TomAiello

My short answer: Yes. Every single BASE rig has a reserve. 99% of them lack a main. In jumping a single canopy system, you place the same faith that you do in jumping a skydiving system--that your final option absolutely, positively, will open. In BASE the final option is also the first option. But since it's generally been packed more recently, and by me personally, I tend to feel a little more warm and fuzzy about it than I do about the reserve in my skydiving rig. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hey Twizz, I'll take you a little more seriously if you man up and put some real information in your profile--like enough for us to identify you as a real BASE jumper, rather than just a troll. Do you know JH? Care to tell us why you think he's not a qualified instructor? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Fishing for information about sites, Twizz? I'm pretty sure that's a remote tower with no one around to observe. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I was living in Davis when I started my jumping career. I did my first 300 or so skydives at Lodi. There's plenty of fun jumping in both places. Rancho Cordova is significantly closer to Lodi than it is to Davis, but it's still less than 40 minutes to either. If you want to jump cheap, and see a real "old school" dropzone, go to Lodi. if you want a more conventional DZ feel, go to Davis. I personally prefer Davis, but that's probably because Bill (Lodi's DZO) doesn't care for us "rockhoppers" too much. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

One last thought. If you take vacations away from BASE, your level of desensitization drops off to approach normal, and when you return to the sport, you reap the same massive experiences you did at the outset. Perhaps a relatively low level of activity is the best way to get maximum personal return from each jump? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Thoughtful...Here are my random ramblings... I think this is just a consequence of the human condition. Exposure to any stimulus over the long term will lead to some kind of desensitization (or perhaps, if not, then to insanity). Exposure to intense stimulation even more so. For example, the first time I met Dan Osman, my impression was that he appeared to have overloaded and burned out all of his adrenaline receptors. Things that would leave any "normal" human being drooling in a padded room had become run of the mill for him. And "normal" life appeared as stimulating to him as a long term THC high (perhaps "low" would be a better term). One of the most insightful things I ever heard him say (it was on a video) was "What's wrong with people today? Can't we just be happy with normal successes and failures?" The problem appears to be that after extended exposure, merely insane levels of risk no longer produce the added stimulus that our minds crave. So, instead of being satisfied with three second canopy flights, we begin to think the jump was "wasted" unless we PLF'd a half riser flare at the moment of impact. Merely outflying a six second ledge is no longer interesting--instead we find our friends launching wingsuits over four second rock drops. Buzzing a cliff is no longer interesting--we must fly between the guy wires of a tower. In the most extreme, perhaps we find the "ultimate" stimulus only in the moment of terminal impact? I seem to remember a very experienced jumper commenting that if you impacted at terminal, you ought to do so with your eyes wide open, as this was the ultimate experience, and ought to be enjoyed to the fullest. My BASE mentor once commented to me that BASE was like heroine. It's dangerous, addictive, and usually illegal. And the more you have, the more you need to get the same buzz. The problem is that eventually, to get any buzz at all, you must put yourself into the hospital (or morgue) with an overdose. Truthfully, I think that the people who are "trapped" are the lucky ones. The notion that you are trapped at a certain level implies that you are not moving deeper. I've met people who seem able to take the same pleasure in their 500th jump as their first. Perhaps the "trapped" jumpers are the ones who started out "grown up"? There does, however, seem to be a progression for most jumpers. One which either ends, as you suggest with a sort of "growing up", or one that spirals deeper and deeper in. Interestingly, I think that the "grown up" (or perhaps "recovered") BASE jumpers take more pleasure in each jump than the hard core BASE junkies (which they previously were). In fact, there seems to be a significant amount of personal growth and development that takes place along this road. Doubtless there are other (and safer) ways to achieve this personal growth, but the people I have met who have followed the entire path you describe, from the depths of BASE addiction to the "recovered" stage of BASE enjoyment, seem to be relatively healthier than average. I would suggest that for some people, growth is so difficult that it requires massive, often traumatic stimulus of the sort that BASE provides so well. Some people are not that screwed up, however, and can reach maturity without engaging in our massive bouts of self destructive behavior. Another thought: Some of us appear to have serious adjustment problems. The sensors swing from re-adjusted (say, doing flat and stable deployments all weekend) to "massive jonesing" (say, needing to strafe a bridge full of spectators) in a few short moments. This may be the most dangerous stage of all. We have the skills and experience to do some truly insane things, but only engage in them in brief, intense spurts. Just remember our pact. If you break it, I'll show up at the memorial and piss on your grave. I wonder if the dealing with death will go through the same kind of cycle as the underlying BASE activity? In other words, will we be desensitized, then progress to a lower, but more rewarding/real interaction with death? Two thoughts: 1) There is no need to balance your life in all ways. There are many ways to address the need for extremes without deploying parachutes 150 feet off the ground. Some of them are even relatively safe. Consider other "intense" experiences in the psychedelic, sexual, or physical exertion realms. The traditional way, over the last few thousand years, to achieve these intense states, was to fast or otherwise expose oneself to intense deprivation and material hardship. Perhaps the self-flagellating hindu holy men were the spiritual precursors of modern BASE jumpers? 2) I know some older jumpers who appear to take their extremes in moderation. They don't jump very often, but occasionally go on expeditions (or just weekend jumps) that recapture the extremities sufficiently. This appears to be the equivalent of a "normal" person going on yearly vacations to "re-balance" themselves. An interesting thing I heard recently from another jumper (who was begging off going to jump). "It's all just flying your body." I think what that means is that life is about seeking experience. And that each new experience can contribute to the overall life experience. So, in this case, he found that getting his girl "ho'd up" and going to a Kid Rock concert was as worthwhile an experience as yet another nighttime jump off the same shitty crane. This is an ongoing quest. Perhaps someone with a little more time in grade will comment... Forgive my incoherence. I'm sitting in the Motel 6 on Blue Lakes after an 18 hour day (on the upside, we're hoping to make an offer on a house here this weekend

