Basejumper.com - archive

hey hey

getting pretty tired of all the mud slinging and bitching happening here lately...

so I thought I'd try and start a fun thread where we can share some BASE experiences that makes us smile, or think, or cringe....

so here's my story:

went out to do my 87th BASE jump with one other jumper, got to the tower and it was a bit windy, but we climbed anyway.

Got to 200ft and it's quite windy, but the direction is almost straight down the middle and the landing area isn't bad.

So we keep climbing, me in front.
I rest on a little internal platform waiting for my buddy to catch up, which he does in about 5 minutes.

I ask what the holdup was and he says his pilot chute came out of the BOC. I now see that he has his PC stuffed down his jacket.

It's around -3 degrees Celsius and the windchill is pretty nasty. He asks if I can refold his PC and stow it, so I have to remove my gloves as they are too bulky to fold with, after which I quickly do my standard PC folding, except this time I finish it while standing up instead of setting it on the floor for the final folds.

It looks OK and I just manage to get it stowed in the BOC when my fingers get totally numb and useless from the cold.

We are now at about 300ft and the winds have picked up some more and they have swung further away from down the middle.

Neither of us are too happy about the winds, but after a little discussion we decide to go up to 430ft and go from there if the winds aren't worse up there.

The plan is to then take a long enough delay to clear the wires at 400ft and still be open above the wires at 200ft. We could go up past 600ft on this tower if we really wanted, but opted low to minimise exposure to these winds.

So we get to 430ft, the winds are about the same as 300ft, very strong and about 10-15 degrees off the middle (between the wires).

My buddy goes first, and after he exits I see him turn almost 90 degrees left in freefall and his canopy turned another 50-80 degrees while opening. He's almost facing the tower, but he's not going forwards towards it, so it looks OK.

I go as soon as he's landed and sure enough, as I'm freefalling I feel myself turning left!

I wait till I'm past the wires before I pitch (what a wonderful visual, seeing the wires wizz by) and then my canopy completes the turn and now I'm looking about 20 degrees to the right of the tower....

I have my hands on the risers already, but as I'm going backwards and I'm not too close to the tower, I opt to unstow the brakes and fly with the toggles.

I do one sashay and then find myself getting very little forward drive even closer to the ground.

I land safely too and now I'm buzzing nicely. I don't even feel the cold anymore!

Lessons learned:
-I'm not jumping in those same wind conditions again.
-Winds that aren't straight from behind you could turn you in freefall and will likely contribute to an offheading too, especially strong winds.
-always be very aware of your PC on the climbs and check often that it is seated securely in your BOC
-in winter, have some gloves you can work with too


that's my 87th jump story

just to make this post even more fun, here's a link to a short delay slider up video clip on my Blackjack:

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/...ion=file&id=1898

and I'm attaching a screengrab of a deployment from my bullet cam.

I guess my point is even the 'boring' flat and stable jumps are a hoot!

please share one of your BASE experiences

Great picture and the story is enough to make me want to stay out of the cold, thankyou very much.

jon

Thanks for the story, video and picture.

that's Canada in the winter for you, and it's not even properly winter yet!

If you thought that story was a good deterrent to jumping when it's cold, maybe I should mention the one a few weeks earlier, when we show up at one of our favourite towers and the WHOLE thing is covered in a 1/4" of ice....

The climb was WAY scarier than the 240ft jump!

So you'll be jumping naked in Arizona right?

only if I do my 100th while there....

Nice Man! Speaking of turning in freefall in a wind. On my newest rig the manufacturer ( for completely arbitrary reasons) put a much stronger and heavier velcro on the shrivel flap (even more stupid considering the vented canopy inside). Last week Im in texas doing a Hi-Lo jump, jumping a 300 ft freestander in very strong winds (forecast 15-25 mph on the ground, proportionately much stronger on top), and then going a few miles over with another rig and jumping a 1600 footer with an elevator (yes virginia, there is such a thing as no gloves and windchill) all in as many hours. I take that Tom M. fellow along to make sure he gets a little experience base jumping before returning to NC. (He worked on his plf falling off a propane tank going over a fence )

I exit the 300 footer and dump, and while still freefalling get turned back towards the antenna just in time for the opening. Of course it didnt matter because I wasnt making any headway at all (we had discussed doing a floater), but I got a very cool visual watching girders and cross beams translating up while I hung in the harness.

