TVPB

Sean I don't understand your response at all. Who says what is risky? We all do!!!!!!!! Every time we make a decision to do something, we are either consciously or subconsciously assessing the risk. The potential problem is, we all make that assessment based on personal experiences, skill, and knowledge. This is why people assess risk in different ways. Rock climbers have ratings for climbs. Why? Because it is a subjective guide to the difficulty (and risk) of various climbs. Industries measure risk ALL the time as part of Occupational Health and Safety requirements. r.e. rescue costs, I was only making the point that I am happy to participate in a user pays system if that system is relevant to all activities. Don't you think this is a fair point? I elaborated on the ABC show as the audience is general society, not just jumpers. So you have to consider the response in context. Please explain what you meant. Thanks.

Excellent. I take almost everything I said back now. All the best of luck to you with your jumping ambitions. www.basejump.org Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Your point is only valid if it does not discriminate. What does this mean? A fatigued driver should pay for their own rescue following an accident, as should a drunk driver, an inexperienced driver driving beyond their abilities, etc. So should tired and drunk people in general. Throw in people who smoke, have sex, live in polluted cities, put themselves under immense stress whilst pursuing grand careers. As should. . . . . . . blah blah blah. It is ONLY fair if all people are treated equally. And since my tax money HAS been used to rescue the above examples that I have mentioned. I not only feel but I AM entitled to be rescued at the cost of the tax payer if I have an accident. Add to this point that no man has the right to decide whether someone should be rescued or not. I have heard people say that BASE jumpers should be left to fend for themselves. BTW - since my tax has been used to fund wars, and dictatorships, and . . . . .well, lets not even go there. Following is my reponse to a story on ABC - it talks about rescue. As usual, just me being opionated!!!

AAahhhh - we are all human.

For those contemplating waterfall jumps, here are some considerations that need to be accounted for. Waterfalls are a fluid mass that moves relative to / through a mass of air (another fluid). Whilst the water is moving down under the force of gravity, the air mass must be displaced somwhere. This has a number of affects. Firstly, a component of the displaced air mass is taken down with the waterfall. That is one of the reasons why you see lots of bubbles under the waterfall. The volume and speed of the water/air fall, coupled with friction, forces air adjacent to the water to be literally sucked down as well. In laymans terms, this creates a downdraft adjacent to the waterfall that increases in speed and intensity as you get lower (until the water reaches terminal velocity of course - the water then spreads around a bit more and falls at the same rate and begins to have less affect) - i.e. the bottom of a 250m waterfall with a large volume of water is probably more dangerous than the bottom of a 1000m waterfall with the equivalent volume. Another thing that happens is that from the centre of the waterfall, to an area several tens of metres away that is not affected by the waterfall, there are changing air flow patterns. The centre of the waterfall is straight down. Given its higher density than the air surrounding it, it falls with great speed. Immediately adjacent to the waterfall you will still have strong downdraft and some water molecules floating around as they are not subjected as much to the falling mass. Here is where it gets interesting. We are about to transition from down to no movement. It is almost like a wind shear but it is complicated with eddies and turbulence from the downdraft and waterfall. i.e this is where the air flow becomes less predictable to the naked untrained eye (reasonably predictable to anyone familiar with chaos theory). Basically, you will get a combination of downdrafts, sidedrafts, updrafts, etc. As you move further out, the affects becomes less in terms of force but the motion probably occurs in greater distances. What I mean by this is that radius of the eddies next to the waterfall are smaller but more noticeable than further out. Finally, you are in clear air. Hence, if you BASE jump next to a waterfall, the following things will probably happen: If you throw a p/c in the downdraft right next to the waterfall, it may well keep falling with you and never create enough drag to pull your canopy out. IF you either fly into or freefall into the waterfall, you have minimal chance of landing an inflated canopy (this problem is greater for high volume/flow rate falls). These results will be fairly predictable. If you deploy or fly a few metres out, you will have less predictability. You might get sucked down, you might open quickly, you might? ? ? ? ? etc. This stuff should be particularly noted when deploying at low altitudes immediately adjacent to a high volume waterfall, where the water is still reasonable contained as one mass. This stuff was posted for people to learn from and think. If you have different ideas, I'd be happy to hear them. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck Tom p.s. apparently the bloke in question will be OK once he recovers. Get well soon. Wish I was there.

Kilo BASE. That could be a dangerous thing to call a female. I think she looks much hotter than that in the avatar. Well done anyway. Now for 1024 jumps!!!!!!!!

