BASEjumper

Do you realize that the really smart BASE jumpers rarely post here if at all? I normally wouldn't post here either but in my opinion, some things need to be said. There is a silent majority of experienced BASE jumpers that are dismayed and alarmed about what is happening with BASE jumping in this country. Are you open minded enough to understand this kind of critical thinking? Chances are if they posted their critical opinions they would be accused of being "posionous, hostile, and bitter" like you have done to me. Apparently you do not understand my intent. Well lately I've been reading a lot that I wish I wasn't. And I do understand the intent. I understand how some BASE jumpers constantly try to make a name for themselves. Well done. Like I already said in my post above: "As far as being angry, well I would call it being upset about what is happening to BASE jumping in America." Instead of hoping I find peace, how about hoping we don't start getting charged with a class D felony.... Life is like a box of chocolates.

http://www.thegreatcornholio.com/sounds/ruthreat.wav Life is like a box of chocolates.

He's got to get his 20 minutes of fame. That's what it was all about to begin with. Life is like a box of chocolates.

LOL - very cute indeed. How can you not smile when looking at those cute little creatures As far as being angry, well I would call it being upset about what is happening to BASE jumping in America. Life is like a box of chocolates.

Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't look at my profile that closely. As far as your statement about how accidents can happen to any BASE jumper, I totally agree. Which is why I said this in my post above Life is like a box of chocolates.

If you are having personal issues with someone then that is between you and that person. To answer your question to me, when doing a roll over it is best to lauch out toward the horizon. Life is like a box of chocolates.

Are you talking about this post that Jeb made? I think it's a bunch of rubbish as well. I just embedded my thoughts on his post below {...}. Life is like a box of chocolates.

Sorry but I'm an underground BASE jumper because of my business and because I want no glory. I have been around a lot longer than you. I have legitimate opinions concerning the sad state of affairs that BASE is in these days. Corliss and Aiello are the ones telling that nonsense to other jumpers and yes I think that kind a rhetoric is harmful to new jumpers trying to figure out how to be. Life is like a box of chocolates.

"To be a real BASE jumper one has to break themselves and come back" ?!?!? hunh? WTF? Did I get lost in a time warp or something? So now these "so called instructors" are teaching new jumpers that in order to be a REAL BASE jumper they need to be injured first and then when they return they can be a REAL BASE jumper like all the other BASE jumpers who have screwed up and gotten themselves all busted up. Gee, no wonder the current fatality rate is 12 times what it use to be. GreenMachine, good job for realizing what a stupid concept that is. That has got to be the most messed up thing I've read since, well, since Mr. Corliss burnt down NYC. Didn't you say somewhere that you took Tom Aiello's FJC in Idaho. I assume Tom is the one that tried to teach this to you. My guess is since he has put himself in the hospital at least 3 times that I've heard about, and his reputation on the street is that he is not all that skilled a BASE jumper, that he tries to indoctrinate his students with "To be a real BASE jumper one has to break themselves and come back" so that they will perceive him as more of a real BASE jumper than many other very talented and skilled jumpers. Hmmm, I think I recall reading somewhere about Miles D never having been injured, and doesn't Miles also run a FJC in Idaho. Since it's been so obvious that Aiello doesn't get along with Shane McConkey and Miles D it's not hard to read between the lines. GreenMachine, if you stay in the sport and travel around and travel to Europe, you will meet loads of BASE jumpers who have never been injured. These are the ones who should be considered to be the better BASE jumpers because they have talent and skill and use good judgment to avoid getting hurt. Even Dwain Weston who pushed the envelope all the time was never injured with something like 1,200 jumps (sadly he did die doing a stunt skydive though) and you can tell in some of his writings that even though he took big calculated risk, he was all about not getting hurt. You're absolutely right about BASE 515 being a REAL BASE jumper. And not only a real BASE jumper, but one that has been smart enough to stay within his abilities and using good judgment to keep from having to sacrifice precious flesh and bone for having a good time in freefall. The first person I heard say it was Jeb Corliss. Nice deflection Mr. Aiello. Hmmmm, hasn't Jeb injured himself a few times as well? So Jeb gets hurt and then jumps again and then starts stroking his ego by telling other jumpers "To be a real BASE jumper one has to break themselves and come back". It's unbelievable that some one's ego can be so big. So I guess Mr. Aiello and Mr. Corliss are the "REAL" BASE jumpers then since they both got hurt and then jumped again.

One incident of history I remember hearing about many years ago was about a russian who had to exit a plane without a parachute (I think it was on fire) at something like 20,000 feet and impacted a steep snow covered slope and lived. I'm sure you can find the story online somewhere. HydroGuy may have mentioned the same guy. Life is like a box of chocolates.

