TomAiello

I don't get it. 50m is about 150'. How can you make a 9 sec or even a 5 sec out of 150'? Am I reading this wrong? The talus is the part under the cliff (the slabby slope). So the cliff had only 150' of "extra" altitude, which doesn't count the actual height of the cliff. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually, in his first post he asks about a SF1+ prototype suit that is currently for sale. That's hardly a beginner suit, in my opinion, and I think that question set the context for the discussion (at least in my mind). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In short, super bad idea. If you read this thread, you can read John LeBlanc (of PD) saying: -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Are you asking for the lowest anyone has ever done? Or the lowest that would be worthwhile in terms of getting the suit flying? Or the lowest that is theoretically possible? In theory, you could static line with a wingsuit on, so you could exit any altitude that you normally would. I'm not sure what the point of that would be. For me, personally? I think I'd want at least 1000 feet to make it worthwhile, Lower than that, and I'd just not feel like there was enough time to fly to make it worth getting the suit on. The lowest I've seen people have actual flights (noticeably different from good track, say) is probably around 800'. It's also, in my experience dependent on the skill of the pilot. In theory, I think (if we were all perfect pilots) it would depend mostly on wingloading. I've seen people get flying as fast as 3 seconds, and I've seen people take as long as 10. I think 5-6 is probably a good, conservative, average. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Would you mind posting this into the reviews section? I don't believe that there is a category for tracking gear on BLiNC, but you might want to email it to Mick, too, and see if he can put it up there. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

For those who don't know about this incident, it was one of the biggest threats to the major legal BASE site in Southern Norway. Terry had a wall strike, and ended up stuck on a ledge. He apparently tried to self-rescue by jumping from the ledge and firing his reserve. For me, the incident underlines two big points: 1) Skydiving rigs are not appropriate for BASE. 2) Everyone needs to discuss BASE (and it's risks) with their families. In addition, there is some speculation that had Terry been carrying a radio, he would have known that rescuers were on the way, and stayed put (and survived). That sounds like a pretty good reason to carry a radio, if you ask me. I haven't seen the film, but I think I'll try to, if I get a chance. Terry is listed as #40, on the list. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You need to get the reviews editor to add it into the categories. If you post the request here, I'm sure he'll see it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If it's the one in the classifieds (and on ebay) I don't think it is a SF1. I've worn that suit,and it's a SF1+ prototype (hence, I suppose, the seller calling it a SF2). As I recall, the major difference from the SF1 is a larger leg wing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I ought to ban you for a pun that bad. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Tree is 6'10". Which also happens to be his BASE number. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

J, What's your height and weight? I'm assuming that since you seem able to borrow his suits, it's about the same as Robi's? Any chance you could share the GPS track? And you didn't happen to stick a GPS on the man himself, did you? (Somehow I'm guessing no, but I'd love to see what he's able to pull off, as well.) -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think we should. If the price of that is that folks don't dig into their neighbors affairs, and discover them to be criminals (of whatever stripe), or just plain "weird" (which appelation might be used to describe all kinds of folks), I'll pay that price. Personally, I think it's a blessing that most Americans are respectful enough that they won't discover a neighbor who smokes pot in the basement, or has sexual fetishes, or whatever. What was it Justice Brandeis said? "The right most prized by civilized men is the right to be let alone." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

When I had around 80 BASE jumps, I had this happen on a 2 second delay from around 700 feet. It was...exciting. I promptly removed the handle, and stopped using handled PC's for anything subterminal. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Didn't a court in Texas strike down a school zone drug regulation based on ICC powers? At any rate, I think the feds have gone way beyond what was intended under the ICC. I'd love to see the Supremes prune them back, but I think it's probably unlikely. Very interested to see what happens with things like this, though. If they start to spread I'm betting on my home state (Idaho) as an early adopter, both by temperament and geography. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The one's I've seen used as BASE PC handles are strong enough that you could stand on them without crushing them (I did this once, by accident). I'd be curious about that, too. Anyone with RW or Freefly experience want to chime in? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ooops. That's the BASE jumper not thinking about skydiving gear... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In his PIA presentation on turbulence, Scott Miller said that it's going to depend on the canopy. When I discussed it with him further, afterward, he said that he thought most big F-111 7 cells (obviously, that's my area of greatest concern) would handle turbulence better in part brakes, but most "modern" canopies would handle turbulence better in full flight. Personally, my experience with BASE canopies (the only canopies I'm knowledgeable enough about to comment on) has been that almost all of them take turbulence better in part brakes. I _think_ the Ace/BJ airfoil may actually do better in full flight. I theorize that this is because it is more of a "modern" airfoil (per Scott Miller's comments at PIA). Can anyone give me an idea of how long it takes a ZP skydiving canopy to re-inflate after a partial collapse? I realize that's a big range, but my thinking is that the longer the reinflation takes, the more important it is to avoid the deflation in the first place. Hence a canopy with snappier openings might reinflate quicker, and thus be one to fly in part brakes, where a canopy with slow openings would reinflate slower, and hence make avoiding the collapse in the first place (presumably by flying in full flight) most important. (Obviously this line of reasoning is in direct contravention of my observations of BASE canopies, where the Ace/BJ actually has the quickest openings I've seen, but also handles turbulence the best [of the BASE canopies] in full flight.) -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The "PC Dance" is definitely real. I've seen it actually tie knots in bridles on more than one occasion. And it is a risk in normal freefall. It's just not as much of a risk. Someone posted some photos a while back of a sitfly jump where the deployment (with hackey) had the apex of the PC dancing around below the bridle/PC attachment point prior to inflation. In proportional terms, a hackey on the apex of a PC is approximately like putting a bowling ball on the apex of a 22' round. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I own and regularly jump a rig that was passed on from one friend (at his death) to another, then from that friend (at his death) to me. Personally, I think it's good karma to keep your friends, and their memories, in the air. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I believe the best I've heard in that regard was BPS, who, several years ago, drove something like 800 miles, spent a whole night driving, went to 3 (or was it 4?) objects, and finally got to jump. The funny part was that none of the objects were more than 2 hours from home--he just kept getting denied and driving to the next one. Now that's persistence. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Jason Bell used to have a "hints and tips" on his web site that listed some kind of cleaner that could do it. I'm not sure if it made it through the latest update, but if not you might ask Jason if he can dig it up. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ray, Rhondalea, This is becoming an interesting discussion, but one not really related to the topic of this forum, which is BASE jumping. Can we stop having this discussion here, now? Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Let's not turn this into a discussion of taxes and government services. I'd prefer to avoid splitting parts of this thread off and sending them into the pit we know as Speaker's Corner. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You could launch from the top of a suspension tower pretty easily. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Whuffo you wanna swoop them canopies for anyway?! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com