That's how it sounded to me. One of the ABA video's has some great footage of some early jumps off that landmark. And from my ever diminishing memory, it was the first object jumped in this wonderful continent.

Method 2 has reliability issues. You are assuming that the p/c orientation will allow the appropriate relative air flow to create the maxuimum drag force you desire to get you to line stretch. You are also assuming the the deployment sequence will always occur as it is supposed to. i.e. from top the bottom you will have p/c, then mesh, then bridle, then the rest of it. Think about the reason that large p/c don't have external handles? It is kind of like the toggle v riser debate. You need to look at the complete picture to see which method is better. Isolating individual characteristics is fine for simplifying the analysis but it all mist be put together prior to acting. i.e. you have to consider everything prior to doing a LOW jump. I personally believe that if you did 100 test jumps. You would find that the average for method one would be better than for method two. The spread of distance/times would be less. I think you would have the fastest times in method two but not consistantly. When pushing the limits of BASE jumping, you are not looking for the extreme edge of the bell curve, you are looking for reliability, repeatability, consistancy. You want to know that when I do this, that WILL happen. Otherwise you are simply playing Russian Roullette. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck p.s. I have assumed that it was a go and throw, no real delay. I have also assumed that the resistance forces throughout the deployment sequence are negligible. i.e. insignificant pin/velcro tension, canopy has clean access out of the container, etc. p.s.s there are issues with how the canopy pressurises with the two "methods" of snatch and drag. Couple this with brake settings and wing loadings - this means that what is right for one situation, may not necessarily be correct for another. Just my humble opinion. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Good poach - I'm biting. Since you are being funny, I am going to try being funny too. Go see your DZ CI at Tooradin - RP. Ask him to put you onto a BASE instructor that he knows well (that may end up being me). When you ask me that same question, I'll slap you and take minimal interest. The fact that you even asked this question on the BASE forum proves several things: - you have not bothered to talk to ANYONE at your local DZ. - you have not bothered to punch in the title of your post on any of the internet search forums (you would have got lots of pages in response). - you are lazy and have poor communication skills. Not good attributes for someone who want to learn about a sport like BASE jumping. - you are poaching for a response. You've gotta be. If you are not, you are a mutant that is immune to the chemicals we are trying to put into the gene pool to cleanse it of . . . . . . . . . aaahhh I give up. Site naming is all over every BASE forum in the world. This is bad etiquette. You obviously have not bothered to read anything about ethics, or BASE, etc. > Yeah. Hello Mr Policeman. I want to tresspass onto a public structure. Hope you don't mind. I don't want to actually gain approval via appropriate channels but I thought I'd just tell you anyway. BTW, I'll do it around 10am if that is OK with you. Shouldn't be too much traffic then. What do you think? Whilst I am at it, I want to rob a 7-11 and shoot someone. Hope this clears it all up for you. You've been a great listener. Penalty - well, since you have already sorted it out with the Police, there should be no penalty. A boat, now you are starting to think. Excellent. You have restored some of my faith in humanity. I suspect that the Aussie guys you are looking for are in the same city. That is usually a good place to start. If you can't find them, they are probably trying there hardest to keep away from you. How did I do? Was I funny? Did you get the sensitive response you were hoping for? Or did I fail miserably? Instead of only a touch of study (as your profile states), I suggest you add a few more touches. People who put in no effort, do not get anywhere in life. BASE jumpers who put in no effort, often end up injured/dead. And they certainly ostracise themselves from the majority of the jumping community. I am not sorry for being harsh. You are not even trying. Actually, you are very trying. This is a reality check that you need. If you are trying to be funny, then I have a similar response. You need to work on your delivery. Your technique is very floored, your timing is abysmal, you need to spend more time practising before trying to make jokes. Effort, practise, study the masters, you will get nowhere with no effort. If your sole intent was to get a response, then congratulations. You have acheived your objectives. I commend you on setting goals and achieving them. I have no idea what benefit you may derive from this, but . . . . . p.s. go to this site, basejump.org, blincmagazine.com etc and check out the prerequisites.

