inzite

Rig looks good to me. But the canopy looks like it broke some lines on deployment. ;)

Absolutely sick video!!! Music really goes well with the imagery, and the imagery is on par with the best I've ever seen. That was a minute and change of some of the best fun I've had in weeks!!! I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the full thing, and hopefully jumping some of those objects this winter. Thanks for the hard work.

I've placed copies of katzurki's 4th and 6th jumps at http://www.rushbug.com/node/55. The 4th jump is a freefall assist, and the 6th jump is katzurki going solo using the so-called "inverted mushroom". I'm very curious to understand the faults in this method, as it's the same one that I was taught and the same one I currently use.

Katzurki, Actually, for my third I was thinking about some two way. Wanna do a Mr. Bill? For the serious ones in the audience: That was a joke. Katzurki and I went back this afternoon for his fourth and my second. Once again instructor assisted jumps, but this time the instructor just watched our body positions on exit and, assuming everything looked okay, tossed the PC out behind us (unlike our first jumps, where the instructor held the PC to line stretch). Both our jumps went perfectly. No video for my second, but I did film katzurki's perfect body position on his fourth. He had good form right til line stretch, then started kicking his legs. It looked like he was running in place!!! It looks like there's a delay on posting videos to skydivingmovies.com. I managed to put the video of my first jump on another server at http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=6ada6f8c221c099354c9e5d7 http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=6ada6f8c221c099354c9e5d7 Anyway, both katzurki and I are off tomorrow morning for our first freefall jumps. Will tell everyone how it went tomorrow evening.

Two days ago I did my first jump, from the same legal 110 meter "A" that katzurki blazed on Oct. 30. The jump was PCA'd by an instructor. I'd climbed the object on Oct. 30 to video katzurki's first jump, and went back on Nov. 1 for my turn. Instruction started on the ground, covering all aspects of what to expect, how to handle the exit, what mental state to try and get into, and what to do if the shit hits the fan. Training and discussion continued all the way to the top of the object. The climb, including a 5-10 minute chat at each platform on the way to the exit, took about an hour. Finally our instructor, katzurki, a photographer, and I were in place at the exit, 110 meters from where we started. We went through gear checks and a last few minutes of mental preparation, and moved up to the edge... Standing 110 meters above the cold hard earth, with a 20 km/hour cold wind blowing by, ears and fingers slowly freezing, somehow the realization of what I was about to do didn't seem to set in. Two days prior, with absolutely no intention of jumping, I'd climbed that damned object wearing all-too-inappropriate clothing in -2 (celsius) weather. Somehow, on that first climb, I couldn't in any way manage to get my nerves under control, and spent the entire climb up (and down!!!) shaking and fidgeting. And I didn't even plan on jumping that day. November 1st, everything was under control however. Standing at the edge, looking out over the forests, factories, and various landing areas below, I was damned ready to jump off that object. If for no reason but that I didn't want to climb back down - the climb down is scary!!! At the edge, 60 seconds from a major fork in my life, a decision point I'd spent three years preparing for, I was surprisingly calm. Of course slightly nervous, naturally "a little on edge", there wasn't an ounce of fear in my mind. This time, I'd spent the entire climb controlling the precursors to fear that creep up from the depths of your subconscious in the days, hours, minutes, and seconds before something like BASE. At the exit I was ready, and I knew it. Our instructor did last-minute checks on the equipment as I went through a last-minute mental practice of my jump - imagining keeping my eyes on the horizon, not overrotating, trusting that box-man position, and no matter what goes through my mind in that second to canopy inflation - NOT LOOKING DOWN. And then it was time. With a "I'm ready" notice from the instructor, I moved out onto the exit point, a small slab of plywood appended to the top of a metal support. I checked the positioning of my feet, trying not to let my eyes spend too much time focusing on the ground so very very close below me. Checked my body position and one last time reenacted the jump in my mind. Realizing I didn't want to be totally calm on my first jump, that I wanted at least some small sensation of fear, I took a long 3-second gaze at the trees and barb-wire below me, letting the gravity of what I was about to do set in, and then fixed my eyes on the horizon. "I'm ready," I told the instructor. "Am I okay to go?" With his "whenever you want" reply, I started an internal count, double-checking my mental state, my degree of fear and nervousness (I wanted to be slightly nervous - I am getting into BASE partly because it scares me), but not so nervous that it would affect my jump. With all lights green, I started my count. "Ready!" "Set!" "Go!" And a lunge out into nothingness. I only remember bits and pieces of the next second, but I distinctly recall the feeling that that one second was not a second, but an entire minute, an hour, a day passing by as I felt lack of a firm substance below my feet, and the pitching of my body as I started to roll forward. Eyes still fixed dead on the horizon, legs straight out behind me (or so I thought), it finally dawned on me that I'd actually done it. My first BASE jump. And a dull curiosity crept into my brain as I wondered how it was going to end. Line over? Off heading? Entanglement? Brake fire? No out? But of course I knew everything was going to be fine. As the seconds drew into minutes and the minutes into hours, I began to wonder "when is that damned canopy going to open". I felt myself rotate from a head-high position to an angled orientation to the point where my body was perfectly level, flat, falling ever faster toward the ground. And then, with my eyes still fixed on the horizon, I felt a terrifying sensation! I was starting to overrotate. I was going past a flat, belly down orientation. And just as I was starting to worry about this - BAM! I felt the pull of risers and sensed the familiar sound of a canopy inflating overhead. And 100% on heading too!!! Although for some reason my body spun 50 degrees to the left on opening. Perhaps a low shoulder? Relief start to set in as well as a sense of accomplishment and I let out the loudest "YEAH!!!" I could possibly scream, then went for toggles. Landing was odd - I'd forgotten how little flare big, slow canopies have (geez I love my 150 Scorpion). Downwinded the landing onto a nice snow/ice covered road and ran it out. It's been two days and all I've thought about in the time since is that jump. I've watched the video 50 times over, critiqued and relived the jump 500 times in my dreams and mental digressions. Things that I'm glad I did and that went well: 1) I'm glad I didn't jump on Oct. 30, but rather jumped on Nov. 1st. My mental state on the 30th would not have been appropriate, nor safe, for any BASE jump. 2) I'm glad that I dressed appropriately for the +3 winter temperatures and strong wind. Half of my nerves on the first climb two days prior were caused simply by half-freezing to death on that damned tower. Things I did wrong: 1) I should have eaten a good meal before the jump. Having skipped breakfast, by the time I was at the top of the antenna, I was burned out, and I know more than anything else, how well I've eaten plays a huge role in how mentally ready I am for something like BASE. The experience of a first jump was incredible, and I have no regrets about doing it. To be honest, nothing but pride. It's something I did for me. I still have a lot of thinking to do. I'm not sure if BASE is for me. I may quit at ten jumps. There's a HUGE chance I'll stop before 20. But in the meantime, it's something I'm set on experiencing. I leave for jump number two in 15 minutes. The above is mostly for myself, to let out 1% of what's been going through my mind in the past 48 hours. But hopefully someone else will find it (interesting, intriguing, reminiscent, valuable) as well. And I also wanted to say "hi". P.S. The video is now on skydivingmovies.com. In the BASE section with the name "will-base-number-1.avi"

