TVPB

Assuming that the media quote in context and correctly (assume = ass - u - me), I find the article from the SMH very disturbing. Let me run through some examples: Hindsight will tell you that any scenario/situation that caused the accident, was, by definition, dangerous, as it led to the accident. Other lives at risk???? Lets try this again. DRABC is what first aiders learn. i.e. First step is to assess danger/risk. If excessive, no rescue. The professionals learn this at a much higher level. i.e. the risk is well known and managed. If a bush walker falls off a trail, there is little to no question of risk, yet a BASE jumper?It seems to me that some people perceive BASE to be excessively risky and that the risk of the rescue is related to the event that caused it rather than the situation that results. Now, lets go through some sports where lives beyond the participant in question are put at risk: - Rugby, Motor Racing, Fishing, Jet Skiiing, Boating in General, Martial Arts, Boxing, Golf, Polo, Horse Racing, etc, etc, etc. ALL of these sports have killed "innocent" bystanders. Now, lets name the number of people that have been killed by BASE jumpers. . . .UUummmmmm, I'm struggling here. Can someone please help me out because I can't think of any?? At least the media mentioned that other sports are dangerous. "Highly dangerous to the rescuer"????? So Keith Williams has assessed the situation and decided it is highly dangerous, and then still decided to send the rescuers in??????? It appears that your procedures and policies are at odds. Either they are inadequate at actually assessing a situation, or you are ignoring risk and putting rescuers lives at stake by sending them in. I think WorkCover (Health & Safety "Police" in area where accident occured) may find this interesting. The third option of course is that you are overly dramatizing the situation and that the risk is in actual fact, very manageable and acceptable. I thought that rescuers assessed all potential risks and them implemented the hierarchy of hazard control to reduce the risk to an acceptable level or eliminate it. Hence, the risk is no longer "highly dangerous", OR, if it still is, you have no risk management procedures and policies???? The second option is VERY unprofessional. So, we have a rescuer/paramedic that is afraid to do his job and has to think twice about it. That is very comforting. I am going to give Mr Kernick the benefit of the doubt and say that he did not say this, but rather, was terribly misquoted by media. If he did say this, then I suggest he look for alternative employment. This sort of indecisiveness is what actually creates danger and risk. Granted, most rescues take skill and technique, but training should cover most scenarios. If they are not, then perhaps the rescue services need to look into this area (on top of their recruitment policies). So far we have a leader that potentiall can't assess or manage risk, and a rescuer that is afrid to do his job... HHHMmmmmm. And lets put this rescue site into context. I have seen NUMEROUS( ie. MANY) children with their parents abseil this wall on many occasions. I have abseiled it. It takes 10 minutes to set up the ropes and 1 minute to get to the ledge. What the hell is a rescuer doing using the words "highly dangerous"? This site is an intermediate weekend abseilers site. Dear John, most of the great achievers in the world were/are considered out there/stupid/etc. Thank goodness they exist and not everyone has your narrow minded attitude. It is unfortunate that some individuals make mistakes and that others have to pick up the pieces. But that is what being a human being is about. To help one another when in need. BTW, why did you volunteer to become a rescuer (I congratualte and thank you for this contribution - I have done the same in the past)? When you think about it, most accidents happen because someone did something silly. Again, this occasionally is what human beings do. Rescuers get people out of physical trouble. Councellors get people out of psychological trouble. Doctors get people out of medical trouble. Police get people out of legal trouble. All these people are at some risk. But it is a role that people have consciously accepted to perform. If the consequence of your actions are "astronomical", then you seriously need to reconsider your ability to perform the role!!!! I agree that rescues DO involve some element of risk. Life involves risk. However, if the risks are insurmountable or excessive then DO NOT proceed. Look at your procedures. I am confident that that will be in there. Looks like the cliff has grown a bit since I was there last. This height misinformation could be taken literally, and if used by an inexperienced jumper may actually contribute to an accident. Irresponsible!!!!!!!! If the people managing this rescue had the chopper in the air for any more than two hours, they need to be disciplined for mismanagement of resources. The chopper could have been used for other rescues until the time came to actually remove the victim from the incident location. BTW - given that Westpac derive immense prime time advertising from these rescues, are they still going to bill the victim for the total cost of the rescue??????? FYI - I am a Westpac customer to the tune of $100k's - customer is always right??? Footnote: I am going to assume that all the rescuers and their managers are VERY professional and skilled at their jobs. If they are, then they are not as they are giving exaggerated and incorrect quotes and information to the media. This IS unprofessional. Unless their objective is to scare others off or to try to change policy and perception through the time honoured political art of gross exaggeration and lies. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

