base428

I've talked to Patrick recently and he's a nice guy. I just wanted to hear some other opinions. We're excited to have him at Bridge Day and the 450+ BASE jumpers and 150,000 spectators will definately take advantage of this tunnel. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

They're scheduled to come to Bridge Day 2007 and I'm wondering if anyone has been in this tunnel? Is it geared for non-jumpers or will experienced jumpers be happy with it? Should we attempt to dampen the noise via hay bales or other sound absorbing materials with a large crowd nearby? I'm asking these questions because my company organizes all BASE jumping at Bridge Day and we want to have a safe and enjoyable time in the tunnel. Thanks. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

What if you're powering that energy-guzzling plasma TV with solar panels or a wind turbine? Maybe a ban on Christmas lights would be a better way to both save energy and comply with Osama bin Laden's request for everyone to convert to Islam? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I wouldn't know.....I'm a "parachutist" Perhaps in 20 years BASE will be catering to whuffos with "tandem BASE jumps". You never know. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Ahh, another non-BASE jumper who thinks that all BASE jumps are illegal. I heard that all skydivers can talk to each other in freefall, right? Anyway, yes, skydiving has definately changed for the worse at many DZ's. Fun jumpers get bumped so the tandems can stay in the air. PS. What has Sangiro done to this forum? When you type "BASE JUMP", it automatically links to his "other" website. Lame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Sorry for not posting this earlier, but I've been busy vomiting after reading some of the pansy responses in this thread. If you haven't kept up with Michael Righi's website updates, here's an email he received recently: To the people here who only care about status quo, about don’t rock the boat and d-d-d-do right, about a few tears in a moment of stress - you are cows. Myers-Briggs normal junkies; play along law-fodder, don’t stand out, homogenised, be sensible, inch deep, cattle. You deserve nothing you have lost, or will lose, as you cling to the illusory prairie you only wish you inhabited. There are mountains to be climbed in this existence, and eluding the grasp of people, who presume to own your individuality, counts as one of them. “Being Adult” must not include domestication. Adult cattle are still herded and fed to their masters. “Adult” must mean something more, a self-possessed state of independence and freedom of movement. Pragmatic passivity has become the modern life drug of choice; the one no wars will be fought against, if we leave it to you - because you love being hooked on indulgent expediency, because the authorities need your addiction and will never jail you for being a compliance junkie, and because you have an appointment somewhere more comfortably familiar, and apparently self-seving, than the realm of individuals. You see it as virtue, as maturity, but you dream. Michael Righi has stirred you from your dream and you resent it as you would if every day were Saturday and, inexplicably, your alarm just went off. And here's another great quote from some old guy: "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither" - Benjamin Franklin (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

