TomAiello

38 ZP with a vent. I that with your particular equipment configuration, or across the board? My configuration. I'd do it with any of my canopies down to 260 though. With a 240? Hmmm. A toss-up, I guess. I'd probably be happy with whatever PC I had on there. I've seen a 32 used at 5 seconds on a 300+ canopy repeatedly with no adverse effects. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I can think of a BASE fatality with a PC/bridle entanglement at terminal, on a wingsuit. I suspect the wingsuit increases the likelihood of this malfunction, as there have also been a couple cases of this reported on skydives, which you can find if you dig through the wingsuit forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think that's mostly history. Adam F. put the 38 handle inside, and the 32 outside. Then, the internal got converted to floating, and the 32 got left. Personally, I kind of like the floating handle for everything (but I've got both external and floating handles in both 32 and 38). I'd ask the manufacturer. I don't know that anyone makes both a 36 and a 38, and the "named" size is less important than the role (i.e. drag and inflation) that the manufacturer is making it for. You may find that a 36 from one manufacturer is intended for the same role as a 32 from another. 38 ZP with a vent. Yes. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A retrospective "re-interview" with the original cast of characters would be very interesting. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It might be trespassing in the parking lot. If the parking lot was open to residents of the building you were invited to, I'd expect not. Jumpers have gotten off on similar facts that involved renting a hotel room. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Register my interest. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Okay, post pics! Yes. But please do it in the Phi thread. It's silly to let this topic overrun every thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Was the canopy vented? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Since my primary avocation is often classed as illegal by authorities, but would be hard to call immoral, I think I'm going to have to ask you what that says about my upbringing? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There is a regular poster on this forum who has worked on sports video games. Perhaps he'll have some insight. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Not to take anything away from the wrongness of what they did but I'd like to try to answer this question. It's tough to race at a track. Mostly due to lawyers. The tracks are so scared that someone will get hurt there are significant hurdles to pass just to run a solo lap. Yeah, it costs $$ but that is relatively insignificant. To actually RACE someone, you pretty much need to be running a spec car in an approved event, after spending a lot of time at the track running in solo events to prove you aren't going to kill anyone or yourself. Dude, it's not very expensive to go to an SCCA event and get on a track. It's even cheaper to just join a local driving club that buys track time. Most street racers spend enough cash tweaking their cars that the cost of track time is pretty insignificant by comparison. I'd guess that the reasons people race on streets have to do with risk preferring behavior, rather than expense or difficulty getting on the track. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Tom, Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'faster' here? Faster as in: Less elapsed time before a heading change of X degrees? Fewer horizontal feet travelled forward before a heading change of X degrees? Both/neither? Something else? I always find myself wanting to know what people mean by 'faster' in this situation, because in my opinion what is 'faster' (riser or toggle) depends on your definition of 'faster'. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've used this strategy on quite a few king air jumps. For a while, I was at a DZ where the pilot tended to be moving fairly quickly on jump run, so I took to rolling out the door. Call me paranoid, but at least I never hit the tail. I'd imagine if you've got a flock to keep track of, it wouldn't work too well, though. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

All, Be aware that this is (obviously) something of a media frenzy. Multiple sets of reporters are looking to get people to comment on it. Anything you post here could be used (or misused) in media reports. Further, be aware that this incident is not connected to any particular dropzone, and that some in the media appear to be connecting it to a dropzone, with potential negative ramifications for that DZ. It would be best not to comment on any skydiving operations for this reason. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There are some old timers who swear by slider up, since it gives more time to correct an offheading while the slider descends (before the canopy begins moving forward). I'm not a proponent of that school, personally, but there you go. Having variation in the gear, including the statistical outliers like this one, helps the gear to continue advancing and changing. In a way, we all ought to be thanking people who jump gear setups that are way out of the norm. That said, I'd never recommend that anyone jump that setup. And I feel strongly that if you aren't already an advanced BASE jumper, you ought to leave gear experimentation to those who are. There are other things that will likely net you a bigger personal payoff on your jumps. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Do a search in the Bonfire forum. Someone even posted a video of all their BASE jumps from the game. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I dunno. As a generalization, I'd say the guys I know with 500+ jumps are a lot more willing to learn (and change their own methods) than the guys I know with 200 jumps. I think that one of the things you learn with experience is that you aren't always right. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It ought to be stowed significantly deeper than half brakes. If you really are set at half brakes, you're pretty much going to hit the object on a serious off heading. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I don't think you can really protect the gear from the salt. Your best bet is probably to use gear that you can afford to have wear out quickly. If you can find an old canopy, use that for sure. You might also consider putting it in an older BASE rig for the jump. As soon as possible after the jump, rinse the gear in fresh water. Then, let it soak in fresh water for a while, then give it another rinse off and hang it to dry out of the sun. Salt water pretty much eats gear. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Sounded like the big combo knee/shin protectors, worn as the top layer. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Second hand reports indicate an offheading resulting in wallstrike. Non-BASE specific canopy, microline, possible snag of microline on protective gear (post impact). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I believe the limitation is in response to folks sending "greetings, I am the former minister of finance of zambia, and I have 5.2 million united states dollars to wire..." emails from free DZ.com accounts. I wonder if HH might consider ditching the limit for premiere members? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I wouldn't say that... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

He has nine days to go, more's the pity. He has, however, sent me a rather humorous PM. I suspect that his brain may soon explode from a humor overload. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Or BASE jumping over water. Impact with slider partially deployed is not all that uncommon, and the visual is reasonably similar to high speed impact (this is from multiple personal experiences with both). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com