As long as it is not after ony half a day. Otherwise we'll have to institute an 8 hour rule and no bar openings until after the last load has left. Manufacturers will have to start installing leg strap throwaways again (for you younger punks - leg strap throwaway is the colloquial term for aerial beer holder / stubby). Its sounding more and more like skydiving every day. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Yes, but. . . The government must validate its funding programs. A word that comes to mind is . . . . . PRIORITIES. One of the bridges mentioned in the article has, to my knowledge, NEVER been jumped. The other has had so few accidents, that, despite what the public may think (thank you media & now politicians), it IS insignificant. No business man would spend millions of dollars to make 5 dollars. And no politician with half a brain would spend millions to win over 4.9 votes. Lets face it, no one will remember the fence and thermal cameras on election day. No matter which way you cut this, this is irresponsible mismanagement. Perhaps there are underlying reasons for the security, but to even mention the reason as BASE in public is . . . Oooohhhhhh. I give up. They are big dumbo's!!!!!!!!!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Depends on where you are. There is a famous Norwegian valley where possession IS ten tenths of the law. You carry. You intended. You're busted. There are other spots where this is the case too. It also depends on the person allegedly caught and the person in authority. You have to be armed with more knowledge then your captor. One potential side affect of "getting away with it" is that new laws will be introduced to cover the loophole you have used. Its all Bullcrap. If the owners of the objects allow it, so should society. And WE are the owners of many of the natural objects. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Charges - depends on what they decide to charge you with. Could be anything from misdemeanour to criminal. Fines vary from hundreds to possibly tens of thousands. Thermal Imaging - your body produces heat. The camera picks up the heat and then they send the proverbial dogs in. The technology does not identify you. It identifies that there is someone there. Remember that the world is spending billions on security nowadays. There is a guard at every post nowadays. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

The scary thing Nick is that we were thinking alike. But it would not be good example for others. SSShhhhhhh. Just don't tell anyone else. OK. Thank goodness there is Europe and selected spots in America. I am sure they will appreciate my expenditures and contribution to the growth of their economies. p.s. I think it would have been cheaper for the Gov't to build a tower for the local jumpers. But in the end, no matter what they do, it will never stop what goes on behind the scenes. And if they actually attempt and succeed in doign so, the achievement will be shallow and not beneficial at all to society. All the more reason for people to learn properly, use good gear, get the right guidance, and not get onto the public radar in the first place. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Saw the attached article and had to laugh / cry. I'm not really sure. In all the fuss about our various governments wasting money on war efforts, propaganda, and security (depends on your stance of course), they had to top it off with anti - BASE jumping measures. Now the ironies: - Anzac Br gets jumped as often as that gorge on Mars. You know the one, the 6000 footer. Actually, an attempt was made during its construction. But I do not know if it has ever actually been jumped. Good use of public money there. - An $800k fence was put up on another Bridge and it actually did jumpers a favour. More height. - Accidents off the Harbour Br are as rare as hens teeth (one recently) - yet we have sections of road that kill people on a daily basis because it is poorly built and the government has taken decades to get them fixed. Some are still killing people. So we spend money to stop one off events and don't bother with regular killers. I think I will be passing this article onto the highway accidents lobby group. Seems like our Government is more concerned about the affects a 180 off heading / slow opening will have on our national security instead of gathering and using intelligence on REAL threats and making a real impact where regular accidents occur. Like teenage unemployment and suicide prevention, education, all the things that actually mean something in life. Joke Tripodi should be embarrassed. This is all too Orwellian for me. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

YES - me now. Last BASE jump was late last year and my last skydive was the last round of the world championships in Croatia last year. Why? Family, career, writing some books, some business stuff, and a recurring back injury (not caused by jumping but jumping does not help it). By coincidence, I nearly did one this morning as a friend was passing through after two years away travelling. But the timing was not right r.e. our schedules. I am mad keen, suffering, and going cold turkey at the moment. I also have life membership to this BASE jumping gig. I want to be the 75 year old that does a lazy hand held flop at Bridge Day.. The one the young punks both laugh at and admire. But, each to their own. You have to do what is right for you. If you lose the passion and interest, then it may be a sign to move on. You need these emotions to keep you focused. Currency is also very important. I think you need to be selective about your jumps if you are doing it infrequently. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Travelling through the UK, I went to 2 well known BASE sites (bridge in the west and cliff down south). At each location hung a sign along the lines of: So I did. Once they realised what I was doing, they didn't think it was very funny. In hindsight, neither do I.

