Hey, BASE Jumpers!

[captain1976 0]

To the best of my knowledge, the first indoor base jump was made by Carl Rupert of Prospect Height, Illinois. It was back in the 34 and he jumped from the rafters of the International Amphitheater Municipal Auditorium in Chicago. He was the founder of Rupert Parachute Company of Wheeling Illinois and they used Rupert chutes before and during the war. He continued to make seatbelts for light aircraft and racing cars up until the 1960’s.
Just though I’d mention him as he is kind of unknown and I had the honor of knowing him. He passed away in 1972. I mowed his lawn regularly when I was 13 and since I would pound him with questions since I had an early interest in parachutes (Like from 5 years old), he gave me the parachute he used for his record breaking jump (I still have it). I wonder if the USPA Museum would be interested in it.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[NickDG 23]

I wrote about Rubert in the BASE magazine I published back in the late 1980s. And yes I'm fairly sure it was the first ever indoor jump. He dropped a weighted dummy a few times until he was sure it would work and then made the leap himself. Although, in an interview I read, he said he landed very hard.

I also know he was contacted by the old TV show "You Asked For It" in the late 1950s or early 1960s and they asked him to make the jump again for the cameras but he said no way . . .

He was a pretty accomplished guy!

NickD BASE 194

[airtwardo 7]

I'm sure they would!

Any chance you can post a pic of the canopy etc.?

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[RhondaLea 4]

He's immortalized here, kinda.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-0Nz181RLkC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=Carl+Rupert+parachute&source=bl&ots=96cFNYzr6W&sig=xeIaLz75xIzQhNz84DeiITwcWD0&hl=en&ei=nIykSqnKONSMtgfZ_MSbBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=Carl%20Rupert%20parachute&f=false

See the second item in the right-most column, under "Tester Claims Record: He Jumps 38 Times in 'Chute Marathon.'" Carl was the packer, not the jumper.

http://www.jjonz.us/RadioLogs/pagesnfiles/logs_files_RH/1940s_RH/40-44/1940/40rh_08Aug/40-08-05-(Mon)_%5BWSJ%5D.pdf

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[billeisele 130]

if they ever move the hanging art at the Marriott downtown Atlanta, 38 floors ought to be high enough to do an indoor, every time I stay there I wonder if it is possible and to get away

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[captain1976 0]

Glad to see someone actually wrote about him. Not much info otherwise on such a pioneer. I don't remember ever asking him if he jumped from an airplane, but I assume he did.
Its interesting to hear about the dummy jumps and being born in 1905, I see why he declined to do it again. I imagine the parachute barely inflated in time. I need to dig his parachute out but its got the old white (I think Cotton) harness and the canopy is about 24 ft. I think I will dig it out of my hanger loft and see if the mice didn't get to it.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime