TomAiello

I was just looking at your full profile. I was going to email you, but I thought I'd post here for anyone else who might be considering something like this. Your profile shows 90 skydives. I'm not sure what your BASE experience is. Are you one of the guys I jumped with in early May? If so, I'm sure that W will give you any necessary lecture on this subject, but... I am concerned because 90 skydives is probably insufficient preparation for the slider down cliffs in the National Recreation Area (i.e. high bust area) in question. The distance to rescue, high bust consequences, and low altitude of the solid objects all point to this being a bad idea. If you are planning on going out there without more experienced BASE jumpers, I'd definitely reconsider (heck, I'd reconsider anyway). Like I said, feel free to email me if you're looking for more info, or if you just want to talk over the trip. I'm sure your local crew can give you some help too. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Most of the monster BASE tracks being done now use a different toe position. You point your toes out (to either side) rather than down. This ("charlie chaplin" or "penguin") tracking position appears to be giving better glide ratios than pointing the toes straight back. It was developed by Swedish jumpers (the Scandinavians are the worlds foremost big wall trackers for obvious geological reasons) after observation of ski jumpers. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I sent you an email. If you're dead set on trying it, and the contact I provided is unhelpful, drop me an email. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here's mine: http://www.petzl.com/petzl/publicFamille?id=LAMP&rub=sport#ZIPKA -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Flames mean: Hot Topic. As in, lots of post whoring is going on in this thread... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've got a Petzl Zipka, which is a super tiny, ultra compact LED headlamp. Whenever I pull it out at the exit point, everyone has to look at it. I've even had to retrieve it from a few friend's gear bags after road trips. I love technology. It just keeps getting better. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

1. I regularly pull under 300 feet. 2. I actually like my parents. 3. I've pulled under 80 feet and lived. 4. I'm still best friends with my best friend from 5th grade. 5. I have six inches of titanium in my spinal column (see #3, above). 6. My brother's wife doesn't want kids because she's worried they'll turn out like me. 7. It's chemically impossible for me to develop a substance addiction (don't know why, that's just what the doctors say). 8. I'm a jumper who would rather date a non-jumper, and really tries to avoid dating skychicks. 9. I have three degrees, and no job (by choice). 10. I jump a bigger, and lighter wingloaded, canopy than Skybytch. Hey, that was fun. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think you might be wasting the effort. I've rigged up a very effective system for under $100, straight off the shelf at Best Buy. If you take a Motorola talkabout, and get the voice activated microphone and earpiece, you can easily put a full face helmet on over them (or if you want to be really fancy, you could install them into the helmet). The full face helmet cuts out most of the freefall wind noise, so communication becomes quite easy. Although I've used them on jumps quite effectively, I have never tried one on a skydive, so I'd hesitate to recommend one there, due to potentially negative Cypress interactions. Still, if you did sufficient ground testing to insure you wouldn't set off the Cypress (should only take a few hours), you should be good to go for under 100 bucks a pop. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rockstar energy drink comes in big cans. I'm not sure how it differs in ingredients, but it's a lot bigger. I only drink 180 energy drink, though. Given my morbid sense of humor, and my particular parachuting discipline, it just seems appropriate to offer everyone a 180 before a jump. On the other hand, one of my friends once pointed out (during a long hike), "you can drink four red bulls, or take one little pill--same price, but the pill works better." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Check it out: http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/board/4167.html Anyone got the Pic? I'll try to lay my hands on the magazine today, and maybe post a scan. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Amen. If I took my three second pack job to terminal, I wouldn't expect to survive the opening. At three seconds I'm generally slider down, and at terminal with no slider I'd bet on catastrophic failure of my spine, my parachute, or both. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Did you try talking to the rigger at your DZ? He can probably help you with most of your skydiving rigging questions (and would probably be happy that a young skydiver was showing interest). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I've never noticed any prolonged falling sensation. I'm pretty sure the falling feeling goes away once you reach terminal. You ought to actually reach terminal in the suit sooner (since birdman terminal is slower than boxman terminal and way slower than free fly terminal), so I'd think there is less "falling" sensation. The reason a wingsuit flyer has less vertical speed is because he has the same amount of air resistance, so the feeling is roughly the same (at least in the downward direction). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think I've entered some bizarre alternate universe. Is that really a photo of Bill Dause, smiling while not in free fall? My whole image of the universe is shaken. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