That's a given. The amount of $$ spent on recon and intel is HHHHUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGEEEEEEE. No one man could gather or interpret ALL that knowledge alone. But I don't question that they make decisions based on superior knowledge, I question the underlying intent of the actual decision. I have seen good intent, and a whole lot of bad too. Realit is that 99.99% of society will look after their own arse (ass). The other 0.01 win nobel peace prizes. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Rescue's - treat people the same. As long as the decision is not based on what they did. I have done volunteer rescue and I never questioned why the person got into the predicament. I just did my job. No matter how dumb their actions were. My point was that there is a sentiment amongst the media that because a person has an accident on a BASE jump, they automatically should pay. I say yes, as long as the bushwalker who falls off the trail pays as well. And the drunk driver, and . . . . . . All I am after is fair. No preferential treatment. He he. If you ever get to know me personally, you will find out that I am an opinionated prick on many subjects. BUT, I am VERY aware that my knowledge of all that is going on in the world is merely a drop in the ocean or a single page out of a 50 volume encyclopaedia. Hence, what you ask above, you definitely get from me. I know that I know very little about all the things going on in the war. But I also know that I cannot put blind faith in my leaders and expect them to make all the right decisions for me. This is one of the things that I teach my BASE jumping students. When they are new to the scene they obviously know little. I tell them that I may be their instructor and they shoud listen to all I have to say. But more importantly, I tell them that they are ultimately the ones who have to make the decisions that will affect their lives. Hence, they should arm themselves with as much information as possible, and with a system that allows them to decipher the information and make decisions that minimise the risks involved in their jumping. They are ultimately responsible and I am just a guide who knows ????? something!!!! Oops - 1am now -let me switch my brain on and think. HHHhhmmm? I guess if your intentions are honourable and if you want to benefit both parties, and both parties understand and agree, then its OK. Its kind of like mutually consenting adults. . . Ouch. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

There is some information at the following website: CRW Training Methods & Information Also - as someone else said - get a CRW Dog to take you up. Contact your National Parachuting Association for local trainers. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

I was going to stay out and common sense says I still should but . . . . . Think about the following comments made by ViperPilot: My dear friend. Do YOU, do I, does George Bush himself really know everything that is going on? I bet not. I think that giving freedom to the people of Iraq is a bi-product of other objectives for the allies. IT IS NOT THE SOLE REASON FOR THE WAR. DO NOT KID YOURSELF. The USA, Britain, Australia, and others are there for many reasons. E.g. - They are there to maintain their own freedom. The USA in particular, is taking a proactive role in influencing world politics in order to minimise the risk to its own financial and social systems and structures. Make the world peaceful, and there is less chance that you'll have trouble back home. Problems have less impact outside a jurisdiction than inside. Australia is doing this in the Pacific and SE Asia, Euro's are playing in Africa, etc. - The removal of the old Iraqi Gov't was probably due more to the lack of influence that the Western World had on it (ability to negotiate and reason) and the growing independance of its dictatorial leader than freeing its people. It was also about harbouring a political enemy (Bin Ladin), and maintianing control of a significant portion of the worlds oil supplies. If it was only about freedom then they would be saving people in Zimbabwe (Mgabe) and other places. But they are not. - Concern over financial issues impacting their economy. The USA is not there to steal oil directly. But they are trying to influence its supply and demand. There are great financial pressures on the USA economy at the moment. Oil prices are being driven up by growing demand in China and now India which will impact the cost of production and living in the USA. Demand is getting closer to maximum capacity and if Iraq decides to stop producing, it would have a significant impact on Western Economies. (I am making good $$$$ trading these facts). There are also greater numbers of cheaper goods being imported from those economies. This affects trade balances, etc. I also believe the US is assisting India with its development as it believes it may need an "ally of sorts" in that region of the world (the other options are China, Pakistan, Russia, Nth Korea - no chance and the US is concerned about potential alliance there. You will see India develop its nuclear capacity with some indirect support from the US). There is also the issue of Asia holding a significant amount of US Govt bonds. The US Govt is affectively borrowing money