K763

HEY EVERYONE! CHECK IT OUT! Our new WebMistress has been very busy, and now the Basic Research website is UP TO DATE! We have information on the new Vertex 2 and Prism 2 rigs along with orderforms, and the new and used gear sections are updated as well. If you've been looking for any of these things, well here you go! C'ya! Karen Basic Research 23 Sept. 2004

Oh, Duane! I worked with Duane many times over the phone, sending him accessories and such to England. He came to Perris and we did the doux, having a wonderful time. Duane was truly a nice guy, always smiling and enjoying the moment. I'm glad to have met him and jumped with him. I'll be sure to eat a bowl of Froot Loops for him when I get back to the States. Fly free, Duane, and sincere condolences to his wife, family, and friends. Peace, Karen

Hi All! I just saw this news flash on the internet and thought it was interesting. I know some BASE jumpers that wish they were this lucky! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4806020 c'ya, K

Hi All! The Stavanger BASE Klubb is looking for Americans that will be travelling to Norway, particularly Lysebotn and Kjerag, before June. They have some gear and accessories that they would like carried in by people travelling there. The SBK will recompense the traveller for their trouble, of course! If you're heading to Norway and are willing to help out, please contact Stein at stein.edvardsen@lyse.net. He is looking forward to getting your e-mail! Thanks, Karen BR Ps: If you haven't done so already, you can check out the SBK's website at www.basekjerag.com

HI all... I had a call from the DZ today, I guess last week there was a near fatality because a wingsuit flier FORGOT to get into his legstraps when donning his suit. This seems very strange, like not noticing you don't have a pilot chute on the end of your bridle when packing you rig. All ended well, but the caller asked me to post a heads up for everyone to do thorough gear checks before heading for the plane (or the edge). c'ya K

Hi jake! Sorry to hear you're getting pounded, that's no fun (in BASE, anyway...) even tho it is often part of the ride. We would recommend the small mesh slider, and it should be making a difference. If not, I have a question or two: Are you using a direct stow on the slider? How about the indirect stow under the tail pocket? Have you tried rolling the nose? Is the velcro on your tailpocket still gripping well? (Just a stab at perhaps some serious line dump adding to to the problem.) The marquisette slider should be making those openings much more comfortable. I jumped it in Norway in 2002 and was amazed at the difference of the large mesh and the small mesh sliders, and that was at terminal. And as Tom says, you can contact us at support@basicresearch.com to have your technical questions addressed by the designer himself... C'ya! K

Hi All! I just spoke with Stein, and he asked me to post for the Stavanger BASE Klubb Heliboogie happening the third weekend of June, from Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th. So far Stein has over 90 jumpers registered, so he's added a second helicopter and another 30 slots, for 120 available slots total. It looks like people love to jump Kjerag, especially when it comes with a 5 minute helicopter ride to the top! This is going to be the biggest HeliBoogie ever, and it is bound to be an awesome time! For more information, please go to www.basekjerag.com. It will be great to see you all there! Be safe, have fun, and soft landings, Karen BASE#763

Congratulations, Raist! That is quite a milestone, at least IMHO. Of course, when you have only 10 skydives that ain't sayin' much... love ya, K

As the designer of the FLiK, Todd Shoebotham, after reading the entire thread, has made the following statements for me to give out to all. First is that he completely supports the fact that jumpers are making adjustments in the field to fine tune the FLiK to better perform for their particular situations and preferences. We've had many comments from both directions; some people love the FLiK so much that they've added the 5th UCL to their FOXes, and others that didn't like the 5th and removed it from the FLiK. This is good! We want people to have gear that performs it's absolute best for each individual. Next, when the FLiK was designed, it was meant to feel different and sportier than the FOX. We were aiming at a better landing performance; the 5th UCL has done just that. The FLiK will feel natural to a high-performance canopy pilot, but may feel strange to a long-time FOX pilot. We can understand why after flying a FOX for years some pilots have a dislike for the FLiK landings, especially when they flare the FLiK like they used to flare the FOX. The FLiK will definitely stall and drop you on your behind if you flare too deeply, so learning the stall point of the FLiK is important when first trying it out. For example, some of our German jumpers actually added 10 inches to the lower control lines so they still stalled at crotch depth rather than waist or hip depth, as they were use to with the FOX. The FOX and the FLiK are two different canopies, and will not turn or flare the same, especially when flown side by side. This was intentional, and most jumpers that were aware of the different intentions really did appreciate the design changes of the FLiK, both the 5th UCL and the higher aspect ratio. We have not stopped manufacturing the FOX for good reason; it’s a good parachute with strong attributes. Todd sees a day coming where we have even more site-specific canopies in our line; the Norwegians and wing suit flyers have different needs than the Aussies or Belgians that jump primarily low stuff with tight landing areas. There may come a day that we have a student canopy, as well, along with mid- and high-end performance canopies. And finally, we at Basic Research would like to tell you all that your input is a very valuable tool to us as manufacturers. It feels great when we get positive comments that you love our gear and are completely happy, but it’s even more important for you to tell us when you think our baby is ugly. Your negative comments tell us the areas that could stand improvement and spur us into action to address those issues and make any changes or adjustments to better our products overall. We’re often stuck in the office and shop, so we miss the talk in the field that enables us to improve or design to suit today’s needs and situations. Thank goodness for the web forums! Keep on posting, and please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail us with any questions you may have. As always, be safe, have fun, and soft landings! Karen Thomas Office Manager Basic Research www.basicresearch.com

Yes, the original idea was to have us stunt double for the band, but there wasn't time to do all the connecting video, so instead we just did the jump at the end of the song. The band wore the rigs, I guess!, because they liked them and thought they were cool! I wish they had let me help them get dressed; I would have tied the rigs closed with pull up cords and made them look at least neat. We were stoked that the band wore them during the show! Again, I agree, that the coverage could have been better, and most people didn't even realize what they were seeing. That's why I wanted the BASE community to watch, because y'all had the knowledge to appreciate the stunt. Thanks for all your support, folks! We're pleased to have contributed to the betterment of the BASE image in the public eye, for what it's worth. Karen BR

Here's some info from a manufacturer's point of view: Yes, jump numbers do count, as well as if the parachute has been landed in the water or not, and how many times, and if it was fresh water or salt water. These things all contribute to the wear and tear on a parachute, and how quickly the fabric degrades. We value used gear by deducting so much per jump, so much more per water jump, and so much even more per salt water jump. We always inspect the gear for airworthiness and the fabric is checked for how porous it's become up to this point. We don't use testing machinery or anything, but our excellent rigger will say if the fabric is becoming very porous and worn, or if there is a lot of weave shift separation, etc. Being honest with jump numbers to the best of your ability on BASE gear is good karma. Anyone out there want bad Karma on their BASE gear? Didn't think so... Karen BR

Hi All! We're so stoked! Now that the "secret" event has been successfully pulled off and aired, we can discuss the details! There were 5 BASE jumpers in the rafters of the stadium; Marta, Jimmy, Tim Rigby, Jeb, and Anne. They all static lined with a double break-cord attachment and were given a cue to jump right near the end of Dream On. They jumped 4 seconds apart, flew a simple flight path and landed near the Aerosmith stage on or about the 30 yard line. We were hoping to get better TV coverage, but that's show biz. Aerosmith, especially Steven Tyler, was completely stoked about having BASE jumpers during their bit. Steven has done some paragliding and apparently loves parachute sports. He was amazingly cool and nice, and invited the jumpers and staff to their dressing room after the show (thanks in no small part to Avery Rhinoballs). The jump went exactly as planned and practiced in rehearsal. Everyone did an excellent job, and the biggest credit must go to Todd Shoebotham, who has been working his head off over the last 2-3 months to make this stunt happen. We were so proud to see our guys come flying in under the Aerosmith FLiKs, landing on the field of Super Bowl XXXVIII...it is just beyond words... We're glad you all got to see a glimpse, and hopefully you'll get to see more of the footage later on. If nothing else, I'll bring video to the Spring Fling in Moab to share with everyone that can make it. I gotta tell ya, this is one sweet slot! :) Peace, Karen BR PS: Our crew made a total of 53 jumps in the Reliant Stadium!

Good luck Dexter! Please take care, keep you head down, and come back in one piece. We need your friendly face and infectious enthusiasm in our midst! You'll be missed and I for one will be sending all the good karma I can your way. Stay safe...you're getting into dangerous territory now! As if BASE wasn't bad enough... Peace, Karen

Hey Mac! I've heard that 48 zp pilot chutes work well for cats, at least from the 2nd floor, from more than one source. However, any kind of parachute on a cat is superfluous, as they are one animal that can survive it's own terminal velocity, much like the baby barnacle goose. K

I've been taught that the 4-7 second delay slider up cliff or building jumps are the most dangerous, with Dr. Nik being the perfect example of this theory. At 4-7 seconds you don't have time to get much of a track going, so you're still close or fairly close to the object, then you have the chance of the slider creating a pivot point which can lead to off-heading openings. This is exactly what happened to Nik, and he had the unfortunate extra problem of the sail slider in his configuration. I've also seen people do fine on a 500' bridge jump, then totally blow the 3000' cliff. I've seen more people have incidents off the 3000' cliff than off the 200' static line cliff, as well. Of course, this is just within my limited range of experience, but at least the theories make sense. Take it easy, and if it's easy, take it twice!

