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Found "A" about 10 miles from my house. Looks like they have taken all the hardware off. The gate is chained and locked and the gate to the fence around the "A" is unlocked. I looked it up on Antenna Structure Registration database but it didn't come up using the location. The "A" looks about 800 ft tall and due to other smaller antenna's there is only one good direction to jump. The landing area is so so but I've landed in worse. I've only got a couple of base jumps under my belt but lots of skydives and I know my limits. I'm not sure how long it will take to climb it but here is my plan.
I intend on doing it EARLY in the morning. Use a rappel harness to hook up so that I can rest as needed. Reach the top rest and jump with sunrise. Get out..... I don't want anyone to see me, one I don't want to get caught and second I don't want to mess up a good thing. Now, I'm open for your feedback. What are your thoughts and concerns. What can I learn from your experience. Let's hear what you've got. And Thanks

With two previous BASE jumps you shouldn't go it alone. Do you know the local BASE crew? If not, that's your next step. And if this tower is as jumpable as it sounds then someone is already jumping it.

Every object has its secrets like, "Look out for this thing here," or, "Don't ever go that way." These are things you learn from a mentor or guide. Otherwise it's like you are pioneering the site when that's already been done.

Maybe a local will chime in if there are any – but "that's" the question you should have asked.

NickD
BASE 194

If you don't want anyone to see you and you don't want to get caught, try jumping at night. It's not that scary

Jason
570

You mentioned "other towers" around it? Are the other towers shorter like 300 feet and in a straight line somehow? Some funky looking glass insulators at or around the base of it?

What I'm getting at is make sure its not an AM tower.

The other towers look like Cell towers or AM towers. This use to be a television tower but the station moved and put up a larger tower about 50 miles away.

I thought of that. I was just concerned about the guide wires.

I don't know of any other local base jumpers. I do have one other person that will most likely make the jump if I plan it all out and all they have to do is jump. I plan on having someone there on the ground if possible when I do it for safety reasons if nothing else.

Just my own personal opinion but this sounds like a very bad idea. Seriously, there are a lot of factors that you more than likely have not considered. Do you mind me asking what objects your 2 jumps were made from? Does the person who agreed to jump it with you, as long as you plan it all out, have any prior base jumps? If so, how many? Any tower jumps? Don't rush it dude, find someone experienced, the tower will be there..just make sure you are...aka - don't die.

I was thinking the same thing but just didn't speak up... if your friend needs you to 'plan everything out', do they really have the knowledge/experience required to safely make the jump? With 2 jumps, do you? (for all I know, maybe you do, just trying to make you think)

let's see how long we can keep the List at 100...

First off, there's got to be some locals within a couple hours from there.

Don't do this jump without a more experienced jumper's help. At my current level (which is very low!!) I wouldn't jump this object without more experience under my belt. And when I did decide to do it, I would wait until someone with alot more experience than I could help me evaluate whether I was ready for this type of object.

. . . .Perhaps a few more jumps from a bridge so you can work on object avoidance drills etc. might be a good idea.

It would be good (as mentioned above) to know what type of objects your other jumps are from.

I'm most likely out of line here given my level of experience, but these are some of the things I have running through my head from reading the thoughts and opinions of the veterans on this site. . . .

A few questions:

If you do decide to go through with this will you be jumping the same canopy that you used on your previous 2 BASE jumps or is it borrowed gear?

What's your body weight?

Specifically, what size canopy/type is it? Is the DBS set appropriately?

Why wouldn't you logically wait until someone more experienced comes out there to check out the object with you?

. . . .Skydiving experience is nice and all, but this is a whole different thing dude.

Good luck.

Cheers,

JP

We both have two jumps. I'm not in any particular hurry and I didn't just come up with this yesterday. I know that there are certain risk and I have evaulated them to the best of my ability. I know there are other factors that I have not considered. This was the purpose for the post, to educatate myself from your experience. What other factors that I more than likely have not considered in your experience should consider?

No Sweat, I want to play it smart! I feel confident going out today and making the jump. However, I know it would not be smart. I want to fully be prepared when I do.

What is the best way to find other BASE jumpers in my area? Someone who would offer guidence

>>What is the best way to find other BASE jumpers in my area? Someone who would offer guidance<<


Yeah, I know it can be like the 7th grade and you're trying to get up the nerve to ask Susie to dance . . . except you can't even find Susie.

The answer to your question changes with the times.

In 1985 there are some jumpers on the internet using the local Bulletin Boards to communicate. But telephones are still the mainline comm device for most BASE jumpers. The night that word spread Carl Boenish had died the phone in every BASE jumper's house rang the world over. In those days if in a strange town looking for help, or just someone to jump with, you'd go to the closest DZ; stand in the loading area and whisper:

"Psssst! Over here . . . BASE, any BASE . . . hey over here . . . Psssst!"

About that time and a few years later there are several BASE magazines being published and people would sometimes write letters asking for help. I'm trying to imagine myself starting today and what would I do? While I ponder that I do know there have been tons of people in our BASE Jump Courses who've had more than two BASE jumps so keep that as an option (and it's also a way to meet people).

If I was a skydiver today and having trouble finding the BASE jumpers, and isn't that the way it should be, I'd take out a small classified advert in the back of SKYDIVING and throw down:

BASE Mentor Wanted
Accommodations, Meals, Plane Ticket, $$$, The Works
I'm Ready!

You'll be leafing through resumes in no time . . .

NickD
BASE 194

GO DAN ! ! !

 Good idea, but why not search right here too. When I asked for a menter on this forum I did get a negative reaction from a couple of people, but I also got about four positive PMs to include my new mentor and someone offering a course I took. Later I got some feedback about an antenna I had located and did jump. I had 7 jumps before I went off the antenna, but I had been up a different antenna with my mentor only to come down because of unfavorable winds. If I were in this guys shoes, I would not jump without finding a mentor and a capable ground crew. I would never have gotten out of a sticker/thorn thicket without my wonderful ground crew. Just my 2 cents worth from an old 18 jump wonder.