from places like China and Japan as it struggles with its growing expenditure problems. The fact that the likes of Buffet and Gates are now betting against the US dollar (even if they stuff up) should be a great concern. - etc, etc Individual soldiers have different reasons and perceptions of why they are involved in any conflict. It would be true to say that most believe that defending the freedom of their citizens and the rights of other human beings is THE reason. In that case, I think their involvement is very noble and takes a great level of sacrifice that should be appreciated and applauded by all people. That is one the reasons why "Victory Marches and Independance Celebrations" occur. But you could also say that about Police (cf the situation in Houston and other parts in the Southern USA at the moment), all other emergency services personnel. What about councillors for people with great psychological problems? How about mothers in broken families bringing up children, teachers serving low income/poor areas? All these people are makign GREAT contributions to our society. At any time, they may be exposed the threats of death, violence, psychological trauma, etc. These are all professions that involve risk, the rewards are derived from achieving the objectives and FINANCIAL. Whilst I strongly respect the courage that comes with volunteering for the armed services, I also believe that accpeting the role includes certain responsibilities to both the employer and other human beings. Blind patriotic faith is kind of like falling head over heels in love. There are risks involved. One of them is that your partner may be using you or will leave you in the lurch for someone else. Patriotism is OK. Blind patritism????? E.g. Hitler - one of the most hated. At the early stages of his political career, he had a great deal of support and people following his cause. There were many opposed too. But he could not get into power alone if he did not have some support initially. But then people lost their freedom when he became a dictator. This could happen anywhere. Dictatorship is usually political in nature. But it can also be financial, social, cultural, psychological, etc. I think each person has to be wary. I have seen the people abuse in real life. From soldiers, barbarians and citizens. Any person who indulges in this behaviour is an animal. I don't care what his/her role in life is or who (s)he is defending. Corruption????? Cheney / Halliburton????? (p.s. another good money spinner for investors if you were greedy - I didn't because I thought this was morally incomprehensible!!!!!!). Iraq was being supplied with most of its wheat from Australian pre-war, now its being supplied from the USA????? Free trade???? Don't worry, Australia is doing this with oil in the Timor Sea. Many western countries are guility of similar things. My point. FREEDOM IS NOT IS NOT IS NOT IS NOT IS NOT IS NOT IS NOT, the main reason for the war in Iraq - most of it is dishonest /corruption and very little to do with freedom. p.s. there is so much murder, rape, etc in our own countries. A lot of it is to do with the growing separation of the upper and lower classes. This model of capitalism is greed driven and this greed is one of the main factors for all of this violence. There are many other reasons of course but $$$ is a mojor contributor. Norway was recently awarded "best country to live in". It has significant social policy that attempts to ensure that all people are treated well. I have been there a number of times and I think they are much more socially responsible than US, Australia, UK, etc. There are issues, but nothing like capitalist money driven economies. I can't comment directly as I do not know numbers. But death comes from both direct action and inaction. The fact is that Saddam could have been removed from power over a decade ago and was not. Possibly millions have died in the meantime due to this inaction. In other conflicts - millions have died in Africa over the years due to war and famine. Most wars and dictatorships have been allowed to fester without any outside support (barring a bunch of middle aged rock stars and their fund raisers). Why? Because there is minimal to no benefit. The countries are too poor to develop into a strong military entity (and hence become a worthy opponent), and they do not have significant resources that could be utilised after taking control of those entities. Hence, don't bother. Iraq is different, Israel is different, Nth Korea is different, etc. There are underlying reasons. Yep - and there is a possibility that many people hate US, Australia, Britain because they are proactive in taking control of a foreign entity whilst shooting at their people, etc ... I am not saying that this is right or wrong, just that it is probably the way people may be thinking. Or really???? Do you mean like - why lose sleep over some scum sucking pig slipping his tongue down my daughters throat when the enemy is raping another women. If that was YOUR partner being treated like that, how would you respond???? Those people are minimal??????? Did you ever pause to think that there is a careless prick in the opposition thinking the same thing?????? You were actually making some valid points prior to showing that you had no respect for human life. If you