Why would you want to be? It's one thing to be #1 on a list of 137 names. But being #86? Where's the glamour in that?

2/1:0:0 What can I say...the weather sucked. Later learned that even with the constant drizzle they were still jumping at the DZ. Sure, the humps were fun, but I'd take the jumps any day.

Sure? Well, that's what they said on RealTV, so it must be true We were all sitting in manifest slightly stunned they'd aired video of someone going in. Right after impact, our DZO stated that he must have survived if they'd shown the video on RealTV. At about this moment the show displayed two anchors sitting behind the RealTV news desk, and they informed the audience that the boy survived impact, and we all sighed in relief. The anchor then continued to add that he died soon afterwards at the hospital, and we returned to our stunned "wow, they actually aired that on TV" state. Of course, this is RealTV we're talking about. I wouldn't even begin to claim that what they quoted is 100% what really happened.

Have you started checking the local dachas and gardens? It's probably sitting in a backyard keeping some babushka's cucumbers warm.

Just had to note that your sig at the bottom of this post is absolutely hilarious. Of course I understand that the sig refers to a completely different 45 degree rule ;)

One of the instructors at Borki (outside Moscow, Russia) had what I believe was a no-out impact and survived. If katzurki is lurking, he can tell us the details of the incident. From what I remember, he landed on top of a (Mi-8 ???) helicopter door in a large snow drift while filming an action movie stunt. Several months of recovery were involved.

I'm pretty sure they also pulled that stunt for the "Good Stuff" video.

Whoops. Probably shouldn't say "unreliable gear". I'm sure the gear was sufficiently reliable. But it's still outdated, and nothing I'd want to do a first jump on.

