TomAiello

It depends more on the direction and quality of the wind than the absolute magnitude. If the wind is turbulent, it will shut you down sooner. If the wind is coming from north or south (crosswind), it tends to generate turbulence as it rotors down the canyon wall. This is pretty easy to observe if you feel a crosswind at the exit point and the flag in the landing area is showing a crosswind in the opposite direction. As a general rule of thumb, I stop jumping in a clean wind from east or west (tailwind or headwind) when it creates whitecaps on the water. I know some people who will jump past that point, but not many, and I know people who will sit out before then, but I think that most people use the whitecaps as an easy to observe rule of thumb. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Are the tracking derby numbers adjusted for wind? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here. I have used a hook knife to clear a line over (video above). I had only the one parachute, so cutting away was clearly not an option. I second the vote against the cheap plastic hook knives. The one I used in the video was an aluminum one that came with my rig, and was originally purchased from SafetyKnife.com (which is pretty much Square 1) by the manufacturer of the rig. They also have a "better" plastic knife, that's advertised as indestructible (I'll admit that I tore one into 4 pieces in about 45 seconds, but I do think it's going to stand up to normal use a lot better than the cheap orange plastic ones). I'd much rather have and not need, than need and not have. And since I have needed, and had, I'm pretty much sold on spending the money for a good, quality hook knife on all my rigs. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

May 5th is a Saturday. As long as the weather is good, there will be people jumping. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've used Paypal, with good results. I assume you're buying from a private party, so you'll also want to check references and make sure they're not going to rip you off. I don't think Paypal standard insurance is enough to cover a canopy. I'm not sure if you can get more. It's a super convenient way to move money around internationally, though. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Nic wasn't banned for the crane fly comment. He was banned for continuing after I warned him specifically, and I warned everyone, generally. This thread is, in theory, about something other than the user "WI-Fly" and his general feelings about BASE jumping and BASE jumpers. Honestly, after hearing from lots of people about this, it seems to me that Nic is probably one of the people who is least put out about it. Let's move on. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

80% chance I'm getting suckered by a troll here, but... That's a tailpocket. It's for stowing lines, because BASE rigs don't use bags. Any CRW jumper at the DZ ought to be able to explain it to you. If you want a more in depth discussion, you should start a separate thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I sold mine to a cute Norwegian girl several years ago. Damn, that thing was squirrely. The S3 is way more stable. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Enough, already. WI-Fly, I'm banning you from this forum for 14 days. Please use that time to reconsider how you post here. Nic, I'm banning you for 7 days. I realize that you're pretty much just giving voice to what everyone is thinking, but we do have to have some rules and basic civility here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

From my experience, because on some slider up jumps the tailgate slows the opening to an undesirable degree. On slider up jumps from the bridge here, for example, I do not use a tailgate because I think that yields an unacceptably slow opening from a relatively low slider up altitude. The problem is that (3) slider drops, is dependent on the pressure from the control lines (because outward pressure from the control lines is one of the prime drivers of slider deployment). Since the control lines are still constrained until (4), the slider is likely to deploy slower, or, in the worst case scenario, require pumping of the toggles/risers to bring it down. Another way to approach this question would be to turn it on it's head: What do we gain from using the tailgate that the slider doesn't already get us? The slider is probably the best staging and reefing mechanism ever created for a ram air parachute. It is extremely effective at staging the deployment and controlling the lateral spread of the lines (most importantly the control lines). Does adding the tailgate make this an even better managed and staged process? I'm not certain. Also, recall that the tailgate was developed and tested for slider down use. The opening pressure on the tailgate is likely to be very different on slider down and slider up openings. Further, just as it varies from a PCA to a 4 second slider down delay, it will vary from a 4 second slider up delay to a terminal deployment. I believe the manufacturer determined that the tailgate ought to take 12-14 pounds of pressure to open. Are these numbers going to be the same at terminal? Or at 4 seconds slider up? I don't know, but I expect that there would be some variance, meaning that to make the tailgate truly effective in these situations might require a different closure method (and closure strength). I'm not saying it's a bad idea to use a tailgate slider up (I use it on longer delays, personally). But I am saying that it won't necessarily work the same slider up and slider down, and that if you want to use it that way, you should think about all the variables that could come into play. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In general, yes. Some people are using the tailgate slider up, however, in an effort to decrease the likelihood of (already very rare) slider up line over. In my opinion, using the tailgate slider up marginally slows the inflation, with the effect being most noticeable at lower airspeeds, and virtually imperceptible at terminal. Perhaps it is for this reason that the slider up use of the tailgate appears to have much more acceptance in some places than others (because some places have more terminal jumping). Sort of. The slider is the reefing mechanism that reduces the chance of a line over. It keeps the lines constrained inside the width of the canopy, and in relative order, so that they are quite unlikely to slip around the outside (and/or over the front) of the fabric. The direct control stow is intended to keep the slider up in the canopy until it reaches line stretch (so is the indirect control, or primary stow). Keeping the slider up in the canopy prior to line stretch (staging the deployment) ought to reduce the chance of a tension knot (because the slider won't be partially deploying down slack lines). I suppose so. I'm not sure that there is a precise technical definition for "reefing", but I'd agree that the tailgate "reefs" the canopy, and the rubber band "reefs" (perhaps "constrains" or "stages" is a better word) the slider. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