So basically, when youre in freefall, youre in zero gravity, and even small forces have a notable effect on your orientation. Rather than going north like a normal pilot chute, mine went west (horizontally), and applied shear force parallel to the shrivel flap rather than perpendicularly, increasing the force necessary to peel it (and increasing the velcro strength makes it even worse) and so with the lateral force of the pilot chute exerted to one side of my center of gravity, well, of course, the pilot chute turned me in freefall towards the Antenna.

It didnt happen to Tom, so of course I attribute it to this blasted new modification of much heavier velcro, which already has a couple of episodes of hanging up.

PS. I exited with a quartering tailwind, coming from the right and turned clockwise to the right in freefall.

i also blame the winds when i tip a shoulder or so
actualy i think i experienced the same once,but not as bad as you describe here

If the first wire attaches at 200ft, why didn't you just exit from around 320ft or so and open under the first set. You don't have to worry about wind direction then as long as the trees aren't blowing over on the ground or something.
We jump our local "A" like that all the time. We've had wind speeds at exit- 320ft at or above 18mph(carried wind meter) but opening alttitude winds were around 9 at around 170ft or so.Winds were straight down the wire, take a decent delay to counter PC drift in the cross wind, and when it opens off heading, simply fly under the wire Simple

On a" A" the wires are the biggest issue, not height. An extra couple of hundred feet of altitude just to make you feel safer. can put you in a more dangerous situation

I see where you're coming from with your approach and I think it makes sense.

At this point I haven't done that many low freefalls and I prefer to wait for the wind conditions that will allow me to exit that A from 430ft up to 600ft.

Maybe in a bunch of jumps I'll feel comfortable being open below 200ft.

Good info, though, thanks!

I like these.

So one night I wake up late and try to call the buddy I was to jump with. He's sleeping (supposed to call at 2:00, but slept to 3:00am). So right as my brain said to me, "oh well, go back to bed", something else told me I should go jump anyway. I looked at my rigs, and the answer was there. I head out. As I exit the highway, I see my first prize, 300 feet, zero winds, screaming "jump me". I climb the 16 flights to the top, "open" the door and stare at the exit point (or maybe it stared at me, I don't know). It was the first time I had been on a B and had no question, it was perfect conditions, so I geared up and climbed onto the ledge. The fear never went away, not until I lept off, took about a second (I would like to say anyway ) and had a nice canopy ride through the canyons of the city. After landing, stashing and walking away, I hop in my car and drive the six blocks to my next destination, a 270 footer. This one is a straight ride to the top, then two short flights of stairs. Another door to "open" and I stand at my next exit (humerously enough overlooking my parked car). I get ready to go and climb onto the ledge. Give a final look for cars or people and leap off for the second time taht night. I was shaking, not from fear (well partially I guess) but more from all the adrenaline. It was the first time I had hit two "high risk" sites in one night ("B"s none the less) and it had me pumped. I learned that night, that I like to jump alone when it comes to high risk, mostly because I only have myself to worry about. Also I can sneak around a lot easier by myself, and look a lot less conspicuous. It also gives me such peace, standing there by myself realizing that there is no exit order, nobody that prefers to go first, nobody waiting for you to go, it's all you. Well, my thoughts anyway.
Happy BASE

GGGrrrrrrrrrrr!! Dont think I dont know where Denmark is, mister. Everyone knows Denmark is the capital of Rhode Island. I know where to find you! And this "I dont know how to speak English crap" is getting old. I know that all you down in Mexico speak English. I get thru all the time...

