bert_man

I think that was an old email and he's talking about in the US. In 2003 the USPA upped the requirements for all licenses: A: 20 to 25 B: 50 (I think it stayed there?) C: 100 to 200 D: 200 to 500 That's probably what he was referring to. As for stalls, I love 'em and do it on probably a good 30-40% of my jumps, sometimes riding them for 5-10 seconds. I even go as far as to try to make it do things on recovery, like "hmm lets see if i can make it recover 180 degrees off my heading, to the right" or "lets see how fast i can make it recover without surging wildly". I jump a sabre 170 loaded at 1.4-ish. Doing these stalls so often has really helped me learn to 'feel' my canopy. It's hard to gain that instinctual feel of your canopy without ever having much variation in line tension or having certain parts of your canopy collapse and actually know it's coming so you can look at your canopy and see what is really occuring as you feel it, knowing that you're at a safe altitude to do so. I've had instances (one very interesting one recently, low to the ground) where my canopy has done some crazy stuff in turbulent winds and I was able to instantly identify my situation just by feeling the pressure changes in the risers and the harness. I don't think I'd have been as calm when the left-front portion of my canopy folded completely under at 50 feet this past weekend if I hadn't done all the stalls that I do. In fact, a stall is one of the first things that I do when I try a new canopy... if only to determine the control stroke, at the very least. I might not keep up with this same practice when I fly a velocity 98 someday, though I think that doing it now definitely better prepares me for any future mishaps on any canopy. -Ghetto "The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear." Web Design Cleveland Skydiving

last year i had my windows box (aka my desktop) running for about 6 months. Then I randomly heard a loud bang (over some really loud music) and after some inspection found that my power supply had essentially exploded. This was, of course, 30 minutes before an important deadline and the client was less than amused...

I leave my phone off for days on end on occasion (especially on a vacation), and sometimes the battery shorts out and dies prematurely (so on a bus trip i'd be out of luck). Also, I've gone on vacations without telling my family... I'm a grown adult, I don't need to ask permission. Many vacations could take 3 days to get there, especially if you want to be cost-effient and take a bus. From what I understand, he called his g/f a day or so before the intended jump... it wasnt really a true VGC situation, just a normal conversation where he probably happened to mention that he would make a jump for his birthday. I'm not going to say either way whether or not I think scott was involved, especially after sitting here now watching so many people trying to pull their feet out of their mouths... I just wanted to say that many of the questions that were brought up do have possible explanations.

its interesting how much that pointy top of the raindrop makes a difference. I thought it was a joke when somebody first told me about it. But consider this: Rain falls at about 60mph (i saw this on mythbusters) We fall at 120mph (belly-to-earth, when our faces are exposed) 120-60 = 60.... So we hit the rain at the same speed that it hits us when we stand on the ground and look up.... but it hurts like a bitch! It's gotta be the shape... Oh yea... one more reason why skydivers dont really like jumping in the rain? 1 water jump = 25 normal jumps in terms of wear & tear. The water dissolves some of the ZP coating and deposits minerals of its own that tear at the fabric. I think i read that in a PD article or something. I still dont mind jumping in rain though. Oh well, im getting back to work.

stop posting and go jump then, drama queen. Get a life, foo!

Oh snap!

while cases like that are extremely rare, i guess i just have to say it: ... your right and im wrong ....(but only slightly)

well then, I guess I stand corrected. I have been meaning to take some refresher courses, especially since I've gotten into BASE. I can't fathom the thought of being with a brother in need and not having the knowledge to help him (or her) until the real professionals arrive. Unfortunately, none of the people that I usually jump with have any medical/first-aid background (that I know of). That fact makes me a bit uneasy, especially as I watch this current situation unfold. In addition to discussing the ethics of the pact that we've all been talking about, maybe we should start thinking about how prepared we are if we encounter a similar situation ourselves? Maybe Scott could have still been helped? Even if he couldn't, I'm sure that this possibility will haunt the jumpers who were with him for the rest of their lives, not to mention the family. I dont mean to hijack the thread, Tom, so feel free to break this off into a new thread if people start running with it. (as if you need my permission or something )

I've read his story in the past and I had the feeling that somebody would mention it. Those cases are in the extreme, extreme minority, however. Regardless, if you call an ambulance and stay on the scene, or if you call an ambulance and leave, real medical help would still arrive at the same time, so in the unlikely event that they 'came back to life'... ehhh i dunno.... fuck it... i probably would never leave the scene myself, but if somebody else in some other crew somewhere had this pact, and his buddies left him after he was dead (even if he came back to life later), i won't criticize them for listening to his last request. As long as they notify the correct people, right away, with sufficient information, as has been said before. I think the current situation is downright embarrassing to the sport (not to mention irresponsible, tragic, and cold), and I see no reason for "mike" to not give more information than "your son is dead". That really pisses me off. Then again, I don't know the whole story, so I can't entirely judge anybody yet. This whole issue is a really grey area. I'm not even entirely sure of my own opinion, so I think i'll just step back and let other people post now... If any of Scott's family or friends end up reading this thread, you have my deepest condolences. I really pray that this will get worked out as soon as possible so that you can find closure.

This is the impression that I get as well. I attended an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course with the ski patrol a few years ago, and have CPR and AED certifications (not current, but I still remember).

