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I'm interested in doing a McConkey off a 260 foot bridge. It's very clean with a great landing area. Anyone got any advice such as use of tailgate etc. Any feedback much appreciated.

have you ever jumped from that bridge?
have you ever jumped from that height?

your profile lists only a handful of jumps. I'd suggest you get more experience before going unpacked. limit the variables!

Thanks for the input. I've jumped it twice and it's the highest of the two bridges I've jumped. Realise that I'm a babe in the woods and will proceed with much caution. Not too many people in my area to mentor me. Cheers.

I think unpacked jumps are the easiest most forgiving jumps. You have the most canopy time and don't have to deal with distortion/turning of the canopy coming out of the pack tray, or PC/ontainer opening issues. For a McConkey (Roll over) the canopy is at line stretch, fully visible, and on heading. What could possibly go wrong??? But all kidding aside it's one of the easiest safest jumps. It looks pretty serious, but it's just a matter of pushing off hard enough to clear the canopy, which is not all that difficult. It's best to maintain line tension, but not positively necessary. I think it would be a great tool for first time jumpers, at the bridge for instance, to give them the most canopy time and a chance to land with minimal distractions. However, most BASE jumpers come from skydiving so it's seems more natural to exit packed and probably removes some apprehension.

I won't argue the technical issues surrounding a rollover. and I'm not saying it is in itself dangerous.

new jumpers have a steep learning curve. there is tons of new information to absorb. sticking close to what one knows (i.e. packed) better facilitates the crawl/walk/run progression.

I'm actually encouraged by the fact he HAS jumped this object. being a newbie, he might have viewed an unpacked jump as the ONLY way to jump this bridge.

lacking a mentor, I think it best to build on what you know. much is about habit formation. I suspect many injuries result from jumpers who are habitually aggressive. I'd rather not see him/her start down that path.

stow and go.
dangle and dive.

thats how you do a mcconkey.

just STOW your brakes slider down style, dont flake or do anything to the canopy dont use a tailgate. GO to the center of the bridge.

DANGLE the parachute and you will see that it is all clear and ready.

DIVE out shooting for about a lines length past the dangling parachute fabric. Stare at the parachute the whole time, watch it open, fly as normal.

You got it bro!

Ubcle Potato Head.

Thanks for the input guys/girls. To be honest, the first jump I did of this bridge was in 89 after a few beers, with a mate who had no idea what he was doing holding my pilot chute, and I used an early 170 sq/ft 9 cell. Just come home from the pub after having a couple of beers with that mate. He flys out next week to go rafting for 3 months in Africa. We're older, happy to be alive and I will revisit the bridge shortly and I'll be try to be 'on to it'.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Just out of curiosity:
Is there any problem jumping a bridge with that rollover-techique with a SKYDIVING canopy, like for example a Safire/Sabre/Pilot?

ahhh Bengel dont do this ;)

What JT said.

As for using a skydiving tarp...only if it's loaded 1.8+ otherwise what's the point?

never done one or seen it done in person...
but i guess a tailwind would be bad, no?

I just did one from a 150 ft bridge, no slider , brakes stowed like JT said however I did use a tailgate but with just one twist in the rubber band very loose, easy as pie!
Here is the pic,

All right to be honest I just wanted another reason to post my pic, I just liked it!!

Cheers Gabo

fyi...

skydivers have debated if a tandem jump is a "real" skydive. afterall, some places reduce the "student's" role to not much more than cargo. the client learns very little about risk, risk analysis, or how to mitigate anything. they have very little control. for them, it becomes little more than an amusement park ride.

similiarly, if a friend lets you briefly hold the controls of the airplane, are you now a pilot?

both of the above techniques CAN be used as valid training techniques. they require additional background information to elevate them above and beyond being a simple stunt.

your proposed progression (a roll over) can be done safely and be lot's of fun, but is it much more than a stunt? would you really be a student of the sport, attempting to learn?

some believe the NIKE slogan, "Just Do It." this seems fair if you prioritize what you experience NOW.

I think people are better served (in the long run) by a more controlled approach. this debate has nothing to do with rules, but of personal discipline. people who reach the pinnacle of their chosen activity typically exhibit amazing amounts of discipline. it keeps them going when others say DON'T. it provides a framework they can rely upon.

skill and little discipline CAN outperform discipline and little skill. BASE is full of both examples.

you get to choose your path. choose it well. some love BASE because of this freedom. but this freedom applies to so much more in life, not just BASE.

have fun.
don't die.

yes. tailwind is bad. depending on how strong.