TomAiello

At 265, I'd go with a standard BASE canopy. Get it in the largest size available, and look for one with a good, strong flare. I'm guessing that you'll want the fifth control line, to enhance the flare, particularly if you aren't 6'8 or so (with arm length to match). The added square footage of the MT at that wingloading isn't going to be worth the added danger of using a non-BASE canopy. I know several BASE jumpers in your general weight range (one has already replied to this thread), who might be able to help steer you in the right direction. If you want contact info, drop me a PM or email. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

How much do you weigh? I'm wondering if there are better options. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

When the Constitution was written, trial by jury had a very different implementation. Jury trial was the alternative to magisterial trial. Meaning that your option (aside from the jury) was to submit yourself to the King's justice. Obviously, the recently revolutionary drafters didn't think too highly of this idea. Originally, juries were meant to be well informed groups. There was none of the modern "don't tell the jury anything" going on. Juries even went out and did their own fact finding in the midst of trials. Don't blame the constitution--blame our modern implementation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think I'd have to go with JP on this one. On my typical wingsuit flight, I'd rather learn to compensate so that I can watch the PC leaving the burble. If the PC has some kind of problem I'd want to know about it immediately, so that I could spend my last four or five seconds trying to deal with the problem, rather than wasting half (or more) of them simply learning that the problem exists. Obviously, the skydiving environment is the place to learn to compensate and watch the PC properly. I've had line twists on a wingsuit under 300', and I'd prefer to avoid doing it again. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A floating handle is an internal handle that is not attached to the PC. When you pack the PC, you push the handle into position, so that it gives you something to grab. But once you've used it to extract the PC, the floating handle just drops down inside the PC. As far as the PC can "see" during inflation, there is no handle. This avoids both the potential for entanglement issues (small) and the weird inflation patterns from weight on the apex (usually a more important issue). You can work it out for yourself if you just take a standard BASE PC with no handle and drop a 35mm film cannister into the inside. Then pack the PC up and you can see how you can have a handle that is only there when you need to grab it. I believe the first person to think of this was Swedish wingsuit BASE guru Perflare Eriksson. It's now standard on some size PC's from Asylum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Please do not use this setup BASE jumping. I heard Lukas say almost exactly the same words 3 days before his death (we had swapped rigs so he could try my Blackjack, and I was asking why he had a hackey handle). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'd recommend a floating handle. All the grip of a handle, but none of the deployment problems. I'm not sure who could make one for skydiving, and it would make cocking a kill line kind of a pain (but not too bad). Maybe contact Marty at Asylum and ask him if he'd make one for skydiving? In a pinch, I guess you could just cut the handle off a regular skydiving PC and throw a floating handle inside it. I personally prefer a floating handle on a ZP 38" PC with a vent, but that's just kind of carried over from other BASE. I'd say the vent and the 38" are kind of overkill for skydiving. I also use a 9' bridle, but again, that's just because that's what I have handy. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Congratulations! I'm proud to have been part of your adventure. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Clicky -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Can you give me a link for the Defiance? Or at least the manufacturer? Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Note to folks reading this thread: Hookitt is a very experienced rigger who has sewn for gear manufacturers. His willingness to make everything himself is probably not a good indication that the rest of us ought to do so. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Thanks. I've updated the list. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Good catch. Fixed it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I recently put together this list of all the containers I could think of off the top of my head, that seem to be reasonably available at the moment. I don't know if this helps, but here it is: Atmosphere (ParaAvis) Gargoyle (Morpheus) WS Xtreme (Morpheus) Medusa (Morpheus) V Wizard (Apex, formerly Vertigo) V Warlock (Apex, formerly Vertigo) Sorcerer (Apex, formerly Vertigo) Vertex (Basic Research, no longer produced) Prism (Basic Research, no longer produced. Vertex 2 (Apex, formerly Basic Research) Prism 2 (Apex, formerly Basic Research) Reactor 4 (Apex, formerly Basic Research) V Reactor 3 (Basic Research, no longer produced) V Perigee Classic (Consolidated Rigging, no longer produced) V Perigee II (Asylum, formerly Consolidated Rigging) V Perigee Pro (Asylum, formerly Consolidated Rigging) Vision (Gravity Sports) V Soft Cock (Bounceproof Rigging) V Odyssey (Paratech) V Odyssey FX (Paratech) Neo (Bombproof) Relax (Performance Variable) Hummit V I've marked the velcro rigs with 'V'. The rest are pins. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I can't tell you how much that made me laugh... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Okey dokey... I think this thread has had enough fun. Let's try to remember that Leroy posted his video in an effort to help others avoid his mistakes. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Interesting side note. I live in a small, conservative town, where the vast majority of the OB/GYN's are older, conservative, Mormon men. There has been some discussion of whether or not they would prescribe birth control pills. My wife pretty much decided that she wouldn't be willing to see an OB who refused to prescribe oral contraceptives. It's an interesting question of professional ethics--especially if _all_ the town's pharmacies (or doctors, or whatever) started refusing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

According to his profile it was a BJ 260 at .62. Is that right, Leroy? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

That individuals as obviously money grubbing and unethical as Mr. Edwards be disbarred. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In general, the factors that effect the inflation speed of a slider off canopy are going to be (note that this is after reaching line stretch): 1) Canopy Type (including vents or lack thereof). 2) Canopy Size (smaller= less nylon = faster inflation). 3) Wingloading (higher = faster inflation) Note however, that faster inflation at higher wingloadings is not the same as faster to full flight. Since the canopy has to decelerate the load (your weight), before it reaches full flight, a smaller load (i.e. higher wingloading) will reach full flight sooner, when all else is equal. In other words, although there is some merit to what you were told, in very specialized situations, it is generally not a factor that matters very much in spacing openings. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

No. He definitely didn't convince, for example, the Scott Peterson murder jury. Lawyers argue before specific juries, one at a time. There arguments are not presented to all juries ever convened. Such presentation of arguments that don't relate to the matter at hand would be quite counterproductive, as would any attempt by a lawyer to convince _all_ juries. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

From your shadow, it looks like you never really flared. Am I mistaken? BASE canopies tend to flare deep. It looked to me (from the shadow--so I might be way off base here) like there was plenty of flare left, and you just didn't take it. I'd say that with a deep flare, that would have been a stand up landing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've reached my zero tolerance point here. Why don't you go back to Sonic Beef for 14 days? And they are. I'm pretty sure that you don't speak for the US BASE community. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually, my distaste for Edwards is pretty much based on his career, not his political affiliation. If the man was a Republican, I'd feel the same way. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

At the time of the lawsuits, there was little or no evidence either way. Edwards manufactures somewhat spurious evidence, and since there had been (as of then) no contervailing studies, he was able to convince some juries that he knew better than the doctors. It'd be a bit like if I were injured under my reserve, and sued PD for making bad reserves. When it came to trial, I called some expert witness who (for some undisclosed amount of cash) testified that an octagonal reserve would have worked better. No such thing as an octagonal reserve? Doesn't matter. It's PD's responsibility to have thought of that and provided me with one. Guess what? There are no studies indicating that an octagonal reserve wouldn't be better. Why not? Because no one has ever thought to do such a study, since it's pretty much an absurd idea. But if I trot out enough "expert" testimony, those non-jumpers in the jury box may give me a big, fat cash settlement. It doesn't matter to me that PD will then have to up the price of their reserves to pay me off--that just screws all of you. I'm laughing all the way to the bank. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com