TomAiello

If an activity has an inherently high degree of risk, is that a reason to increase the risk, or a reason to try to reduce it as much as possible? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Was it an actual bridle? Or the sewn together piece of 3 different kinds of fabric that he had on the "Death Rig?" If it was that one, did it break at one of the joints, or is it now a 4 segment "bridle?" -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Have you jumped any of the wingsuit/tracking specific containers form Morpheus (Razor, Helium, WS - Xtreme)? I'd be curious on the comparison between two containers made specifically for the same purpose, if you can. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The Huck It is made by Tree, in Twin Falls, Idaho. It's my understanding that he's planning on ramping up production next winter, but this year he's got too many other things going on with his real business and his family. So, if you want one, you'd be best off to contact him directly, or just wait until he decides he's ready to go into full scale production. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I broke my back. Seriously. I broke my back BASE jumping and was in a body cast for 3 months, during which time the only position that was not excruciatingly painful was laying on my stomach in bed. I had a laptop with a wireless connection, and after watching every available episode of The Sopranos and Sex and the City, I was so bored that I started googling random things, and then started reading this random skydiving site. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Apex BASE offers a BASE oriented training course in first aid, rope rescue, and some other important BASE-related skills. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

That made me laugh out loud. You probably see them more often than I do, but I've known them both for a while now, and I've never thought of Tim as Jeb's "sidekick." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Clicky. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Note that the copy of the article that Ether links has a section on wingloading, where the copy linked at the top of this forum does not. I urge you to read the most updated copy (the one on the SnakeRiverBASE.com web site) if you are using it as a source for advice on purchasing gear. The post by Dwain explaining Shotgun Ray's Rule is reproduced here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Are you familiar with the respective proximity flying experiences of the jumper under discussion and the jumper you are responding to? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Current copy of that article is here. There is also a current copy of the "First BASE Rig" article there. I frequently get emails from people asking me about things that are already updated in those copies of the articles. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Vtec? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Two thoughts: 1) Being sponsored by someone, or doing things for money, makes them no better or worse, from the standpoint of safety or ethics, than anything else. It makes no difference to me if they were sponsored by Allah himself, or if they ponied up the cash out of their own pockets. The standards to judge the jump (and the publicity, and the jumpers, etc) by are the same in either case. 2) If memory serves, Han-Solo is also a sponsored wingsuit flyer, so perhaps he has a certain amount of insight into those sorts of mechanics and politics that is a bit more in depth than others. Some of the footage on Superterminal was several years old before it was put on that DVD. You also have a right to state your opinions before then. Some might say that you have an obligation to do so, if stating them might help him not go in, or help others not to do so. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Please use the search function and post to one of the (several) existing threads. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ok, here's something to compare: from same exit, Prodigy makes it to the second road. V2 comes high over the last field and will hit the wall if you don't pull or turn. Yes, but with who flying? For comparison, I saw Lukas fly his S2 prototype to the 2nd road in 2002. Both wingsuits and their pilots have advanced much since that time. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In mountaineering, it's generally called a Brocken. There are some (relatively inadequate) photos on the Wikipedia page. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The owner of that DZ (or at least someone claiming to so) has posted to these forums several times, at least once looking for staff. There's also a thread in the BASE forum about an Iranian BASE jumper (the first I know of) making his first jumps off a big tower in Teheran. It actually looks like a great location for a BASE event, except that I'm unlikely to be able to attend. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually, with the right terrain you can fly well under 2000' above the terrain, but then make it back above 2000' agl for deployment. And that's really going to start people scratching their heads. Why would it be legal to be under 2000' in freefall? I think the real thing that will make a sea change is the fact that skydivers can now "gain" altitude (relative to the ground), by simply flying to places where the ground is "lower." I know at least one US DZ that is located adjacent to a mountain high enough that you could proximity swoop the slopes, then fly off and deploy at USPA approved altitudes. I can't even say for sure it hasn't already been done theree. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I have read this before but to what extent does it actually come into play? To the extent that each person chooses. You make your decisions, for yourself, based on what you want, and what you think. The extent to which you are concerned about your actions affecting others is entirely up to you. I don't know. You could ask them, if you want. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

As such it is incumbent on each of us to consider how our actions will effect other jumpers. I think what Han Solo is trying to say is that he feels that the way the press is dealing with this close call is likely to have a negative impact on other jumpers, by encouraging other people to try similar things in an effort to "be cool." In fairness, I don't know how much control Jeb and Luigi have over the press coverage, and what is being said by whom. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm actually fairly sure the canopies are very comparable in price, once you include the options. The Blackjack appears to cost more because the price of the valves is already factored into the canopy, and because there is no multiple bridle attachment required for the ZP foreskin option. Flik 266: $1325 Vtec: $350 Flik 266 vtec: $1675 For ZP topskin: Multi: $175 ZP topskin: $250 Flik 266 Vtec, ZP topskin (multi): $2100 But note that $175 of that price is the multi, so if you could get a non-multi ZP topskin (which is an option that I don't think Apex will build), to get a truly comparable canopy, that would be $1925. Blackjack 260: 1789 Composite topskin: 200 Blackjack 260, Composite topskin: $1989 Which means that the Flik is about 60 bucks cheaper, if you're trying for an apples-to-apples comparison, but in the real world (where you must have the multi to get a ZP topskin on the Flik), you're actually looking at paying about a hundred bucks more for the Flik. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

99% of the time, the people who spend their time developing, maintaining, and perfecting their skills are not the same people who spend their time seeking sponsorships, developing marketing contacts, and organizing media events. Why, for example, wasn't Chuck doing this stunt? Probably because he was a tad busy making his 10 wingsuit jumps every single day. I'm not saying that Jeb and Luigi don't deserve due credit for bringing this stunt to fruition. Just that they obviously spent a lot of time and energy on the marketing and sponsorship angles--because you have to do that to arrange these things. There's always going to be someone, somewhere, who spent that time working on building skill instead. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The best canopy for that is the one that you will use to BASE jump, when you start. Their are different parameters for using skydiving and BASE canopies, though. Skydiving canopies need to last longer (part of the reason that they're ZP), they need to pack smaller (who wants to be the dork with a huge 260 on their back in the plane?), and they need to penetrate wind better (since there is a lot more time for wind to blow you off course if you're opening at 2500 feet). They also tend to be built to open slower and softer, to fly "swoopier." Further, they aren't generally engineered for 100% reliability in opening (since there is a reserve that is built with that in mind). With that in mind, I'd recommend one of two courses: (a) don't worry about BASE training on that canopy, and just get one that fits your other needs. When you want to start BASE, borrow or rent an appropriate canopy and spend some time making BASE specific training jumps with it. (b) buy an actual BASE canopy, or (if funding is an issue) a large 7-cell F-111 canopy (I believe PD still makes them, actually, as well as PA and several other manufacturers). Just accept the fact that you're not going to be a cool kid at the DZ, and start jumping with those stodgy old guys who do things like CRW and Accuracy. Neither of these are actually going to need that Spectre. I'd say either go with the Sabre 2, or go all the way and get a much more BASE like canopy. The flight performance of the Spectre, especially in a typical skydiving size, just isn't that similar to a BASE canopy. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes. As mentioned above, see Rob Fry on the ABA video. Big tree, flat ground. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ralph, I'm curious how many jumps you have under a Blackjack? Matt, how about you under a Flik? In my experience, the vast majority of people who say that a specific piece of gear is "the best" are actually just saying that it's the one they have the most experience with. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com