TomAiello

I made just under 100 airplane flights on my Classic, then took it to a big elevator, and made around 15 jumps in three days. Then I started in on cliffs. I bought my Skyflyer when I had around 150 total wingsuit jumps, and made about 15 skydives on it before BASE jumping with it. I think this was dreadfully inadequate, and really wish I had made another 100 or so jumps on it before I tried an object. I had around 500 BASE jumps before my first BASE wingsuit flight. If you are doing BASE, you need a BASE rig. Period. Think about it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I use a flat pro-stack for 90% of my jumps. I really think it's just a matter of personal preference (and some packing space considerations in the field). If you need clamps, I could easily buy a set and ship them over to you. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Did you try posting on BLiNC? Several Seattle jumpers read that forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hey, I (kind of) live in California, and I'm not famous! What am I doing wrong?! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

OK, but can you explain just this part: What is a factory side pack? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Well, I heard there is a real jump at the hotel...I'm here until 10pm. Wanna give it a go? Hey, and I still want to get some video from you... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Why not just use an elevator? I've never jumped a helicopter, but in my (limited) experience, the best way to approximate a BASE flight is just to find the safest object you can, and use that. A terminal tower witha good tailwind should give you plenty of safety margin, and lots of time to practice the exit and get into full flight. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I can just see the "next generation" wind tunnel: Adjustable fans on swivels rotate to allow airflow in any direction. Wingsuit flyers can adjust airflow so that they get relatively lowspeed updrafts and highspeed headwinds. Computers adjust the airflow on the fly so that flocks can swoop around each other and make virtual turns. Holographic images are projected into the tunnel so that you can swoop tandems, balloons, cliffs and skyscrapers. And best of all, at the end of the flight, the fans taper off to give you a nice soft wingsuit landing (to practice for the real thing). Give it ten years... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Um, well, it was pretty cool... I can see them out the hotel window, right now. But, all good things must come to an end, so I suppose I'll head to Thailand to jump cliffs tomorrow. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Can you summarize that argument for us? Be careful developing this habit if you intend to fly wingsuits. It could be a potentially fatal error in that environment. My opinion is that the reduction in PC deformation makes the load tapes worthwhile. The tapes may create some weighting on the topskin, and thereby slow inflation. However, I do not believe this will become important until you are well under 200' (exit altitude). A deformed PC, on the other hand, will have negative effects at any altitude or airspeed (sometimes greater than others). There was a large amount of PC data collected at the Petronas jumps, which is supposed to be collated and shared (right, BR? we're going to hold you to the sharing part). This ought to give us some good insight into the value of apex vents. That said, I believe apex vents are a step in the right direction, but only a step. When viewed in profile, an inflated PC has a shape resembling a heart. The apex of the PC (and any apex vents) is actually in a lower pressure area of the inflated shape (the inverted 'V' at the top of the 'heart'). A more efficient vent (which ought to be a more efficient oscillation damper) could be placed at the topmost curve of the 'wings' of the 'heart', in the point of maximum inflated pressure. Viewed on a flattened PC, these vents would be approximately halfway from the apex to the skirt, arranged in a circular pattern (but probably not occupying the entire circumference, because that would result in over-venting and loss of snatch force). While such PC's have been built and some preliminary testing done, they are a long way from field use. In my opinion, by far the most prevalent cause of PC orbiting is asymmetric attachment. Given a choice between an asymmetrically attached and vented PC, and a properly attached and unvented one, I will opt for symmetric attachment every time. It is also possible to manufacture a PC in such a way as to render asymmetric attachment impossible (Paratech rigging does this), but most manufacturers have opted not to do this for cost reasons. See also PC Logic, Off-Heading Openings, and Off Heading at Opening in the BLiNC Technical Archives. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've separated this discussion from the NC BASE video thread, as it appears to be developing into a technical discussion more appropriately held on it's own. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Check out this thread, and then do a search around that discussion group for other threads on the IP series cameras. I looked at several discussion groups for video professionals, and the general consensus appears to be pretty negative on the Micro-MV cameras. I'll see if I can dig up some of those links when I have a bit more time. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