In my opinion, there are no suitable teaching objects in New Jersey. I'd be highly suspicious of anyone who offers to teach you locally. I'd recommend seeking professional instruction, or, at the very least, travelling to Idaho (or perhaps Norway) for you first jumps. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Clicky: Tom Begic's Article. Thanks for finding that. I dug around on the ABA site earlier, and couldn't locate it. It's pretty much the best thing I've seen written on site evaluation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Deep Brake Settings should be customized to the particular jumper. That's probably why you didn't feel much of a difference. I'd guess that what you really have are two, slightly different, shallow brake settings. Let me see if I can dig around and find Dwain's old post about DBS. edit: Here's a good BLiNC thread about DBS (among other things). In relevant part (emphasis added): -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Not really. When you say "my wingloading is X" what you are really doing is expressing common shorthand for "the flight characteristics that I experience under this particular canopy approximate Y." In other words, it doesn't matter what the number is, just that we all understand what it means--which, in general, we do. For example, if we all started expressing wingloading as tons per square inch, that wouldn't actually change the flight characteristics of our canopies any, only the numbers we used to discuss them. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Deep Brake Settings should be customized to the particular jumper. That's probably why you didn't feel much of a difference. I'd guess that what you really have are two, slightly different, shallow brake settings. Let me see if I can dig around and find Dwain's old post about DBS. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

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I have a few more details on that situation. He did post, months ago, looking for locals for a planned springtime trip. The jumper in question is a US serviceman who was essentially incommunicado over in the middle east, and got a surprise weekend off on a stopover in Germany, which turned out not to be when he thought he'd be in Europe. It sounds to me like he was pretty above board about the whole thing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

