nicknitro71

I did not photoshop anything...I guarantee you so Memento Audere Semper 903

Chill out boys! Having seen that everyone is busting my balls about the pic here is the original-super-untouched one. Abbie, Personal attacks aside I agree with you 100%. You could have left them on the side...unless you needed some time off the dorkzone Nick, You fucked up dude, everyone does, just fucking admit it, I did not see any apologies on your part, I really thought you were much better than that. And all that Marine Corps, blade swooping, Korea, Nam horse crap, who do you think you really are? vandev, People these days? Nick's old school and he is the one who showed disrespect. To all, Jason does have a "brother" and he was right there with him waiting for Dr. Death to take him away. The least everyone should do in a situation like that is to sit down and smoke a joint. edit to remove copyrighted material ~TA Memento Audere Semper 903

Sure, the BASE community might be tight but they are sure bunch of cheap bastards! So far I got squat! Not a penny! Here is the link slackers! http://www.skydiveems.com/NitroRigging/jason.htm Memento Audere Semper 903

EXACTLY. Memento Audere Semper 903

Jason, Glad you're back! The road to recovery can be fun too, in a masochistic way! Keep yourself positive and soon enough you'll be in the air again. Here is a pic for ya. edit to remove copyrighted material ~TA Memento Audere Semper 903

Chris, Ming the Merciless Emperor of Mongo. Maggot, My thought exactly. However we all know you are not that well equipped so when I go in Martina might need few Maggots. Ray, Should I set up a hot-line for BASE counseling and mid-life BASE crises? 1-800-call-ray, option 2, option 1 is phone sex for Maggot. Ian, I was not telling anyone what to do I just was expressing when I will quit. You know me so little, everyone knows I am into psychedelic drugs, not stimulants. For someone who knows the gray and fuzziness in life you sure come across as a positivist. Also, IMO you are in the wrong business, really. You could be very, very successful writing lines for Chinese fortune cookies. Memento Audere Semper 903

Maggot is the first one on the list even before my wife! Memento Audere Semper 903

Would you call that a reliable method for gathering empirical data on permeability? FYI, I know of a test that showed a Sabre with over 2000 jumps to still have z-po and another Sabre with 5000 jumps with permeability still better than brand new F-111. Also Galvanor z-po fabric (the one Morpheus uses to build PCs) is coated on both sides and some argue it retains z-po even longer than Soar-max. Of course permeability is just one factor. Fabric will lose tensite strength due to UV and mechanical damage at a much higher rate than it loses permeability, same goes for the PCs. Do not use permeability as your only measure to "retire" a PC or a tarp. Memento Audere Semper 903

Great post Bill, Thanks for sharing, really. When the wind blows it's time for a kite under Ian, as usual enlightening post, your words will be remembered when I remove my nail polish watching a Steven Seagal movie. TVBP, According to your list I should be quitting BASE (would make Ian and others very happy but Maggot very upset): I feel no fear towards BASE, I don't pursuit what I fear. I fear jumping off an object with no rig so I don't do it. I fear playing the Russian Roulette with any number of bullets so I don't play. I fear not living so I try to live as hard as I can. BASE does not scare me but that does not mean lack of respect. I do increase the complexity on each jump: being a new aerial, a lower pull, a new exit, a higher pull so I can set up for a juicy hook 'n' swoop, or just picking up a spot on the ground the size of a bird drop and try to land on it with a decent swoop. Call it a dead spiral if you will, I call it a learning experience. Yes at times the aerial goes to shit and you over-rotate, your low pull is too low and you end up crash-landing if lucky, a swoop gone wrong, a fucked-up exit that nearly kills a buddy of yours and the list continues. What everyone has to realize including Ian is that we are in the game for different reasons. Bill, few others, and I were kiting our tarps in very high winds having a good time while other jumpers (some even more experienced than us) decided the conditions were too fucked up for a "safe" jump. Again, we are all in for different reasons no need to be judgmental on what others do. If flat and stable 2-sec delay off a 500' S is your cup of tea then be it but even on the "safest" jump when the shit hits the fan Dr. Death is just around the corner smiling at you, don't fool yourself. So when is a good time to call it quit? As I stated for me it will be the time when I ask myself this very question. Memento Audere Semper 903

Z-po fabric will stay z-po regardless the number of jumps. A modern z-po PC will outlast a modern BASE canopy, all things being equal. Read what Chris posted, good advices. Memento Audere Semper 903

Who said anything about thinking? I let people with 200 jumps and the knowledge of the BASE Truth do all the thinking. I just jump as you already know... Memento Audere Semper 903

If you have to ask yourself this quetion now it's the time to get out. I know the moment I second guess myself about BASE it will be the time I pick up golfing or nascar watching...or both...and maybe I'll start drinking that light stuff too. Memento Audere Semper 903