The bottom line here is what is written in the law books. This guy broke no laws by refusing to show his receipt. He also broke no laws by refusing to show his drivers license to the cop. It's funny how people are so gullible and willing to give up their rights, their money, their personal information just because someone SAYS they have to. Have you ever told someone NO when they asked for your SSN? It's quite interesting to find out that most hospitals and other businesses can still service you without this information. How would they even know if this was your REAL SSN or birthdate anyway.....but everyone from the cable company to the local rental center wants your SSN. Be a leader, not a passive follower. Refusing to provide information that is not required by law isn't looking for a fight - it's fighting for YOUR freedoms. I hope the guy wins a few million bucks from Circuit City and the local cops. I think I'll go donate to his Paypal account now. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Would you be OK with a good frisking and the removal of everything from your pockets when you leave Circuit City or Costco? I would guess that most people would highly object to this. My tolerance level for this type of "guilty until receipt is shown" behavior is apparently a bit less than you. In realizing that we are all different, I hope you can better understand why some of us don't want to stand in line to prove that we paid for something that we already paid for. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Do you HAVE to show your receipt? Or are you the passive-type of person who believes everything you're told? Our rights are eroding every day. You should THANK Michael Righi, me, and everyone else who doesn't put up with nazi-rules like these. PS. Read this......http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1909971#1909971 (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Get some video cameras and catch them in the act. 10 days ago, a guy hit 3-4 houses in my neighborhood and I caught him on one of my outside video cams after he tried to get into OUR cars. Hopefully, the local cops nail him because you do feel violated. I'm upgrading some of my equipment to include IR spotlights and cameras closer to the road. Good luck. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Well, another exciting July 1st at 2pm for me. My server didn't crash this year, which was a relief. The load was up to 30 seconds between requests..... I'm in the process of answering emails and processing orders right now. If you were one of the many people who simply added quantity 5 jump slots to your order under one jumper's name, then you need to email me with information on the remaining 4 jumpers. I realize that you save valuable registration time by doing it this way, but it complicates things. In the next week, registered jumpers will receive emails informing them of their jump order and whether they got a hotel room (if requested). If you signed up for a FJC, you'll also receive further information via email shortly. Many thanks to all of you. It's been pretty smooth so far and more than 300 slots are gone in the first 1.5 hours. I'm looking forward to another great Bridge Day! Don't hesitate to email or call me if anyone has questions. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Yes, but if you took the Apex course, wouldn't you already have made a BASE jump during their course? Our training requirement only affects "first time BASE jumpers". If, for some odd reason, you were trained by Apex but didn't jump, then the Apex training would be more than sufficient. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Based on feedback received via email and this forum, we've added the option for first time BASE jumpers to be trained by an approved mentor (rather than attending one of our two FJC's). Approved mentors should be experienced BASE jumpers with 100+ BASE jumps performed from a variety of fixed objects. The mentor must have attended and jumped at Bridge Day in the past. You'll be required to provide contact information for your mentor when purchasing your jump pass. Of course, some will argue about what qualifies as an "approved mentor" and whether 100+ BASE jumps is adequate. Regardless, at least we're making an honest effort to educate new BASE jumpers in a technical and ethical manner. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Wow. More information please? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Permit Denial #1 Permit Denial #2 Fred Morelli talked about a lawsuit against the NPS more than five years ago. I'll give him a call/email and find out more. The bottom line is that our group is small, but we need to be loud. It would take a major commitment and lots of $ to pursue a lawsuit. Proper use of the media would be critical to be heard. Are jumpers ready to donate time and money to the cause? Maybe, maybe not..... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Newsflash: Hank Caylor is going to be teaching a "Climbing, Rappelling, and Rescue Course" tailored for BASE jumpers at Bridge Day. It'll be a free course for registered jumpers. More info soon.... PS. At the post-jump party on Saturday night, he'll be hosting a seminar on how to safely crash through a hotel window after a 180. He's THE authority on that topic. Thanks Hank! (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Date: October 19, 2007 Time: Not determined yet, but will probably start early (8-9AM). Perhaps Tom can provide the starting and break times? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

You're not the first one to comment on the first jump course requirement. While most first timers make an honest attempt at educating themselves about BASE jumping prior to their jump, there are always a few who don't. We've seen jumpers who don't know how to hold their pilot chute, let alone pack their parachute. I'm not one to implement too many "rules", but in the long run this requirement will likely keep someone from an injury or even death. I think everyone would agree that some form of training prior to Bridge Day is a good thing. Just try to make a skydive without training - nearly impossible today. So what do I do about the handful of jumpers who think this is just another skydive? Do I implement a requirement that affects the majority in order to protect the minority? I'm not sure. More than 30% of Bridge Day 2006 jumpers were first timers. I'd like to think that I'm making an attempt to point them in the right direction through (at least) some basic training on the day prior to their jump. As for the monopolization, the Snake River BASE Academy was contacted by me and I requested that each course contain certain criteria. In the past, I've worked with multiple FJC instructors teaching at Bridge Day. I found that it's a much more peaceful and productive event if we offer a single instructor. Besides, anyone who doesn't like the Bridge Day requirements or FJC's can choose to not attend. It's not like we're making you wear a helmet or a GoFast jersey. Thanks for the comments. As I mentioned before, nothing is set in stone. So I'd like to hear more comments on the first jump requirement. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