A couple of years ago, I survived impact with my canopy at line stretch. Everyone I knew gave me that darn book for Christmas that year. Mostly, they bookmarked that page and the "how to jump from a bridge into water" page (the jump was from a bridge, and I landed in water). If anyone wants a copy, I think I still have five on my shelf. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I just watched the whole thing looking for the "un-work safe" part. I think your security is probably a bit over protective. It looks perfectly work safe to me. In fact, it looks like it's something that many parents would want to show to their children. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Disclaimer: Any video is only an instructional aid. To really learn how to pack (for BASE or anything else), you need to find a qualified instructor, and use video or other materials as instructional aids only. BASE packing videos are sold by the major BASE gear manufacturers. I've seen the CR, BR and Vertigo videos from about three years ago. I believe that CR and BR have both updated their videos since then. If you want to purchase a BASE packing video, here are some addresses to try: Consolidated Rigging 4035 Grass Valley Highway Auburn, California 95602 530 823-7969 530 823-7971 fax cr@crmojo.com http://www.crmojo.com Basic Research 236 East 3rd Street, Unit C Perris, California 92570 909 940-1324 909 940-1326 fax support@basicresearch.com http://www.basicresearch.com Vertigo BASE Outfitters PO Box 1304 Moab, Utah 84532 435 289-1085 adrenaline@vertigobase.com http://www.vertigobase.com/ I believe that CR also offers a BASE packing course (normally a module of their first jump course, but also available separately). The CR packing method is generally the easiest to learn if you are accustomed to skydiving packing. I personally use the BR method 90% of the time, because I think it gives the most symmetric openings. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you are planning a BASE trip to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland in the near future, please see: www.subterminal.ch Due to recent fatalities, the Swiss BASE Association is asking us all to suspend jumping in Lauterbrunnen until the political climate cools. Please pass the word if this effects anyone you know. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rear riser turns during the deployment sequence can be very useful (as already noted). One word of warning: If you yard on both rear risers (or even on one hard enough) with deeply set brakes, you can stall the canopy entirely, and deflate it. I have personally done this on opening (resulting in downward object strike). I have also seen a life flight ride resulting from overly aggressive (single) riser input. The bottom line is that you should learn where the stall point is for your gear on rear riser input (how far down you can pull a riser before it stalls), in clear air, before you have to make a rear riser turn or stall to avoid a wrap (or strike). I have never heard of using rear riser input to promote faster cell inflation. Rear riser input could pull the slider down faster, which (at a certain point in the inflation sequence) could theoretically reduce overall opening time. However, especially with deeply set brakes, I would tend to thing that rear riser input during inflation would actually inhibit cell inflation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I encourage you to read the Economist column, "Lexington", entitled "Rock and Remembrance: A corny Bruce Springsteen Album may be the right way to pay homage to September 11th" (Economist. August 3, 2002). I have attached the article as a pdf file. This is an excellent opinion on why commercial music (Springsteen, of course, but also Toby Keith, and many others--my particular favorite is "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?", by Alan Jackson, another country singer) may actually be one of the best, and most American responses to the September 11th attacks. A quote: "America is a proudly popular civilization: a country driven by the aspirations of ordinary people rather than the designs of elites..." I encourage you to read the whole thing. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Springsteen.pdf

Can you elaborate on this? I haven't been able to edit mpeg2 footage on Premiere, Final Cut, or anything else. I have to convert it first, with the accompanying quality loss. How do you edit it directly? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

There are lots of schools that have "Aggie" mascots. I have an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis. UCD's mascot is (you guessed it) the Aggie, as well. Davis was originally the University of California Farm. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

In short, no. When you downsize your main more than about one size, you really need to trade in your container, too (you generally can't get it modified, either). It's not a good idea to jump an oversized container, because the slop in your pack tray can flap around in freefall and lead to some gnarly malfunctions. My advice: Get Mom and Dad to spring for a new Cypress, a complete used rig, and as many jumps as they'll do. That way, when you are ready to trade down, you won't have wasted the cash on your first rig (I got some new stuff for my first, and the only thing I don't regret spending the extra cash on is the Cypress). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Fly through it faster, yes... Do you think that wingloading or canopy type is more important in resisting turbulence? I've noticed that my (approximately 1.5 loaded) Stiletto appears to be far more susceptible to turbulence than my (approximately .65 loaded) Blackjack. I had always thought this was likely because the Blackjack was designed with stability as a base line parameter. What do you think? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

All the big DZ's are open during the week. Some of the smaller ones are open all week too. The DZO at my first DZ was fond of saying "we're here everyday..." I'm pretty sure that guy put loads up on Christmas Day. How else could he end up with 30,000 skydives? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com