tfelber

1991 4Runner 98k when I sold it in 1994 1994 4Runner 178K when I sold it in 2004

It's a control thing... Ok, Ok at the bottom of the post entry window there is a button labeled url. If you push it you get [url] in the text window and the button changes to \url. Paste the link and then pres the \url button and ta da...

Clicky for you K... That's the one I was talking about the other day. http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&i=6d24b246-5d8b-416e-b45f-f20212c07e91&rf=

I did and it was valuable in my understanding some of the risks involved in BASE. I even refer back to it when I read about past incidents so that I can have a different viewpoint on what might have happened.

Jason, we have not yet met, but we will. I believe it is a major injustice for the NPS to outlaw BASE jumping. I'm am very interested in changing that law and will gladly participate in yours and others efforts. However, after reading all these threads for the past few hours I do see a different side of the battle. For instance, 1. It would need to be a permitted activity on a specified schedule to reduce the chance of injurying bystanders and to keep the jumping and acces to the objects from getting out-of-control; much like BD. 2. The climbers have a point about working in conjunction with the NPS to better the environment. I think it would be dificult to organize a BASE cleanup day where jumpers would come to the park to better the environment and not to jump. I could be worng though and I think this would be a great goodwill offering. a day-for-a-day so to speak. 3. The laws are made primarily by the people for the people and if we can get enough people to solicit the government for a change in the law it will happen, but again the BASE crowd is extremely small and our influence is negligable. A BD petition and flyer would gain access to a larger group. 4. I don't feel the list that Nick manages is as detrimental as it is helpful in understanding and avoiding others mistakes; very much like the Incident Forum here. And it does assist in keeping exaggerated statements regarding BASE fatalities in check. Could it be better/different? Maybe. But Nick has taken it upon himself to handle it. Why judge his implementation? 5. BASE jumping is very hard for the general public to understand as is Freestyle MX, but there are hundreds of thousands of people who ride motorcycles and therfore can imagine what it would be like. The skydiving community is a small fraction of the size of the motorcycling community and the number of skydivers who would consider BASE jumping is an even smaller fraction of that. I was exposed to it for the first time at WFFC last year and immediately responded with NO WAY! But now after much analysis, research, and preparation I'm headed to TF in a couple of weeks, but most people wouldn't put that much effort into anything. So people will probably never understand it. The only thing we can hope for is acceptance. I think that is beginning to happen and the momentum is gradually building. Has anyone tried pitching BASE jumping to the X-Games. The MC, skate and snowboarding competitions have definitely added a lot of credibility and acceptance to these activities. It wasn't that long ago when snowboards were outlawed in many ski areas. It might still be outlawed in Aspen. 6. I've been told by BASE jumpers that "They're working on that..." when I ask about approaching the NPS or government regarding reducing the restrictions on BASE. But that keeps the battle limited to the small front that "They" can muster. I think we need to widen the effort and enroll everyone in doing what they can do to overcome this issue. 7. The thrill of finding an object, analyzing what it takes to jump it, and then jumping it is what draws me to BASE. Having legal places to jump that I can drive up, unpack, and jump doesn't satisfy that craving for me, but the experience of jumping legal objects definetly has its' place. I don't think legal access to certain sites will affect my desire to explore the other edge. But these new legal sites will draw a lot of attention and like BD may become a carnival of sorts, especially the more limited the participation or schedule is. And now I've talke myself right back to point #1. So it's going to be a diffcult job at best, but I am willing to assist where ever possible. I think we will all need to make some sacrifices up front to even be heard. I think Link from the rock climbing board might be a very good ally in this struggle. BTW, did this post just get me added to the NPS list?

Whatever, I'll bring my kid to the DZ if I want!!! (Just FN with you JP) But I really will bring my kid if I want. Many of you have already met him and if you haven't he is the guy on my avatar and is on the Chicks Rock Boogie DVD. He's been to Rantoul, Tallahassee, Eloy, and Elsinore. He flew in the tunnel at Perris and a reporter mentioned him in an article she was doing about it. He thinks BASE jumping is cool and I haven't even made a jump. I have no concerns with him being at the DZ or around skydivers. I will not limit his knowledge by what I think he should know. It wouldn't work anyway... I think it's great to interact with him on the level that I do. When we were in Tallahasee he kept asking if he could talk to my friends until I finally got him to realize they were his friends also and it was incedible to see the difference in his interraction. So lighten up folks!

I roadraced motorcycles with AMA and WERA and it is far closer to the edge than skydiving. Skydiving you come in to land at 30-50 mph with preferably nothing around...Racing you go into a turn at 75-100 mph with three other people trying to get through it before and inspite of you. It's incredible to participate in! I took up skydiving after I quit racing because I wanted a thrill, but wanted to reduce the risk level... But you notice he definately liked the thrill of BASE jumping.

