Community

The skies have eyes

By KELLIE DIXON, Times Staff Writer
Published October 16, 2007

Videographer Bob Clark of Skydive City in Zephyrhills records tandem pair Dennis Lee, 45, bottom, and master Tom Dellibac, 46, in free fall. Lee was making his first jump. Skydive videographers have about 60 seconds to capture footage.
	[Billy Porter]

ADVERTISEMENT [Billy Porter] Bob Clark, of Skydive City in Zephyrhills, videos Dennis Lee and tandem master Tom Dellibac before they jump out of the Twin Otter.

Before takeoff

Camera? Check.

Charged battery? Check.

And the checklist continues - whether the videographers realize it or not. Aaron Stocum said they dress for success. Basically the videographer has to chase the tandem unit - tandem master and student - that is traveling 120 miles an hour toward the Zephyrhills drop zone.

So if the group looks heavy, the videographer might strap on a lead vest so he'll fall faster. Bob Clark, who weighs 150 pounds, likes to wear a six-pound vest during his jumps.

If it's a lighter group, the videographer will use his wings - extra material on his suit that connects his arm to his torso - for drag.

Here we go

The videographer has to be in synch with the tandem master. As tandem master Randy Lopez and first-time jumper Amanda Lascola inched toward the door of the Twin Otter on Thursday, Clark was right behind them.

When the tandem jumped, so did Clark. He's got roughly 60 seconds of free fall from their 13,500-foot starting spot to get clear footage of Lascola. He knows his camera, which is mounted securely on his helmet with screws and tape, is working. The light tells him so. Occasionally, he'll use the bite switch in his mouth to snap still images of Lascola.

It's an intense ride and accuracy is crucial.

"There's not many jobs when you're working at 120 miles an hour and you get one chance," videographer Paul Meagher said. "So we don't often get it wrong."

The thrill never gets old. And even after all these years, skydiving for the videographers is a little frightening. It has to be.

"If it doesn't scare you a little bit, you're going to lose the respect it needs," Clark said.

But even with that respect, things can go wrong. The camera, although properly secured, can detach from the helmet. Clark caught his one time. Sometimes the chute will get tangled, forcing the videographer to cut away and use the reserve.

It helps that the technology has improved - Billy Porter can remember skydiving in 1982 with a VCR strapped to his chest and a camera on his helmet. Nowadays, the videographers use a small camera on a helmet so there aren't as many potential hangups.

The landing

Once the tandem chute pops, the videographer scurries to the drop zone to await the tandem landing. He'll film that and race into the editing room. Most of the editing is done in the air. Videographers change positions and pay attention to the lighting while chasing tandems.

So in the editing room, the videographer works quickly, cutting out the unnecessary stuff and adding music.

On a busy day, the guys have 20 minutes to edit a video, add sound and suit up for the next jump.

"The video will never do it justice," Stocum said. "It can be the best video in the world, but it won't do it justice."

Their pictures end up on refrigerators and in scrapbooks; their videos on television, Web sites and bookshelves. Sometimes the videographers at Skydive City shoot for professional organizations: They've done stuff for NBC Sports. But most of their time above the drop zone is spent capturing first-timers in action. The four videographers get one shot to get it right.

MEET THE VIDEOGRAPHERS

Bob Clark

Age: 45

Hometown: Quad Cities, Ill.

Resides: Zephyrhills

Did you know? Clark, who has been skydiving since 1994, went skydiving with his wife, Laurie, for their wedding. Their wedding party also skydived.

Previous day job: Machinist. Clark jokes that his family is wondering when he'll give up the skydiving and get a real job.

Paul Meagher

Age: 47

Hometown: Walthamstow, England

Resides: Zephyrhills

First jump: 1994 on a static line in England. Meagher started training to skydive in 1995 when he vacationed in Zephyrhills.

Previous day job: Factory supervisor. Meagher turned in his notice in the late '90s after a few trips to Zephyrhills' Skydive City. He started videotaping in 1997.

Billy Porter

Age: 47

Hometown: Toronto

Resides: Zephyrhills

First jump: 1982. Porter's dad was in the Air Force, so he always knew he would jump someday. After Porter eclipsed his dad's number of jumps (14), Porter said his dad asked him if he planned on stopping. Porter's response? No way.

Previous day job: Motorcycle mechanic.

Aaron Stocum

Age: 31

Hometown: Euclid, Ohio

Resides: Zephyrhills

First jump: 1995. He saw a movie as a teenager that got his attention. By the time he was 19, he had saved up enough money to jump.

Previous day job: Network administrator for a small Internet company. When it folded, he got into skydiving full time.

[Last modified October 15, 2007, 20:31:00]