lifewithoutanet

I recently heard about a guy who developed Zubbles. The pretty cool story about it is here. -C.

Can't tell your level of experience for certain, but it seems safe to assume you're relatively new to the sport. That said, if you just really want a white center cell as a part of your canopy design, go for it, but what Chris and Ed say is correct. If, however, you're choosing white or a different centercell color simply because it's the centercell, to make packing easier, I think you'll quickly outgrow that with even just a little bit more packing experience. Sorry if I'm off on this, it was my first impression from your post. -C.

It will be tough for you to find a vendor in the US. One jumper on here ended up ordering them from Torrey Pines Gliderport. In any case, you're probably shopping online. -C.

BINGO. -C.

Why? Heading correction. 270 degrees to play with instead of the typical 180. That's subjective on E's and B's to the actual object, though, so neither of us really have an argument. It all comes down to the specific object. I wasn't accusing you of chasing numbers, and I glossed over the first two weeks. GCing, packing, sneaking around, learning about site analysis will be time well spent. Taking that into consideration, maybe you're onto something. I'll give you a little more credit. I think his actual title is "Savior of BASE on Public Lands"...oh, and his Indian name is "Burning Asshole". -C.

No...I'm not saying that at all. Hypothetical person...yeah, okay. I get what you're saying. Personally, I think I'd put that hypothetical person of a hypothetical B for their first solid object before I'd put them off a hypothetical E. Maybe that's just me, though. Just seems a little too "ASE-in-a-week", but that's just my opinion. Good thing Abbie's banned. He'd be ripping us new ones right now. -C.

E? Hell, man...unless you've got some super overhung, 270ish degrees off the exit that you haven't told me about... Don't you think that might be a little soon? A week at the Perrine, doing all sorts of object avoidance is great and all, but experience over time, with breaks in between to absorb and rethink what the new jumper has learned does have some benefit. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from hucking 50 off the Perrine in a week and heading to Moab? Would you advocate that? -C.

Perris, last April or March. 6-way freefly at the front of the plane w/ one student-class jumper behind us. Group before us requested a go-around due to clouds and then took a while to spot and get out (not knocking them, just stating facts). Pilot flew us around for a little bit, hunting for more holes in the cloudcover. Finally told us this next hole was our only chance or we were going back down. We were a mile North and a mile East. "Fuck it." We went and beforehand told the student we'd probably be landing out and that it was his decision on what to do, but if he followed us out the door, he should probably land out w/ our group rather than trying to make it back on his own. After getting through a little industrial haze that blew under us (but totally wasn't there when we exited ), I opened as the low guy and spotted a little airstrip in the middle of this field. Then I noticed the giant standing next to and towering above a plane on the tarmac and I realized just what kind of airstrip this was: R/C. I scanned my airspace while setting up for final and confident that there was nothing up there and no one was scrambling any fighters our way, carved a nice 180 down to the side of their runway. (Most) everyone (including the student) followed suit and we started packing after a quick call on my cell to manifest. They knew right where we were and a truck was on the way. Figured we had time to pack, but the truck showed up within minutes. Beer was paid for the pickup. -C.

Aussie in bid to break BASE jumping record Let's not let this turn into a flame fest over Miles' hiking out vs. Gary taking the elevator. Both Miles' record and Gary's attempt are good publicity for BASE. -C.

It's okay, you limey British wanker. You twats just can't help yourselves. Get back to what you know best: America-bashing. -C.

Toilets do NOT flush clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect. The only known influence due to the Coriolis effect is on Aussie BASE jumpers. They just don't know or don't care enough to respect it. -C.

What Jaap said, plus, get a camera (the better the camera, the better the cover) and start finding your way to the top of objects as a "photographer". Get access figured out and start learning about site analysis from the ground and the exit. -C.

From your question...that depends entirely on the angle of the camera. Personally, I find it easier to do my flippy-dos counter-clockwise if the camerman is on my right and clockwise if the cameraman is on my left. Edit to add: I guess I just don't get your point on one style being easier for deployment than others, unless you're talking about the location of the PC and direction of throw (generally right). -C.

NPS land is governed by the Dept of the Interior. The Forest Service is actually part of the Dept of Agriculture (USDA). As such, I don't think you'd be at risk for aerial delivery because that's traditionally been exercised only by the NPS Management Policy. -C.