honestly think like that then you are no better than the people you are criticising. Hang on, you are worse because you are taking a moral stance about how bad they are when you are no better. Please tell me you just made an error of judgement so that I can take this statement back??? I would be happy to. EVERY human being is important to themselves and probably someone else. If you honestly beleive that you are helping Iraqi people and you are not actually treating anyone with disrespect, then I salute you, respect your endeavours, and wish you all the best. I hope that you achieve the goal of stable Gov't and that the Iraqi people are greatful for your support. May your God and country be with you. COMMENTS FROM NtheSeaOrSky: BASE rescues. I would ONLY agree to user pays if it is ALL USERS pay. If they single out BASE jumpers based on personal perceptions then it is discrimmination. That does not wash with me. Congratulations, I respect your opinion because this comment clearly shows that you are capable of logical, reasoned, just, and open minded thought. Giving is unconditional. If you want something in return, then it is not considered a gift any more. I think Busanut was referring the questionable first term result for Bush and the problems that occurred in Florida. The second term seems to have been more legitimate in the eyes of distant observers. But I still stand by the fact that a significant proportion of the population did not vote for him the second time around. If it was 75% I would accept that a clear majority of the population did vote for him and he had a mandate. But that did not happen. And with all due respect, lets consider the spread of voting results, the education level and belief systems of people within those various areas, and the fact that security fears and lack of strong opposition all contributed to the final result. These factors affect the reality of whether or not a leader has a mandate. Numbers are not black and white. There were similar results in Britain and Australia. - "Better the devil you know". Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Well done to Teresa. Your appreciation will take you a long way in the world of BASE. With that attitude, you are welcome ANY time.

Questions - are you a parachutist? When you are at the drop zone, have you ever gazed into the sky? Have you ever seen anything in the sport so glaringly different that it captured your mind, body, and soul? Who or what do you look up to? What - nothing? What are you aiming for in life? You don't need to. That's OK, but others may want to take that chance, reach for the sky. Maybe they will achieve what they set out to achieve. Maybe they'll fail, they won't die wondering. Even if they do die. Apparently you are a wingsuit pilot. You know, I turned up to the drop zone last decade wearing my home made ws, and guess what I encountered? YOU? I listened and absorbed in case there was some learnings hidden in amongst all the crap. But I continued. It's great to be a pioneer. It adds dimensions to life that cannot be achieved by followers. I may be an idiot. But I am living, I have lived, and I will always be alive!! I knew DW VERY WELL. Many things that todays jumpers take for granted are due to him. I am well aquainted with Jeb. What a character indeed. I wish him all the best of luck. You see idiots. Others see the road to personal achievement and development. Your choice, their choice. That is why look up to "idiots". Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Attempting to correlate BASE rescue's with atrocities. If you had of stuck with "the government is wasting huge amounts of money on unethical wars but is reluctant to spend a few thousand on rescuing a person who is not adversely affecting anyone else's life", I would have accepted your argument - because I think that is what you were trying to say. Introducing another country and war crimes has totally taken your argument away from your original point (IMHO and I could be wrong). I agree with you in terms of unecessary killings. As I have said in another post - I have seen it with my own eyes. My opinion on BASE recue's in our great land, the media and authorities are OVERLY drammatic about the costs and risks involved. The example that occured yesterday in the BM clearly showed that the media reports are blatantly and/or terribly exaggerated and wrong, or that our rescue services are so far substandard that it makes me cry. Why? I know the location well. With the correct rescue equipment and competant people, you can access the location of the accident victim within 20 minutes of reaching the car park. If you choose to take the person out from the bottom, there is about 400 metres of scrub land to overcome prior to reaching a very easy tourist track with a further 40 minute walk out (some jumpers can do this walk in 10 minutes). Or you could just winch the person up again and take 10 minutes to walk out. Not sure how long stabilisation would take as I don't know the extent of the injuries. I have seen a rescue in France where it took approximately 3 hours from the time of the accident to the time that the person reached a hospital an hours drive away. And the access was much more difficult than in the first example I mentioned above. Costs - between health insurance and the compulsory medicare taxes we pay and throw in all the rescues that the government / authorities happily pay for, it is crap that they charge variable rates depending on the type of accident you have. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Yep - that's me - big mouthed opinionated prick!! But I think that my background and personal experiences allow me this. The Yugoslav conflict was a shemozzle and it followed years of abuse and total lack of freedom under the former communist regime. I saw the pointless death and destruction of people, religion, and culture. I also saw some of the disgraceful war crimes that were perpetrated during that conflict and total lack of regard for human life. The conflict had many similarities to Vietnam. The soldiers often could not distinguish between the sweet old grandma or cute kid and their lethal opponents. Often they were one and the same thing!!!! I am in Australia mainly due to lack of freedom (my father fled a communist country). I could have been an American if fate changed my fathers destiny!!!!!! r.e. Vietnam - same thing happened down here (although I was only a new born at the time). Spitting and abuse. I personally did not like busanut's comments above. IMHO - it was illogical, ill founded opinion. Not missed. Its just that a point was made generally about Americans in conflict/wars as well as a point specifically about frontline soldiers. I was pursuing the generalised point and agreeing with the point about soldiers. If an example or explanation is utilised in a discussion or to make a point, then it is only fair that the validity of that point or the examples or explanations can be questioned. Its kind of like allowing one boxer to throw a punch and tying the hands of the opponent. Anyway - its been intellectually stimulating this time in the evening. Thanks for the chit chat. It looks like we agree to some extent - the soldiers who play fair deserve our full support. Our Governments are crap sometimes, and each country gets it right sometimes and other times gets it wrong. God Bless America Advance Australia Fair God Save our Gracious Queen etc. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Yep - I understand that criticism from home can hurt. It is a reality of taking a stance on any issue. Especially when on centre stage. r.e. soldiers on the ground, as long as they are not committing war crimes (I saw a lot of this up close and personal in Bosnia in 1993/4) I think they all deserve our support - all sides!!!! They are often merely following commands and serving the wants and needs of their governments. I replied to both yours and Rhonda's comments because there was a hint of a cry for one sided sympathy when I firmly belieive that there are many other nations in the world that contribute to world peace. And they do!!!!! And I also believe that some conflicts are NOT justified. I would have a lot more respect if a nation stated the FULL/REAL reason for initiating a conflict. I know why they don't, but I do not appreciate when a government whose function is to serve the population, does what it wants to do. That is what freedom is. To be able to voice my concerns and beliefs. If I cannot do that, then I am not free. And I do not care how comfortable I am if I cannot be free. Think about the parallels with this philosphy and BASE jumping!!!!!!!!!!! Reality/fact - the USA's main goal in international politics/etc is to serve its own interests first!!!!! Reality/fact - Australia's main goal in international politics/etc is to serve its own interests first!!!!! When anything/anyone serves its own interests, there is potential that other people suffer. p.s. I have been to the States a number of times. The country is beautiful and I have many friends from there. But so to for France, Croatia, NZ, Norway, Japan, etc. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Hi RL cf my opening line - I have great respect for any serviceman on the front lines. Whether you like to believe it or not, they ALL make great sacrifices for their nations. Every nationality!!!! Not just yours!!!!! I am not backing Australia either. I actually believe that ALL mankind should be free, fed, housed, and happy. Whilst I do have national pride - I have a greater belief that all people on this planet are just that, people. And as long as ANY person does not adversely affect the life of another, (s)he is equal to ANY other person in the world and deserves to be treated equally. When any nation (and I an open minded enough to include Australia) supposedly fights for freedom when in actual fact they are fighting for reasons of greed and power, then I believe they lack moral standing. This type of comment is EXACTLY why negative opinions are formed. The reality is that allies choose each other. It is a mutual thing. If only one nation does the choosing then it IS NOT choice. No freedom there. No matter which side of the fence you sit on. r.e. your comment of rewards, please open your mind RL - spitting happens in BOTH directions. I can openly admit that there are many things that Australia has done that I am ashamed about (East Timor, Aboriginals, etc). If you do not believe that your own country does anything wrong, then you have totally closed the door to reality, improvement, change, personal development, etc. There