980

didn't really notice that I didn't find that at all. I don't find arm pressure to be much of an issue since I have switched to flying the leading edge of the armwing instead of the bottom surface. didn't find that either backflying a vampire does not have to be headlow you do need to use a different approach than backflying an S3 though not really

you have STUDIED the suits? I have FLOWN the suits that I comment on. S3, S3S, V1 and V2 I did not feel a big difference between the S3 and S3S other than the huge hassle all those Mylar ribs are. I did feel a big difference between the S3 and the V1. I also felt a big difference between the V1 and the V2. going Vampire is like going crossbrace - once you go there, it's hard going back

fixed it fr you

What would you like to have in a BASE logbook? I’m thinking things like: Hardcover or softcover, ringbound or glued, number of jumps, jump details, number of objects, etc. etc. etc. If I like the suggested features or enough people want the same thing, I will incorporate it into the logbook I am creating if possible. Thanks Sam

Thanks. I’m just trying to learn from this, like I try to learn from every other incident I hear about. Keep in mind that observations are subjective (even by experienced eye-witnesses) and trying to determine the root cause of an incident based on anything but really clear video or stills is difficult at best. I know you did a FJC, what about the other two jumpers? Do all 3 jumpers have mentors? If so, where were they? If not, how does it seem like a good idea for two low experience jumpers to take a total beginner out on a jump? One of my friends who have jumped this object said it is suitable for beginners, so I am not questioning the choice of object, but the lack of experienced jumpers on a load with a beginner. Do you think a more experienced jumper would have been able to give more information? Possibly some that would even have prevented this incident? My friend who has jumped this said that you could jump the opposite side and fly around the tower to the landing area. Do you think this would have been a good option? On low objects that are underhung (even if not directly at the exit) a good push on exit is paramount to your safety. Exit: 420 ft Vertical height to impact (with object) from exit: 345 ft (420 – 75) You said a 1 second delay handheld, by a jumper with an exit weight of around 140 lb (125 + 15 for gear) under a Blackjack 220. Brakes were never unstowed. That is too short a canopy ride for that altitude, delay and gear/wingloading. Especially if opening into a headwind (faster opening). What size pilotchute was he using? Was his pitch good? Did he have a pilotchute hesitation? Did his deployment look normal? All this is assuming he is packed slider down/off, of course. This is good. How did he react to this talk? Was he taking it in or was he overloaded already? How nervous was he? Did anyone jump before him and if so, what was the order of the jumpers? I can tell wind strength and direction pretty good by feeling it on my face, facing with the direction of wind and using my ears (balance the sound and turn your head side-to-side to find the direction) works even better. This took many jumps though. I also use the ‘spit drift indicator’ very often. I still frequently throw a wind drift indicator (made from a specially folded and knotted napkin) to make sure. It is a very simple and basic technique that should be used on every jump in the beginning of a jumper’s career. Placement of this WDI into the wind is important too, it is pretty easy to get it in the object’s burble (on A’s too) and that will totally skew your idea of what the winds are doing. I believe this is where having a more experienced jumper to guide would have resulted in a different evaluation of the wind conditions. With this configuration he should have some forward speed on opening and in deep brakes. Certainly enough that if he was just holding into the wind, the wind was not insignificant. How much chance do you think any jumper would have had of turning a 180 around in those conditions? What are the things that you have learned from this incident? So many questions, I hope you have the time and patience to answer them. Cya

So you are assuming that you are smart enough to be able to truly understand everything? because nobody is smart enough to truly understand everything especially people who are willing to cast themselves into the void with nothing more than a single parachute to save their life... I always do both of those things. OK, time to play the jump numbers card: I base my statements regarding the effect of using the tailgate slider up subterminal on more PACKED slider up jumps from the 486 ft Perrine Bridge than you have basejumps in total. For a control group I also have more slider up subterminal jumps without a tailgate than you have total basejumps. Do you still want to argue that just because you do not truly understand why this works that my observations are invalid? I have a lot of video of these two different slider up packjobs opening and it's interesting viewing. Where did anyone say that? why? unpacked jumps are valid too. rollovers are quite different in opening dynamics in the early stages of deployment than other unpacked jumps, but slider-up TARDS, TARDOVERS and HO-BAGS very much behave like a packed slider up deployment once you have hit linestretch I do not know. Do you pay enough attention? Do you truly believe that by packing super neat you will never get a line-over? it's a handy side-effect, but plenty of slider up line-overs have proven that it is not 100% effective in this regard if you start with a line around the nose or a piece of stabiliser fabric poking out between the lines and catching air, I'm not sure delaying the slider's descent will make any difference at all on a side note: currency has a huge effect on awareness I was noticing all kinds of things at the end of a 17 day stay in Twin Falls during which time I did 101 jumps. No real chance of object strike, an easy landing area and daylight makes it real easy to be able to pay a lot of attention to your deployments. On most of my night jumps I rarely get the time to look at my canopy, I am feeling it and paying attention to the object, altitude and landing area.

What's the point? casting pearls before swine

So since we know that one of the other two jumpers had 2 jumps, this begs the question: How many jumps did the 3rd person have? A person with 2 jumps requires some ‘leading’ and people jumping with them should be aware of this. How high is the exit from the ground? How is an exit with only a little push good? Again, what height is the tower? How long from opening to object strike? (time) Who briefed him? Did you use any other way than the spit test to gauge the winds? It really sounds as if you jumped into a headwind. What kind of canopy was the injured jumper using? What is his wingloading? How deep are his brake settings? I would rather have you answer the questions I posted here, because I know other people reading this would like to know too and more people can learn from this incident this way. thanks Sam

I think it would be a really valuable source of information if we found some way to track non-fatal incidents too. There is also a lot to be learned from the mistakes that do not even lead to incident or injury (whether through skill or good fortune), because there are so many more of them.

