Treejumps

Thank you. Nuff said.

Here it is folks, the poll you have been waiting for. Tell the truth and add your own witty remarks or war stories. Tree

The cross connector was used by crew dogs as a place to lock their feet into. The design, a piece of webbing running from FL to RR and FR to RL creates an X between the risers. At least one person had a hard opening in which the connector hit him in the back of the head/neck and snapped his neck. I don't have details or dates as this was a while ago, but I'm sure you could research and find out more about it. THe bottom line is that cross connectors are a bad idea and not for base. Even in thory I don't see how the idea could possibly work. Cya.

Luv your work mate. Tree

Yo B, Get back to work. When you turn with a rear riser you slow down the side you pull while the other side keeps going, thus a turn is initiated. When you turn with front riser you accelerate that side of the cnaopy while the other side stays constant thus initiating a turn. If you pull both the front and the rear riser, you are merely changing the the yad of the canopy similar to a harness turn on a high perf. canopy. I would not expect much responsiveness out aof a giant BASE canopy in this fashion. I once tried to swoop the landing area at Kjerag on my mojo 310 by pulling my front riser to my chest (like a HP turn). My canopy did nothing and kept going straight and I had to toggle hook just to save my ass. The moral of the story is that base canopies are not very responsive thoses type of inputs. Cya.

Maybe this would be a better post for the security_dork.net. I fail to see what this has to do with BASE. Tom?

Sounds like group dynamics... more like lemmings over a cliff actually. I certainly understand people wanting to jump badly and once one goes and survives. I remember Smiley jumping in 25 mph winds in 2001. A large group watched, a large group walked off. But we had already had several days of great weather. Still, its prety hard to get hurt there.

You didn't give up. You said F--k it, and had more fun cutting that pond up. A nice pond swoop indeed. Next time, just hold that riser down until you see flashing lights. Thats how you show everyone whos hardcore! Cya this weekend! Tree

I've heard that there were 4 or more serious injuries at the Perrine last weekend. Can anyone post details? This is a big turn from a few years ago when there were nearly a 1000 jumps over the long weekend and nothing more than a sprained ankle. The one detailed story I got was sombody lost both brake lines (mis-stowed) on opening, flew up the river a while, decided to go for the upper landing area, and then hooked it in to get into the wind, breaking his ankle pretty badly. The other injuries were reported to be a broken femur and a broken back. Given that this is the EASIEST object out there with a football field sized landing area this should be a big wake up call. Were these first jump students? If the Perrine is challenging your skills you would be doing yourself a favor to NOT seek out other objects. A public safetly announcement from the DC BASE Crew.

When you have been banned from at least 3 DZs for low pulls and other malicious activity, then you will be ready. Thas as much skydiving as you should have to do. Tree

Way to go Hank! With all that extra disposable monthly income you can pick up some nice new nasty habit. Glad to hear its over. Tree

Setting the brakes slows down the forward speed you have on opeing, reduces the opening "surge", and depending on design, helps promote certain opening characteristics such as speed, heading, and inflation properties. Perhaps Brian G. can elaborate further. At any rate, it should be the goal of every young skydiver to gain a full understanding of all of their equipment. Even if you don't want to rig, take a rigger's course, and you will be amazed at all there is to know. Knowing your gear inside out will make you a more competent and confident skydiver. Tree

Johnny 9 lives landed there last year, and I forget who nailed it the year before. Its becoming quite the popular LZ. I'll take the regular landing area, thank you very much.

Next to Junk Shack, Attair is the most entertaining skydiving company to watch. Why not add some more seams, and call it a 57 cell. Since when does more seams = more cells? Hey, you could call it the Heniz 57. The ad campaign would be 2 years long with a tag line of "anticipation, we're making you wait".

I agree. Specifically, a stiletto was not designed to be flown at 2:1, and is certainly tricky (at that, or any wing loading) to land rear riser with no experience. Trying up high once or twice is not adequate. Practice hundreds of flares up high. Also, make sure that you are really, really solid on you everyday swoop. Rears should be reserved until you have a very dialed in sight picture of your entire swoop. Have fun.

