Treejumps

Memorial sites are memorial sites. The BFL is the BFL. It is useful for many purposes, and if someone doens't like it, they should not read it. I notice that the Honestly I don't Give a Fuck (HIDGAF) crowd didn't previously note any objections to the BFL. So what has changed? Do you give a fuck a now? Should everyone else honestly give a fuck, since you profess not to? Or did you just not give a fuck until it was someone you cared about? Sorry it was one of your friends this time.

*** "The list must remain. It is your responsibility not to fuck up and end up on the list. Consequences of dying include a list entry. This is a fact of life whether you like it or not." Well said. The list is simply a record of what has happened in the sport. Try not to end up on it. It will go on, because the sport will go on. YMMV

Wind was a tailwind, all day. I crossed the bridge 3 different times yesterday and the wind was the same all day long. 20+ all days, with gusts as high as 40 to 50. There is no "perfect" crosswind at this bridge, as a crosswind is the worst conditions that you can jump in at this object. Crosswind creates the absolute worst condition of a giant swiriling eddy of turbulent gusting winds in the canyon. The freefall delay chart is meaningless since you don't know the delay taken, and I can count on 1 hand the number of 4 sec delays I've seen taken here. Is it more likely that a newer jumper took a shorter (1 or 2 sec) delay or a longer delay under the pressure of very bad conditions? How can you call the wind perfectly jumpable when you were not here? There are a lot of very experienced jumpers who live right here, and I would be willing to bet that none of them would have called yesterday's conditions "perfectly jumpable". Sketchy at best is probably the best description you will here.

Well there goes the rather slim hopes for a fatality free 2007 in TF. I still can't believe that anyone would have jumped yesterday. The winds were beyond unjumpable; they were down right hazerdous. There were gusts yesterday as high as 50 mph, along with non stop 25+ gusty winds. I can't fathom why anyone would have jumped in those conditions.

There are people who use slinks for up and down base. If you really trust them, and believe that there is a good reason to use them, you will decide to go ahead and use them. I don't see any performance gain from using slinks over standard links. The only positive is that you can unhook them without any tool. With a wrench in hand the metal link will be much quicker to transfer canopies or to remove the slider. A slink has much more possibilty to be worn when dragged over rocks, etc. I have a couple thousand skydives on slinks and I love them in that enviroment, but I would never take them into the base enviroment. While failures are rare in skydivng, they have occured, and base is much harder on gear. To my knowledge, there has never been a failure of a full size link, and by design a full size link should not fail even if left open. Cya

On the liner notes of Van Halen II I remember reading that Van Halen jumped into one of their own concerts. Anyone know anything about it? It was released in 79', so this would have been in the late 70's (when I aas a little kid) Cya

With the new DZ opening I have heard of more than one fjc who is interested in incorporating skydiving into their curiculum. With the close proximity and easy access of SR-SD it makes a lot of sense to check out and work on the canopy skills of students. DZ opens this Sunday! The swoop is on! Cya

Just got an e-mail saying that swooping is banned at SDAZ. Nothing passed a 180 permitted other than low passes with management approval. Score one for the canopy nazis. RIP swooping

Really, What business are you in? If you are so underground, I would suggest to you that you stay off of the interenet, and especially these forums. We have ways of knowing who you are. Furthermore, if your concern is the state of jumping, how does getting on here and anonymously tearing into people improve the sport? What are you doing to improve things, or is your brilliant analysis above supposed to somehow alter the actions of its readers? You have done nothing but criticize people based on third hand mis-information. You should really look at your real motivations.

Yet another anonymous chicken shit who gets on here and talks a bunch of smack about people he doesn't know personally, wishes he could be, or wishes he could hang out with. If impersonation is the best form of flattery, then anonymous internet bashing must be the highest form of jealousy. If you can't put your name behind it, don't bother sayingit.

Eye witness report: He had a canopy dragging behind him. It was a high speed streamer, and the impact was tremendous. Not as loud a impact as the guy who went in with nothing, but very loud. Survival with nothing out is possible, just like getting hit by an 18 wheeler at 85 mph is possible, but in 10000 tries, you would not make it. Cya

*** Luigi has never BASE jumped before! Actually, Luigi was out here a couple months ago with Jimmy P. making his first few flicks. (maybe this was part of the planning for this stunt) Seemed to like it plenty and will surely do well with this stunt. He is a great at all types of flying. I wonder which clilff he is jumping? Cya

"I plan on getting a Tree special" Surely you can get something better than that. Given your stature in the sport, you should set a better example than jumping one of those. I started jumping a new velcro rig recently. There is something very reassuring in hearing the velcro rip open. Come visit and you can jump Kristen's pink camo velcro rig. Should fit you well in size and fashion. Cya

Johnny carried the good vibes in the sport for a long time. Way to go out with class & style! Delaware United Muff Brothers

Nice one Wildman! Way to give the reaper the finger.

Nothing like that first jump on the rig you stitched together yourself. Nice work. Did you build the harness as well? Have fun!

Wow Don, thats pretty awesome having you name a rig modification after me, especially since we have never met. I also find it interesting that you are aware and in awe of my renowned rigging and humbleness. Apparently the word is getting around if someone from a tiny cessna dz in the backwoods of rural PA is "in the know". Who can I thank spreading the good word? Thanks again for the naming rights to your flap.

Hey that is a really funny pic. But seriously, I would like to see pics of the rigs you have built. Since it seems we know many of the same people, I'm certain you've seen one of mine, so lets see this work of yours that you enjoy jumping so much.

Well by all means, lets see the pics onf one of the rigs you have built. It sounds like you have built many, so you must have lots of modes you can show us. Since you like Ppro, do you build fold over style flaps, or the thread through styl like a gargoyle? I build a hybrid but would really enjoy seeing what your stuff looks like.

AZ Airspeed did some I believe off ITW, at least 4 or 5 years ago. I think that Craig G. organized and it was pretty bad ass to watch them launch a 4 way as if it was going out of a plane. Turned a couple points and then tracked away. All in RW suits. Very cool if you every get a chance to see it.

*** ...but why should a base-newbie use normal pants instead of tracking gear? Just asking that question reveals a lot. From your question it seems that you beleive that tracking clothing adds safety to a jump. This is true only for an experienced jumper who knows how to fly the gear in the environment; clearly not a newbie. A new base jumper should be taking one small step at a time, and only add new complications to a jump when he or she already has the basics dialed in. Dialed in is not a couple jumps of any given object, and certainly not off large cliffs. Track enhancing clothing adds control surfaces that can cause major instability. Even if someone had 1000 skydives and 100 of them with tracking pants/suit, they need to learn base jumping first, and then to base jump with tracking pants. To not take the time to learn the basics is foolish.

The Reflex was the original freefly rig, and was the official rig of the SSI Pro Tour. It had many innovations (complete bridle proctection) that is now standard on most rigs. I have 2 of them with over 1000 jumps on each. They are in terrific shape, have never had had any flaps open up, and very easy to pack the reserve. (you can do it with just a pair of shoe laces if you really need to) A continuing reflex fan. Cya

Looks good!

Sew a piece of 1" binding tape on the back of the loop (sew the perimeter), and before you close it off stick a piece of release cable (yellow lolan) in. It will spring open. THis is the same method used for big grab base toggles. Cya

Hey Gregor, That sounds interesting. Inquiring minds want to know?