking rubbish! quote 'you are to go around... next time extend your landing gear' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #18 May 6, 2005 Keeping the transition clean takes some practice. You figure that if the tandem is falling fast enough to stay with on your back, their fallng fast enough to stay with you while you transition. You can transition quick enough to not loose any altitude, but usually you want to sink out a couple feet (2 or 3) to get the different shot anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #19 May 6, 2005 QuoteYou guys would let us fly in the tunnel with camera suits on? Sure. Most othe time it's not a problem.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vdschoor 0 #20 May 6, 2005 QuoteQuoteYou guys would let us fly in the tunnel with camera suits on? Sure. Most othe time it's not a problem. Just don't bring the extra batteries / film / memory cards with you in your pockets right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #21 May 6, 2005 QuoteJust don't bring the extra batteries / film / memory cards with you in your pockets right? Tongue It bears mentioning that you need to have a camera suit where the wings attach to your legs. They won't let you bring in your rig just so you can clip your wings on..._Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miami 0 #22 May 6, 2005 QuoteIt bears mentioning that you need to have a camera suit where the wings attach to your legs. They won't let you bring in your rig just so you can clip your wings on... But they have straps you can fasten around your legs that act as legstraps and allow you to clip your wings in. That's what I used and it worked like a champ. Hope this helps...Miami Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhys 0 #23 May 9, 2005 sounds like you need to read 'mental training for skydiving and life' you can buy it from para gear. it sounds like you doubt yourself too much (just my opinion from what i have read) at our d.z. we offer just stills, just video or both. when i have a photo only jump from 15000' i take all the shots except the opening sho of course this leaves me about 20 seconds to 'play' this is where i can learn new tricks. although they can be hard, if you have an understanding of what needs to be done and can visualise yourself doing it then there is no reason why you cannot do it. if there is any doubt in your mind then it will become extemely difficult. read this book and it will all become so clear."When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #24 May 9, 2005 QuoteHow many of you can do this with out wings? . I know a few guys that do this with out wings but they are little guys. Does anybody have any outside video of ppl shooting tandems on there back. While the GK tandem section still has "regular" camera suits, they generally video on their backs in freefly suits. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #25 May 9, 2005 Find RW groups to lurk. I've started playing more on my back and I'm finding it a lot easier to play with people I know are not moving around on me a lot and if I do happen to cork up towards them that they can fend for themselfs better. I hate digital camera's.. .they make me want to spend all sorts of money on lenses and flashes. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
