TomAiello

How is it with very cold hands? Or hot and sweaty ones? I've long been a fan of real buttons because it seems like when my hands are cold the touch screens don't work properly (or maybe I just can't tell where I'm touching ). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Riding the pig is the most unbelievable (and unbelievably scary) experience I've ever had. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Painkillers are also a good thing to bring. If you have the narcotic kind, they might also have some legal implications if busted, I guess. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's pretty much standard. Note that I generally do not use direct control on Ace/BJ (without the new control line modification) on subterminal jumps, as I found that necessary to have acceptable slider openings (otherwise I found the openings too slow for my taste, and correspondingly inconsistent in heading, in my opinion). I use one small (tailgate) rubber band. I've used black rubber bands, full size rubber bands, full size small (i.e. tailgate but not cut in half) bands, and two rubber bands (on opposite center C lines) with no real noticeable difference in outcomes. I girth hitch (larkshead) the rubber band to a center C attachment tab. When I pull the slider up I pull a bite from the center of the slider through the rubber band. I've used two wraps and one wrap. I've also pulled the mesh through as far as it would go, and I've folded it in half inside the rubber band. As far as I can tell, the most effect comes from pulling the slider as far as you can through the rubber band (not folding it over). Tighter bands (i.e. more wraps) appear to have more effect. I have not tried taking a big rubber band and wrapping more than 3 times (I was too worried about unacceptable snivels, and I wasn't having trouble with the hardness of the openings). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I believe that he's just using what they ship with. I'm not sure if CR ships BJ's with fine mesh. At one point it was either large mesh or sail. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

What size BJ? I had lots of fabric for the direct control bight on a 280. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Silhouette would be a bad choice for a BASE canopy. The openings would likely be very scary. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ouch. Really? I wonder if you could use an oversized hook knife to cut a rope? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There is also less total fabric to flap around, and bigger cells that inflate cleaner. There are many, many variables to this equation. I'd love to see some re-examination of these things, but I'd want to see lots of test jumping in (relatively) safe conditions. For example, why not create a ZP 5 cell, with closed nose inlets on the outboard cells and a big bottom skin vent on the center cell? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's much more complex than that. In _very_ general, more cells are used in higher performance canopies, which _generally_ tend to open more erratically, fly more efficiently, and flare better. But everything changes depending on aspect ratio, shape, wing planform, trim, etc, etc, etc... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The short answer is: because BASE manufacturers are only making 7 cells. In theory, it ought to be possible to build a 5 cell BASE canopy (should have great openings, but poor flare) or a 9 cell (which would be tougher to get good openings on, but would fly more efficiently), or heck, a 36 cell, or a 3 cell. I've made BASE jumps on 5 cells and on 9, and I know of jumps on much higher and lower performance canopies, as well as single surface canopies, triangular canopies--heck almost anything you can imagine. For now, the canopies that are manufactured for BASE, and perform the best over a range of BASE conditions, are all 7 cells. Will it always be that way? Who knows. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've got plenty of terminal jumps on the Troll MDV. I think it's quite good for that. Consistent, good openings, but no slammers. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If all of these top government types are using illegal labor, wouldn't it be better to just make it legal to employ foreign nationals? Total thread drift, but I just don't understand our rules on foreign workers at all. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In my BASE gear bag. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Amen. I know a dozen people looking to buy V1's who can't yet get maximum performance from their GTi's or Classic's. No matter how good the suit is, it's not going to make me into Yuri. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I wonder if the sport attracts individuals prone to act in such a manner, though? And even more so, if the presence of such individuals is central to the underlying fabric of the sport? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Serious? Dude. I've got a set of ascenders (and 50m of rope for rescue) in my permanent BASE kit. I left the ascenders there after a night with you on that little bridge down south. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Just a thought: I'm pretty sure that the only people who think Avery is harrassing you are the folks who you have told, or who have read your posts on the topic. To the rest of the world, it looks pretty harmless. In fact, I'm willing to bet the majority of the folks here had no idea what Avery's avatar was, or what additional meanings it might have, until reading your post. At any rate, that'll all stay, so folks can hear what you think about this. I'd prefer not to turn this thread into a Johnny v. Avery drama. Please? And hey, I'm pretty sure Avery is fairly christian. Enough that I'm aware of it anyway, and since I'm an avowed atheist, that means quite a bit. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's working fine on my Mac. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A huge number of jumps are done from spans. Even with a much lower injury rate per jump, the total accident rate is going to be way up there. Every object is different. Some spans are more dangerous, for example, than some buildings. But still, if you look at incidents per jump, I think that spans are the clear favorite for low injury. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

That pic has been posted and removed many times. I don't think the pedophilia rule is so much about pedophilia. It's about expressing that there are just some things that are totally beyond the pale. By drawing a bright line on one issue, Sangiro expresses that there is a limit to acceptable discussions on these forums, and sets a tone for the entire set of discussions. Since it's purpose is to serve as a bright line indicator, it ought to be applied in an overly strict sense. That's the whole point in setting a rock bottom community standard. If you recall that the photo is almost invariably called something like "two hands" and that the little boy is grabbing his crotch with the other hand, it might make you reconsider your statement that it was not sexual "in any way." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's original purpose was to route all these conversations out of the other forums, so the serious discussions didn't get cluttered up, and the hang out forum didn't get drowned out by shouting. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've seen a couple that looked ok. And a couple that looked...not so ok. I wonder how many versions that rig went through. I think there's a guy who reads these forums and may have sewn them... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

>>Is that because the combo of having deep brakes & the slider up pulls that tail down so far that the canopy can't really "fly" until you release the toggles? Sort of. Essentially, the canopy can't inflate properly, so you either end up with a back sliding opening (better) or a snivel until you pop the toggles (worse--I once had this put me in the hospital). This happens when the brakes are so deep that the canopy can't open enough (or with enough force) to drive the slider down. If you are fast enough to clear the brakes and pump, you can beat this (I've seen an experienced jumper take 3 from a 770' S slider up and have to fight the toggles to get the slider down, but land ok), but if you are low, or you react slow, you can end up snivelling into the ground. If this doesn't make any sense, I'll come back to it later. I've got the flu, so nothing is making much sense to me right now. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Why shallow brakes? I thought you should always use deep brakes when jumping E's or B's due to strike possibilities. A properly configured slider down deep brake setting will often result in opening stall if used for a slider up jump. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com