Open-minded as always, I see.... I believe there are very valid reasons to use a tailgate while jumping slider up. Probably far more applicable to unpacked slider up jumps than packed jumps, but still valid. I will go so far to say that on sub-terminal slider up jumps a tailgate stages your deployment a little more, encourages a nose-first inflation and therefore more consistent openings with better heading performance. I have heard plenty of people talk about the risk of slider/tailgate entanglement with a large mesh slider, but not ONE has ever even HEARD of this happening. I know one experienced jumper who has SEEN FOUR people get line-overs doing slider up rollovers without tailgates. None of the FOUR could clear their line-over before landing in the snake river. Bring on the standard british disdain for the Perrine bridge because it's not 'real' basejumping, but if you hang out there for a while, you get to see a LOT of jumps and you tend to notice things you otherwise would probably not.

Still holds true for many. sorta happy, thanks I did find that thread, though and the one I thought I saw a few months or so back was more acetic and stated your reasons for quitting wingsuit flying. anyways, I'd he happy when I see more skydivers in wingsuits than any other jumpsuit!

They don't call it the nylon crack for nothing! nice to see the SA wingsuiters keep up the good work I'm looking forward to being in country in the new year and getting my flock on! (hopefully a more sucessfull trip than the AFFC...) Going to make them work, though, my new suit is faaaaaast. I think Robi called it the V2 because it goes like a rocket...

Hey Chuck Graham Hoal (who was my AFF instructor and almost my winsguit instructor too) told me he was the person who did the first ever tandem wingsuit jump with Vladi. Apparently both wore Bird-Man suits. I'm hoping someone can confirm this. Rest in peace indeed.

dude you know the post I'm talking about why don't you step up and link it for us? or are you ashamed of one of your several thousand previously expressed online opinions? I like how you didn't deny that post at all, just tried to change the subject instead...

now with added [sarcasm][/sarcasm] !!

[sarcasm]Because he learned how to fit in socially at the dropzone so now he’s too cool to jump a wingsuit…. I would have linked the thread/posts that JP stated that most wingsuit jumpers only jump a wingsuit because they want to look cool and no-one wants to talk to them because they do not fit in socially anyways. [/sarcasm] He has like a million posts, so I gave up searching after 15 minutes. Please link us that post, JP, thanks! Cya Sam (now cool, but still jumping my wingsuit…)

I have a Shuttle Suit Pro too and have worn it a lot. It is not restrictive at all, but you can notice the hard plastic outer ankle 'buttons' depending on how tight your boots fit. If this bothers you, remove them. works best with a big stashbag

the really easy way is to jump wearing both your baserig and skydiving rig the added advantage is that you get to test jump your complete base rig

What's up with the extra d-bag and (I'm assuming) using the base canopy as a 3rd canopy? Why not just find a rig (student rigs are pefect for this) that is big enough for your base canopy? Then freepack it into that, that way you also get to practice folding the canopy without messing up your packjob.

big-up the cartman handle!

Yes, I am. indeed it does not but I can feel what I'm doing well enough to be sure it's right sometimes it is the better option than taking your rig off, say for instance you are climbing a tower with no rest platforms or easy place to take your rig off and your pilotchute gets out of the BOC pocket

Craig Those are interesting questions, no doubt, but they are besides the point here. I think we can safely say that the root cause of this incident was the technique of using a pull-up cord when stowing the pilot chute. I am quite tired now of people tip-toeing around this, but this was no accident, this was an act of repeated stupidity just waiting to kill. There is no reason on this earth that anyone should need to use a pull-up cord, or elastic band, or anything that can impede the function of your pilot chute when packing and stowing it. Learn the proper technique to do it without tools, it is easy enough to master and if you cannot get that familiar with your gear then you shouldn’t be basejumping. If anyone wants to know how, maybe I will post the technique, in fact it is so easy that I have used it to pack and stow my pilot chute while wearing my rig. Let’s be smart out there people! Or we are doomed to follow in the blood trail of those who choose bad mentors/instructors and use dangerous packing practices. I am sorry if this post offends any of Paul’s family or friends, but I value the truth more than I value never offending anyone.

So you are saying that going stowed while subterminal decreases the chances of a bridle entanglement? If so, can you elaborate please? It makes no sense to me and I have come across a few jumpers with this misconception. I am curious as to why. A few other questions also: - What do you classify as high winds? I would like a number and units here. I know every jumper has different ideas on high winds. - Were you going stowed in high right-to-left crosswinds from 220 ft? thanks

way to go on an awesome first post! there, I fixed it for you you also have almost no real experience in this matter, so why would you be willing to contradict people that do? wrong wrong again you're not catching flak for going against the grain, you're catching flak for making ridiculous statements with no practical experience or reasonable theory to back them up if you think you have learned from reading phoenixlpr's (and such, but he's the prime example) opinions, you have a lot to learn about learning

uhm, OK I have thought about it. I have jumped those conditions plenty too. Who cares if the bridle gets blown OVER your arm? Or even your whole body? I don't, because as long as it blows OVER you it doesn't matter, the PC will pull the bridle up and off you. If you are stable and not flailing, nothing to snag on there. Whereas if you go stowed and throw even a little low (in a serious right-to-left crosswind), your PC is now going UNDER your body or your arm. Also fun to watch are people doing their first floaters and side-floaters stowed, many exit way too head high, pitch in the 'normal' direction and end up with the PC going in front of them under their arm. That makes for some entertaining window-washing type arm action. I have seen plenty of bad pc throws. Why add the additional risk if you don't have to?