Dude, you need to give us more details! ALL the stuff you said sounds very un-real given the outstanding Sunrise CS has. Are you sure those units have original components? Memento Audere Semper 903

Good looks Gus, don't forget good looks I can't wait to check out your new portable facility at the WFFC! Memento Audere Semper 903

When I first built my tracking pants they did not have booties. Then I added them on making sure they were going to fit with HD boots. The difference in performance was remarkable. As for manufactures, bird-man now does offer booties with the Impact and I bet Robi will soon as he is redesigning the PH tracking suit. Memento Audere Semper 903

Train the guy to get his ticket! Yes he could have jumped it if the same DZ does not check BETWEEN pack jobs (they always never do). Did he repack the reserve too or just open the container leaving the reserve in the pack? If he did re-pack it, how was the job? Memento Audere Semper 903

To all, I won't repeat myself over and over again. Tom and I are in disagreement about the technicality of the jump. I think there are "safer" variations to ensure the same launch-momentum (already discussed). Sam, I have already posted all the answers to your questions, please don't get silly on this. Ian, again you are not adding anything to the discussion. I won't add any more posts , please PM me if you so desire. Memento Audere Semper 903

If you want to turn this into a pissing contest please PM me. You are not contributing anything to the thread but your mindless and childish comments or anything that I and others already know. PS The launch timing was not the issue here. Memento Audere Semper 903

And I still take full responsibility for what has happened. I should have analyzed this jump in more details and again the fact that it worked in the past for me and others only shielded the true inherit danger of it. Memento Audere Semper 903

When I wrote the first post I did not have all the facts in hand and I truly thought I must have screwed up something during the jump. Reviewing all the facts, it is now clear at least to me that there is an intrinsic problem with this jump no matter how it is performed. No, I won't repeat this jump again, maybe variations of it to ensure same-momentum launch. As usual, your irony is always appreciated and a great sign of your wisdom given the context. Memento Audere Semper 903

Are there any videos or pictures? So far I've heard: hand-held, stowed, PC in burble, bridle wrapped, very short delay (about 1 sec), 2.5 sec delay, and both slider up and down I for one think we should get to the bottom of this so everyone can learn something from this tragic accident. Memento Audere Semper 903

Talking to Michael we did come to the conclusion that leaving not just with the same timing but with the same momentum is the most critical part of the jump however it is not that easy if not impossible at all. We did fix the timing issue but IMO the momentum issue is un-fixable on this jump. The center jumper has to leave with a totally different launch than the side jumpers; there is no other way around it. The side jumpers cannot leave heads low and the center jumper cannot leave heads high. Having the side pieces to leave a moment earlier to ensure a proper vertical separation can have its ill consequences as well. I believe this jump has some doomed intrinsic properties that NOBODY has thought before. The fact that it worked for me and others in the past, only acted to dull out possible tragic consequences. Michael is 100% correct in stating that the causes of the incident were built and hidden into the jump not by the performance of it. This is not a safe jump to be repeated by anybody and again the fact that it worked in the past does not mean a thing, really. However there could be variations to the theme to ensure an almost equal launch-momentum. I am not suggesting anybody to perform similar jumps but nonetheless we must educate each other. The center jumper could perform a float-drop-under slider up. With this launch all three jumpers could leave with the same momentum leaping straight down. Another alternative is the jump we had in mind to begin with: center jumper kiting-under. This could ensure the three to jump with the same momentum. However this is an even more highly technical and also "dynamical" jump. It is a more dynamic jump because a discrete count cannot be given. The piece has to leave at the same time when the center jumper knows the canopy has a good position for an on-heading opening and this could take a while or just be ready as soon as the canopy is released. I am still in disagreement about releasing the PCs prematurely. IMO an “anchor” in the sky is a better alternative than a PC wrapped around an arm or a leg despite the outcome of this particular jump. I could be wrong about it but I cannot see any advantages in releasing the PCs and I thought about this a lot. In the end, I discourage anyone to repeat such jump despite the experience level and/or previous successful attempts. Memento Audere Semper 903

