TomAiello

Public Answer: The risk is very great, and no one, ever, ought to do that. Both of the people who did that had over 600 BASE jumps, and significant McConkey experience. One of them actually finished McConkey BASE (meaning, that maniac has also launched McConkeys off of a Building, and Antenna and a Span) with the Cave (Earth) McConkey. If you really want a discussion of specifics, PM or email me. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

To make a link clickable, put [_url_] before it, and [_/url_] after it. Remove the _, I just put it in so that you could see what was there. Click "Get Markup Help" just above the posting box for a complete guide. Flare's Reserve Ride. And to think, the last time I saw him, he cautioned me to be careful. Crazy Swedes! -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

I have just posted several photos from the 2002 Norwegian Cave BASE expedition. Cave McConkey Horny Gorilla Gainer Flat and Stable Front Loop Two Way Linked Enjoy! -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

I have just posted several photos from the 2002 Norwegian Cave BASE expedition. Cave McConkey Horny Gorilla Gainer Flat and Stable Front Loop Two Way Linked Enjoy! -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

But Lisa, I've always wanted to know where "mouth" came from. Care to enlighten me? -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hmmm. I'm not sure I accept it. I'm trying to tolerate it. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes, it just scares the bejeezus out of me, though. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Man, I am so with you. It's almost down to fifty degrees here. Talk about sub-arctic chill. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Used FOX's and Mojos are serviceable, and can generally be had pretty cheap because the new models have reduced their resale value (and put more on the market as people trade up). -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

You might want to post this to a topical forum, or to BLiNC. But the short answer is, no. The FOX is the last generation (Mojo/FOX) technology. Basic Research (manufacturer of the FOX) now has a new canopy called the Flik. CR's latest generation is the Ace and Blackjack. FOX's are still good workhorse canopies (tough, reliable), but for cutting edge BASE I'd prefer one of the next generation canopies. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

This was a fairly interesting thread before it began to devolve into a discussion/gripe session/rant about rules. We do have rules here. If you don't like the rules, I suggest you PM sangiro, or post to Suggestions and Feedback with your ideas for changes. Sangiro is the rule maker on this site. If he wishes to change the nature of the rules, that is his decision. If you don't wish to abide by his rules, no one is making you post here. Might I suggest that your views on rules in general would be better aired in the Talk Back Forum than this topical forum. Thanks for starting an interesting discussion. If you want to continue a discussion about a BASE topic such as Low Pulls, feel free to start another thread. Let's try to keep the discussions here on topic. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

I don't really know. Rumor is that Loic had some marketing/business type troubles with Parasport Italia, but that's just rumor. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

I don't know the actual numbers (I've never been to that site, myself). I remember Lukas saying he though he was over 1000' when he crossed the river, and he was a very safe (i.e. conservative) jumper, so I bet he was over 500' when he pulled. I know that minute flights are happening off that cliff, so I'd guess the total exit to landing altitude somewhere between 5000' and 6000'. As I said, though, I've never been there, so I could be way off base (pun intended) on that. If you want to know for sure, I bet there are several people on headdown.net that know the site very well. If i had to ask someone, I'd start with Flare (who was the guy standing just behind Lukas in the video) or cpoxon (you could PM him on DZ.com), who posted the video. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

This is a trend that many experienced BASE jumpers find very disturbing. Freefliers tend to be the skydivers who are worst prepared to BASE jump (minimal flat flying skills, no "flat is safe" reflex, little or no 7 cell experience, tendency toward swooping canopies [which are as different from BASE canopies as Pargliders]). There have been several funny/scary incidents involving master freeflyers trying to get into BASE (one swoop god broke his leg twice in his first ten jumps, trying to land a BASE canopy in a huge landing area, and the master of Freefly (TM) reportedly failed to make one stable exit in his two week stay in Norway [even though he brought along a camera crew to shoot footage for his video]). There are definitely some freeflyers (especially the older ones) who are fantastic BASE jumpers. But if I had to pick a 200 jump skydiver to take up BASE, I'd take a CRW jumper first, an Accuracy jumper second, an RW jumper third, a Style jumper fourth... You get the idea. The only people who seem worse prepared for BASE than freeflyers are canopy swoopers, and most of them were freeflyers to begin with. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

The JJ mod is pretty new (JJ developed it after those writings). It basically involves extra stiffeners in the side flaps (to eliminate the hourglassing), and wider top and bottom flaps (to eliminate the canopy slop). As far as I know, there are only about five JJ mod Prisms in existence (JJ has the original, and the Norgies have some team rigs). Todd is resisting making them, since they involve more work for him. I think we all ought to gang up on him and pressure him into making them standard. I'd pay at least $100 more for the JJ mods (probably more like $150 if it became a price negotiation). Now, all the Prism needs is dynamic corners, and it will take back it's position at the head of my personal list from the Gargoyle. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Go to the skydivingmovies.com ftp server and have a look at the clip entitled FastestMotherFuckerInTheValley.WMV. Link to the thread referring to it (see posting by cpoxon). Estimates of forward speed on that flight were 200-250km/h (that's over 120mph). If you still don't get the impression of great speed, I can't help you. Blue Skies, Cold Steel. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