He's free to post the photo. The post I edited didn't contain the image. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I am unaware of any cases of tape hangup, although I think that someone mentioned somewhere earlier on this forum that they'd found the tape to become much stronger when wet (?). The tape is also less likely to hang up because it can be perfectly positioned. A tailgate ought to be placed as high as possible up the lines, such that it is just below the line attachment tabs. Obviously, when you switch brake settings around, this means you ought to move the tailgate as well (because the change in brake settings results in a change in relative location of the attachment points). Most people don't do that, though, and I've seen some ridiculously low tailgate placements (as much as 8 inches below the lowest line attachments). Obviously, with tape you get to choose the proper location for your placement each time you apply the tape, so even if you switch between varying "deep" settings for various conditions, you can still "perfectly" place your "tailgate." I am unaware of any cases of lineover with the tape method, but that doesn't really prove anything, as even if the tape (or tailgate) fails, the odds of line over are still relatively small. Adding the chance of a failure with the (resulting) odds of a line over occuring, you have a fairly small chance of actually observing the combination. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes, on all slider down jumps. If the tailgate fails to open, you are experiencing a malfunction, so the likelihood is 100%. If this happens, it is almost always a result of two things: 1) The wrong rubber band. All of the cases I am aware of where a tailgate has hung up have used the wrong rubber band. Most of those cases used the old (black) rubber bands, which used to be sold by Roger Ponce under the brand name "skybands." These rubber bands were once recommended by the manufacturer, but are not any more. 2) The rubber band being tied onto the tailgate cord. This is usually done with the girth hitch or larkshead (two names for the same thing) know. If you tie the rubber band to the tailgate, it is very important to push the loops of rubber band outboard of the knot, so that they "roll" clear of the tailgate without encountering the extra bump of the knot, on which they can hang up. I know of one case in which a tailgate hung up that the rubber band was not tied to the tailgate (and in that case a very unusual and inappropriate rubber band was used). In virtually every case I know of that a tailgate has hung up (all but one), both of these things were done--in other words a black rubber band was used, and it was tied onto the tailgate. I prefer to use the regular (tan) tailgate rubber bands (they are basically the small stow bands from skydiving cut in half lengthwise), and not to tie them to my tailgate (basically accepting that I'll lose on every jump--I buy them in 5 pound bags). The tailgate is really one of the fundamental pieces of modern BASE equipment, and has virtually (nothing is 100%) eliminated the line over from slider down BASE jumps. Prior to the invention of the tailgate, when most jumpers had no such reefing system (even then some jumpers used masking tape, which is still a good method), the incidence of line overs on slider down BASE jumps was probably around 1%. The good folks at Basic Research (now Apex), especially Anne Helliwell, deserve much credit for creating (and making standard) the tailgate, [noting that at the time Martin Tilley (now the owner of Asylum) was one of those folks]. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The tailgate is a small piece of stiffened line, created by fingertrapping a piece of suspension line back into itself. It's perhaps 3 or 4 inches long. It's attached to a center C line by a fingertrapped bit of line, and is used to constrain a set of lines (usually the two center C lines, the two center D lines, and all the control lines), which promotes nose first inflation by allowing the unconstrained nose (lines) to inflate before the tailgate blows open, which then allows the tail to inflate. I'll try to take some pictures, unless someone else beats me to it. There used to be some good diagrams on the Basic Research web site, but I'm unable to find them on the new Apex site. Does anyone know where they went? To improve heading performance, promote nose first inflation, and probably most importantly inhibit line over malfunctions. I'm not aware of any distinctions drawn by physics between amateur and professional jumpers, so it's likely that all BASE jumpers would find the tailgate useful. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Either that is a very off topic comment, or there's a district of Dubai called Chicago? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It does not inflate immediately. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

