TomAiello

You guys are also welcome to free spots in my class, if you want them. At any rate, regardless of whether you choose to sit in on either course, I'd love to have you come talk to mine about a bit of the history. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Johnny, I found it interesting that in your article you cite Dwain as an authority supporting your position, based on a conversation you had with him in 1999. On November 8th, 2001, Dwain posted (in his own words) the following post on BLiNC with the heading "Avoiding Object Strike (long vers)": I think the bottom line statement is probably this: I am curious how you reconcile this conflict between what you said his position was, and what he stated as his position. Can you clarify? Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude, ease down. Chuck has opinions about the suits, but I don't see him letting those opinions bias his moderation. Believe me, I've read all the removed threads, too, and in so far as I have a preference for one manufacturer over another, I'm a PF guy, not a BM guy. We work pretty hard to provide reasonably balanced, unbiased moderation in this forum. If you have a specific issue you want to discuss, please PM me and I'll have a look. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This is pretty much the official info from the horse's mouth (original writer's signature at bottom): -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A serious first aid kit, to leave in the car. And some lighter first aid supplies to jump with. I'd recommend some prescription painkillers if you can get them. It sucks to be waiting for rescue for hours without them (from experience, that bit). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm guessing that there will be several folks making it to the meeting. The meeting is actually pretty much in SLC, so there are a bunch of jumpers there, plus it's close enough for a drive from TF, if anyone is going to be in town for the weekend and wants to head down. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Let's keep the discussion all in one thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Oh, I know. But I think that the presence on the US skydiving scene captured the market in the US well enough that no one else was interested in trying to start competing in what was perceived as BM's "home" market. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

\ I'd guess that the reason is that BM was so long based in the USA. I know that Da Kine made a prototype wingsuit or two in Hawaii, as well, perhaps 5 years ago. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Feel the power of the dark side... And to tie that in: I think that you'd see noticeably different poll results if you were able to segment the poll geographically, or by discipline (i.e. airplane skyjumping or fixed low object parachuting). I've noticed a lot of regional preference (Africans with SG's, French with S-Fly, Americans with BM, etc), as well as discipline preferences (more BASE jumpers with Phoenix Fly stuff, more skydivers with BM). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I removed a bunch of extraneous one (and more) liners from this thread. If you guys want, I can move them over into the Bonfire. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Damn it, Baxter, you're blowing our image. Gardner, it's time to start getting him under control. He needs more beer, and more elevator rides. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Short answer: real bad idea. Have you read this article? At an absolute minimum, I'd do 50 terminal (or nearly terminal) BASE jumps before putting the suit on. If you're dedicated to that idea, you could do this in a single longish trip. If I were you, I'd start with a tracking suit like the PF suit, which will allow you to get some of the feel of a wingsuit without so much of the added dangers. From there, you could transition to a Prodigy, then back up to your regular skydiving suit fairly rapidly. If you're looking for more positive responses, try posting in the wingsuit forum. In general, BASE jumpers are all going to tell you that going straight to a wingsuit is a very bad idea. You can actually find some European wingsuit jumpers who've done exactly this, but in general BASE jumpers will not be approving. Be aware that we're running close to half of current (last couple years) BASE fatalities in wingsuits (and way less than half of total jumps done). Why try to skip steps in the training progression? To experienced BASE jumpers, your questions sounds about like a non-jumper walking into your DZ and asking "why do I have to bother with this AFF stuff? I just want to go straight to those cool 4 way head down jumps." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Repost. Let's keep this to one thread on the front page. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Do Hanwags have the removable hard plastic ankle supports (like the Crispi's)? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rick also posted his phone number on this forum, if you search for it. He and Joy wait a month to make sure no one else has gotten a number and not sent in, so they can't really give them out on the phone like that. I have heard of them calling people right when they issue the number (a month later), though. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There is no online database that matches name to numbers, for privacy reasons. If you contact Rick and Joy Harrison, and convince him that you are really you, he'll likely be able to tell you the correct number. Rick and Joy's contact info can be found in this thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ze danes have not ze french skills with ze masturbation... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There is a discussion of such a system on the Flybirdman forums. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've used a variety of methods, primarily tape and the trailing edge slider-gate, for around 100 slider up short delays (3-4). I've noticed a few openings that might have been slight hesitations of slider descent. In general, I do feel like it stages things a bit more (I can notice a distinct shift in most of the openings, which appears to be right when the gate opens and the slider begins to descend). This doesn't usually appear to be a slow down (or speed up) of the opening (although note that in a few--maybe 5 out of 100--cases it did seem to slow things down). At any rate, at this point I've got no real scientific analysis or conclusions. My personal conclusion is that I will continue using either method (tape or trailing edge gate) interchangeably, and will use such control on virtually all of my slider up jumps. I might remove the gate if I was smoking it into the basement (by which I mean a slight slider hesitation would result in injury). I know that's no real help, but so far all I've got is personal impressions. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The bigger canopy is for a guy I'll vouch for. But if he can't find one more local, I'll send my Troll 290, which he has used for a week or so already. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ok, here are some thoughts: First, from the Forum Rules: So if this thread is removed, you know why. Second, I try very hard to explain my actions to those whom they directly involve. You, Ron, are not one of those people in this case. I'm sorry, but it's just a fact that I don't have time to re-send every one of my moderation messages to you directly. In future, please be aware that I will not be copying you on these kinds of things, so that you may not be kept totally up to the minute. I apologize for that, but I think we're just going to have to accept it. I locked the poll threads, and left the one open that had some other discussion. I did this for several reasons, including (a) I liked that other posters had side tracked a personal attack and subverted the thread into real discussion, (b) there were other people actually using the thread for discussion. Ron, please confine your gripes to PM's. If you post another thread of this nature here, I will remove it and ban you from this forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude, K&N filters suck. Get a foam filter. They're cheaper, work better when dirty, and provide better flow. K&N or foam? Now there's a discussion worthy of SC... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

While I agree in theory, I don't think it's a real high priority item. The point of locking the thread is that it stops popping to the top (since new posts can't be made), and it drops out of the collective consciousness. New votes to the poll don't bring it back to the top. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Good one! Top-mounts are always screw-on, so those can be rotated by default, I imagine. Some top mounts are still fixed (I have one, if you want to see it sometime). Plus, along those lines, how hard/easy it is to rotate the mount is a good thing to consider. If it's very easy, you can pretty much change it whenever you want (at the exit, say), instead of having to line it all up at home. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com