TomAiello

In my mind the real issue is identity verification, and hence restricting acess to folks you knew you wanted to be able to see the whole list of data. I think Space has a point. I wonder if what you ought to do is create a secure database with very limited access, then publish a list of "area contacts" each of whom had access to the database and would act as a personal, real world, filter for others seeking access to the information. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's a "test group" forum. It's mostly a discussion about the possibility of setting up a DZ.com-like rock climbing community. There isn't any actual rock climbing specific content, as yet. If you are interested, PM Sangiro and ask him about it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Do tell? It does look like less wing. Is it a high end suit, or a GTi replacement. Looks like it might be a super stable beginner suit? What's the flight performance like? So, any answers? Or is this just a teaser? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm resurrecting BASE428's posting from the last NPS thread: See Jason, all that typing didn't go to waste... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Just for one jump, or over the longer term (as you both learn to fly your respective suits better)? For just one jump, I'd try an S-Fly or MTR suit, since what you'll really need is float. The birdman suits are great at flying fast forward, hence generating lift and falling slow. But they have low drag (usually a good characteristic in a suit) so you need to fly fast forward to float up. The S-Fly and MTR tend to float more at slower forward speed. Since your GTi clad student isn't going to be driving all that fast, your primary problem is going to be staying up with her, yet flying slow enough not to leave her behind. Hence, you'd want a slow, but floaty suit, like the S-Fly or MTR. Cue birdman evangelistas... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In the States, the term "BB Gun" refers to air or spring powered rifles and pistols which fire hard metal ball bearings. It generally is not used to refer to the type of plastic toy gun that fires neon yellow plastic projectiles. It can sometimes be used to include air or compressed gas rifles that fire small lead projectiles of the type described by the legislation, although such guns are generally referred to as "pellet guns" rather than lumped into the general class of "BB gun". I think it might just be a cross-pond semantic difference. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This may be one of the wisest things that has been posted to this board in a long time. For those of you who don't know Vrank, I recommend meeting him. Along with being one of the world's more experienced jumpers, he's a great deal of fun to party with. (Sometimes I feel a need to fill in bits of those blank profiles, to help people reading this understand the perspectives of some of the posters.) -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In my relatively educated (I think I've seen most of the BASE videos released in the last 5 years) opinion, this is one of the best two BASE videos ever made. Plus, it's got me in it, in a couple places. What more could you want? If you're wondering what the other video in my personal top two is, it's Beyond Extreme (available from the same link that hookitt gave, or from the one I just posted). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Looks pretty good. For packing ease, the center stabilizer should be a different color from the rest...but have you considered varying the stabilizer color? I bet that would look bad ass with all black stabilizers, but a blue center stabilizer. Wouldn't hurt the stealth factor, either. It's all about looking good on video, baby! edit to add: Black lines would look good on that color combination, too. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I always thought it was weird when someone had a malfunction, and everyone landed back at the regular LZ, chattering about it. Personally, if I see it I'll almost always follow a piece of gear (the chopped main, if no one is going after it, otherwise the free bag), just because I've lost stuff chopping before, and it sucked. I figure the extra karma I get from making sure someone gets their canopy back is well worth the load I might miss landing off. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Nowhere, of course. Why would anyone want a BASE rig with no metal? Have you heard the one about the guys who put their rigs straight through the security X ray machines? And got away with it? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

My basic rule of thumb is: Slider up = stowed. If you are jumping slider up stuff right off the bat, I don't see a problem. If you are doing slider down jumps, I'd recommend doing at least the first one hand held, to give you a chance to play with your gear. I think the decision of when to go stowed (both when in your jumping career you start and which jumps you go stowed on) is very personal. If you have a zillion skydives, you're going to be more comfortable going stowed than hand held. On the other hand, if you need to time deployment precisely due to other factors (like vertical spacing of obstacles) then hand held is the ticket. I know people who had over 100 jumps before going stowed. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I know people who did their first jump from 2000' stowed. That sounds ok too. It all depends on the jumper and the object. If you want more thoughts on your particular situation, give some particulars. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In a nutshell: The birdman suits use a "one handle per wing" cutaway system. The handles are located at the jumper's sides, just below the end of the wing. Each handle has two cables, one for the front and one for the rear surface of the wing. The cutaway cable runs right up the side of the jumpers body, and when activated, detaches the wing from the side of the body, leaving it attached to the underside of the arm. Birdman suits with leg cutaway systems mount another handle (or two, if you have cutaway on both sides of the leg) a few inches below the arm wing cutaway handle. This handle has one cutaway cable, which runs down the outside of the leg, parallel to the zipper. When activated, this cutaway essentially opens the leg, as if it were unzipped, allowing the jumper to remove his leg(s) from the leg of the suit, leaving the leg wing, still attached to the suit leg, hanging free. I think the birdman setup is a little more aerodynamically sound, and might be easier to cutaway in a high G force malfunction. On the other hand, the S-Fly/Matter cutaway is easier to replace, so cutting away on every jump is no big deal. I also like the idea of being able to cut away with just one handle. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Generally speaking, I'd say it's because all our riggers "grew up" skydiving, and use skydiving suppliers for parts. So it's easier/cheaper/more familiar for the manufacturers to use standard skydiving fittings. I bet you could get a zero metal rig built for you, if you asked. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

