lifewithoutanet

... I see your point, but no matter how much preparation, thought and training you put into what you do, you can't expect to protect everyone else from themselves. Guys (and girls) at that competitive level, doing what they do for a living have a responsibility to themselves, their careers and their dreams in this sport. Can't further the sport if we always cater (and limit performance) to the lowest denominator. But this is dangerously close to becoming another BSR thread and I've got no interest in beating that horse again. Understand your plight to educate newer jumpers, though. I, too, strove to hard to be like the PST competitors, far to early in my skydiving life and got off lucky. As for the ankles, I worry less about those and more about the knees...that's what will endure the forces of the weights. -C.

I see your point, but to clarify, it's not like this/these pilot/s are transferring the 3:1 ratio to their ankles and not wearing any weight up top. Used to be (and maybe still), some runners would wear ankle-weights. I see far more risk in repeated shock to the joints there vs. sub-terminal opening shock at deployment. I trust those experimenting with such a system are aware of and accounting for that sort of risk. When you're at that level, you put a lot of preparation into it. Also, the design incorporates a quick-release system should the pilot need to cut the weight away. Once I've got a little more info, I'll drop you a note. -C.

Actually, there's at least one (if not a couple) wearing weights on his ankles now. If I remember correctly, he's only using them for the speed event. Putting the weights lower helps add something to the equation, helping to build more speed. It's something like a 3:1 ratio. Every pound on his ankle is equivalent to three pounds on the upper body. I'm off to wrap my head around the physics a little more. I might be incorrect on this...gotta figure it out. -C.

http://www.canopypiloting.com/canopypilotingschool.htm -C.

Hot damn, Rochelle! Very impressive! -C.

We've already alerted Homeland Security, Abbie. Enjoy your cavity search. -C.

This sounds worthy of it's own thread, Tom. -C.

Rocky, My sentiments exactly. I met those two Fockers at two separate times--PeterK when I first started skydiving and Rauk on my first trip to Twin--and still, having left CO, living a few states away, those two have helped me in innumerable ways. They're two of the best people I know and I'm proud to consider them friends. -C. LBMJ ;-)

My deepest sympathies to you and your family. I'm very young in BASE and never had the pleasure of meeting your dad in either a rescue or a more casual setting, but I listened intently to his safety briefing this past BD. Glad to hear efforts are underway to recognize his contributions by dedicating this year's event and I hope you'll be up there giving the briefing in his place. Sincerely, -C.

It took me a little while to get this uploaded to and approved on skydivingmovies.com. So forgive me for being late to this resurrected thread. Unbenknownst to my employer, a couple months ago they paid me to sift through all of the photos that had been taken on the ground in Perris over a few weekends last summer, lay them out and set them to music. In the spirit of the thread, here's some more outdated pics from the DZ. It's no big production and the only thing special about it is the people who are in it. Next time I'll be a little more representative of the population. Too many people were left out. Enjoy.

Wow. This guy was on the money, wasn't he? Please. If anything, I liken it more to a lease on BASE jumping than an actual purchase...complete w/ a huge balloon payment that screws you at the 'end'. How fricken' insightful of him. -C.

I've seen a few comments in here about motorcycles and what not, as well as comparisons to golf of all things, but this isn't in response to any of those posts as much as it is just an observation I've used to illustrate a point. I guess it fits a lot of activities in which people aren't necessarily faced with the great possibility that they could die doing it. Whenever I hear the comparison of skydiving/BASE (never really the latter) being "as safe as driving a car", I respond with, "When's the last time you got to work in the morning, counted heads and breathed a sigh of relief, 'Whew...Everybody made it.'"? I've found it pretty effective at conveying the gravity of our sports. -C.

Well, if I were you, I'd hand them each a pillow, douse them in hot-oil and let them settle it themselves. -C. Edit: PS Dibs on outside video.

Loveland Pass has been done. A skier/skydiver who lived/worked at A-Basin used to ground-launch it. With the frequency at which skiers/boarders ride down and hitchike back up, you're certain to find a ride back to the top... Especially when you're standing there w/ a canopy. I'm with Steve, though...it's definitely a significant undertaking requiring a lot of skill. Not yet, but one day... -C.

I did consider this and that the distance could be much greater depending on the overall height of the object and delay. But for a drill, might as well cut it close when there's really no object to hit. I can't tell if you're kidding or not, but I'd actually thought about this before for a very brief period of time and then dismissed it. I've got a few other things to work on, first. Really, I mean...why pack a mal? Or at least the start of one? Who's done it? How often and has it ever really gone to shit? -C.

Thanks, Tom. I'd read one of Motherhucker's posts on toggles vs. risers (http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=409697#409697) and this helps to clarify his points. -C.

I get what you're saying. The wind was negligible at that time and while it would still have been a factor, its impact was minimal compared to the overall forward speed. I think the greater contributor was my brake settings. As an aside, we had to hold off until around sunset on Sat. The winds were just too high. We were standing on the bridge looking around for you and it reminded me of Moab. "Yeah...the winds are a little squirrely, so we're going to send Adam." "Hold on...we'll get the cameras rolling." -C.