I've tried to stay out of this discussion up to this point because I'm still a very new jumper, however I just thought that I'd point out (as people have already done) that this discussion does not relate to "dying, or injured". Just dead. I also believe that a majority of BASE jumpers would in fact know how to check a fallen jumper's vital signs. It's really not that difficult. If I had such a pact, I would definitely find it hard to leave the body in the first place. I, personally, would not be able to bring myself to leave the scene unless I personally verified, with zero doubt in my mind, that my friend was dead. I would also probably want to spend a few moments to reflect and say a prayer or two. This, of course, only applies to the hypothetical situation that I actually had entered into a pact like this. At the moment, considering all things, I see no reason for me to enter a pact like this as I currently am not in a position that would leave me overly vulnerable if arrested, i.e. outstanding warrants etc. I do believe that I would follow the wishes of the jumper, if that was what he wanted and he made it clear beforehand. Then again, I may panic and just wait there to be arrested either way... you never know these things until it happens.

I think this is especially hard for us (or just me), because my mind just pulls up stuff that couldn't possibly be the correct answer. For example... 13 L in a B D = 13 Landings in a Bridge Day I see B, A, S, or E, and the first thing i think is what they stand for in BASE.... or: 3 W on a T = 3 Wraps on a Toggle 3 B M (S H T R) = 3 BirdMen (Sky High Tomorrow, Right?) 52 C in a P (W J) = 52 Canopies in a Pyramid (What Joy) 23 P of C in the H B = 23 Pounds of Cocaine in the Human Brain You get the idea... -Ghetto "The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear." Web Design Cleveland Skydiving

22 so far in 20 minutes or so. Now that you mention it, I thought that number 31 had something to do with either croquet or cricket (or maybe they're the same thing)... it just seemed like it was talking about a game. I still havent figured that one out tho because i dont know enough about the game. O well i'm happy with 22 for now. -Ghetto "The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear." Web Design Cleveland Skydiving

Congrats tom and cheri!!! I'll have to come see her this summer!

I gotta admit, I love the photo on the DVD itself. Great shot of my first jump :)

Sweet... thanks for the help guys, that cleared alot up! One more thing.... before I post it on skydivingmovies.com, do people usually obtain permission from anybody else who happens to be in it before posting it? Or do people ever really care? There are about 10-15 other jumpers in this video at random times and I don't want to piss any of them off...

On jump #35 one of my toggles got yanked thru the keeper ring and got stuck in the slider as it was coming down. I dont think that counts tho. About 150 jumps later, I reached for my hackey and instead ended up with a brake line in my hand, with the toggle flapping in the breeze. After deploying I just released the other toggle and it was no big deal. I think I actually took the time to collapse my slider and loosen my altimeter before releasing the left one... Did I mention that I jump gear from 1982?

I just finished editing my first attempt at a video in premiere. I just don't quite understand the whole rendering process. Why does that little window in the corner of my screen play flawless-looking, edited video in real-time when it takes me 6 hours to export the exact same thing to a wmv, avi, etc? I've figured out how to use Adobe Media Encoder to make wmv's, but I don't know which quality settings would work the best. I just spent 7 hours encoding a video at 640x480 at 512kbps (2 passes) and it looks like absolute, unsanitized shit. What dimensions and bitrate do you suggest I use to make a good, high-quality video (i dont want it to look like ass) that won't take forever to render and won't end up being 400 gigs? For your info, the source clips are DV-AVI, and the movie is about 26.5 minutes long, if that really matters. Any input is appreciated. Thx!

same here

As a 32-jump wonder who recently visited moab, I have to agree. In my 6 jumps there I gained alot of respect for the place. The area is probably the most beautiful place I've ever visited, and it has some breathtaking exit points, but it is not hard to see that its very unforgiving at the same time. I sat out on the last jump of the trip. I was completely satisfied with my journey up to that point and just didn't want to push my luck. I had experienced moab and was grateful for the time I had there, but I wanted to be more ready for it before I jumped there again. I do plan on going there again, probably next summer, but not before getting my own gear with properly tuned brake settings and doing a shitload of object avoidance drills at twin falls first, and just getting to know my gear inside and out. Any other new jumpers who want to go to moab would be doing themselves a huge favor by doing the same. And you'll feel much better at the exit point, too

I first read about DBS on BASEwiki, just thought that might make you happy too

Thanks for all the support, guys (and gals?)

Well, I realized quite a while ago that I need gear, but I just havent found anything yet, nor have I managed to set aside the cash to buy it. Some very cool people have been letting me borrow gear up to this point. As for the 27 jumps to BASE thing, it just kind of happened. I went to bridge day (S), then started doing a few jumps with a few locals in my hometown (A and B), then went to Tom's course in twin falls and jumped the perrine a bunch of times. I randomly met a guy who was going to moab, and on a whim I changed my return plane ticket to a later date so I could go with him, and before I knew it, I had my E. Is BASE in 27 jumps fast or something?

I just got me E today on tombstone in moab. What a kickass exit point to be at while completing the last of my BASE requirements! All in all, it took 27 jumps and a little less than two months to complete. My next goal is to stop being a scrub and to actually buy my own gear, so if anyone's selling something that would fit a 6'5" 200lb guy with a 280-310 sized canopy, drop me a PM By the way, I highly recommend Tom's course. Even if it's only 10 degrees in twin falls.

Hey becca, sorry to see that you're back in reality, while I continue to jump off this b-e-a-uuuutiful bridge Here's some videos from three jumps today: http://www.clearviewstudios.net/videos/wetlanding.wmv http://www.clearviewstudios.net/videos/drylanding.wmv http://www.clearviewstudios.net/videos/twowaywithjoar.wmv I'm too lazy to make them clicky, and i have to go pack anyway to do a few more jumps (and try to stay dry). I ended up landing in waist-deep water *again* on that third jump, but in perfect fashion, my riser slapped the record button on the camera, again. i taped the battery in place so i dont think i'll lose another one.... i'm crossing my fingers... -Ghetto "The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear." Web Design Cleveland Skydiving