simjet -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Sure. I used to have a set done up that way. It was kind of weird, but you got used to it. Not even close. I've found that the knot is far easier than the "sewn loop" method. If you find the sewn loop quicker, I suspect that you haven't been taught how to do the "knot" method correctly. You don't tie the toggle onto the line, you just use the knot as a movable backstop for a loop that holds the toggle in place. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

We don't usually see press releases with the number in them, either. I think in this one it was probably an attempt to differentiate him from his son, Bush (43), the current president. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

He was the 41st President of the United States. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

About two years ago, I impacted under a partially inflated canopy, when I lost altitude awareness during a 2 way (if you're wondering, exit altitude was 486'). I spent about two months in the hospital. That book had just come out, at the time. I received no less than four copies of the book as gifts from non-jumper friends. They all had that section (as well as "how to jump from a bridge into water") highlighted and marked. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Let me help you out with that. I've copied your original post below. The parts that I thought sounded condescending or contemptuous of less experienced jumpers appear in red. I find the last bit particularly flagrant. (edit to add) Pull altitude varies dramatically depending on the jump. I, personally, do consider 3500' to be a low pull when I am skydiving. That is because I generally pull around 4000', since my standard skydive is a wingsuit flight under an elliptical, 9 cell, ZP canopy loaded around 1.5. I am not confident in my ability to deal with potential problems with these openings at lower altitudes. (edit to add) I'm fairly certain that my average pull is made at a lower altitude than your average pull. That doesn't mean that I hold people pulling at higher altitudes in contempt. In fact, I have more respect for people who establish their own pull altitudes based on personal comfort and safety margin than those who pull lower because it's the "cool" thing to do. (edit to add) You may be interested to hear that Bill Dause regularly pulls at 3500' or higher. I am fairly certain that he has almost as much skydiving experience as you do. (edit to add) Just out of curiousity, what pull altitude would you consider to be "in the basement"? edit: My comments on each red part follow that section, in italics. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Logically, the next question is "how much forward speed are you carrying when you achieve zero fall rate?" And the next question in that sequence might be: "and what would it feel like to do a face plant at that speed?" -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I tend to stuff it down my pants, with the handle sticking out a little. It makes it quick and easy to get it out on a "jump and run" kind of jump, and I've just gotten into the habit on all my jumps for no good reason. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes. I move my toggles up and down for slider position. I've experimented with lots of different toggle settings on new canopies. I really prefer having just lines (no loops) at the end of my control lines. That way I can set the toggles myself. Being a short, fat guy, I often find the factory toggle setting on my big canopies is way too long (since they're designed for tall, skinny people who weigh the same but have arms a foot longer). Also, the "line and knot" is a ton easier to change toggles out than the "permanent sewn loop" system for the end of the line. I find my toggle settings at the same time I customize my DBS--right when I buy a new canopy. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Not directed at Pringles, just a general heads up... You should also keep in mind that stowing the stash bag in the back pad has the potential to dramatically change pin tension. So, if you're jumping a pin rig with a back pad pocket, be sure to have a friend check your pin tension _after_ you are all geared up. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

"Textbook" wingloading is .75. Shotgun Ray's Rule seems slightly better. Take your naked weight, add 100, and that's your "standard" canopy size. Add a size for bad landing areas, subtract a size for high winds. A search for "wing loading" on this forum yields many threads, including: Wing Loading Wingloading for Dummies, which is really just a reference to this BLiNC thread wingloading?? and a couple more. Try searching around and reading the other threads on the subject. There's probably more information than you need already on this forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com