So you go and day blaze the Empire State Building (only the biggest icon building in NYC) at rush hour traffic in our post 9/11 environment that we now live in, and and you think we should now come together to stop what was inevitable by your selfish actions? We didn't seem to matter to you when you executed your plan. How did you think it was going to go down? Do you think if you had made the jump that the NY authorities would have thought, "neato"? Do you think that they would have looked the other way? Do you think the media would have revered you as a hero? Think back to how the NY city mayor responded to Thor Alex and a russian jumper when they jumped some high profile buildings in NY in 1999. He ordered the police to crack down on BASE jumpers. Even if you had gotten away, at the very least you would have made New York City HOT (as in burnage). But you ended up getting busted and you got yourself a high priced attorney to fight a misdemeanor charge. What did you think was going to happen if you beat the charges? Remember back when Hank Caylor had a building strike in Denver and was also charged with reckless endangerment. He also beat the charges BUT as a result Denver passed a law that specifically made BASE illegal in Denver. Someone also got busted in Atlantic City and it resulted in a law being passed that made BASE jumping illegal there with a very stiff fine. With this history, how could you not know that they might pass a new law? So I ask again, how did you think it was going to go down? What did you think would happen if you beat the charges like you did? After you were acquitted, even your own lawyer said this in the paper article link: http://www.talknyc.net/jumping-off-the-empire-state-building-now-allowed/ There are more BASE jumpers in this country that do not post online then those that do. The silent majority is very unhappy about your actions. You don't have a good track record either as you have day blazed other objects to get your picture in the paper so you can be famous. But at least you got to promote your 3triple7 shirts. You are a glory seeker who has disregard the welfare of local BASE communities just like John Vincent and Felix have. John Vincent was tared and feathered for it. But now since you have set into motion concerns with the New York authorities that will most likely result in a new law (like your own attorney predicted), you actually want us to back you. I sure hope they don't pass this law for our sakes, not yours. Even if a new law does not come about you have still irreversibly hurt the American BASE scene. I will keep making some jumps in a stealthy way, but the bust factor will be more risky. And the next time a glory seeker day blazes a high profile object, the authorities will consider your fiasco in dealing with it then too. If it ends up being a felony like it's proposed to be and a BASE jumper is out doing a low profile stealthy jump (like how Bs should be done) and ends up getting busted, instead of just getting charged with a misdemeanor, he will have a life changing felony on his record. It will mean he can't even vote. I agree with Mr. Heller that they will probably plug the legal loophole in NY. If jumpers want to help fight this then they should push for it to be no more than a misdemeanor. The idea that they will just drop it because BASE jumpers say BASE is safe or that there are laws already on the books that will cover these acts is delusional. Mr. Heller himself has shown them that the current laws are not sufficient for the law enforcers to stop what they perceive to be illegal. Mr Corliss, I read your comments in reply to this article http://www.brooklyngraphic.com/site/tab6.cfm?newsid=17829722&brd=2384&pag=461&dept_id=552852 One more thing Jeb, can you please not make it any worse by making arrogant statements like this I remember a time when BASE jumpers maintained a harmony with the police. We stay stealthy and most of them didn't care that we jumped. Your right Nick, those days are over. Life is like a box of chocolates.

Do you know what the alteration was and how it malfunctioned? Just curious. Life is like a box of chocolates.

good post. I also prefer an F-111 for not only slider up in the 4-6 sec delay range but also terminal jumps as well for the very reason you explained. How do you feel about using F-111 on slider up jumps at the idaho bridge? How would you feel about everyone else using F-111 there? One thing jumpers should keep in mind if using F-111 is that the porosity will degrade much faster than with ZP. Perhaps that's what you meant by "not as 'bullet proof' as ZP." As much as I do like F-111 PCs for some types of jumps I personally would not want to jump a clapped out one. What are your experiences and thoughs about a tired F-111 PC? Is there an exit altitude where you would not want to use F-111? Life is like a box of chocolates.

I heard that last year at the WFFC wingsuit pilots jumping out of the DC-9 were able to gain alttitude and fly above the tail after exiting. Does anyone know how fast the DC-9 jump runs were? Life is like a box of chocolates.

It is beyond a doubt, not from a soft throw. It was missed grip, followed by pushing it onto her butt going for a regrab. While a soft throw is not good, missing a grip is worse. Thanks for the clarification. Point is: pilot chute in burble = really bad Life is like a box of chocolates.