TomAiello

Did you ever put the video of your previous jump up on-line anywhere? I'm not sure, but I can't help but suspect this is related to the inverted mushroom thing we were talking about before. I think I'm going to go break out a PC and see if I can recreate this snag in my living room. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Moscow. December. Probably pretty cold. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Well, I'm unlikely to get back the time I spent reading the "Whoa, Dude" thread. But I think this one is done, before it devolves into a limey v. yank bash-fest and I have to move it into Speakers' Corner. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm assuming you read Gil's comment in this thread, because that was also a thread you started. Definitely re-read what Gil said, bearing in mind that he is a very experienced BASE jumper, and has significant experience on the canopy. My bottom line best advice: Wait until you can afford real BASE gear. Your life isn't worth saving a couple thousand dollars. Neither is spending the rest of your life living in constant pain, or with a major disability. That said, and if you are determined to go ahead in this manner, consider this; If your container fails to open you will die. If your canopy streamers, or has a line over, or lands you poorly, you might survive. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If he's jumping 370 square foot canopies, it's unlikely he's going to get the package price. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I calculated about 15 LBS. I actually measured that with a spring scale and a video camera once a long, long time ago. I did several test drops, and as I recall you're pretty close for a pin rig, but the velcro took noticeably more. For pin rigs, the spike in the force required was when the canopy took load, but the spike for shrivel flap removal was actually greater for the velcro rig. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yeah, but don't you own like 12 suits? So you'd need to separate them to hook up a different suit? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

AM antennas must have large insulators (usually glass or ceramic) separating them from the ground. If they don't have these, they ground out and do not function. That means that the absence of insulators is almost a certain identifier for the tower not being AM. Some other clues: AM towers use the entire structure to broadcast, so they rarely have anything (stingers, dishes, etc) bolted to them. AM towers in virtually every 1st world nation (which I take to include Ireland, even if some of our English friends might disagree ) have fences surrounding them by law, to prevent children, livestock, or young BASE jumpers from being acccidentally electrocuted. My best guess is that there is very little chance your tower is AM. P.S. I understand that another sure fire way to tell is to bring another jumper, and have him grab the tower first. Stand by with a large (hence well insulating) stick to beat him with, to remove him from the circuit if the tower does turn out to be AM. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Two possibilities: 1) You are a paraplegic BASE jumper with severe osteoporosis, and your bones can't take a slider off opening without breaking. That means that you need to use a slider up rig, but you also need a water landing, and the best object you can find to get your 'E' (overhung, over water, exit point that allows a "sit and push off exit") is at a lower altitude than another jumper would select a slider up configuration for. 2) You are an internet Troll who is hoping to get a rise out of people. Take your pick. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Todd Shoebotham (now of Apex) showed me those a while back. I think he started using them sometime in the early 90's. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You can help this by opening the link in advance, and covering the sharp edge with electrical tape. Once you've got everything in place and ready to screw down, remove the tape and close the link. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Been done. Use a sail slider if you want extra excitement. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In general, I think they are fine. Much depends on the actual strength of broadcast and your proximity to the transmitter. I've looked over the safety regulations for several UHF and FM transmitters in the US. I've never found one that required workers to stay further than 200 feet away when the transmitter was at full power (and it was a very powerful tower). And that's for workers who need to spend a significant amount of time at that range performing some task or other. In all honesty, the number of towers I've found that I was actually concerned about radiation exposure on is very limited. Short answer: climb fast, turn around, and get off, then don't worry about it unless you're doing it 4 times a week. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes. The shape of the tower looks very jumpable to me. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Photos like that are OK. My "no identifying photos" rule was aimed primarily at 2 particular photos that kept getting reposted, both of which included signs indicating name, or both name and location, of popular objects. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here's a weird twist: If I were Tookie, and I had honestly reformed, I think that part of my reformed character would feel that I ought to die as a final atonement for my crimes. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize is hardly a sign of virtue. Adolph Hitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939 (source: Nobel Nomination Database). Joseph Stalin was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1945 and 1948 (source: Nobel Nomination Database). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The DVD can be ordered from Square 1 by telephone (1.800.877.7191) or email (sales@square1.com). It's apparently not on the web site yet (such slackers at Square 1), so you need to know the item number (item# 2406300) and specify NTSC or PAL. I believe the price is US$ 30. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

For those who have not seen this movie: In my judgment, this is the best BASE film made to date. If you haven't seen it, you should. It treats BASE not just as a music video (which I see way too much of), but as a real adventure, genuine experience and unique interpersonal interaction. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I dunno. I thought it was pretty cool how he made that nice post about me when he was at my house. So, uh, what did you want Abbie to say, again? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Must be two separate things we're talking about then. Jimmy Tyler definitely went in on a famous wall out West, leading to the oft-repeated joke about he "correct" delay being "something between a Tyler and Reno." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ditto. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think the words you are reaching for are; "Whuffo you wanna jump from that low for?" In all seriousness, I'll try to paraphrase a saying of Dwain's that I was quite fond of: The only real answer to these questions is simply "because I want to." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you wish to add to or change anything in the FAQ, please submit things via PM to UncleCharlie95 or McCordia. I'll update this version (or replace with entirely new posted versions) with material I receive from them. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Plus, for me, it combines the "committed" feel just off the exit and the "deployment" feeling, which are two very important parts of the jump. I wrote an essay about the attraction of ultra low freefall for me a while back. If you search around you might find it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com