That's pretty much left to the discretion of the moderator who locks the thread (or other moderators, if they wish). There is no hard and fast policy related to when, or for how long, someone is banned from a forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Heck no. What was he going to do? Physically restrain them? And start a brawl in the back of the plane? edit to add: my answer is the same if Joe is just Joe, or if Joe is D-XXX, or if Joe holds various certifications, or if Joe is the head honcho of all creation. My answer only changes if Joe is the owner/operator of the aircraft or DZ. Then I think he ought to say "hey, no jumping, clouds." If they still jump, despite this, that's on their own heads. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In my opinion, BASE jumps ought to be made on real BASE gear. I don't recommend using that Raven for BASE. The "textbook" BASE wingloading is .75 lbs/sqare foot, so at any exit weight of 270, you ought to be jumping a canopy around (270/.75 = ) 360 square feet. In other words, you're going to need the biggest BASE canopies made, and even then you'll be overloading things. According to the Bounceproof wingloading theorem, you ought to jump a canopy around (240 +100 = ) 340 square feet. So you're still going to need the biggest thing you can lay your hands on. As far as using that Raven for a first BASE jump? You could probably get away with it, if your first jump is done off a bridge, with either a big grassy field or some water to land in. But I definitely wouldn't expect to get into serious BASE and keep using it. That just sounds like asking for trouble. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Continuum can be purchased here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Can I extend your hypothetical a little? What if the BSR violation made the jump safer? In fact, let's hypothesize that the jump would be extremely unsafe if made in accordance with the BSR, but reasonably survivable if made in the BSR-violating method used. Does the relative safety of the jump, and appropriateness of the dive plan and equipment for jumpers safety factor in at all? Or must the BSR's be followed in all cases, even if following them reduces the safety of the jumpers? Which is more important, performing the jump as safely as possible, or performing the jump within the BSR guidelines? Edit to add: An even scarier hypothetical. What if, say, there are two jumpers on the plane, intending to make their jump in what they feel is the safest manner possible (for that particular dive plan). They are real, recognized experts in this sort of jumping (and both of them are far more expert than "you", the theoretical USPA stamphead observer). You advise them that BSR's mandate they do their jump in a different manner. One of them agrees with you, and switches his plan to the less safe, but BSR approved plan you recommend. The jump occurs, and the BSR following jumper is seriously injured or killed as the result of the configuration changes he made following your BSR-founded advice. The non-BSR following jumper lands safely. How do you feel? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Who are you taking your course from? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The average chest strap only has a 500 buckle. Far wiser to loop your prussic knot around a main lift web (4,000 to 7,000 pounds). If you are climbing with the prussic around the cable, but sliding, and you fall, you risk two things: (a) the cord is sliced by the sliding friction with the metal, or (b) you take a fairly good fall onto a short piece of static line. Either one is very, very bad. Using a prussic or quickdraw in this way is great for resting during the climb, but not so good as a self arrest system in the event of a fall. If you are looking for a self arrest system, I'd definitely recommend using the gear the tower workers use, which is actually designed for the cable. A cheaper alternative is a Petzl Zypper or similar dynamic leash, which is intended for a roughly equivalent fall patter (the via ferrata). Most of the jumpers I know don't bother with either. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'd avoid it. I've jumped Cruiselites on several BASE jumps. I'm only willing to jump them on (a) spans over water where I intend to land in the water, or (b) big walls with a high probability of gear confiscation, and good landing areas. I've not been overly impressed with the inflation characteristics, so I wouldn't be willing to take one to a low object where either fast inflation or on-heading opening was essential. I also haven't liked the flare (probably because most Cruiselites are very, very old), so I wouldn't try to put one down in a bad landing area. The bottom line is, with modern BASE gear available, why bother? Unless I have a good answer to that question (like saving my good gear from confiscation or water landings), I'm going with a modern BASE canopy. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hey guys, if you just want to talk to each other, take it to PM's ok? Thanks. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you go to BLiNC and do a search for "radiation" you'll come up with 19 threads on this topic. Here's one specifically on cell towers, but there's good information all over if you take the time to read all the threads. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dwain and I did this kind of half heartedly (we were on wind hold) about two years ago, with standard and super mushroom. We actually tossed them from a balcony, with a small weight (so that they inflated before they hit the ground). Dwain wasn't convinced that either mushroom or super mushroom had an advantage. I felt that super mushroom was less likely to hesitate, and that there was no difference in "normal" inflation time. I do think that the primary cause of hesitations is the ZP getting trapped against itself, rather than the "gross" malfunctions (knotted center line, bridle over, etc). I think the super mushroom addresses the most common problem (by "pre-opening" the ZP) experienced by hesitating mushroom packed PC's. I hesitate to recommend it, because, as Tree points out, it blatantly violates the received wisdom that BASE PC's ought to be packed with center line extended. To each their own, I suppose. For my own, I'll usually take the super mushroom. I'd definitely like to see more research done, and I bet that we can come up with even better packing methods. Does anyone besides me hear Nikolas cackling whenever someone says "mushroom"? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

About 1-3 times per week, right now. Which is way down from my average when I lived in California. On the other hand, multiple rigs means that 1-3 times can be as many as 6 or 8 jumps. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com