John_Scher

49 years old 60 base jumps mostly from one object (420ft cliff) Regards John

My vote is unequivocally in favor of keeping the forum up and keeping Tom as the moderator. I know little of the politics in mainstream Base but what I do know is that Sangiro and Tom, both whom I have never met, deserve a vote of thanks for enabling this forum to exist. I would also take this opportunity to thank Nick DG for some very interesting history lessons. I certainly wouldn't have the time or inclination to offer such a service especially over the long haul and in all truth I doubt many others would either. John

Thanks for the responses John & Mark

pocBase, Good observation - I actually had three of those mals in four consecutive jumps in one day at Malindi on the Kenya coast. It was an old Le Batts 7 cell and the lines were really chewed up. It was my first ever canopy and I only had a hundred or so jumps at that time and I thought that's how skydiving was meant to be. Please now tell me if you use Cut Away toggles Regards John

All, I used to jump an old, worn out 7 cell in the sky diving scene and have cut away from four tension knots and landed two others. They have always occurred on the brake line cascades. I have never experienced a tension knot on a Base canopy so I don’t know if they typically occur on the brake lines but if they do then “cut away toggles” come to mind. Quote from Morpheus regarding HPBG (cut away) toggles – “We don't really advocate the use of HPBG’s in most situations. There are certain applications in which an experienced jumper may utilize this option. (Pulling high and far away from an object)” Mark and I have never jumped a Big Wall but surmise that pulling high and far away from an object might be typical of Big Wall jumping. Q - If you yourself have jumped or do jump big walls do you have “cut away” toggles installed? Regards John & Mark

Karina, Get well soon John & Mark

All, Thank you for your focussed and considered comments, they are much appreciated. John

Unclecharlie95, Thanks for your reply. As I'm not sure if you have answered me or not kindly advise if you personally go stowed or hand held on 2 second delays irrespective of how friendly the object is. Regards John

Treejumps, Thanks for your reply. If I read you correctly you are opting to go stowed on 2 second delays (climb out permitting) when you could go hand held. Do you think that you are adding an avoidable risk by doing this or do you think that the chance of the PC falling onto your back is negligible? Please excuse my somewhat pointed questions as I am interested to know what people actually do rather than what they think or know is preferable Regards John

Base 689, Thank you for your reply. When there is an option on a 2second delay what do you personally do - hand held or stowed? Regards John

Mikki_ZH, Thank you for your reply. I have searched, downloaded and studied a lot of the threads and have seen numerous videos of 2 second stowed delays. I have done a few myself. What do you personally do - hand held or stowed? Regards John

All, With respectful reference to the recent incident involving Shannon, recent comments from Jeb and numerous examples to be found elsewhere on this forum I sincerely request your advice to the following questions: 1 - When there is an option, do you typically go stowed or hand held on a 2 second delay? 2 - If the PC and bridle are folded correctly ie in accordance with the manufaturers recomendations, is there really a serious risk of the PC falling onto your back when going stowed on a 2 second delay? 3 - If there really is a serious risk of the PC falling onto your back when going stowed on a 2 second delay why do it? Why not go hand held? I have in the interim opted to go hand held for such jumps Thanking you in advance John

Jaap, We do not have an "in country" mentor and are therefore very grateful for sound knowledge repository's such as Tom Aiello, Base Wiki and the good will of this forum. We appreciate that there are other ethical issues at hand but from our somewhat polarized point of view, firmly vote in favor of re-enabling the Wiki. Regards John & Mark

Base689 & Tom, Thank you for the solid advice. Regrds John & Mark

All, Last year we were doing mainly hand held jumps taking 2 second delays from a 420ft cliff using 42" vented PC's. We modified our containers by sewing a 1" patch of velcro onto the top right shoulder and then sewing a matching 1" square of velcro onto the bridle. We subsequently "progressed" to going stowed an have done about 15 stowed jumps each. We are now very concerend that the 1" velcro patch on the bridle has created a snag point and could possibly cause a bridle entanglement. Since reading various recent threads and especially the comments from Jeb I have already opted to return to hand held for 2 second delays. Doeas any one else use modified bridles? Does this mod really create a snag point? Your comments would be appreciated. Regards John & Mark

Tom & Skin, Happy birthday to you... and you. John & Mark

Nice one Russel. Also a large thanks to those who helped. John & Mark Kenya

Hi Koos, In respect of Ethiopia we are possibly the nearest Base jumpers. I ceratinly haven't heard of any other jumpers in this part of the world. Can we help you at all? By the way who are you as your profile has no data in it. Regards John & Mark