Errr... Wanna jump sometime? I can show you my patented shoulder dip...

bring your rig

leave the shoulder at home but yeah im up for some jumping

im off work untill 3jan05 so bring it on

I thought this "twisting in the wind" sounded familiar... The day after Christmas was my 10-year anniversary in BASE. Conditions were pretty sweet here in the high desert, so I trekked to a fairly nearby TV tower to celebrate. I brought my dog Jesse as ground crew. No, she can't help too much if things go wrong, but she does love to chase people flying canopies. The tower was getting some work done, and they left the gate open. Jesse curled at the bottom, waiting for the crack of my canopy to alert her that there's a new target flying.

The sun had already dropped below the horizon, and I took my time climbing. By the time I was above 500', the moon was about a hand-width over the mountains, giving the wide-open spaces a pearly tint. I had passed some gnarly antennas sticking right where I wanted to fall, so I made sure I would take a delay to geddt past them.

The wind was light (my hocker fell at about a 30 degree angle) but right down the wire to my left. Hmmm. Are the winds light enough for that to not matter? I stood on the steel, considering it for a few minutes. And I'm ashamed to admit that I considered the special day in the mix, rather than looking at the entire situation dispassionately. (Yeah, that's called 'foreshadowing.')

I looked at my position, confirmed the delay I'd need to open past the wires and the antennas (I figured I'd be best with 3 seconds, the max with my pack job,) climbed out and jumped.

Sweet exit, out at a 45 degree angle, good push-off. But as I was getting to "thousand-two," I started to rotate into the wind, to my right! I could see the steel out of the corner of my eye, rushing past me. I twisted to my left, but I still rotated towards the tower. I pitched, and kept turning, falling another two seconds as my canopy deployed. WHACK, good canopy, on-heading, but the heading was almost straight at the tower!

I was already on my risers and pulled hard on my left rear riser. Too late, my right cell struck the steel. Before the canopy could collapse completely, it tore free. I fell for a moment, then my six remaining cells motored me away. I stayed on my left rear riser to counteract the right turn, coasted over the power lines that fed the transmitter , and did a righteous PLF. As I pulled off my gear and started stuffing it into my stash bag, Jesse ran up, possibly excited by all the new things she saw me do under canopy.

As i walked back to my car, I noticed I didn't get away unscathed. I had a bruise and a slight abrasion on my right arm, from (I think) hitting the tower.

Lessons learned: A. the wind really does turn me in freefall, and
B. I could be a little less tolerant of sketchy conditions.

Too bad I decided not to shoot video of this jump. Thrilling visuals that no one would want to experience in real life!

Man I am having a Hard time reading and digesting all of this wind turning people in free-fall stuff. ?????
Especially the Pilot-chute turning the jumper in free-fall ????
not trying to cause trouble...but.........
Never seen it....Never experienced it....don't know what your talking about ???

Yo Ray, hows it going norway roomie?

I don't get it either... the wind ain't going to turn you in freefall.

Maybe they're trying to turn points with themselves on the way down, that would explain it!
Just kidding....

I have seen a couple of people turn in free-fall but only from a bad launch.

I have done and seen a lot of jumps from Towers were the wind is Ripping Hard.
You are standing there and your cloths are flapping like your in free-fall. You cant even
hear people talking, when they are standing 5 ft. away from you.
I like it when the Wind is Ripping hard. I think it's even makes it safer on a Tower jump.

Also launching with different direction of tail winds. I will usually jump if it's at least blowing
Hard a few degrees off the wire in my favor. Never been turned in free-fall by the wind though.

The only thing that ever move in the direction that I am not launching in. Is maybe my
Pilot-Chute. I've had that thing blow off in front of me a couple of times in a low go-in-throw.
But my Pilot-Chute has ever pulled me Off-Heading in Free-Fall.
.
.

Im attributing my movement to the extra strong velcro the manufacturer put on the container as already mentioned, but a poor exit is a possibility as well. However I ran off the platform at the top of the freestander, making a right footed exit as a right handed person. i would find it equally hard to digest that I would turn clockwise in freefall, as most right footed fuck ups would turn the jumper counter clockwise. The hard velcro pc induced wind theory fits the available facts as a right to left strong wind would blow the pilot chute to the left initially (on a go and throw) which, assymetric to the jumpers center of gravity would result in clockwise motion.