The Crossbow is the "French" wingsuit. Designed by Loic, marketed by Parasport Italia. I don't think you can buy them new anymore, at least not without having a personal connection with the French guys who are flying them. The Crossbow is generally more stable, and easier to fly than the Birdman suits, but suffers from a bit lower quality construction. Because it has bigger wings, it gets flying a bit sooner (a huge plus for fixed object flights--especially for the heavies) and takes a little less skill/practice to fly well. It has about the same glide angle as a GTi (not quite as good as a Skyflyer, better than a Classic), but tends to move slower (less forward speed, more float) than a comparable Birdman suit. The wing cutaway system is quite outstanding (one handle, dead center on the chest, cuts it all away, and it takes about one minute to hook it back up). Notably video you may have seen of Crossbows includes: Some of the "Crosswind" footage. Flare getting his handles sucked into the suit, struggling to get them out, and finally getting his reserve open for a four second canopy ride (that was the scariest skydiving video I've ever seen--does anyone have the link? I think it's somewhere on headdown.net). The Little Aussie flying between the guy wires of a television tower in Texas. I kind of wish they were still marketing it. Competition spurs innovation and advance in any field. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you have a fairy giving you 180's every night, I've got just one piece of advice: Don't start BASE jumping! Ok, that was a lame attempt at humor--but it was funny to me. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

A few links to BLiNC on that topic: The CR article that Mick referenced, made clicky. And a couple of different threads on 1 v. 2 pin rigs from the BLiNC technical archives (definitely the best internet resource for this kind of information). http://www.blincmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=179&forum=DCForumID17 http://www.blincmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=49&forum=DCForumID17 One other random thought. If you end up buying a Prism (single pin rig from BR), be sure to get the "JJ" modifications. The JJ mod is a far superior version of the rig (it eliminates the canopy slop and hourglassing of the standard Prism), and I wish BR would make it the standard, and discontinue the old (sub-)standard Prism. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

I still think what I said before: It is no longer a BASE jump when you don't need a parachute to avoid injury. Over water, I think we've already reached the limit. We can get low enough that a parachute becomes unnecessary. Over hard earth? We've still got a long way to go... -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude, I didn't mean to snub you. I hope you didn't take it that way. Congrats on the jump. Be careful going that low on those funky two parachute systems. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Keep drinking and posting! How many times will you do your first? And on the work thing, don't sweat it. If your feeling the same way most do about jumping at that stage, you won't be long for that job... "Call in dead--it works every time." -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

Dude. You didn't want to go there... Lowest aircraft exit: 400 feet. Lowest (static line) exit: 116 feet. Lowest freefall parachute deployment exit: 150 feet Lowest initiation of deployment: approximately 85 feet Lowest initiation of deployment at terminal velocity: approximately 250 feet It's all about packing appropriately for your intended altitude. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

To add to the list... 1997: California voters decide, by referendum, to end racial discrimination in state action. The ACLU sues immediately to re-instate institutionalized discrimination. Ed Chen, ACLU staff counsel notes “the incoming class at Boalt Hall reminds us what can lie ahead…” Boalt’s incoming class has a majority of Asian students (I wonder what Mr. Chen's alma mater was?). 2000: The ACLU, along with the NAACP, supports racial preferences at the University of Michigan. When asked if their position would impede the access of qualified minorities to education, an NAACP spokesman responds, “if it weren’t for programs like these, there would be colleges in California where the entire student body was Asian.” 2002: The ACLU asks San Francisco State University to censor student speech on campus, calling the presentation of opposing views “ethnic and religious harassment.” The ACLU has turned away from their founders' vision. In 1933 and 1963 they were a good influence. In 1983, I'm not so sure. In 2003, They are definitely playing for the wrong team. The ACLU would support a University that wanted to expel a student who used a school computer to post the word "BOOBIES" in this forum. That, after all, would constitute "sexual harassment" and "inappropriate behavior" and might create a "hostile and intimidating environment" which would interfere with the "substantial educational mission" of the institution. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

See this thread for why I quit the ACLU. The ACLU has lost touch with it's roots, and today would better be called the American Civil Rights Union, or the American General Purpose Left Wing Political Action Committee. For real defense of civil liberties, I would turn to the Institute for Justice, and leave the ACLU in the past, where they belong. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com

About the same as your likelihood of getting hurt climbing. Which means, it depends...Are you soloing? Do you climb ice? Are you a mountaineer? If you stick with plastic (student gear), you're probably pretty safe. Most people are willing to take their risk level up to trad leads (ZP ellipticals), and the injury rate there is not too bad. Some people try soloing 8c in the rain (super-loaded cross-braces, BASE jumping). Even then, some of the folks doing the 8c solos are really so good that a little rain doesn't bother them. But some people try to jump straight out of the gym, and get on a hard solo--they get hurt quite often. I guess what I'm saying is that it's just like climbing--your chance of getting hurt depends on your personal style, and how hard you push your personal limits. How hard are you climbing? I've broken my leg three times (the first time running out 45' [15m] above my last piece on an "easy" slab, the last two BASE jumping) and I still do ok leading fairly easy-ish (say 5.10, I'm not sure what that is on that crazy letter scale that only English people understand) trad climbs. It hasn't really effected my aid or ice climbing at all, just the free (sport, trad, gym) stuff. If you're climbing hard on the comp circuit or something, I'd worry about it. But if climbing is just recreational, you should be able to come back from an injury and still do ok. -- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com