I was the jumper holding the Coopers PCs and I do take full responsibility for “killing” Jason, I said killing because no human should have survived such impact. Jason, Michael, and I were in TF for the whole week. We had not met before but we bounded like it happens few times in a life time. Very rarely in my time I am able to BS to the very end of the human intellect. With the Coopers, such a BS was the very reason of the bound. We made one of those rare-life-long connections that I can count just using the digits of a single hand. We made few jumps together, hybrid jumps with me going unpacked and the twins going packed. The non-ideal jumps (as per Tom A.) were nonetheless fun and I unsuccessfully did not manage to kill the brothers. Even the devil himself at times does fuck up. We did plan the jump for a few days. It was supposed to be a jump to celebrate the birthday and the 100th jump of another jumper on the load who I was jumping for the whole week and having a good time with. We were hoping for very high wind for that jump, yes you read right. The first idea was for me to kite the canopy while holding the Coopers’ PCs and two tards on the side (not tard-overs). I would then tell the Coopers to go, jump myself after ½ sec and PCA them. We all agreed on the jump. The evening of the jumps we had some tail winds but not strong enough for a successful kite-under. While we were setting up, my tarp was getting inflated and I almost called up the jump. Then the winds died out and my canopy although not straight below me was hanging down far enough for me to clear it with a strong launch. Even if I did hit it in FF I know it would have not been a big deal at least not to the other four jumpers for sure. The set up looked good. I asked for everybody if there were ready and started the count. According to the video we all exited at the same time unlike what Tom reported. Yet with me jumping down and forward and the twins jumping up and forward the vertical separation was not ideal. At the end of my roll-over I felt both PC leaving my hands at the same time. I looked around for other canopies, saw good separation, and saw what it looked to me a sniveling canopy. Michel was slider up and his vented (no valves) Fox with large-hole mesh slider at times strangely snivels for a long time. So I thought that it was Michael (the Coopers have very similar canopy colors). Then I heard the laud impact and I knew something terribly wrong had happened. I crash-landed, removed my harness and started running towards the area of the impact. I was approached by another jumper who said “sorry mate, he’s dead”. If he was dead I had to see it with my own eyes. When I approached, Michael was holding Jason to my surprised because I thought that Michael went in. I jumped into the water and hugged both of them. To my surprise Jason was still breathing. I thought that he was going to die shortly and the least I could do was to embrace the moment making sure Jason died surrounded with the good stuff in life. Then another surprise came. Jason was coherent in his speech, too coherent for someone about to die despite his extraordinary intellect. Then yet another surprise came, Jason could feel his legs and arms and move his toes and fingers. I was shocked. I then realized that he had good chances of making it. Everyone loves to point fingers so please get it off your chest and crucify me. Honestly I am the happiest camper knowing Jason has good chances of surviving and most likely BASE jump again. So what did go wrong? It’s BASE jumping that’s want went wrong. We do stupid shit to be in the moment. BASE is not perfect no matter how hard one tries and when your 3-way launch does not go as planned the result is not a funnel and a laugh. We all knew that. The five of us on the load are not bunch of yahoo-BASE-wonna-be-big-ego-maniacs, trust me on that. We thought the jump, we planned it, we tried it, we all agreed to go for it. Now the more physical part on what went wrong. An accident is always a chain of events. Despite the exit Jason’s Velcro rig was part of the problem. As the twins were above me, the out-of-sequence-deployment started. The suggestion of Tom A. of releasing the PCs is as wrong as it gets, and no Tom I won’t fucking elaborate. If you are so dumb not to realize what could happen when you prematurely release the PCs despite the position of the PCAers then pretty please keep erroneous suggestions for yourself. Michael’s pin rig started to open because pins gets pulled out despite the position of the force applied to them. Jason on the other hand started to be barrel-rolled on the side more violently than Michael because Velcro does not do a great job releasing sideway. When the shrivel flap finally opened, Jason was on his side and the canopy (most likely the multi) entangled with his elbow armor. Jason had very little out. No part of the canopy was inflated. He hit probably just of a few miles per hour below than someone would hit jumping without a rig. If Jason did not have several sharp snagging points on his arm, there were good chances the canopy would have freed itself. If Jason did not have a back protector he would have probably died on impact. I for one would give everything I have to be in Jason’s position, there is no doubt in my mind. I sustained injuries in the past almost as severe as Jason’s and I know I can tough them out; I also know Jason will but I just wish it was me being all fucked up not him. I do feel responsible about the accident being the “load organizer” and the fact that I was responsible for the successful deployment of the canopies. I will keep BASE and do stupid human tricks because I am scared of not living. I hope one day the Coopers and I will re-perform the same jump with a better outcome. I have met some incredible human beings on this trip and also got to know the true nature of some not-so-incredible ones who all they care is their super-inflated egos. Jason and Michael, I fucking loved you since the moment that magic word enabled us to meta-BS. As for the other two jumpers on the load, I will keep trying killing you because I love you too. I have set up a found for Jason so we could get him a new rig (we had to cut the MLF and Jason wanted to get a pin rig anyway!). If interested paypal me (nicknitro71@yahoo.com) any amount you wish making sure you put “For Jason” on the header. The list will appear on my rigging website with updates on Jason’s conditions. Memento Audere Semper 903

Or should we say WE HAVE THE BITCH BACK! Memento Audere Semper 903

I got a pink and burgady '87 Fury 220. Asking 1895. Memento Audere Semper 903