REGISTER TO JUMP HERE Bridge Day is an annual legal BASE jumping event held at the 876' tall New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Over 450 BASE jumpers and up to 200,000 spectators are expected to attend Bridge Day 2007 on Saturday, October 20. For most jumpers around the world, Bridge Day is a chance to make legal jumps, see old friends, and meet new ones. For 100+ jumpers each year, it's the chance to make their first BASE jump. For those interested in BASE training, The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching a 4-day long course shortly before Bridge Day and a 6-8 hour Introductory Course on October 19 (more info below). If you're new to Bridge Day, please read our Frequently Asked Questions. Jumper registration begins on July 1, 2007 at 2pm EDT (18:00 GMT). If you don't crash my server again this year, refreshing your browser at 2pm will allow the "ADD TO BASKET" button to be enabled. You will then be able to fill out the questionaire and add a single jumper to your basket. If you have multiple jumpers on one order, please add each jumper's information separately to your basket. Changes for 2007: 1) Registered jumpers will be able to request more than 150 hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn Oak Hill and Quality Inn New River DURING online registration (first-come, first-served). No need to call for hotel rooms on September 1st this year because early registrants will automatically get one of the hotel rooms we hold under contract. If you registered early enough to qualify for a hotel room, we'll email you with further instructions in mid-July and you can call the hotel from August 1-7 to hold your room with a credit card. We'll also have a waiting list in case someone cancels. Jumpers who did not register early and have no chance of obtaining one of our contracted rooms will be notified in mid-July, allowing them plenty of time to secure a room themselves at alternate hotels. Pretty simple. 2) Jumpers must have made at least 100 parachute jumps (skydiving and/or BASE jumping) prior to Bridge Day. 3) Jumpers must have made at least one parachute jump (skydiving or BASE jumping) in the two years prior to Bridge Day. 4) BASE jumping specific or approved skydiving gear only (harness/container and parachute). Please reference our Bridge Day Gear Guide before you purchase a jump slot if you have questions. BASE rental gear is also available. 5) First time BASE jumpers are required to attend one of the following courses: Bridge Day First BASE Jump Course - Four days (October 17-20) of advanced training by The Snake River BASE Academy, comparable to the courses taught on the West Coast by the main BASE Gear Manufacturers. In addition to the basic skills needed for a successful Bridge Day experience, such as packing, exits and canopy flight, this course covers BASE history, ethics and culture, as well as malfunction and object avoidance theory. In person training with simulated exits and some home study is included. Cost is $375. Bridge Day Introductory Course - Six to eight hours of training on the day prior to Bridge Day that covers packing, Bridge Day logistics, malfunctions, launch practice, and a landing area tour. The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching this course and the cost is $50. Experienced jumpers are welcome to attend portions of this course for a minimal charge. Based on feedback received via email and this forum, we've added the option for first time BASE jumpers to be trained by an approved mentor (rather than attending one of our two FJC's). Approved mentors should be experienced BASE jumpers with 100+ BASE jumps performed from a variety of fixed objects. The mentor must have attended and jumped at Bridge Day in the past. You'll be required to provide contact information for your mentor when purchasing your jump pass. I'm sure there will be questions and comments in regards to the above changes. Nothing is set in stone, and we're pretty accommodating to jumpers who have special situations. Raising the jump requirement from 50 to 100 has been planned for many years. Requiring parachute currency is a good thing to keep things fresh. Requesting hotel rooms during jump slot purchases should be a welcome change to many of you who had to call at midnight on September 1st in past years. The first time BASE jumper training requirement is something that we feel strongly about, but we realize it may be inconvenient for some. Please let us know your thoughts on this, good or bad. And the stricter BASE gear requirements will only affect a few jumpers. We're still permitting some skydiving canopies that are used for BASE jumps, but we're not permitting skydiving containers. We'll make exceptions for very experienced Bridge Day jumpers who've been using the same skydiving rig for years (contact us for a waiver before you register). We're mainly trying make sure first time jumpers are taught to use BASE gear for BASE jumps. More Bridge Day Info Bridge Day is the largest extreme sports event in the world held on the third Saturday in October every year in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Bridge Day is unique in that it is the only day visitors may walk across the bridge, BASE jumpers can parachute from the railing, and rappellers are allowed to descend and ascend fixed ropes. Vendors line both ends of the bridge selling stained glass, crafts, shirts, photos, and refreshments. Bridge Day is West Virginia's largest one-day festival and is rated one of the top 100 festivals in North America. Jumpers from all over the world will be lined up to take their turn leaping from the world's second longest single arch bridge. Most will fall from the bridge for 3-4 seconds before deploying their parachute. Then they'll spend the next 20-30 seconds floating down to the designated landing zone located on National Park Service property at the edge of the New River. BASE jumpers have jumped from the New River Gorge Bridge every year since the first Bridge Day on November 8, 1980 (the only exception being the cancellation of Bridge Day 2001 shortly after 9/11). The first Bridge Day saw five skydivers making BASE jumps from the bridge in the early days of the sport of BASE jumping. Over the years, Bridge Day became the place for thousands of skydivers to make their first BASE jump. It is also the largest gathering of BASE jumpers each year, complete with first jump seminars, packing classes, and a BASE gear trade show. The popular 16' commercial aluminum diving board, first introduced in 2003, will be returning to Bridge Day this year. BASE jumping aerialists from countries as far away as Australia and Russia will again travel to Fayetteville, WV to amaze the spectators with multiple flips and twists from the massive diving board before deploying their one and only parachute. The Vertical Visions team also plans to have a landing accuracy contest with cash prizes (1st place last year received more than $1000 in cash and prizes), a BASE jumping film festival (again, thousands of dollars in prizes last year), and some special jumps that should make for an exciting Bridge Day 2007 for both jumpers and spectators. If there is enough jumper interest and funds are available, we'll have a new launch platform this year. A "walk the plank" type device is in the works which will extend 20' away from the bridge railing. Jumpers will stand on the end of the plank and spectators will pull a lever to release the jumper. We'll charge spectators and donate most of the money to charity. All BASE jumping activities at Bridge Day 2007 will again be coordinated by Vertical Visions LLC, owned by West Virginia BASE jumper and skydiver Jason Bell (BASE #428, D-16725). Jason will be assisted by his wife Jennifer, Charleston native Bill Bird (D-6977), and over 50 staff members. For questions regarding Bridge Day BASE jumping, please contact Jason Bell (click on the "base428" profile to the left for email address) or visit www.bridgeday.info. For further whuffo-type information on Bridge Day 2007, please visit the official Bridge Day website located at www.officialbridgeday.com. Here are a few more links: Schedule First Timers Page The LZ Hotels/Camping Shuttle Buses to LZ Our Main Staff ------- Vertical Visions LLC Jason Bell - Owner PO Box 934 Bridgeport, WV 26330 Phone: 304-203-8500 Email: Click on the "base428" profile to the left Bridge Day Website: www.bridgeday.info edit to insert additional information regarding first time jumpers and mentors ~TA (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

