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Just had to share this fun one with you all.

I've done a few d-bag jumps from my friends tandem paraglider. This weekend we diecided we'd take it up a notch. I asked lifewithoutanet if he wanted to do a jump from my friends tandem. Thinking about it for a bit we came up with this idea and gave it a whirl today. It all worked out great.

I started the day with a nice 1:15 minute solo paragliding flight (with a cool 45% collapse at one point) while lifewithoutanet went on a tandem ride himself. Then later on in the day we took a tandem paragliding wing and launched it with 3 people on baord. My friend the pilot, lifewithoutanet in front of the pilot like a usual tandem passenger would be and then me down below like I normally am when I do d-bag jumps from him. The first 2 launch attempts didn't go so well but when we finally got up all was good. We were even able to thermal a little. When we left the thermal we realized we were sinking like a brick with all that weight on the wing so we headed straight out to the LZ/DZ.

I released first at around 750'. I had to go first because I was the low guy. It was a little odd to be flying and look up before releasing and see 2 guys instead of one. After I went the others did a second pass to lose a bit more altitude so the tandem pilot wouldn't have to spend too much time under a tandem wing solo. Lifewithoutanet jumped, took about a 1 second delay and had just a beautiful standup landing. It was cool launching 3 people under one tandem but only see one guy land it.

Just wanted to share a fun day. Maybe Lifewithoutanet will chime in here eventually with his version of what he saw.

P.S. I told ya the doc said I'm good to go so this is what we came up with first...

Awsome, congrats. Didn't happen if it was not caught on video though.

Yeah, I know. Someone got it, it's just a matter of getting it from them. Next time we'll do the video right!

I have to say I am jealous, cause I have not been able to jump since December and I only broke my fibula. Mind you it was a workers compo case so I have to follow doctors orders to a T. Hope you did not get too bored when you were not able to jump. Any adventures worthy of sharing during this time?

Btw would it have been a bitch to land with three guys. What was the plan if you couldnt get the height?

That sounds way rad dude. I want to play too.

None what so ever! I was itching to do something fun when the doc gave me the "all clear".


YES!!! It would not have been pretty or very safe.


I was packed slider down and doing a d-bag so we discussed the fact that if we lost a lot of altitude from launch to the LZ I was willing to release as low as 200' if necessary or even a bit lower. Then the other two could land just like any other tandem would. Usually with no lift two of us can get to the LZ with ~900' so to presume 200' would be available seemed reasonable. We got there at about 700'.

Me and you off El Cap, I'll do the running, you do the flying . . .

NickD
BASE 194

The media would love it!

Hi Russel,

can you free fall for very long? or does your body end up going head down/on back ?

remember he is using a trike to land under

Congrat Dude :)
Would have loved to be there and share that with you.
May be we would have a chance to do that next month :)

Keep up the good work Bro :)


Jul.

 

Congrat Collin!! thought you would have been skydiving a bit before getting back to our sport, but what you did last weekend really rocks!!

Soon I'll have a look at Russel's Piece Of Art :)

Take care guys.

Jul.

Doing these d-bag jumps I use my BASE canopy but I use my paragliding harness with wheels so I can land on the ground. This harness would be a disaster to take any length of freefall with that's why I always d-bag with it. Too many snag points and a high probability of instability in freefall due to shape and wheel sticking out.

When I BASE I don't use anything to land with, hence all my water landings. I do ok in freefall but am working at getting better body position. So far the longest freefall I've taken is about 2-2.5 seconds with good results.

Russel,

How is your FF in skydiving? Have you tried it?

Nope, nowhere to land (i.e. water).

You gotta visit us. You can land right in the river and work on your FF skills!

man i would love to see you do sh!t like that... way cool