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On the cover of the October Parachutist, the jumper is wearing a GoPro-type camera and exiting a balloon. During a balloon jump, which is not from full altitude, the jumper might have an unstable exit and make an unintended flip or two. Is it farfetched to think she might catch a line on the camera after she pulls?
Every day, Safety and Training Advisors see skydivers walking to the plane wearing cameras that are not protected from catching a line. Why the heck don’t these skydivers buy deflectors to wear with these cameras? They are available in almost every shop and online. I don’t get it. GoPros weren’t made for skydivers. We are just using them. More than once, they have caused line snags and prohibited the parachutes from opening properly. I know this has caused at least one fatality.
As a veteran skydiver and USPA lifetime member, I know that there are drop zones, skydiving associations and countries that vehemently prohibit members from jumping without helmets or shoes. They do not show footage of those jumping this way so they don’t set a bad example. That is why the photo on the cover concerned me.
Rolf Brombach | USPA #64354 Burscheid, Germany
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