Yo, JP. Straightforward and forthright is the only way to go. You know your instructor is going to make you write a letter to your family, explaining your desire to BASE. I'd start there. You don't necessarily need to show it to them, but it's the closest thing I've written to a suicide letter and I've rewritten it a couple of times, then used the thoughts it provoked to have a conversation with my folks and brothers. I've found you can't just have it once. Follow up after a few months, just try not to make it seem like you're dwelling on your own death. You just need to prepare them. I'm sure some people will disagree w/ me on this, but don't make it all doomsday, either. After you've gotten some more experience, explain it again and let them know what it gives you. If you just focus on the macabre, that's all they'll see. -C. Edit: PS Check The BASE Wiki. It has some good info.

This has been discussed many times in this forum. Opinions range across the spectrum and are argued/defended vehemently. Search on 'minimum skydiving experience' or just 'skydiving experience' for more hits. Consider the standard approach to BASE which starts with a PCA from a relatively safe S, the jumper still has a canopy to contend with from deployment to approach to landing. Think about how much can go wrong in that time, how much little time that is and determine your level of confidence and comfort. Then realize that you're approaching this as someone with even a minimal amount of canopy experience. Put someone with ZERO canopy experience into the same situation. Who would get the best odds in Vegas? -C.

Ouch. That stings, but the truth hurts. Challenge accepted and what timing: I think you'll find some surprises the next time you visit. You can hold me to that. Things do seem to be getting a little crowded around here, but my statement was meant in general...not specific to this area. "Better management" could include pacing the activity in an area. My point was more that the active locals may have motives rooted in that, rather than selfishness. -C.

Good statement, Jaap. Have fun answering all those PMs after that offer of yours. My personal perspective is that experienced (and let's even throw in 'active') locals' hesitation isn't just due to the possibility of injuries to a jumper or our lifestyle. BASE is expanding at a rapid pace. If you're one of those experienced/active jumpers in an area and you've got a handful of people coming at you for access to more sites and an 'in' to the local scene, what are you to do? If you're not careful with the influx of new blood, no one will have anything left to jump. So, that jumper who's "pushing/shunning" you away might not be the self-righteous asshole you think is wrapped in a blanket of his/her own elitist ego. They might be trying to preserve a little longer what's been handed down from the people who started before them. -C.

And Abbie just won't shut up about it. -C.

Friend of mine back in CO took a 40' digger off his roof while building his house. Shattered his talus and a number of bones in his feet. Three years later, he's had cadaver bones, multiple rounds of surgery and finally had his ankle fused together. Yeah, I'd take a tib/fib over ankle any day of the week. -C.

There's a significant difference in the two types of wings that goes far beyond simple wingloading. I've only flown a 27m^2, 1-2 wing--and only a few flights at that--so it's a far cry from what you're piloting. But, considering the differences in the wing design and your wingloading, the higher ground-speed plays into your glide angle, as well, and I'm relatively certain you're landing at an angle of incidence that's far more shallow than the steeper descent of a BASE wing. I could be way off in that last statement, though. -C.

It's not so much the actual 'protection' of that few extra cms of leather as much as it's keeping everything aligned properly to take the force of an impact. Your feet/ankles/legs will take a beating far better if one's not folded under the other. And yeah, those are pretty ugly shoes and if we've learned anything about BASE from skydiving, it's that BASE is meant to be stylish. -C.

In an area of the world where a large percentage of the population in the bush carry rifles and would likely be suspicious of someone climbing a tower...possibly poachers. Good on ya. Hope you guys get that all figured out. Have fun. -C.

Now, now, Abbie. Simmer down. We could use her with that arson problem we've been having around here, lately. See you in two weeks. -C.

There are too many posts on this for me to link individual threads, so start here. Hanwags seem to be the standard. The hardware is virtually snag-proof. A newer boot that's gaining popularity is the Crispi Airborne GTX. I jump La Sportiva Glaciers. They have standard 'hooks' on the upper-ankle, but I protect mine by folding down my socks or covering w/ pants. In any case, what you really want to look for are a shock absorbing heel, good ankle protection and what you've already picked up on: low snag potential. -C.