Wow, another shameless self promoation, with pics. But sadly once again, you are late to the party. One time at camp, in the 6th grade I jumped off a picnic table with a sheet, and it looks just like the pic of your "rad" move off the bridge. Its actually called the Maryland Duck. Perhaps you can sweet talk Shane, and he will let you call his move a McUtah. Or better yet, how about the Utah Wad? That has a nice ring to it. Or maybe a UTARD? Maybe we can take some other rad terms from other tired late 80's movies and change the name of every established move in BASE. Seriously dude, if you ever do anything first, (you know, something that others have't been doing for years that you suddenly "discover" and then somehow remember doing it 15 years) you can name it the Winkel-Hop.

OOOps. Its 226R. Haven't had it long, but I know that once I get it dialed in it will be areal work horse.

I costantly adjust the tension and I just can't seem to get it right. On thicker materials I keep breaking the upper thred. On thinner stuff I do OK but i'm always having to make adjustments to keep the knot in the middle. Anyone have any experience with this? Its a walking foot industrial machine, 12 years old, used mostly in upolstery before I got it. Help! Tree

I met Paul last Sat afternoon. An instantly likeable guy, I was stoked that he was our new DZ manager and figured it would be a great season working for him. He went out of his way to say he had heard good things about me (I demanded to know who was spreading lies), we had a laugh, and now I'm really sad Paul didn't make it. The next jump is for you, Paul! BSBD Tree

Yuri, You are sounding more and more like a gumpy old man. Perhaps you should go to Florida this weekend with all of the other blue hairs and get a nice steak at Denny's around 5:00 pm. Seriously, I'll let nearly anyone pack for me. I'm sure it will open, and I can spend more time doing other things before a jump. I'm quite certain that every packer will take more time and be more concerned with a pretty pack job than me. BTW, I have been tricked into packing for Yuri at least twice. I am wiser now and he can pack his an mine. Tree Team Old and Brittle (and limping)

After nearly a year since they first advertised on the back of parachutist its amazing they are actually selling them at all. I can hear the sound of the PD and Icarus teams scrambling to buy up all the Onyxs so that they can keep winning........ NOT

When I requested the safety stow design after my fiance's reserve ride, I was told that I would have to sign a waiver to get it. I told Nancy she was nuts, and that we were selling it anyhow. BTW, it was very easy to just use safety stow on the speedbag freebag. Jumpshack: "Answering 20 year old design questions with 25 year old designs". or.... "Leading by following, from way behind"

Ah, another full sized jumper. DOn't let these wee boy worry you. I'm 6'-10' and 250#. I jump both a fox 285 and mojo 310. I really think that the 285 lands better, but the 310 is almost as good. Once you get so big you lose efficiencies. Either a 285 or or 310 will land you great if you know how to fly it. You can also get 313, and 310 sizes. Expect good solid slider down openings. The raven is not for base. If you can't afford a use BASE canopy you can't afford a broken ankle or leg. Cya, Tree BASE610

I thought you were gone from here.

Been out all day and missed the action. Only 45 new posts on this subject? I think that the general concensus of the average American is that gays can live and do what they want unemcumbered. When I say average, I'm talking about the majority in the USA who are against gay marriage. You can tell that it is a majority because even most of the Democrats are coming out against "gay marriage". For those in this majority what people do to and with each other is their own business, as un-natural and/or immoral as many folks think it may be. Live and let live. However, trying to pawn off same sex couples as "families" is just pushing too far. This majority does not want to see children raised by same sex couples, and I would have to imagine they don't want to explain to their children why the neighbors have 2 mommies or 2 daddies. If you really don't think that constantly throwing homosexuallity into the faces and minds of impressionable young children or confused adolesencents will have adverse results you are truly fooling only yourself. Children emulate what they see. Adolescents already have enough indentity crisis. Now you want to add this to the mix? The 2 or 3 percent of the population who are gay willl not win this one. You can push so much and a tolerant society will tolerate, but the majority in the US is about fed up with this aberant lifestyle be constantly publicizewd, advertised, and pracitcally agrandized. I would expect a backlash against the gay culture now that they have pushed so far that there is in fact a majority against them on this issue. Thank you again for this nice soap box.