About two years ago we were sitting around the DZ between loads (cessna DZ). I'd just finished static line jump number three, and we were sitting in the manifest trailer at Williston watching RealTV (DZO, S&TO, myself, assorted jumpers, and two booked-on-the-next-load tandem students). This video comes on. Here's what I remember for sure from the video: The jump took place in Columbia. The jumper was somewhere in the 11-13 year old range. At least one parent was a professional skydiver. Mom and dad wanted their son to become the youngest every skydiver in Columbia. Son went through (extensive?) ground training (they actually showed him doing practice jumps from the door of what looked like a cessna, all geared up. The gear he was using was DISGUSTING. I haven't been in the sport for long enough to know exactly what he was using, but it had a chest mounted reserve and back mounted main. It was probably from the 70s, and closely resembled the round equipment we use here for 300' static line jumps (old, round Soviet military rigs). RealTV said that the boy was supposed to be doing a short delay (5-10 seconds?), and he was being put out low (3000 feet?). Don't recall them mentioning the use of an AAD. If he had one, it no doubt would have been mechanical (no cypress). He was not jumping static line or IAD, and was jumping solo. Obviously from the video, he never deployed. He was found soon after impact and was still alive, but died at the hospital. The video was released at his parents' request to prevent similar mistakes. When we saw this on RealTV, it was aired on regular over the air channels around 2pm. We were all quite stunned at the DZ that something like that would be broadcast. It also gave the two tandem students quite a shake, but they both went up to do their jumps. A reminder that improper training in this sport kills. IMO, not even the equipment or the age of the jumper contributed to this death, so much as the fact that this student was being put out on a short delay freefall using unreliable gear with absolutely no prior skydiving experience. There's a reason static line, IAD, and AFF exist.

Bill Booth it's the beard.

With any other team, two first year quarterbacks would be a rebuilding year. The Gators have a knack for making first year QBs perform though. It ain't no rebuilding year - it's lunchtime.

LuvMeSum Baklava comin in!!!

Huh? Elaborate a little on how jail fits into all this. Or maybe I just started drinking too early today.

Anyway, now that you're back, give us stories. Where? What? With whom? Did you try the mushrooms in Amsterdam? Just don't get your film converted to slides.

Great to hear about the success story. I'm actually in the process of doing the same thing. I left the US on April 30th, 2004. Today is now October 4th, 2005. Gotta go back one day, just not today. It's been the best experience of my life (and I even landed a good job in Moscow earning more than I ever made as a student in the states - enough to buy my own rig and put in 3-5 jumps a weekend). Just shy of $6000 in debt greet me when I get home, but for 17 months and counting of the greatest learning experience of my life, it's a steal!!!

From an idealistic standpoint, I gotta side with Beverly on this one. I live in Moscow, Russia. I was at DZ Stupino this past summer, and to my great surprise a load of a dozen or so visibly physically/mentally handicapped children had been brought out to the DZ. Average age among them, if I had to guess, was about twelve years old. They were all doing tandems, and had a blast!!! I never asked what exactly their conditions were, but I'd hazard a guess that several of them were terminally ill (leukemia, diabetes, etc.). I was on the loads with a few of them, and they were all amazingly excited, ecstatic to be doing a tandem jump, amazed to be actually doing SOMETHING wild. I wish back in the states minors had that chance. If a thirteen year old wants to do a tandem, they should be given the same green light that any adult would get. It's unfortunate that libability plays such a large part in American society. That being said, if I were a DZO in the states, the civil system being what it is, I would never let a minor onto my aircraft unless the state's laws specifically upheld the ability of a minor (or guardian) to sign a legal waiver.

Ok, so I'm planning on getting into video, and have already decided on a PC120 side mounted on an FF2 helmet. No still camera, no ring sight, just the helmet and the videocamera. What would you suggest...jump with or without RSL? If it were any other camera configuration, I'd jump without RSL. However, the FF2 looks practically snagproof. I'm planning on jumping it with the RSL still engaged. Is this a bad idea? Is there anything I'm overlooking? My main is a docile Scorpion 150 (i.e. no ground-hungry diving under linetwists), in a Mirage G3 container with a Tempo 150 reserve. I'm just going to be filming freefly and bellyfly dives with friends - no tandems or professional 4-way. Anybody else out there jump camera with RSL? --Will

Not quite a plane, but: 1) Mi-8 helicopter. Seats more than 20 (never have counted heads), 8-10 minutes to altitude, and it's about 12 USD a jump here when you buy in bulk. Nice to live in the former Soviet Union. After that, I'd call: 2) King Air 3) An-28

The obvious - just get a furry pilot chute and bridle. Hmm, I wonder if that could be done ;)

The bridle seems long enough (again, I'm no rigger, just talking out of my ass). Just eyeballing it, I'd guess it's a little over two meters from pin to end of bridle (where it connects to PC).