A few years ago, when some of us where naive enough to work with the ABP, we sent letters to all viable National Parks. The letters requested that parachuting be part of the next park planning process. I haven't heard either way if any parks have addressed BASE jumping, which has been made somewhat easier by the 2006 NPS Management Policies. At New River for Bridge Day, I obtain a special use permit each year. This year, it's costing me $2500 for six hours of jumping (5 rangers at $40/hr for 12 hours + $100 application fee). I'm not sure how they arrived at 12 hours per ranger, but I'm going to ask them soon. Since the New River rangers have failed to address parachuting in their park planning process, despite a written request, they are still issuing my permit under the 10-year director's waiver (per 2001 NPS Management Policies). Conclusion: You need to get the park to determine that parachuting is an appropriate park activity. Then you can apply for a permit to jump. Sounds easy, but there are several hoops to jump through. In my opinion, they're always going to say no to us, so more drastic measures are needed (mass packing protests, lawsuits, etc.) Either way, continue the fight. 8.2.2.7 Parachuting Parachuting (or BASE jumping), whether from an aircraft, structure, or natural feature, is generally prohibited by 36 CFR 2.17(a)(3). However, if determined through a park planning process to be an appropriate activity, it may be allowed pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit. (See Appropriate Use 8.1.1) (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

No one said he'd be banned from other events. Knowing his name would allow organizers of other legal events to make sure he was there as a jumper rather than a protester. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I agree 100% that we need to be on our best behavior at public events. Besides, it's THEIR building.....not yours. Please post or email me the name of the offending jumper so we can avoid similar incidents at other legal events. Thanks. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Your post insinuates that all BASE jumps are illegal. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

The safety police have been busy lately: http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2007052525?pt=0 ...The National Park Service this year banned cliff diving and rope swings in Missouri’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways in an effort to cut down on rowdy behavior.... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

We're more a part of skydiving than most people think. Skydiving has long been a prerequisite for getting into BASE. BASE jumping is simply a specialized discipline of skydiving. For the record, I'd rather see your BASE forum remain part of dz.com. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.