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Camera CReW

by Paul 'PD' Denis-Smith

Published in the BPA Magazine

Air-to-air video is now the primary judging method for Canopy Formations. All of a sudden, CF teams need cameraflyers. Want to turn your skills to a new area?

GAIN EXPERIENCE
CF (Canopy Formation) encompasses the disciplines of 8-way speed, 4-way rotations and 4-way sequential. Just as in FS, to film CF you must, to a degree, be able to do it. Each formation flies differently. Stacks sink and slow down, while the head of a diamond will sink but pick up forward speed. The CF cameraflyer needs to anticipate on every dive. What better way to learn than to do it? Getting up there and learning how the canopy flies in different formations will give you the experience, techniques and skills you'll need.

Also, bear in mind that you need to know what the judges are looking for. In Britain we are very fortunate that, without exception, the CF judges are some of the most helpful and giving people I've met. They are more than happy to sit down and explain what they need and comment on videos. It's worth your time because, if you do not get the whole dive, they will have no option but to bust the team. So talk to them, they are not out to get you!

CHOOSE EQUIPMENT
All competitive CF teams jump specialised canopies. The most obvious difference is a tail pocket where the lines of the canopy are stowed on the rear centre cell of the canopy. This gives fast, consistent openings at sub-terminal speeds. The drawback is that anybody jumping video with them needs to jump tail pockets too, otherwise they will end up much lower on opening. The big 'No-No' as regards canopies are ellipticals. They are just not designed for sub-terminal openings or flying in turbulence and, if you do have an off-heading opening, the team will not thank you for flying through them. Ask Zero Tolerance!

Other useful items are enlarged CF toggles so you don't have to look for them, front riser blocks to hold the canopy in front risers (front riser loops are not ideal) and a split slider so you can film docking onto formations. Just as in FS you need to match fall rates, in CF you need to equate wing loadings. If your team are all jumping 126's you're going to have sore arms if you're on a 176. About 20 square feet either way should be okay with similar bodyweights. As for stills and video cameras, just make sure everything is on securely and the helmet is tight. When a tail pocket canopy wants to open fast, it really opens very fast!

Fitting an LED is a good idea, the team will be usually too busy to tell you if your camera's running. It is also reassuring after deployment. As the canopy opens, the risers have a habit of catching the standby switch on the side of the camera, turning your head away from them should solve the problem. The same applies to side mounted cameras. Batteries also take a pounding from the long exposure to the cold, so keep them sheltered as much as possible.

Hot Tip
Try to note changes in the axes of formations, this will really help the debrief. The cameraflyer is often the only person with a good overall view, so remember as much as you can.

BRIEF THE PILOT
Because CF is not a widely followed discipline, not all pilots have flown CF loads before. In FS, the team drops out of the slipstream very quickly. Not so with CF. If the pilot starts to descend early, the team will catch large amounts of aircraft prop wash, this can cause off-heading openings and be dangerous. The pilot should fly flat and level whilst the team exit (not descending otherwise the last out will be low). Even after everyone has left, the pilot should not descend until about 10 seconds later. Make sure you brief the pilot.

Hot Tip
In cloud, Team X, form a plane (the most stable formation), and the camera flies close; this reduces the chance of inadvertent collisions

CATCH THE EXIT
Because the clock starts when the first team member leaves, and because the team needs a close exit, the camera is last out. They must be able to film the exit of the first team member, generally rear floater. The space on exit is usually tight and team members have a habit of trying to crowd around the door. Everyone needs to remember that if the exit is not on video the team will score a zero. As camera, you may have to physically move people out of the way to ensure the exit is on video. The last team member can usually allow the cameraflyer room to get the exit before they leave. You only need half a second.

The camera exits 3-4 seconds after the team, so you can video the exit for the judges and the openings for the team debrief. Also, this gives you enough height for the two 180 turns you'll need. A standard, almost student exit will ensure a good opening and, once open, do a 180 turn back to the team. It is only now that you'll find out how well the exit went. Depending on where the formation is, use front risers or brakes to get back to the formation, then a final 180¡ to place yourself behind the formation, make sure you that you don't cut up any of the team. Ideally you want to be above the formation as you pass them to show where third and fourth are in relation to the pin and base.

FLY IN TURBULENCE
Aim to fly in the turbulence behind the formation. As a canopy hits turbulence it sinks and slows down. This is precisely what you, on your single canopy behind the formation, want. Yes, it's bumpy, yes it will try to spit you out into clean air, but it will help you stay with the formation. As a canopy formation builds, particularly a stack, it will sink - so the cameraflyer's solo canopy will float relative to the formation. Once you get used to flying in turbulence it becomes second nature. The only alternatives are hanging on risers for two and a half minutes or adding extra weight - which you then have to land with!

ANTICI... ...PATION!
Whichever discipline; rotations, sequential or speed, the camera needs to know the dive. Each formation flies differently and, particularly in sequential, the camera needs to anticipate where the formation will be to ensure that they keep it in frame. When flying pairs the rules require both pairs to be kept on video. Ideally the camera wants to be level with the third canopy, which lets you use the turbulence to your advantage to stay with the formation.

UNDER CANOPY
After the dive the camera has two options. You can either spiral down to land quickly (spot permitting), dump the video and repack; useful if debriefing between dives. Or film no contact 2-way with the team, good practice for both. As with the whole dive, the team has right of way, so you need good situational awareness.

WRAPPING IT UP
Sooner or later a dive will not go to plan, and you will have an entanglement or wrap in front of you. Contrary to popular belief, nine times out of ten, this will sort itself out without any handles being pulled. A wrap will drop out of the sky, so the camera is quite safe because it all goes below you. Obviously, keep everything in shot, you need the tape for the bar! But keep a sharp eye out for cutaway mains and free bags; you do not want to fly into them, so give them a wide berth. Watch the free bag to see where it lands. The reserve rider will have enough to worry about, so save them £80 and the team a lot of time. Do not be tempted to catch the free bag, it is both difficult and dangerous and you could end up on a reserve yourself.

AND FINALLY... always feel happy that the camera is the safest slot on the dive!

For Better or for Worse?
Air-to-air is now the primary method for judging. But many competitors argue that this will have a detrimental effect on performance. Ground-to-air is usually only possible in good, clear conditions, whereas, with air-to-air, you can put a team into cloud, below cloud or around cloud. All of the above cause turbulence, which is not good for clean canopy relative work.