Hey Keely! Nice to see you here, hope to see more of you in the future! Thanks for the pano photo...it's totally cool. Gotta love Dwain... K#763

I'd say about 20 years ago I saw some BASE jumpers on TV, jumping antennas. I was amazed and swore I'd never even CLIMB an antenna, let alone jump off the damn thing! When I started skydiving I said I'd never BASE jump. When I started BASE jumping I said I'd never jump the Doux. When I showed my ex the video of me doing the Doux, he reminded me that I had said I wouldn't jump it; it was too damn low! Then I climbed an antenna and jumped it. When I broke my leg I said I wouldn't jump with the hardware in my leg. I got a dozen jumps before the rod and screws came out. I'm either in complete denial or I'm a total liar. K#763

AAAAHHHHH Skypunk! What ever happened to his Tigger outfit? That would be the suit to jump at Bridge Day next year! K #763

Hi All- I saw this vendor, spent a few minutes checking out the kitty, but didn't have a photo done. I was wondering how happy that cub was, being in a cage and surrounded by thousands of people, but it was only a passing curiosity and not a major issue in my mind. I'm surprised the PETA people didn't make a stink over the small viewing zoo that was in the back of the parking lot near that little market/laundry place. They had several animals all caged up to be gawked at for a price. I love animals, too, but wouldn't hesitate to toss my cat off the balcony with a harness and 48" pilot chute...even though a cat can survive it's own terminal velocity...ok, just kidding, I wouldn't toss the cat unless it asked me to. K

Sorry Tom, both on the sponsorship issue and the mispelling of your name. Crap on my head! K

We give NO ONE free gear. One Aussie boy thought so, but he was very wrong, and a year later that issue is finally sorted out. We do have some people on our Pro Purchase plan, but none of them were in Malaysia this year. Two jumpers are dealers of ours, jumping the gear they bought BEFORE they were dealers. The first ranked guy, Douggs, paid full price for his FLiK. Jimmy Freeman was second jumping a FOX. He must have bought this from someone else, because I don't see the purchase on his account in our books. Good question, very pointed, and I'm pleased to be able to answer with facts. People are paying full price to jump our gear. Karen BR

Small mesh slider for me, please! (otherwise known as marquisette). K #763

Stay tuned for a post from the designer of the Multi. thanks all, K

Hi Canuck! I'd like to welcome you to BASE jumping, and commend you on your approach. You seem to be asking the right questions, investigating everything thoroughly, and doing your homework. This is a recipe for a safe and happy BASE jumper, IMHO. I would like to give you some other information to think about regarding your first canopy. First of all, let me speak plainly and tell you that Tom Aeillo is sponsored by CR, as I am sponsored by BR, so we have loyalties to our manufacturers. All of the gear manufacturers today are very upright, consciencious, and safety-minded people, so what ever manufacturer you choose is going to give you the best they have to offer. That being said, here are some facts for you. In the recent Malaysian event, the canopies jumped by the "pro BASE jumpers" were noted. Of the 30 jumpers on the ranking list, 15 of them jumped Basic Research canopies. This would indicate that BR supplied as many canopies to the pros than all other manufacturers combined. Also, the top 4 ranked jumpers all jumped BR parachutes, either the FOX or the FLiK. I think this makes a pretty strong statement about what parachutes the "best of the best" like to fly. As far as bottom surface venting goes, I highly recommend it, even to beginning jumpers. In fact, low experience jumpers probably benefit more from Vtec than more experienced jumpers. Experienced jumpers are more likely quicker on the risers and are able to steer away quickly, whereas a newer jumper may not have such quick reflexes. In an off-heading opening situation acheiving full inflation and being able to steer your canopy away from the object is vital. Every nanosecond counts when you're flying towards that wall! Additionally, if you have trouble steering away and you're bouncing down the cliff face, the bottom skin inflation can keep your canopy inflated even without forward momentum. What's not to like about that? As for pins vs. Velcro closed....I vote for pins, hands down. Kevin and I did a test with a velcro rig and a 2 pin rig, and I was happily shocked to see that the pins had popped when only 1/3 of the Velcro had peeled away. Which container opened quicker? No question...the 2 pin. Pin tension is easy enough to check...before you pull your pull-up cord(s) out of the closing loop(s), grab your bridle and try to pick up your rig. If you can pick up your rig by the bridle, your closing loop(s) is/are too short for that pack job. I jump a single pin rig, and even those times I have to work the pin in, I always can pull it by the bridle before the rig moves a millimeter. Since Todd taught me this, I have no pin fear whatsoever. Pin rigs are more secure, open quicker, and need less maintenance over time. I hope you've found any of this helpful. Keep on doing your research and you're bound to come up with the appropriate choices for your own set of BASE gear when the time comes. Good luck, and soft landings! Peace, Karen BR

Thanks, everyone, for the info. I've sent it on to the guy that was asking about it. Tom, I don't understand your comment about keeping the BASE politics over at BLINC. I don't see any political discussions on this thread. I posted my request at both places to give myself the most opportunities for a swift reply. FYI, I got several more responses on this forum than I did on BLINC. Thanks again, Karen