What you need to be a Cameraman (BPA)

[barroch 0]

What do you need to start strapping great big camera's to ya head acording to the BPA rules dudes?

Cheers


Bazil

[shropshire 0]

My local DZ (UK) requires me to have 200 jumps (and a briefing) before I can jump camera. Not sure if this is a local or BPA rule.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[garywainwright 0]

you need a C license and your CCIs permission.

Not sure if your camera helmet has to have a cutaway system or not - its certainly a good idea though.

Oh yeah - start with the small ones and work up to the great big ones

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[mr2mk1g 10]

Yup, that's the BPA rule - C license (which requires 200 jumps and at least two post qualification stickers (eg FS1 and... well it used to be IC1 so I suppose CH2 now...)).

Plus you need to be "cleared" by your CCI... which could mean anything from saying yes you can jump it to a full camera brief from one of the staff flyers.

[Zoter 0]

I think alot of places as well as requirements for alot of comps means you should also have a 'cutaway' system on your setup as well.....

Certainly a few places I know wont let you jump your 'first' setup without one...

As well as that and probably not indicated 'officially' beyond your FS1/CH1 stickers....you need to be aware that jumping with one, certainly to start with will affect your dive......as in the concentration you put into filming as opposed to skydiving.
Be absolutely sure you are able to fly your slot in the dives you are on ...if not...leave the camera off.
It certainly can be a distraction to begin with, no matter how careful you think you are.......everyone says so...and they were right ( I disagreed.....but was reluctantly proven wrong !)

[Deuce 1]

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As well as that and probably not indicated 'officially' beyond your FS1/CH1 stickers....

You guys get stickers? I want stickers!

[ltdiver 3]

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You guys get stickers? I want stickers!

You'll get -plenty- of stickers if you land out at Perris this week

ltdiver

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

[Deuce 1]

Bah. I get those kind of stickers in my socks every weekend.

I want a superhellacoolio "Approved Camera Flier through 2006" British BTFU Parachute Approved Camera Flier Guild reflective stickers!

That just sounds cool! Vortex: "JP, we're interested in you as our camera flier, but can we please see if your stickers are in-date?"

[Newbie 0]

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Bah. I get those kind of stickers in my socks every weekend.

I want a superhellacoolio "Approved Camera Flier through 2006" British BTFU Parachute Approved Camera Flier Guild reflective stickers!

That just sounds cool! Vortex: "JP, we're interested in you as our camera flier, but can we please see if your stickers are in-date?"

BTFU = Back The F*** Up?

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[bigway 4]

I only have 'B' license and my cci lets me jump my camera in the UK. I do though have over 200 jumps and was jumping camera before i came to the UK.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Deuce 1]

Yeah, I'm being sarcastic, but I really do want some indication I am approved to jump camera in the UK.

I got a Herc Boogie camera-approved sticker on there now. Is the sticker thing common throughout europe? Here in the US we just do stickers or bands for boogies, pretty much, to show the gear was inspected. The Herc Boogie sticker was proof of inspection (and presence of cutaway system)

JP

[mr2mk1g 10]

I'm guessing you hold a foreign licence rather than a British "B" licence. In which case the CCI is able to transpose you to what you would be in the UK and thus you're able to jump camera. If you're on a British licence though you might want to get that looked at rather soon.

[mr2mk1g 10]

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but I really do want some indication I am approved to jump camera in the UK.

Sorry Deuce, we don't have any sticker or licence which shows you're good to jump camera over here. There are skill based stickers demonstrating competance in things like CF, RW, FF, and the like but nothing that simply says you're headsup and experianced enough to jump a camera.

The best you'll get is an endorsement in your logbook from a CCI as there is a requirement that you're "cleared" by the CCI... though I doubt there's that many out there who actually bothered to get such a signiture.

[quade 4]

Curious what would be the procedure for a foriegn skydiver showing up?

Let's say I took a trip to England today and wanted to fly camera for a meet there. What would I have to go through?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[garywainwright 0]

they would prpbably have a look at your logbook and let you - if you didn't bring it up though they probably wouldn't even ask.

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[mr2mk1g 10]

The CCI (essentially S&TA) would probably go: "Ah, you're Quade; nice to meet you".

Or if your reputation didn't precede you things would probably not be any different than a visiting UK jumper. The CCI would simply look at your licence (which in your case would be USPA and it wouldn't really make any difference that it's not FAI), note you held a "D", and tick a couple of boxes in the "for office use only" section of the membership form you filled in and essentially send you on your way.

If you had 201 jumps things might be a little different... but I don't think there would be any differences between a visiting UK jumper with 201 jumps and a visiting US jumper with 201 jumps. I guess there might be a difference if you were a visiting Slovakian (eg) jumper mind but only because the DZ wouldn't know the licencing requirements for Slovakia and would probably ask the jumper themselves what they needed to do to get the C licence they were holding.

I think "cleared by a CCI" is generally interpreted as "we know he's not a liability so he'll be alright" or "he's already jumped camera elsewhere so he'll be alright"... that's if the DZ actually realises you're jumping camera for the first time of course... which I bet most of the time they don't.

If they didn't know you and you wanted to jump camera there for the first time they might want to see your helmet to make sure it's not a death trap. Some places would want to know if you had a cutaway or maybe see it. They may even send you to a local camera flyer for a quick brief and some advice.

But then they may be just as likely to say "have fun" and send you back to the office to buy tickets... especially so the more you get away from having the minimum 200 jumps required.

That's the best I can do I'm affraid when answering for a country where the exact answer you'd get would change greatly from one DZ to the next... and even at the same DZ depending on who's on duty. But I think the key point is that I doubt the fact that you don't have a UK licence would make any difference at all... but then, I'm not the CCI booking you in.

[bigway 4]

If you turn up witha foreign license and you have over 200 jumps and say you did camera at home you will be on the next lift with your camera. I had no problem here at all though i had to do FS1, this means i can jump on my belly with other skydivers in the air with me.

Your FS1 is a planned 4-way dive where one of the coached video it and the CCI watches the video and passes you. I think i am the first if not only person to video my own FS1 and pass. (so my video passed my FS1 as i was the only one with a camera)
I am also going to pass my FF1 this week and reach a new jump number and do my C license so look out in the new mag for my name under most catergories LOL!!

This country has many rules though it does make it safe, i definetly feel safe in this country.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Coolracer 0]

Is this the same for say a hero camera strapped to your wrist?

[velocityphoto 0]

A neck brace! :)

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 " ................

[cpoxon 0]

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Is this the same for say a hero camera strapped to your wrist?

Yes.

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live