TomAiello

Yes. If you make those jumps at higher altitude (so if you screw it up it's no big deal), and use a camera to review them, you'll have more chance of getting the time to repeat the practice jumps. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Not really. If you are very low, I'd go with pins (and spectra) and be absolutely sure you have the body position dialed to minimize pin tension. That's one of the learned skills involved in ultra low freefalls. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I took this photo of Josh a while ago. I wish I had a chance to take another. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

My thought exactly. Clearly someone wasn't planning their legislative strategy very well: "...so, Nigel, we should like to try banning hunting. Which states ought we to start with?" "Well, boss, Texas seems like a sure bet..." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The difference is that she had to take action to impregnate herself. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Murphy's Law would imply that the highest possible pin tension you can create in tests is the one to worry about--not the lowest. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This is a personal attack. Consider yourself warned. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Once you upload the attachment the first time, you can read the file number of the attachment, and just provide a link to that url in subsequent transfers. The file is still sitting at that address, so anyone who knows that address (which you can get when you create the attachment or receive it) can retrieve it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

How did you do the pull tests? I've tested the tension on several rigs. In my opinion, the average tension is higher on a velcro rig, but the variability in the tension is much greater on a pin rig. If you test a pin rig on the ground, then take the same rig and put it on, curl up in a tight ball, and test the tension again, you're likely to get _very_ different results. On a velcro rig, on the other hand, the pull tension is actually quite consistent in various positions. I've seen pin opening force as low as 2 pounds--but as high as 22 pounds. Velcro, on the other hand, pretty much ranges 12-16 regardless of positioning. Which is really more important--having a chance that you will have lower tension, or having a consistent tension that you can count on? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Pin rigs were first used when BASE jumps were first made--because that was all that was around. Then came velcro rigs, then pin rigs came back sometime in the mid 90's. Honestly, I think that way too many people overlook the velcro rig. It definitely has it's place in every jumpers arsenal. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yup. As a trivia question (or answer?) I was once told (by someone who was involved in the development) that this was one of the original driving factors behind the development of velcro BASE rigs (back when pretty much all jumps were hand held). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I actually don't think that you and Chuck are disagreeing. Chuck said: "Birdman requirements are..." and so forth. You said: "SIM requirements are..." and so forth. The manufacturers requirements are not the USPA requirements. However, if you don't follow the manufacturers requirements, you need to be damn sure of what you are doing (and it sounds like you are) to avoid liability issues, should they arise. If a student gets hurt, and it ends up in court, and it comes to light that the instructor wasn't following the guidelines of the equipment manufacturer? I'd say the instructor is going to be in a world of hurt. If they were following those guidelines? I'd say that would help them avoid some nasty legal liabilities. If you don't want to follow the manufacturers guidelines, then be it on your own head. All I'm seeing from Birdman, Inc. is that they have guidelines, and if you don't follow them, they're not going to be held liable (or let you use their fleet of suits)--that's good business policy. They might also choose not to sell you their products--again their choice, and potentially good business policy. I guess what I'm saying is that it seems like you're working awfully hard at disagreeing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes, if you are using a pin rig. That's a good reason to use a velcro rig for that kind of thing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It depends on the object available, and the jumpers terminal experience. I think my first choice would be someone with good terminal skills, going stowed and taking a delay over 10 seconds with a strong track, from a good (1000m or more) high cliff. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

That's not so bad, actually. I wouldn't recommend it for a 1st BASE jump, but a long handheld delay for a first cliff jump is (although not my favorite) definitely one of the options. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I had two zippers fail on my original Skyflyer. I eventually had them all replaced with heavy duty stainless zippers. I'd say the most likely culprit was me being too fat for the suit. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hmm, if I start posting things like that, can I get a visit from some of you girls? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude. In all seriousness, if your mentor put you off for a 2 way on your first jump, and even considered a stowed jump, you ought to go find someone else to help you. Your life is being put at risk in ways you probably don't understand yet. I'm really hoping that you have a ton of CRW jumps, so the idea of doing CRW on a BASE jump, at night, isn't as ridiculous as it sounds. But somehow I'm guessing... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've had my medical insurance cover bills from outside the country (Italy, specifically). I'm not sure how much they'd cover, since the Italian government picked up most of the cost without being asked. I also know of 2 cases where US insurance companies paid out on injuries in Southeast Asia. I suspect it's much harder to get insurance in countries that have socialized medicine than those where health insurance is the order of the day. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've removed several nasty parts from this thread, some of which I take a little personally. People, Zennie is right on. This is a very serious subject, It's not one I'm going to let us take lightly in this forum. Since we seem unable to discuss it in the sober, adult fashion it deserves, I'm going to lock this thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This may be a big/small DZ perspective, as well. At smaller DZ's you're going to see working skydivers who have to take the busiest disciplines (like tandems) in order to stay above water. At larger DZ's, you see folks who are able to work as freefly, or wingsuit, or whatever, coaches, almost exclusively. Another thought: I know that the guy who first helped me with my wingsuit was a working skydiver at the time (not in wingsuits, yet), and he didn't have any trouble making the time to help me out, and continue to answer questions later. And, he didn't charge me anything for the help. (As an odd side not for those following this thread, that person was Diablopilot, back when he was in Davis, and the wingsuit thing was just getting started.) -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hey guys, If you want to rehash the pull-out debate in general, you might want to move it to a more general skydiving forum, where a whole bunch of people can contribute. You're getting a little off topic for this forum (wingsuits). Why you would/wouldn't want a pullout with a wingsuit is a much narrower topic than why you would/wouldn't want a pull-out in general. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hmmm. Is your profile information correct? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Was the jump worth the price, to him? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

While you do see those types in the NPS, there are also a great many who became rangers because they wanted to be out in nature. One does not, for example, become a Tuolumne backcountry ranger because one wishes to be a cop. That guy is out there because he wants to be out there. It's generally been my experience that the NPS rangers I've known have more often fallen into the "want to be outdoors" category than the "couldn't make it as a real cop" category. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com