I like that setup. Very simple and highly unlikely that you'll screw it up, especially if you use another loop of breakcord from the spektra to the bridle and a larger loop through the ends of the dacron for redundancy. However, your third photo shows the dacron looped to the bridle with the breakcord, wouldn't it be better to have the dacron looped around the anchor held together by the breakcord and the spektra attached to the bridle via a seperate break cord? This would decrease the length of dacron that would have to be extracted from around the anchor, no? Also, this is still a 96lb break force, correct?

I went to Blinc shortly after posting my question, but no one is saying what kind of force we are trying to apply in doing a static line. There are several other factors involved in calculating the force that is actually being applied, for instance a steadly increasing force over a longer period of time produces less instantaneous force than a sudden jerk like a SL jump. How is break cords strength tested? What's the minimum/maximum force that we should be applying? I've seen some really nice CWY SL setups in the three current threads, but none of them are applying 80lbs of force to the bridle connected to the canopy. If this has been discussed repetitively I would think there was a general (not exact) consensus on the forces involved, correct?

From all the setups I've seen 80lb break cord is used to apply a force of 160lbs prior to breakage. Should we be applying 80lbs or 160lbs in a static line setup?

I've got a little over 100 on mine and don't see any real problems (some of the bar stitching coming unraveled). Something I should know about JP?

Damn Nick you're really getting some exposure from this. This thread is 5th in number of replies in the 100 most recent threads! How di you do that anyway???

I just sorted the posts in Bonfire by number of replies and 7 of the top 8 were locked???

I told you there was a thread just about U!

A couple of things nobody seems to be accounting for are first, the costs and second, the customer base. A Tandem jump costs the DZ more. For $175 tandem you have two slots used and you must pay the TM and purchase tandem gear which is quite expensive and probably has a shorter life cycle. And tandems are attracted mostly through advertising; yellow pages, billboards, free jump tickets to fun jumpers, etc. Fun jumpers show up and pay for a ride. And as Tom mentioned, the tandem passenger will make one jump and probably not come back. But the number of people who do or would like to do a tandem is near infinite compared to the number of people who are fun jumpers at a particular DZ. So the original post while thought provoking is quite misleading.

Pretty crazy, huh? People never cease to amaze me...

Is this specific to BASE or is the lineover rate similar with skydiving? Due to line stowage?

It seems to me like the slider would function very much like the tailgate. I realize the distance between the lines is 12-13 inches rather than 1-2 inches, but in comparison to the distance the lines must move to create a lineover that difference seems negligable. I've never had a lineover and am not looking forward to that 1st, but the the tailgate appears to just hold the control lines in check until a certain point of inflation and then the force of the canopy strips the band. The slider seems to create the same effect due to the slider not coming down until the canopy reaches a certain point of inflation. I realize I could purposefully pack a lineover, but in general they are caused by line dumps or packing errors that allow enough slack in the lines to enable the control lines to flip over the nose, correct? BTW, I had a discussion regarding this with a chick at the Bombshelter one night and she told me to quit talking to her about it...

I thought the issue with lineovers was virtually eliminated with the slider up, but my rigger did mention using wax, masking tape, or thread to do the job of the tailgate.

Letter to Congressman, DONE! The form for Yosemite asks for trailhead info, could someone please supply that? Also, there is a $5 reservation fee. Is this billed whether your permit is approved or not? I have several family members and friends involved in local and state governments in several states, how can they offer the most assistance since this is really a federal matter?

I have a theory that I am open to discussion about... Something happened some time ago between NPS and BASE jumpers. The people involved in this happening on both sides became very hostile over the situation and the people with the most power made an example of this happening. Now what happened is long forgotten by most but someone in the NPS still remembers and ther not going to let their actions be negated. When these people are no longer involved the reason for the action will be gone and other possibilities will arise. [rant]After all, as tax paying US citizens, this land is protected, supported, and maintained by us. The government is a tool to facilitate our requests. And every now and then that fact is forgotten. If it wasn't for us they wouldn't have a job![\rant] We have the ability to change the laws so let's get together and change them!

Hikers and climbers and rope jumpers are rescued often by the NPS, yet they are still legal activities. I've heard the rescued person is billed, so let them bill me...When I went to the hospital in an ambulance after crashing my MC on a racetrack I was billed...and my HEALTH insurance covered it! When a friend was hit by a boat water skiing and had to be choppered out, they billed her. She didn't have health insurance, but it would have covered it if she did. As it is she's making payments.

The Freefall Extreme DVD has the footage including the spectators measuring the depth of the divot after they removed the body...pretty gruesome...looks like someone jumping holding on to a bedspread.

No I didn't. What I understood was the Blade was similar to a Katana or Stiletto and that is not what I was looking for. In fact, I was looking for a 150, but Beezy asked me to try the 135 and I really liked it. Not to mention, the Nitro was the easiest new canopy to pack I have ever seen, the Axon was way better for packing (less slippery) than the Pilot or the Sabre2. The Safire I jumped had a few hundred jumps on it.

N/A