TomAiello

I think you'd have to have several instructors who volunteered to just hang out and answer questions in that forum. Otherwise the potential for misinformation to propagate could be large. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Certainly. The B is definitely the rarest one. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Perhaps the ability to enter your own sub-discipline as a text field? I wonder how long it would take for that to get abused, though. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Talk to Miles D. He's done some time up in the great white north. If you need contact info, PM me. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm going to sticky this to the top for a while. Jason, can you keep us updated on the number of slots left, and when registration is closed? Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Very, very different. Every object is different from every other, so it's not easy to generalize, but if you have to generalize, S is easiest, then A, then E, then B. The average B is far harder than the average jump. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Actually climbing to the exit is very rare. In general, the BASE gear is cumbersome enough to make it very difficult. You also need to find a way to get the climbing gear down, as it is cumbersome enough to make the jump difficult. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Definitely get a vented canopy. Below about .65, my openings on unvented canopies degrade noticeably. I've not pushed a vented canopy below about .55 (and that was quite a while ago), but I'd guess that they'll be ok as long as you're not talking about sub 200' freefall. If you're under 200', I'd probably make the canopy smaller again. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I know several BASE jumpers who boycott Red Bull because of Felix. Go Fast! is pretty good stuff, and it's owned by a real jumper. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you watch the video you can see he pulls because he crosses the fjord. He's still got more than 1000' of vertical altitude--he just can't use it because there is a large rock wall coming straight at him. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'd say that 270' is fine. I'd guess that if you can spread the canopy wide (say have helpers pull your outside A lines out 10 feet to your left and right), you can probably get open about as fast as a static line. Sticking with K.I.R.S. (Keep It Retarded, Stupid) and hanging it all down from the jumper, I'd say you'll be open somewhere between a static line and a well executed freefall. Call it, say, 150' minimum, if everything goes exactly right. Maybe 200' to be on the safe (ish) side. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

\ It's a rocket deployed rig. There's video of some of Peter's jumps on one of the German BASE web sites. Pretty cool stuff. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here. You can get there via "who's online" and "member directory". -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Petter Bergsjoe crossed the fjord in an S3 last summer. Video is in my folder on skydivingmovies.com, or on my web site, but quality is poor on-line. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Phoenix Fly Web Site. I think it's still under contruction. I'd either email Robert directly or keep checking the web site. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If your profile is correct, you probably ought to let 386 pick this one up. It's probably a bit early for you to be taking on a student. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude. Remind me to show you how to pull the slider down without repacking. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I understand that Sangiro has limited the posting ability of some of the more "active" users, so that they don't hog too much of the bandwidth. Perhaps that's what both of you guys are encountering. [That's just a joke, if you're wondering. I think AggieDave has this one right.] -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's all about what you're used to. I know once very experienced jumper who had around 600 jumps before he started doing slider ups. Maybe he'll post... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've seen McConkey line overs. I've even seen them slider up. They've always happened when someone either (a) jumped in wind, or (b) didn't maintain tension, or (c) both. I've never done a McConkey without setting the brakes. Opening that close to the object, I can't imagine going without the brakes set. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I heard they might give them each half a vote...Is that like the 3/5ths compromise? Who gets to cast the kids' votes? Do they control it, or do their parents? Hmmm... Wacky stuff. Anyone have any more real information on it? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Do you know why Jimmy recommended it? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I generally do not use tailgates on McConkeys. Here's my reasoning. Putting a tailgate on a McConkey brings the canopy into a tighter bundle down there at the bottom of the lines. That bundle is much easier to swing around into an off-heading position. With proper line tension (i.e. no slack through the maneuver), it ought to be pretty much impossible to have a line over anyway. Note that the same argument applies to the use of a slider (but more so, since if you lose line tension with a slider, you can--I've seen it--end up with a slider up line over). The only reason I can see to put a tailgate onto a McConkey is to bring the bundle together so that wind doesn't blow it around. My solution to this problem is just not to do McConkey's in significant wind (i.e. enough to blow the canopy around). If I was going to use a tailgate to gather the McConkey canopy in this kind of situation, I'd certainly _only_ try it off a nice friendly span. McConkey's done properly (maintaining tension), without tailgates, have given me a nearly perfect heading rate. My comments are based on around 60 McConkey's, off 9 objects (3 Buildings, 1 Antenna, 3 Spans, 2 Earth). Take them with a grain of salt, as I don't believe anyone has enough experience with these maneuvers to really be considered an expert. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've not seen burns from the tailgate. I have seen many 5 line canopies with burns on the upper control lines. I'm not sure what causes it, but I've only really seen it on 5 line canopies. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com