But yes, ray would have been manly, and hummed it down such that the ground wind would have overpowered any other vector involved. Including farting...

I've had it happen to me, off the popular 480' A in NorCal. Average summer winds there are quite high, and I've exited in enough wind at the top that you couldn't hear each other (even when shouting into each others ears). Maybe 35? or 40? At any rate, ground wind had me going backward at landing, and it was a good deal weaker than the exit wind. A 2 second delay on days like that has given me noticeable wind turn in freefall.

I am not really in the habit of humming it down low for openings much of the time.
I have only jumped Velcro rigs the whole time I been BASE jumping.
also "Nobody" puts stronger Velcro on a rig and jumps it than ME. Dude it is stout stuff.
All I can say is that a Pilot-Chute has never changed my heading in Free-fall and
most likely it was a 48'' PC if it was slider down.
If people say it happened to them so be it. I believe you.

Ahhhhhhh...Alright
This is just.... Killing Me...I cant hold this in any longer.

Dude...... I Got To Call You On This One.

what the fuck does this pile of crap mean ????
> truckerbase :
> The hard velcro pc induced wind theory fits the available facts as a right to left strong wind would blow the pilot chute to the left initially (on a go and throw) which, assymetric to the jumpers center of gravity would result in clockwise motion.

You just made that Fictional pile of facts up ? It does not fit anything.
Come on dude you can tell me the truth.
You just made up and pulled this theory out of your Ass at the last minute.

Dude that is load of Bull Pooop.... that a Pilot chute can pull you Off-Heading after you pitch it.
I don't care how fast the wind is blowing.
no fucking way/ no how ... NOT IN REAL LIFE

You might believe it, but........Noooooo Way... Jose.
.
.

If that is possible, then you would end having PC in tow on no wind day streightened up (practically in a stand position), if we assume that your upper body is lighter then your legs.

Or at least a momentary PC hesitation. If the inflated PC is going to change body position, the shrivel flap has to hold momentarily, and the PC has to exert enough force to move your body (but not the shrivel flap). That's roughly equivalent to saying that you'd have to be able to hang from the bridle for a moment before the shrivel flap peeled.

I'm not sure I buy it, but I guess it might be possible in some rare circumstances--about as often as a serious PC in tow with an inflated PC on a velcro rig.

Youre making my point for me. Yes I have pc's in tow on this new rig. The story told is a go and throw, and fall and fall and turn and turn. Thats why this new super velcro thing bothers me. Its a vented canopy inside. Im supposed to jump this off sub 200? . But on a go and throw the crosswind would be the dominant vector until the ground wind overpowered it, threw it to the ground and beat it up for its lunch money. With a crosswind the pc would, I assume, go horizontally (46 inch) which would apply a shear force to the shrivel flap. Shear force has already been noted to increase the force necessary to peel the velcro. Thats why the closing flap is designed to shrivel; in the event of a sharply head down exit the velcro will still peel. If it didnt shrivel you would pc in tow the jump till the
ground wind became as manly as Raytheon old man. With a horizontal wind pulling sideways on the shrivel flap for a second, same idea only the thing isnt designed to shrivel sideways, hence it may enter assymetrical thrust to the system, possibly delaying the opening as well long enough to
turn a jumper in freefall.

Or I just had my legs out straight on the jump and the wind caught those damn things and spun me around. Or maybe the jump didnt happen at all, but there still was that Tom M. falling off the propane tank on jump 2. Hmmmmmm.

Fine. Have it your way. I imagined it all, and was having a little fun.

geeze.




ps. the manufacturer just sent me a private PM telling me to shut the fuck up, so I think Im done here....

I'm not in favor of using velcro rigs for sub 200' freefalls. When I've done that, I've (heavily) primed the velcro.

If you are that worried about the new velcro's strength, then why dont you replace it with something you are more comfortable with. Its just velcro.

nic

Like buttons...

Tom M. recommended safety pins.

How the hell's it going, skin? Is that christmas present working out?

Oh, and Happy Nude Year to every and all. I for one spent it chaining up an 18 wheeler in the dark and snow crossing 2 seperate snow zones.