TomAiello

Yes. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Thread here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yep. Got it on DV. Not much to see, though. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes. And I believe it was more than two people, and not just guys. Thread here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You might want to just ask BR their reasoning directly. I think it's more a lack of enough field testing to recommend it than an actual problem with it. In my opinion, a small mesh slider would be a better compromise solution. Many people are using small mesh sliders with vented canopies anyway, regardless of tailgate considerations. I'd guess they run somewhere around 1 in a few thousand. But being under one just once is enough argument for me to look for a solution. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ok, that was really not very interesting. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yawn. 224. If you want I can play for a few hours and get some ridiculous score. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Word on the street is that it AIN'T NO STINKIN' SKYDIVE... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

And rightly so. Instruction varies widely in quality. Some of it pretty much plain sucks. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Ah, where is Ivan when we need him? Perhaps he is here or here... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I didn't learn what a PLF was until I started BASE jumping. My skydiving instruction did not include any references to PLF, PLF training, or even an explanation of what a PLF was. I got an old paratrooper I worked with to teach me a PLF, after he explained to me what it was. edit to add: I also completed my training without knowing how a kill line PC worked. Training varies widely in quality. Don't criticize the student who didn't learn things that weren't covered. At least he's asking, and trying to figure things out. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I sent the "vegetarians v. meat eaters" part of this thread to Talkback, if anyone wants to find it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Does anyone know anything about Matter's new suit? All I've heard throught the grapevine is "bigger leg wing to balance the arms". Anyone have more? I heard that they are at Elsinore this month? Anyone down there know? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

What's the rule in Oz? Is evidence from a trial considered public domain? Maybe we could convince Slim to tell the rest of the story... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I prefer the time honored: On the original topic: I've really found that people with multiple thousands of skydives are far and away the best students of BASE. Honestly, I think it has more to do with attitude than anything else. They just don't feel a need to prove how cool they are in the BASE environment--they've already been through that stage skydiving. Of course, they tend to have better skills in general, but I think that's largely secondary. On the issue of fewer skydives, say 10 skydives compared to 150? Or 150 compared to 500? I'm not so sure it makes a huge difference for some jumps (generally those that do not reach terminal). The average BASE student today has already (by 200 skydives) reached a point where they aren't really practicing BASE-applicable skills on their skydives (absent the very few who are CRW or Accuracy jumpers). Does another 200 jumps on their ZP 9 cell (often elliptical) canopy better prepare them for BASE? I kind of doubt it. I guess the point I'm getting at is this: It's not really relevant how many skydives you have made (except as a general indicator of attitudes). What is important is type of skydives made. So, if that potential BASE student is saying "I really want to get better at Accuracy/CRW/Max Tracking," then yes, I see a real point in waiting. But improving your head down isn't going to make you any better at BASE. In fact, I've seen people with 400 skydives who were much _worse_ students of BASE than people with a ridiculously small (think double digits) number of skydives. Largely this was because the 400 jump freeflyer mostly learned that he was a bulletproof skygod over the course of his last 400 jumps. The non-skydiver hadn't had a chance to pick up the "skydiver mentality", and still had some appropriate respect for BASE. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Woohoo! Vote Libertarian! I've been doing that in most elections since I was old enough to vote. Legalize Freedom! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I learned that way--first without tools, then adding tools. Honestly, I think it's easier to learn in the opposite order. Use the tools first, then once you understand the process, start learning how to control things by hand. It just seems like learning without tools is like learning two things (how to pack the canopy, and how to control the pack job) at one time, where learning to pack with tools narrows things down to one task (learning to pack). In the end, it always has to be about how you feel about what is on your back. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

With better than 100 pack jobs "au naturalle", I don't really feel like it's that unfamiliar. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

No. It could definitely load one side first in a crosswind, even with perfect body position. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you mean you are trying to collapse the leg wing before pulling, it should be no problem. But you'd probably be better off collapsing everything (arm wings too) for a 5 seconds, then pulling. Leaving the arm wings open but collapsing the leg wing sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I may have misunderstood, though. Can you elaborate on the question? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Pulled silver on my very first wingsuit flight. Pitched, had the PC caught in burble. Tried to roll around, couldn't get it out. Grabbed the edge of it with on hand and held it while firing the reserve. To be honest, I panicked. I was scared to death of this wingsuit contraption, had almost no coaching or instruction, and didn't like the feel of confinement. I'm sure if the same thing happened today, I'd be able to get the PC off my back and a normal inflation. BTW, I had pulled at around 5000' on that jump. And I fired the reserve at about 3500'. How's that for high pulling? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

But Lummy, you're almost the only DZ.commer who could vouch for my reality. I think you and hookitt may be the only ones who have actually seen me in the flesh. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I just had to pull this out of the PETA thread, and give it it's own life. People might have missed it tucked away at the end of that thread. For the record, I believe Aussies, especially Aussie BASE jumpers, to be among the most conservative, boring people on earth. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rocket did solo. Err...Do you mean somehow train him to throw the PC, so it wouldn't have to be a PCA? Now that would be amazing. You don't need a special canopy. You can use a cargo round, generally available for about 20 bucks from a military surplus store. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I recommend contacting BASE 428. I bet he can point you in the right direction. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com