i kinda dissagree. im weird and i dont really believe that PC hesitations are random. i think they are only caused by the jumpers wake(burble) Negative. I've tested PC's with a 9' bridle and a very small weight at the end, which ought to have virtually zero burble, and still seen occasional hesitations. I'm very convinced that there is more than that going on in a PC hesitation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In my opinion; The real danger on an ultra low freefall (I'm thinking sub 200' freefall, here) is pilot chute hesitation. Hesitations, by their nature, are somewhat random. Predictability ought to be the main goal of an ultra low freefall system. Decreasing the length of the bridle, and preinflating the PC removes the unpredictable element of pilot chute hesitation. Done properly, you ought to be able to leave the exit point with a PC that is already inflated, at bridle stretch, and pulling. I'm not saying this is a good technique for everyone, or for standard use. But Greeny is interested in pushing the limits, and he has specific gear custom tailored to these type of jumps. His canopy is unique, his techniques are good, and he's tailored the entire system (and his procedures) for ultra low deployments. He's doing relatively large amounts of repeated practice jumps in a relatively short time, and dialing in the system. Given his circumstances? I think he can find useful techniques and gear modifications that simply don't make sense for any other application, but that will work for him. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Why do you say that? What is the purpose of the 9' bridle? How does it fulfill this purpose on a go and throw? How long is the burble at time zero (which is when you pitch at those kind of altitudes)? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I believe that BASE 460 (or was it someone else?) built a trapezoidal slider like that. Perhaps he will chime in, but I think that he had some not entirely desireably results, and discontinued using it. Remember that sliders are designed (size and shape) by the canopy manufacturer to fit a specific canopy. If you really wanted to pursue this idea, you'd probably end up building a canopy from the ground up for it. And, as always, if you try it out, remember that you're a test jumper, with all that entails. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

To most of us, BASE is not a spectator sport. So, to us, the idea of being a BASE "fan" just seems absurd. This forum isn't intended as a "fan" site. It's a discussion forum intended for people who either participate or wish to participate in the sport itself. The idea is to discuss, educate, and generally socialize with other jumpers. In other words, what you are doing is a bit like walking into the drivers locker room at a NASCAR race, and talking smack about them to their faces, or talking up other drivers. In general, people don't like to be treated like pictures on baseball cards, and that's the way that you appear to be treating us. Remember that BASE jumpers are real people, and those real people are really reading and posting here. The guy writing the posts as "jeb" really is Jeb. It's not his agent, or his publicist. When you talk to real people, or about them to people who are their real friend, as if they were larger than life cardboard cutouts, that's usually going to come across as creepy and somewhat stalker-esque. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

What is this job thing of which you speak? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

All, Please try to keep this thread on topic. I've purged a bunch of random off topic comments, and some pointless personal attacks, out of it. WI-Fly, I'd seriously recommend reconsidering the way you are posting to this forum. If you really want to get into BASE, you should start considering how you're going to relate to other jumpers (the people you're going to need to approach for help). Your postings here have not exactly shown that you've done any significant research, or put any thought into this. I've left several posts in this thread that contain personal attacks. I've done that on purpose. I encourage you to read them and consider why people are saying these things, and also to realize that 99% of the BASE jumpers reading this forum are thinking the same things (but are too well mannered, or at least respectful of the forum rules, to say them here). If you do want to post things that are substantively similar to most of your comments here, I recommend doing so in the comments section of Youtube, where they are probably appropriate. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Justin, I've banned you from this forum for 14 days for the personal attack. But I'm sure you knew that. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com