To add to the nerves, morning jumps were cancelled due to cloud cover. More time for some practise on the ground, affectionately known as dirt diving, but everyone is keen to get in the air and put into practice all the prep jumps from yesterday.
The delays are adding to the pressure. BJ explains the importance of time. “The less jumps we get the more important it is that we get the formations first time. Everyone needs to know exactly what it is they need to do. We can dirt dive and practise trolley formations but until you do it for real and incorporate the difficulties created by the plane exit speeds and individuals fall rates you never fully know what problems you are going to need to overcome.“
Clem likes to pack his own chute. It allows him to be confident that it will open the right way. At speeds up to 130 mph and with a camera strapped to his head, a “hard opening” could break his neck.
Yesterday's camera tests proved vital and the aerial film team have now made the call to shoot on slightly wider lenses today to make sure they capture the entire formation at the point it comes together.
Clem (lead cameraman) - “We have 50 seconds of free fall and it takes us 20 seconds to get all 45 divers into place. This leaves virtually no time to get the formation in shot. I have to be in the exactly the right place when they come together. I don’t want to be the guy to miss the shot if these guys nail the formation.“
Nice intro! can't wait to see the guys in the air!
Blue skies dudes!
Posted by: elmsy | May 12, 2008 at 09:25 PM
I've never skydived nor made a teapot :(
Posted by: James Corwin | May 14, 2008 at 05:16 PM
I have never made a teapot but I have had the chance to do my first tandem skydive during the shoot. Can highly recomend it. I guess it is the closest you can get to actually flying.
Posted by: jonathan tapper | May 14, 2008 at 08:14 PM
I have made a tea pot, but it had nothing to do with skydiving or in that fact Patrick Swayze "ooohhh myyyyy looove"
Posted by: andy | May 14, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Looks like a fun advert campaign, looking forward to seeing it live.
To those who haven't been skydiving - do it! If you don't have the time to do it regularly then go for a tandem, or truly embrace it and learn solo. Blue skies!
Posted by: M1ke | May 17, 2008 at 10:24 PM
This is awesome! Looking forward to seeing more of this campaign, especially the videos. My step-dad is Roger Ponce, second from the left in the top photo (in the blue t-shirt). Wooohooo! Blue skies.
Posted by: Kristin Farwell | May 17, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Hi Kristin. Good to hear from you. Roger is a great guy. It was crazy to see him land in the desert in bare feet! His feet must be like leather.
You will see more of him as this campaign develops.
Posted by: jonathan tapper | May 18, 2008 at 04:26 PM