Jaap You are making the assumption that the writer actually wants a wider audience. This may be incorrect. Or not??????????? You are right if the writer was intending to inform and educate a wider audience. But I personally do not think that was the intent or the case. You are entitled to have an opinion on any piece of writing. But more than that, the writer has a greater right to pen the words that (s)he feels/desires/believes/etc. A similar example I have come across recently are the works of WD Gann - on of the greatest investors during the years of the Great Depression, etc. His technique when it is dummed down is very simple to understand for most people. It is a bit of a hobby of mine that is making some good $$$$$$. But if you read his books, most mortals struggle to understand "what the hell he is on about". His intent was to force people to think and try to understand instead of giving them a simple 5 step recipe. He believed that people should put in effort to earn rewards. The reward in his case was a more complete understading of his techniques (and the flow on benefits of greater trading success). Many people seem to have the belief that BASE jumping is an activity that deviates widely from other activities. I don't actually think that is the case at all. There are many similarities between BASE and other activities. One of the other posts on this thread touched on this. The sport has people, groups, individuals, competitions, solo activities, equipment, training regime's, personalities, events, students, experienced, administrators, competitors, social participants, manufacturers, equipment retailers, supporters, detractors, champions, losers, The major differences are: - perceptions of people internal and external to the sport - the actual detail and technical aspects of the sport - the level of maturity of the sport - we are still relatively young (not necessarily time - level of development could also be considered) - the fact that any activity that has a minor participation rate is considered strange by the remainder of society. I.e I always thought spoon collectors were weird. And what about the running of the bulls - doesn't that look dangerous and stupid (but if you talked to an experienced runner and learnt more about the activity . . .) - the perceived and actual risk and margins for error. Hence, The best thing in my humble opinion is to keep an open mind about everything. What people say and do and what your perceptions are of what they said and did may be extremely divergent. Clarity through communication resolves most of these circumstances. But thankfully, there will always be different opinions. Society needs this to progress. Enough ranting and raving. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck

I alway thought that all along. Finally someone agrees with me!! Nick - you have too much spare time. Luv your work.

Here's an interesting perspective. BASE jumpers. Use only one canopy (generally). Which means that they crave/desire/need/expect a greater level of consistancy and reliability than skydivers (who generally have 2 parachutes). Not many BASE rigs with d-bags. Makes you wonder why?????? Another thing. D-bags make it so much harder to retract the pilot chute on opening. Hence, there is more crap flapping around whilst you are doing CRW. Not good. Tip 1 - the person you are talking to is NOT a packer. In my mind, a packer should have some degree of understanding of equipment, its configuration, and the reason things are set up as they are. Or at least the ability to logically determine why things are the way they are. Better go to someone who has an idea. Now, packing a VX69 into a container without a d-bag may add complexity and issues on deployment, but Lightnings (CRW canopies in general) work really well without the bag. That is the way they are designed. Study the deployment sequence. All you are doing in CRW is removing the d-bag component of it, almost everything else is fundamentally similar.

Nice post K763 Thanks for the learnings. Yes, Darcy was what we call a larrikin. A person who just smiled and enjoyed life. Not too much baggage or complexity. This can be a very liberating existance. Just want to clarify your wording, I understand what you said as: "He got to pull height, did the standard left arm out front, right hand deploy, started spinning whilst in this position and PRIOR to actually releasing the pilot chute, tried to regain stability, initiated the deployment sequence when he realised he had altitude issues, impacted prior to completion of the canopy opening sequence". BASE jumpers certainly are tracking further and it is wonderful to have been a witness to the growth of the sport from falling straight down with p/c in hand to all the tracking and suit tech stuff. However, people are not necessarily going lower than before. The ground is a finite limit that cannot be altered without some MAJOR engineering work. Low pull comps / jumps have been around for a long while and it is not an area where we can advance that much (apart from someone trying to land a wingsuit ). I think it would be truer to say that on average, jumpers are going lower much earlier in their jumping career / progression. This has a plethora of issues that need to be managed both by the individual jumper themselves and the person mentoring/guiding/coaching them. What you have highlighted is VERY IMPORTANT. 1 - Pull. 2 - Pull high. 3 - Pull high and stable. Is what I remember from early jumping days. Similar to what you are saying. What does this mean for people PLANNING on going low? You have intentionally put yourself at step 1 above. This means that you do not have the option of 2 and 3. Hence, 1 - Pull - and deal with the issues later. One thing to be careful of when considering pull heights is that low is a relative term. If, for example, your parachute deployment sequence consumes exactly 300 feet at terminal, and you are at 350 feet - YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL. If you are a beginner at 750 feet, then trying to regain stability might not be the best option as your inexperience may lead to consumption of excessive height whilst correcting your stability. If you are a freefall guru at the same height as the beginner, you may need only 1 second to correct your stability. If . . . .If . . . . .If . . . . . . Hence, build margins in for each factor that is likely to affect your end result. This is especially relevant to beginners out there who try to push the limits very early in their jump careers. ANd its is relevant to the experienced jumpers who are trying new things or are not feeling 100% or . . . . . . Remember . . . . . . Stay Safe Have Fun