All, Mark has now put a small video up on skydivingmovies.com. John

Hi Nick, I'm Mark's Base buddy His home connection is down at present and he answered previously thru an internet cafe which he has now left. I just spoke to him over the phone and he asked me to advise that he was using a 42" PC and will put up the video tomorrow. He also mentioned that he really appreciates the good will shown by the above respondents John

Tom, Congratulations to you and your wife Sleepless nights coming your way but well worth it. Kenya Crew

Hi, Can I enter with these? John

Hi Jaap, Q1 - Did you make or buy the tensioners? Q2 - If one is to go to so much effort with a tracking suit why not use a Prodigy? Regards John

All, Thanks for all the help offered and interest shown, we really appreciate it. We've been back and measured up for a 24ft, all wood, two piece ladder; it's under construction right now. We've also located the owner and will be making some discrete enquiries. Thanks again guys, The Kenya Crew

Sunday afternoon in Nairobi, Kenya; a beautiful blue, sunny day... I load up the car with wife and child and off we go for a drive to the Ngong Hills (Karen Blixen's old farm land). Lovely drive, cruising in the Benz... when low and behold an “A” comes into view. Ignoring wife’s protests I pull over and do my best to estimate its height; probably about 150ft, not really sure though. A couple of hours later we are almost back home so I call up Mark, my Base buddy and ask him to come see; of course he agrees. I drop the family back at home and go pick up Mark and his wife Annette. Mark and I are the jumpers and Annette, god bless her, has always provided ground support. She takes the videos, fantastic stills and makes the most exotic sandwiches. The three of us constitute the total Base community in East Africa. Within the hour we are driving back to the “A” replete with laser. As we drive nearer to the “A” I ask Mark how high? He replies “about 100ft to 150ft” I think it might still be still be doable even with our limited experience. Either way this little jaunt breaks up a less than exciting Sunday afternoon quite nicely. We pull up in a side road and note the “A” is situated in several acres of grass land with a not very dense population surrounding it. Mark points out that it will still have to be done at night. With our limited experience this is going to be a challenge in itself. Anyway off we go, through the perimeter bush, across the unkempt grass land. Within minutes we are at the perimeter wall of the “A”. Jeez this thing seems bigger than we thought, or is it? Out comes the laser and… and… and... bingo, it’s over 400ft tall and 360ft to the small cage platform at the top of the ladder. We can’t believe our luck; we’ve got one right on our doorstep, excellent! To be honest the realisation that this thing is actually doable changes our thoughts completely; scary and exciting but more scary than anything else. We work our way round the perimeter wall to the wooden gate noting that the longish grass is not at all trodden down or otherwise disturbed. The gate is somewhat rickety and has cobwebs between it and the frame. No one’s been here for some time. There's no lock, just a wooden slat providing a basic latch. Inside the same feelings prevail: un-trodden grass and an apparently derelict structure. There are no antennas, reflectors, radiators or any other transmitting devices on the “A”. "I don't think anyone's been here for ages" I see, open up and check out an electrical box which is fitted on the base of one of the legs. I have an HND in electrical engineering so no problems in that department. The wiring inside is hanging loose, the fuses are missing and it’s full of cobwebs and dead spiders. In fact the tower has rust all over it, the ground is littered with old electrical supports and other bits of metal; there’s no doubt about it, this “A” is definitely not in use. There is a small block building situated right under the tower which we will work our way round to in a minute but for now we are overwhelmed and amazed. I climb up onto one of the concrete blocks supporting one of the legs. This leg has the externally mounted, ladder directly above it. I note and discuss with Mark some huge interlincked but not electrically connected flux rings on one of the legs. I assume that these must be part of a lightning protection system however as I am not unfamiliar with lightning protection systems I wonder why there is no direct connection to earth; no problem, I’ll look it up when I get back to the office on Monday. Mark is standing on the ground at the base of the block and I am about 5 feet above him. We are looking straight up the ladder which has hoops going over it. It looks like an endless tunnel and really, really scary. The ladder starts about six feet above where I’m standing but I’m sure that I will be able to pull myself up if I just reach up over this shroud and ZZZAAAAAPPPPPP! Bluish flash, smell of bacon (burning flesh), fingers are burning; jeans are smoking and a sharp stinging feeling on my calf muscle. Derelict tower? Yeah right! I had made direct contact with the tower with my fingers just above a skirt or shroud. The high Voltage, because I was wearing thick rubber soles, travelled from my fingers to my leg; blew a hole in it, burnt a small hole through my jeans and jumped across a four inch air gap onto a piece of metal protruding from the concrete block. Needless to say we have since read every forum and have studied everything there is to know on "AM" towers. We do have a plan for jumping it but that’s another story. In the mean time, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all Basers around the world from The Kenya Crew.