On the couch, in the front room of my house in college. She was wearing a mini-skirt. My fly was open, but her skirt was covering us both, so it almost looked like she was just straddling me in a very friendly (but not that friendly) way. My mother dropped by for an unannounced visit. Mom sat on the couch and talked to us for thirty minutes. We didn't move. Just sat there, me still in her, talking to my mother. Eventually Mom left, and we did a hurried dismount. I'm not sure if Mom clued in or not--I tend to think not, since my Mom is fairly cool, and probably would have excused herself earlier (to give us a chance to extricate ourselves) had she noticed. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The first step is to find your local BASE jumpers. GC involves pretty much whatever is necessary for the particular jump (i.e. it totally depends). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Almost none of the people who would be asking for "proof" would doubt your word. If you applied for an event in Malaysia, for example, or showed up in Norway, the people screening you would probably already have heard of you (because they generally read the internet boards, in your case), or know someone who knew you. But, even if they hadn't or didn't, they would probably accept your word. BASE just isn't a big enough sport to have evolved very far beyond the honor code yet (I hope). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Apologies for not putting anything in the article about wingloading. I was unable to get information from one gear manufacturer on their recommended wingloadings, and was told that my loading of .724 on their canopy was a "gross underloading". Therefore, I decided to leave out wingloading numbers until I had a chance to get more precise information from them. Everyone else has pretty much covered this, but, textbook BASE wingloading is .75. Most experienced jumpers upsize as they gain experience, to the point where the (arguably) world's best jumper weighs around 160, and has been spotted under 265's (I've got no calculator here, but you can work out the wingloading on that). I've seen very experienced jumpers preferring wingloadings as low as .60. I weigh 205 at exit, and jump canopies in the 280-290 range. I'd upsize, but my arms are a bit stubby, so I have trouble using the entire control range on the larger (310ish) canopies. When you need to turn, you'd rather have everything happening in slow motion (including your forward speed). The same is true when landing in tight or obstructed areas. In BASE, slower is almost always (95% of the time) better. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yeah, Magnus and I had a laugh over it. They've mislabelled virtually all the photos. I'm sure that Robert Pecnik is well known enough to skydivers the world over that it doesn't bother him to get labelled as Robert Fry. And I can't wait to tell Dwain that he is somehow related to Jimmy Freeman. Perhaps it's a recent marriage? The article sounds good, though, as long as you don't really know who the people are, or what each person actually said.

That's because your companion is a BASE jumper. It is awfully high... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I particularly like the second one from the bottom (attached). It's not a particularly good picture, but it is a shot of someone I know fairly well... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I am the second photo from the bottom on the BBC page. Note the stealthy colors of my canopy... Hmmm. Maybe I ought to get a DZ.com shirt and wear it for some jumps. Maybe Sangiro would sponsor me a logo canopy... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here is another press link. For most of us, it's just a cool photo. Some people around here can probably read it, though. Malaysia is lots of fun. The best part is sneaking out and making bandit loads without the (BASE jumper) organizers finding out. This place is pretty much BASE paradise. Wish you were all here! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Um, I think that's the idea. If you are doing night jumps, it's often because of the bust factor, in which case you want the canopy to blend in with the sky. I've never had difficulty seeing my canopy in flight (my first canopy was navy with black lines). Then again, I've never had a serious malfunction at night, so I've never tested this in a pressure situation. All in all, if you live in a BASE-unfriendly culture (like the U.S.) and plan on jumping at home, I'd recommend a stealthy (i.e. dark) canopy. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

We are actually using an exit platform erected on the 73rd floor balcony. Altitude to impact is around 900 feet. Altitude to landing is around 970 feet. Typical delays are 4-5.5 seconds. Competition points are deducted for delays less than 4 seconds. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've already adopted the "Parachutist" compromise, at least in my personal speech. I tend to tell people I am in KL for a "Parachuting event". I usually call my activities "parachuting" since it avoids having to give lengthy explanations of what BASE jumping is. People who already know about BASE (a surprisingly large number, actually), generally cue on my words (not calling it skydiving), and ask follow up questions about BASE. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Most BASE jumpers take offense to being called skydivers. In general, "Skydiver" or "Skydiver Attitude" is considered a pejorative term in BASE circles. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com