TomAiello

Because at any delay (even 1 second) the odds of hesitation decrease dramatically (as airspeed increases, and hence pull force increases). There is no reason to use slippery loops for anything over 200', because you don't need them, and there are some downsides as well--you want your pins to stay in place in freefall, after all. Essentially, it's the same reason you don't use a 48" PC for every BASE jump. Use the right gear for the job. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Smartass. I think that every time someone makes a post like this. But do I post it? No. I like to think of it as tactful restraint. And I even have the B, S and E. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Karin's Boyfriend (who is probably the leading expert on low free fall) posted some very informative stuff on BLiNC on this exact topic about a year ago. I've tried to find it, but seem unable to do so. Can anyone else pull it up? As I recall, his advice was: 1) Use spectra closing loops (to reduce pull tension). I measured pull forces on various loops in a couple of rigs a while back and found that the spectra had a pull force around 25% of the regular loops (they reduced pull force from around 10-12 to around 2-3 pounds). I've seen slight hesitations (PC at bridle stretch and inflated, but no extraction) on standard closing loops, and spectra appears to solve this problem. A slight hesitation might not seem like a big deal, but my experience has been that at 150', everything is a big deal. 2) Pitch the PC straight up to bridle extension. In addition, I'd recommend opening wrap around style (vertex, perigee pro, warlock) pin flaps, especially the stiffened (vertex, perigee pro, warlock with mod) ones. Let's see if anyone can dig up his posting... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I did that about a year and a half ago. I've been wandering around jumping since then. It's been a good time, but I'm just about ready to get back to the "real" world. I think it's time to sit down and think real hard about making money, so that I can make my second cut-away last a life time. My advice would be to get all the cash lined up so that you can cut-away for ever. Then do it. I know several people who have been full time jumpers for a year or more. By and large, they all move on to something else eventually. There is, I think, more to life than jumping. But as long as you've got your ducks in a row, it shouldn't be too hard to bail on everything else and go jumping for a while, then move on once it's starting to get old. Two last thoughts: "It's never too late to start a new life in the palm trees." -- Jimmy Buffett "You are the only person who can make you unhappy." -- Jonathan Aiello -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This thread has been very useful, I think. I also think it has finished serving it's useful purpose. Edit: Names removed at the request of the original poster. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Generally, all the rent or demo gear at Bridge Day is spoken for months in advance of the actual event. It's hot property, and it goes fast. That said, if you are from the area and want to start BASE, try contacting BASE 428 (jbell@vertical-visions.com), since he's (a) relatively local to you, (b) the Bridge Day organizer, and (c) will be able to put you on the right track for starting into BASE in a relatively sane fashion. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I agree. I do plan to have kids one day. And I do plan to stop BASE jumping when that happens. On the other hand, I have done a fair bit of BASE, so I doubt I'll feel like I missed out on the adventure. If the BASE adventure and the kids adventure were starting at the same time, I think it might be a little harder to make that kind of decision. I know that the worst thing that's happened to me in this sport is losing good friends. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a parent. I'm just not willing to take the chance of putting my children through that. This is especially true since I've already reaped a large percentage of my personal rewards from BASE. At this point, the risk-reward trade off still lands (narrowly) on the side of jumping. With kids, that will change for me. Everybody makes their own decisions, based on their own risks and rewards. Make the decision that is right for you, then respect others for making the decision that is right for them. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Generally, the jumps that do that (double jumps) are non-wingsuit. Most of the wingsuit flights just overfly the landing and re-exit zone and keep going. I saw a good double slider-down in Southern Norway a few weeks ago, and there is a rather nice double slider up in South Africa--but since Outrager overflew it, all the locals have bought wingsuits to turn it into one big flight. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Why don't you? I've banned you from this forum for 7 days. Try to post intelligently (or at least civilly) in the future. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've detached and moved all the non-BASE responses in this thread. They are over in the Events forum if you want to continue the discussion. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I saw one of these rigs in use at Petronas. It looks fine to me. My only concern would be protection of teh lower bridle on a wingsuit flight, since the wind over your back would flow into the pocket (since the bottom flap goes over the side flap, rather than vice versa). Still, if that French wignsuit guru is using one for his flights, it must work ok. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I understand that he was flying an S4 prototype before the trip. I would bet he used that. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The load appears to be too much for my poor little personal web page. If you can't get it there, try the skydivingmovies.com ftp server. I'm uploading three videos, McCutaway (my cutaway), Smell (a rather impressive wingsuit flight--not by me, as I fly like a brick anvil) and Lysefjord (another wingsuit flight). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The load appears to be too much for my poor little personal web page. If you can't get it there, try the skydivingmovies.com ftp server. I'm uploading three videos, McCutaway (my cutaway), Smell (a rather impressive wingsuit flight--not by me, as I fly like a brick anvil) and Lysefjord (another wingsuit flight). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm now uploading the video to the skydivingmovies.com ftp server. I'm uploading three videos, McCutaway (my cutaway), Smell (a rather impressive wingsuit flight--not by me, as I fly like a brick anvil) and Lysefjord (another wingsuit flight). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Looks like it's working now. [crosses fingers] -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A short description: Two (single canopy) BASE rigs. 1500 foot cliff. McConkey. Cutaway at around 700'. The best part of the video is listening to one of my friends saying "I really didn't think that was going to work..." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yeah, I can't get it now, either. I suspect that I posted, and enough people ran over to look that it crashed my little web site. Give it some time and it should be back up. I really think it's worth watching the video--it was a pretty unusual cut-away. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yeah, after I posted the videos, I posted on some forums about them, and my website was down from overtraffic in about thirty seconds. If you try again later (maybe in a couple hours), it'll probably be useable. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

At risk of revealing myself to be a true technical illiterate, here are the URL's: http://homepage.mac.com/tbaiello/iMovieTheater8.html http://homepage.mac.com/tbaiello/iMovieTheater9.html http://homepage.mac.com/tbaiello/iMovieTheater10.html I think that there may be several folks looking at them, because as soon as I posted, my web page bogged down. I'll try again later and see if it's really a problem with the video, or just a traffic jam. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

It's in quicktime. Is that the problem? I haven't looked at it from a PC, just my (mac) laptop. I'm travelling, so I haven't much time to troubleshoot just now. edit: Here's the url, in case I did something wrong with the link I put up: http://homepage.mac.com/tbaiello/iMovieTheater8.html -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yep, I owe beer. This was the first time I had ever cut away a parachute. Check out the video Hey, everyone else posts cheesy videos of their firsts, so why can't I? Hope you're all having as much fun as I am! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Howdy y'all! I'm dropping by for the first time in a few weeks. Thanks to everyone (aka Sangiro) for keeping this place cleaned up while I'm out hopping off the rocks in Norway. I've posted a few new videos on my web site, in a mid-trip break (thanks to AD for the use of his DSL line). Check it out: Petter Crosses Lysefjord Petter Flies Home My First Cutaway I'm off to the Northlands for another few weeks. Hope your all having fun wherever you are (except for you Yuri--I hope your trip continues to suck until you get up here). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Howdy all, I'm taking an hour break from jumping in Norway to hop on a friend's DSL line and post a few new videos that I've edited in the last week or so. Check out Petter Bergsjoe--he's an amazing flyer: Smellvegen to Lysebotn Crossing Lysefjord Sorry for the low quality--I've only got so much space on my web page. I'll see if I can send higher quality copies to Jari and get him to put them up on the bird-man web page. Have fun! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rob, Thanks for the wingsuit. I'll make my next flight in your memory. I'm bummed we never made it together out to the big cliff we talked about. Fly free. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com