is a great American TV personal development "guru" that I actually think has a powerful message. Dr Phil - he often states that "The first step to overcoming any problem is to recognise a problem exists. Don't always blame others either, look within yourself". Of course I am speaking of society in general here. r.e. Iraq - WMD??????? 1800+ dead soldiers, burgoening drug trade, no Osama Bin Laden, perhaps I am ignorant and ill informed, but I am yet to see many positives. I still hope they will come, but . . . . . . > With all due respect, do you NOT remember Vietnam????????? Do you not remember the protests that were occuring throughout the world and within your own country???? Do you not remember that Australians and Americans fought side by side in that conflict as well as Afganistan, Iraq, and many other conflicts??? To paraphrase you "It's one of the freedoms that an Australian/British/Kiwi/Japanese/etc soldier is sworn to uphold--your countryman's right to spit on him". For God's sake, Americans are NOT the only nationality sacrificing its people for the rights and freedoms of others. Do you not remember that civilians back home in both the USA and Australia were protesting against the conflicts? In any situation, you will find people who oppose and support. What does that tell you? That people have opinions that may not necessarily agree with the powers that be at the time. Do you not remember the last USA election result (I was in Seattle on election day BTW). Although Bush, Blair, and Howard all claimed mandates based on election results, there was also a SIGNIFICANT proportion of each of those populations that voted against them. 51% in an exam is just passed. It is NOT a high distinction!!!!!!! I am not questioning Bryan (cf first line above), I am questioning wwarped and now your views in that the world is a one sided I hate America place. It is not. I am just questioning the logic that your country is squeaky clean and no one else is contributing to the international cause of freedom. Because both cases are incorrect. And you are blindly patriotic if you disagree. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

>> Ditto. Thanks for your service. The troops on the ground make great sacrifices. It is appreciated by many of us around the world - including here in Australia. However, the people that lead the troops often have different and varied motivations which many people find questionable. Freedom IS about being able to question what happens. Otherwise it is yet another dictatorship. to wwarped - Given the amount of financial, political, and human support a two bit "land down-under" such as Australia has given to the United States of America and its political and social agendas in various wars throughout history, I find your comments quite disturbing & ignorant. "you have no such obligation to the land down-under". I am guessing that you have absolutely NO, ZERO, ZIP, comprehension of history and the word ALLY. FYI - ALLY = - To place in a friendly association, as by treaty: - To unite or connect in a personal relationship, - To enter into an alliance: - etc. I guess we comprehend the word ally in a mutually inclusive way - as in we support each other, have a common cause, defend each other, this all implies an obligation to help one another out. This is an unwritten law that makes us human. Obviously your understanding of the term implies we help ourselves and everybody else should help and support us and we don't give a stuff about them". For your further information, many Americans have died defending the freedom that many of us take for granted. But so have many Australians, New Zealanders, British, Europeans, etc. Your comments also clearly show that you are selfish and consider American freedom as the only relevant freedom. Don't forget, if the rest of the world is controlled by dictatorship, that is potentially 5 BILLION people who could oppose/challenge 250 MILLION. It is in YOUR interests, as well as every body else's that other nations are supported in their quest for freedom. Try opening your mind to the plight, rights, and freedoms of other human beings. Try being a little less selfish and inwardly focused. You would be amazed how much more support you would get if you actually cared for your neighbours instead of just yourself!!!!!!!!! I want to conclude with something that people should think about. If a military organisation/regime/etc fights for the rights and freedoms of its people, does it then have the right to demand that the people follow certain beliefs?????????? Is this actually freedom???????? If I am forced to think and act in a certain way, am I free????????? If I am x-rayed, searched. monitored, administered, controlled, etc - am I free????? Or am I just comfortable and safe??? Don't forget that if you lived in a communist country and never challenged its ideologies, you were also safe and comfortable. But were you free??????? If someone cannot challenge a decision that is made - is that freedom????? Finally, if you are convinced that you are correct and other/different opinions/ideologies/beliefs are wrong, are you open minded and free??? Or are you unknowingly imprisoned in a controlled culture??? Thoughts?? Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Woooaaahhhhh? Hhhhheeeeyyyyy? Nick. Settle. I wasn't questioning history, I was just mentioning what I had heard. and I certainly wasn't taking a patriotic / pro European / Anti American stance. (BTW - the first BASE jumper was Faust Verancic - A CROATIAN). People like Eric Beau and Jaque Malnuit would certainly know more than I r.e. Euro history. And, I did put the disclaimer in that I was a snotty nosed teenager at the time which implies that I admit that I don't know for sure. I just mentioned what I had heard. That's all. To rule something out because it came from a "young punk" may or may not be detrimental to collecting facts and data. p.s. One of my Holy Grail jumps was the TW - and the legend of Carl was one of the main factors that drove me there. p.s. Luv your work. AND - I am looking forward to the book!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Hey You said you weren't going to post anymore?????? Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Have Fun Say hello to the skinny one. xoxoxo Fatboy! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

A jumper DOES have control of the affects that wind has on his/her canopy!!!! You have to assess what the wind is doing and then make a decision based on the information you have. If you don't have all the information, you either have not got the experience or skill to collect it or the relative motion of molecules in the air are far too complex for your mind to assimilate and determine. Haven't we all been there before!!! Basicallly - too windy, no jump. Wind from such and such a direction, adjust deployment headings and gear configuration and use, etc. What affects headings? You are off to a good start: > Point 3 needs to be clarified. It is the relative motion of air molecules throughout the "deployment location" as opposed to just wind (which is I think what you mean anyway). This includes wind itself, thermal activity (i.e. temp induced, adiabatic, etc), turbulence created by interaction of the motion of air molecules and obstacles in solid/liquid/gaseous form, etc. Another factor is relative wind during deployment. The canopy can be / is affected by the turbulence around the jumper and the deploying canopy. The turbulence varies depending on freefall speed, body orientation, surface area exposed to relative air flow (think small (boxman position) versus big area (wingsuit)), horizontal motion (tracking versus straight down), the shape of the falling mass during deployment (arms and legs all over the place will create "messier" turbulence than a perfectly symmetrical and uniform shape), etc. Then you have to factor in things such as forces imparted on various parts of the system and their relative timing (i.e. dropping a shoulder will load one riser/line group prior to the other which will affect the timing of pressurisation and inflation across the planform area of the airfoil, etc - which will in turn allow one component of the wing to function prior to the other, which . . .) blah blah blah -> off heading!!! Then there are factors such as the airfoil design itself. What about the relative aging and degredation of various parts of the system? i.e. if one line is stretched more than another it will contribute to turning forces during deployment (remember what some of the clues are when a canopy needs a reline - off headings, harder openings, irregularity, etc). We can now go a bit more complex and theorise on how each of these factors may combine to cause an off heading. i.e. if there is only one factor present it might be OK but if we introduce several variables at once then we are more likely to get the off heading - i.e. worn gear by itslef may be OK but if we throw in questionable body position it may exaggerate the problem. Then there is . . . . . some people believe in higher forces and powers and luck and stuff!!!!!! Overall, if you want to keep things simple. I think IMHO that body position is 80%, packing error is 10% and choosing (subconsciously or not) to jump in questionable wind conditions is the other 10%. Packing error is relatively easy to eliminate. Learn properly and follow that procedure/method. Wind is a little more difficult as we are all human and we don't have the patience or skill/experience to be able to detect and allow for all wind situations. But is you think its dodgy, go with your gut instinct. Why? Being BASE jumpers, many of us err to the courageous side. So questions in the mind are probably there for a good reason. Body position is probably the trickiest of them all. Why? Although we can do a lot of training and develop our skills progressively, you are usually already in the moment (i.e. in freefall) when the body position starts to feel questionable. Packing and wind you can make a decision on before you exit. The best solution is to develop your skills in a logical order (pca, boxman, track . . . whatever), plan your entire jump (including your exit) prior to your jump and follow through on your plan. Your plan should include responses for all scenarios (head down, off heading, etc) BEFORE you jump. Other than that, pray to your local God. She/he/it may help. p.s. Now, when you have an off heading, you should go for your: A - Risers B - Toggles C - Handkerchief D - Cutaway Handle E - Appendage ?????? That is a whole other story!!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.