Funny - they look suspiciously like the Russian 8 Way Speed team!!!!!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

an oldy but a goldie. Another thread http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_threaded;post=1700560;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC; or http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_threaded;post=1700666;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC; Note that the above is just my opinion. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

To all the veterans, whilst there may be some naivety and inexperience in this post, just sit back and admire the dream. To Longwaytofall - pursue your dream, be passionate about it. Because without dreams, there is NO reality. Just remember - on the journey to achieving your dream, there are many steps. Take each one. The penalty for avoiding the steps may be as great as life itself. The reward is many fantastic experiences and people along the way. You'll be greatful once you reach your goal of llllloooooooonnnnnnnggggggggg freefalls. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck

To all the veterans, whilst there may be some naivety and inexperience in this post, just sit back and admire the dream. To Longwaytofall - pursue your dream, be passionate about it. Because without dreams, there is NO reality. Just remember - on the journey to achieving your dream, there are many steps. Take each one. The penalty for avoiding the steps may be as great as life itself. The reward is many fantastic experiences and people along the way. You'll be greatful once you reach your goal of llllloooooooonnnnnnnggggggggg freefalls. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck

Was there with DW - photo at http://tomarent.tripod.com/video.htm on the side menu. Also at http://tomarent.tripod.com/picture.htm - see 32 second delay. I have achieved twenty somethings without a suit at places like the TW. And guess what? I am fat, ugly, and can't track for shi$%^t!!!! I guess I have some aerodynamic features that others don't have - a bald head!!!!! So if Douggs took his tutu off (naked), I think he could go 50% better than me. That's only because he would have lots of drag on his . .umm . . thing. So if he covered that thing or put it somewhere safe, he would probably double my times!!!!!!!! Anyway, learn to fall before you can track like a mo focker on a big wall!! They have a histroy of catching people out. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck Tom Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

check their website - they have got the world record attempts on later this year. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

V Douggs has already given an answer to your question. Learn how to track properly first, then use the tracking pants. Learn on skydives first, then take your skills on BASE jumps. If a person can't nail the stuff on skydives, they have no business trying it on a BASE jump. Putting yourself at risk and as a consequence, exposing other jumpers with you with a potential fatality is NOT the way to learn. The difference between a skydive and BASE jump is simple - aerodynamics!!!! Planes fly when they have relative ari flow. Skydives give you this on the exit (usually), BASE exits don't. This means that you have to position your body on a BASE jump to both maintain stability, AND to simulate the affects of an airfoil passing through air (relative airflow). You stuff with this equation (i.e. unstable, stall points, disturbed air flow, etc), you don't fly efficiently. Obviously, there are many other differences but you were asking about flight. There is no short cut to becoming the World Formula One Racing Champion. You work hard, you develop your skills, you constantly assess and reassess your performance (preferably and more efficiently with a coach), and you alter your techniques such that you improve. Similarly, there is no short cut to becoming a super BASE tracker. You can certaily get there quicker by getting the right information up front. But it still takes a lot of hard work and time.

List of CRW websites: - List of CRW websites & Related Links - OzCRW Website - Subject Matter in OzCRW website Feel free to contribute! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Well said Douggs. Couple of points that I would like to highlight. 1 - Douggs is giving everyone here some free, potentially life saving advice on his experiences. Take the advice before you get to form your on opinion in the afterlife. 2 - The preparation and logical skill development is critical. Don't watch Douggs take it low and then go do the same thing. Remember that he has done thousands of jumps and has more natural ability than almost everyone else on the planet. You may be blessed with more natural ability than him, but you have to give it a chance to be nurtured. The reality is, most people will fit somewhere below Douggs and above being a really crappy jumper. This is statistics. The majority of the population IS AVERAGE. that is what average means. To become above average you need special abilities OR lots of hard work. Some people can pick up a golf set and score only a few over par on their first attempt. Most people will need several years of practice to get there. You get my drift????? 3 - Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

Isn't that a special nappy you wear in case you get really scared in a wrap (and you poo yourself) and you have to deploy your reserve. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Hi Avery Contact Jeb - he was doing a bunch of jumps with an Isreali jumper earlier this decade. I met him very briefly in 2000 in New York + Bridge Day. Also, RV is from Israel. He was injured at that place near Asylum / the old Cons Rigging!!!!! Try Dingo from San Francisco. If you get stuck, email me and I will get there email addresses. Sounds like your having fun. p.s. thanks heaps for the dvd. It was an Outrage indeed.