TomAiello

There is a very large difference between experimenting upon oneself (putting only one's one life at risk), and experimenting upon others (risking others health and safety). The divide grows yet larger when considering minors as the subject for your experimentation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There is a well respected Canadian BASE instructor who has been teaching a "progressive step" BASE course (with AFF-like level system) for many years. The major problem with the "step" structure in BASE is that the student can choose to do just the first level or two, and then get their hands on gear and go chuck themselves off stuff. Unlike skydiving (where the student has to resume their training, no matter where they show up next), in BASE there is a large chance for unregulated jumping by the student. Also, since good BASE training objects are usually a bit further away than your DZ, it's harder for the student to come back again and again to finish the training. It makes sense to run the progression all at once, in a comprehensive course, because it puts a great burden on the student to expect them to travel a thousand miles or more every weekend to do the next step or three. In general, if you could find a student who was local to a good training object, and would commit to not jumping without the instructor until the end of the training program, I think a stepped progression would be ideal. It would give the student more time to think and digest each step. But in the real world, it's hard (not impossible, see above) to actually implement this kind of program. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually, yes, I do. The very first thing I do when meeting with new students is sit them down, explain the risks to them, tell them that there is a very good chance they will be seriously injured if they pursue BASE seriously, and then have them write a letter to their family explaining that if they die, they were jumping of their own free will, for their own reasons. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

From an ex-lifeguard that is something that you are trained not to do. Reach, Throw, Row, Go... Thats the order of rescue. You need the person awake to help you on the first 3. The last one is a situation where you try to put someone in a position to not harm you or themselves but still able to drag their sorry ass out of the water. You never would try to knock someout out to drag them in. I spent about 10 years, through various schoolings, lifeguarding, teaching swim lessons, teaching lifeguarding, managing pools, etc, etc, etc. When an active victim grabs a lifeguard the most effective technique a lifeguard can use is to swim downward, hard. No drowning victim, no matter how panicked, is going to stay with you as you dive 10 feet underwater. I doubt this particular technique has any relevance or potential crossover to AFF. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you're worried about it, you can use a rope marker (a pen with special ink, designed for marking climbing ropes), which has no solvents or other chemicals that can hard your lines. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

All, Threats of physical violence are unacceptable in this forum. Please refrain from doing so in even a hypothetical way. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Pretty pricey. I hope that some competition drives the prices down, because I can't see very many jumpers shelling out 10 grand for it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I had major line twists flailing an aerial there several years ago. I landed under the twists, but managed to get above them and steer into the wind before doing so. My jumping partner was out in the field looking for me by the time I got my gear picked up, though (he had watched from exit, and it was very dark, so he didn't see me turn and land, and thought I had been seriously injured downwinding in 25 mph winds). Jimmy, I'm assuming that you're only puttin her off that thing with strong tailwinds? Hookitt, the prevailing wind direction (assuming strong wind in the normal direction) pushes you away from the wires and bushes, doesn't it? With average wind you could probably still hit them, but I think you'd have to be trying to do it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In terms of object avoidance and canopy turns, I'd say you can do a lot of learning on those off a span over water, just splashing down at the end of the canopy ride. In fact, I've seen lots of people who were experienced jumpers and still learned a lot practicing those skills in that way. As to line twists and tracking, I have not found a better way to develop those skills than skydiving. I've still got my fingers crossed for an angled wingsuit/tracking tunnel, though. Jimmy, not meant as an attack or accusation, can you share some details of how you teach these skills off an object? I'm assuming that your "I just showed here the seatbelt video" was a joke (or if not, please correct me). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you're really focused on wing suit BASE, you're better off looking at glide angle than fall rate. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Since we know that the publicity is Jimmy's primary motivation, and his video sales and distribution is important to him, I suggest that folks who object to his activities simply boycott his videos. I'm guessing that is the kind of pressure that he is most likely to respond it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Sean, Brit, If you have an opinion about the actual topics at hand, that's one thing. Nitpicking people's grammar and spelling is silly. Criticizing someone's maturity by pointing out spelling errors is beyond ironic. I'm sure we can all express our views without that kind of thing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Can you, or some-one else, explain how this is possible? Wind and winddirections vary if I'm not mistaking? How can you be so sure it is impossible? I have made many jumps from that object. The prevailing wind direction at this time of year makes object strike almost impossible. I haven't seen a day, in this season, at that object, with winds at opening less than the average forward speed of a BASE canopy. Wind there is very regular, and very predictable, and usually quite high, during the summer months. To my knowledge, the only strikes at that site have occured at different times of year. When I was living there and jumping it we used to refer to it as a "vertical bridge" because of the virtual impossibility of striking. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Avery looks odd wherever he is. Seriously, though, aren't you some kind of private contractor, Avery? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Staying home in Australia to BASE jump is a bit like staying home in Moscow in January to sunbathe. You could do it, but why? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Clair, Please remember that this is an internet discussion forum. As such it's purpose is to hold discussions. Specifically, this forum is for discussion of BASE jumping and surrounding issues. Your friends and mentors began conversations on various internet discussion forums, including this one, about you. Presumably they did so because they desired to discuss your experience, and that experience within the context of BASE in general. In a sense, what I'm saying is "hey, you brought it up."

The BLiNC thread reports her email as dietrying360@yahoo.com. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've removed a discussion, by name, of a jumper who has expressed a preference not to be named in the forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

For what it's worth, if the parents, or whoever, read this thread, I'll include a link to my thoughts on starting BASE, which can be found here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Tree, calling someone a "demented pervert" is a personal attack, regardless of your opinion of them. This forum has rules so that we can communicate on an adult level, discussing even controversial topics. I've banned you from this forum for 14 days. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Thank you for your willingness to stand behind your products, and to replace things that even might be a problem. It speaks volumes about your character that you are not trying to hide the issue, but rather stepping up to try to make it right, and let everyone who might be affected know about it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The NPS has made several efforts to either restrict or completely ban climbing on various Park lands. Josh fixed anchor ban...Removal of Camp 4...Efforts to ban replacement of fixed anchors on El Cap...the list goes on... I think that some folks in the NPS hierarchy would like nothing more than to ban climbing in all parks. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I wasn't trying to be accusatory. I was really interested in your answer to that question. I appreciate your honesty (and self-honesty) in answering it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to sticky this one for a while. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

What if 10 chicks stick it, and the 11th dies? Is it still worth it? Still worth it for you to have taken those 11? Still worth it for the other 10? Still worth it for the 1 who died? Still worth it for her family? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com