nbblood

Just adding my point of view. I recently started jumping a camera and I aggressively sought and heeded to advice from experienced camera fliers. Their experience is invaluable. Personally, I went so far as to conduct ground training with an individual I respected and trusted and waited for him to say he thought I was ready. I started jumping the camera around 200 jumps. I conducted training in the suspended harnass for emergency procedures with the camera.....significant difference from without a camera. You must be comfortable with your emergency procedures with the camera. I evaluate every jump I plan to take the camera and stay well within my limitations. I always remember that other people's lives depend on my actions, not just mine. There is a lot to think about, getting the shot in frame, position of the sun, your position relative to a formation or another skydiver, exit sequence, breakoff plan, emergency procedures, and on and on. Experience fliers make it look easy......it ain't. Don't get in a rush. Again, I have very limited experience, but just wanted to add my perspective. I'm still learning, but I'm still taking it very slow, staying within my limitations. Establish guidelines for yourself.....stick to them.....be safe. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I have Studio 8 and I'm a real newbie, but I found it easy to use and learned a lot just screwing around with it. Just as a note, a lot of computers now come standard with firewire internal cards, mine does. That certainly simplifies things. It's tough to stay up to speed with technology, but sometimes upgrading your computer helps a lot....just not cheap. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Well, obviously in this forum there are many opinions and hence differences in those opinions. So, IMO, the gun control debate completely avoids the real issue.....crime. Personally, I have a Federal Firearms License (FFL), a concealed weapons license, a small business dealing in arms, and numerous weapons including, rifles, shotguns, pistols, muzzleloaders, etc. That all said, I rarely, rarely ever exercise my right to carry a concealed weapon. However, I very often carry loaded weapons in my vehicles and keep them in my home. Self-Defense......only partly. More because I really enjoy firearms, collecting, shooting, hunting, etc. It is a major part of my life. And......I expect as long as I prove I am a responsible gun owner and dealer that I should be allowed to continue......and I am. However, the problem society has is that individuals that have proven they are NOT responsible, often repeatedly, through commission of serious crimes, are turned back onto society with a slap on the wrist that hardly serves as any meaningful correction. Yes, they are often restricted from possessing firearms.....keep in mind they've already proven they DON"T CARE what they are restricted from doing. By restricting firearms you are punishing me......and NOT removing threats, because these criminals continue criminal activity.....they go get another gun anyway. My point.....finally......don't take away my freedom, lifestyle, my PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, to alleviate the problem. Remove the problem....those that have been proven unworthy with stricter and highly enforced punishment for crime. And finally...the next to the last thing in world that I want to do is kill another person and I seriously doubt it would ever come to that....however, the last thing in the world I want to do is die because I was a victim of a punk criminal. So, PLEASE, don't break in my house with violent intentions. Anyway, there you have it...my humble opinion. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I've got 2 USB hard drives, an 80gb and a 120gb. My USB ports are 2.0 and they smoke. I copied 50gb worth of stuff from one hard drive to another in a flash. Firewire's great too, but the USB hard drives work great. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

I'm at Camp Red Cloud, HHC 2ID and my mid tour has come and gone. I may go through Hawaii when I leave (late May/early June) so I would be interested in plans if anybody wants to hit Hawaii some time. I've also checked in to going to Japan for a long weekend maybe. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Lights?, Oh yes. First of all the Regs require that you wear a light visible for at least a mile. Personally I wear lights everywhere I can put one. I look like the Electric Horseman when I do night jumps. As far as the alti, taping a chem light to the alti works very well, if you don't have an alti with a light. A flashlight on the top of your helmet allows you to check your canopy simply by looking up. A couple things I found useful. Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Interesting....and probably everybody will run into this if they stay in the sport long enough. With only 225 or so jumps I still consider myself a rookie. However, I have forgotten my alti twice and jumped both times. Somebody once told me your primary means of altitude awareness should be visual of the ground. I truly believe that. I am comfortable judging, within 500 feet either way, my altitude by looking at the ground and the objects, i.e., cars, houses, etc., on the ground. After all, an visual altimeter can be inadvertently damaged without your knowledge, audibles can have low batteries, etc. Don't rely on these tools solely. I think you've got to be able to rely on your eyes too. It's another tool available that's often overlooked by many. That all said, I wouldn't make a practice of leaving these "tools" behind. They're reliable, they help. And, if I remember correctly, the FAA regulations require a visual altimeter for any intentional parachute jump from an aircraft. But, hell, I'd jump and wouldn't think twice. Another note. If I was with any other skydivers, I'd let them know. They deserve to know that you may rely on their break signal or you may be within that +/- 500 feet for breakoff. Don't take them by surprise. Plan the skydive, skydive the plan. Knowledge is power (and prevents accidents). Nathan Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

Hey all, Yes, that's right, Korea. Actually my residence is in Idaho. However, I'm in the Army and currently on an all expense paid vacation for 1 year in Korea. My home DZ is, well, actually I have a winter and summer home, Skydive Ogden in Utah during the summer and Skydive Mesquite in Nevada during the winter. (By the Way, Both are great smaller DZs that share a Caravan, Ogden in the summer and Mesquite in the winter...definitely recommend them if you make it that way!) I was a student at the Ranch in New York and made my first 50 or so jumps there. I've also been to Quanum Leap in Missouri, Skydive the Rockies in Colorado, Skydive Oregon, Snake River Skydivers in Idaho, Skydive Salt Lake, and Skydive Utah. I have 225ish jumps and snuck in under the deadline for my D license. I like both RW and Freefly, but right now really focused on improving freefly skills. I just started jumping a camera and I'm also looking forward to learning the art. Actually right now I'm not doing shit because I'm in Korea, but that's what I would be focused on. The Korea skydiving scene sucks big time. There is one DZ with a SOKOL helicopter, but they want $85 US per jump!! Makes you appreciate what we have at home. Anyway, until I get home in June, about all I've got is the internet to keep me current so I'll be around. Blues. Nathan Blood D26355 Blues, Nathan If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.