Indoor BASE

[howardwhite 6]

From the archives.

HW

[lekstrom10k 0]

Does anyone remember the "Wally Gubbins" movie where Walley did a cave dive into a cavern inside a mountain. Then scaled the walls for an inside base jump. Then put his gear back inside the plastic bag ,then with the crew swam out.

[BillyVance 34]

I can't remember the year and the event, but it was a major event where Aerosmith was doing a pre-game or half-time show that included a group of jumpers diving out of the rafters in a domed stadium and parachuting to the field, and Steven Tyler had to hold the last note in his voice until the final jumper touched down.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[JerryBaumchen 1,333]

Hi howard,

IIRC ( and don't bet on it ), they did not jump an unpacked canopy. I think they were lifted up by some device to the top of the dome by the canopy all strung out above them. They were released and the canopy inflated.

Not that I want to do it

JerryBaumchen

[howardwhite 6]

In the Kingdome jump, the canopies were static-lined through a hole in the top of the roof, inflating as they emerged from it. This one is Dave Singer. I think it was done more than once.
HW

[NickDG 23]

The first one is Phil Smith, BASE #1 and Phil Mayfield, BASE #2 at the Houston Astrodome. The second one is (I don't recall his name offhand, but I've got it written down somewhere) jumping from the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral in London . . .

NickD

[skypuppy 1]

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The first one is Phil Smith, BASE #1 and Phil Mayfield, BASE #2 at the Houston Astrodome. The second one is (I don't recall his name offhand, but I've got it written down somewhere) jumping from the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral in London . . .

NickD

Andy Smith was involved with the Astrodome jump, and maybe Kevin Venell, Randy would know. The Kingdome was a different event.

The whispering gallery was a square parachute jump, I believe a pca.

Indoor jumps were fairly common in the late 1800's (that's not a typo). Thomas baldwin practiced with his rig indoors in San Francisco before his famous first jump, and the Spencer brothers did jumps indoors at a theatre in London.

After Baldwin's British exhibition in about 1888, there was even a 'Baldwin monkey" doing indoor jumps from the top of the Crystal Palace, I believe.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[likestojump 3]

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I can't remember the year and the event, but it was a major event where Aerosmith was doing a pre-game or half-time show that included a group of jumpers diving out of the rafters in a domed stadium and parachuting to the field, and Steven Tyler had to hold the last note in his voice until the final jumper touched down.

well, even I am young enough to remember that one :)

Super Bowl 38, Aerosmith Pre-game Show, 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nYVGXLYA4

[fastphil 0]

Here's pics of Phil and Andy at an Astros season opener game. The first Astrodome jump was made by Phil at a Demolition Derby...

[aj4218 0]

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The second one is (I don't recall his name offhand, but I've got it written down somewhere) jumping from the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral in London . . . NickD

Andy Callender - he's got loads of old skoole pics on his Facebook page, although the tag on one of these is for Russel Porter. Russel did a few high profile jumps inc one from Centre Point in London dressed as John Major, the Prime Minister at the time

Al

[jacketsdb23 49]

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well, even I am young enough to remember that one :)

Super Bowl 38, Aerosmith Pre-game Show, 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nYVGXLYA4

OK, silly technical question. What device is used to make sure the pilot chute is not released until the canopy is out? Looks like a cable is used to initially stow the pilot chute. That must of been a hell of a gig. Looked awesome. Did you hear how loud the crowd got when they saw the first parachute? `

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[zoobrothertom 5]

Bill Legg also did an Astrodome jump. He got his picture jumping from the girders and Bio (motocross and snake handler) on a collectible bubble gum card series.

I've seen the card. It looked legit.

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[likestojump 3]

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well, even I am young enough to remember that one :)

Super Bowl 38, Aerosmith Pre-game Show, 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nYVGXLYA4

OK, silly technical question. What device is used to make sure the pilot chute is not released until the canopy is out? Looks like a cable is used to initially stow the pilot chute. That must of been a hell of a gig. Looked awesome. Did you hear how loud the crowd got when they saw the first parachute? `

ApexBASE sells "Around the World" DVD, where they give you the behind the scenes on this SuperBowl stunt, as well as some of the commercials they did.

The setup they used was a double Static Line (80lbs break cord).

BTW, it's not "device is used to make sure the pilot chute is not released until the canopy is out", it's more of "device to achieve fastest possible canopy extraction"

[stratostar 5]

I have one of the cards.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[jtnesbitt 0]

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I have one of the cards.

You can buy them on ebay. They have them for a lot of the early pioneers of base jumping. They pop up every now and then you just gotta look.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1994-GENERATION-EXTREME-RICK-HARRISON-BASE-JUMPING-CARD-/310120341977?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item48349ce1d9#ht_500wt_1154

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[fastphil 0]

If memory serves me right, the Astrodome exit point was through a trap door that opened in the expanded metal floor of the gondola. Phil Smith was the brainchild (yes, he was demented) at a time when we were discovering alternative means of altitude.

There was a walkway of expanded (see though) metal along the inside of the Astrodome roof, connecting the top seat area to the center of the roof, where a gondola hung. The gondola was made of the see though expanded metal also. It was a trip just walking out, steep at first then flattening out.

The jumps were static line. Phil (Smitty) was brilliant at this sort of thing, with careful planning of every detail. Andy was the coolest of anyone I’ve jumped with, with never a worry. The two made a great pair. One jump, maybe the first, with a rope around my waist I lowered myself a few feet below the gondola for photos. I think my butt was tighter than the jumpers that night. I may have a pic from that in my archives.

[zoobrothertom 5]

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I have one of the cards.

Can you scan it and post it?

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[stratostar 5]

Yes, but after the weekend is over.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[zoobrothertom 5]

Hey Phil,

Post'em when you get a chance!

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!