Though my typical response would be "Move", that just doesn't make sense in this case. You're in Colorado and there's no more perfect place on Earth. One of these days I'll move back Home, but until then, CA is working out pretty well. -C.

I did a floating exit this weekend, facing the bridge, then dumped and attempted to get turned around and avoid the 'phantom' object that I was facing. The exit: I stepped off backwards and other than being a little head-high, the exit went fine. Freefall: Short delay... 1-1.5. Best visuals thus far. Deployment: On-heading, facing under the bridge. Avoidance: Unsuccessful. Had it been a true 180 off a B or an E, I'd very likely be injured or dead. All the more reason to practice these drills. When I opened, the canopy deployed on-heading and though in deep brakes, took off at a very fast rate; a rate I hadn't noticed fully without the aid of the visuals of flying towards the bridge. I went to both rears to slow down and back the canopy up, then released my left rear riser and reached across to my right front riser, pulling it down to match the right rear and aid the turn. All in all, I don't think I spent enough time on both rears. I got it turned around but in all that I did lose a significant bit of altitude (and I was altitude-aware throughout this). I was back in full flight and able to clear my toggles with time to spare before I landed. What I learned: 1.) These are VERY enlightening drills. (Once again, "Thanks, Tom".) 2.) My deep brake settings are too shallow and need adjustment. 3.) Because of the loss of altitude, turn away from the object, but only as far away from the object as necessary to avoid striking it. I came around with a full 180 (and then had to continue another 90 to head for dry land). I should have just turned enough to avoid the object (i.e. 90 left or right if I were trying to avoid a flat wall). I did maintain altitude awareness in my turn and if I'd had the visual of a wall to aid me, I might only have turned enough and flown down the wall, rather than completely away from it. This would have depended on altitude awareness and how low I was. My questions... What else could/should I add to these drills? What else could/should I have done to avoid the phantom object? And as important as the above...what *didn't* I learn in this drill that I should have? Thanks, all. -C. (ya) Edit: Grammar and punctuation.

What's up, Steve? Envious that you're out like this when the weather doesn't allow jumping, but I'm not far behind you. GLC#2 in 10 days... Anyway, I wanted to share with you and any others back Home in CO an experience I had just before I got into skydiving. A colleague of mine (you know James) and I were looking into paragliding and went to a meeting of the local association (I forget the actual association's name) for information on instruction and how to get into the sport. In addition to that info, what I found at that meeting is that this group faces numerous access issues with respect to the City and County of Boulder public land and very hotly--and rightly so--defends their sites, even from some of their own members. I do not have enough info to speak to the specifics, but there were a couple of seemingly minimal actions by one or a few individuals that, however well intentioned (and it seemed they were), threatened further access to these launch points. Maybe someone else on here knows the specifics and can offer a little more (or correct) info, but it brings to mind the BASE ethos: "Call the Local Rule", in this case the Locals being the pilots who have been launching from these sites already. Your interaction with the authorities could put a site at risk. I know you and I know that's not your style, so I thought I'd put this out there. Looking forward to the upcoming weekend, man. Should be a good time and will be good to see you again. -C.(ya)

...for another great weekend in Twin and sharing more knowledge. The wind could have cooperated a little bit more, but all in all, it was totally worth right about 26 hours on the road, round-trip. Tom, thanks again to you and Cherie for a great dinner and the vids. Jamie, thanks once again for the hospitality and hanging out. Don't forget to make it out pick up your RB and vodka this weekend. -C. (ya)

Oh, the irony. Said canopy is sitting on my desk to my right, Steve, on the way back to the current owner. That canopy has indeed seen some interesting days. There are pictures of the right end-cell being demolished by a windsock; a three-shot action sequence, actually. The pilot in this instance endured many bruises from that brush with the windsock. Thankfully 99.999% to her ego. -C.

Congratulations, Chelle! Don't worry, you'll get your pie and pool. -C.

There are certainly holes in my earlier statements, but for clarification, I'm talking throughout an entire day at the DZ. You'll likely perspire in the course of a day and cotton will just soak up that perspiration. That's where cotton will keep you cold and my statements were more general to cold weather and less specific to skydiving. I'm going to pass on stepping outside naked. It's nowhere near 30F here, but I don't want to take the chance. I'm somewhat convinced you're hiding in the bushes, waiting to push me into the pool. Or maybe you'll wait until I step out in 7 layers of cotton. That's certain to kill me. -C.

Well, yeah, you're in the elements for the jump for a short period of time, but you're in and out of them all day, right? The fact is, cotton will do nothing to help you and can/will only make you colder. Are synthetics mandatory? Of course not, but I certainly am more comfortable when I'm not cold. "Hydrophylic? Hydrophobic?" Forgive me, I'm an outdoor junky and ran an outdoor retail store for a while, so the salesmanship stuck. Under general skydiving circumstances, you won't freeze to death in cotton, but you might find yourself more comfortable in the winter without it. -C.