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Just a sheer curiousity question, as I've searched around and haven't really found much information regarding this.

When one decides to progress from doing stable exits to performing aerials, what kind of training goes into something like this? Of course, it would be a perfect world if everyone that wanted to progress to aerials was to get some kind of formal gymnastics training, but in the real world, I don't see it happening. Plus, in order to get to the point of doing any kind of flips, there is a lot of pre-training to get to that point (handstands, tumble saults and other beginner type acrobatics).

So, what else can be done to prepare for aerials in BASE, besides doing a bunch of stable exits? Trampolines, diving into pools..? Nothing?!

The more you get to do diving into pool, gymnastics with coach, trampoline jumping etc the better (obviously). Apart from that what you can do is :
1) Be athletic, have active sports background that gives you better body control and body position awareness. If you plan to start doing aerials from terminal wall, solid skydiving (freeflying) background is a plus. It will teach you the skills to recover from various body positions.
2) Get yourself an experienced aerial jumper to give you pointers and guide you through
3) Do your homework, for example DW has written excellent article on BASE aerials.
4) Choose the site, as a rule of thumb the higher and more overhang the better. It gives you time to recover in case you fuck the aerial up.
5) Do mental training, try to visual how it looks to throw a gainer for example. How the object rotates through your eyesight and what to do on each moment of the rotation.
6) And have fun ! :)

Keep in mind what Dwain said about aerials : "If you really want to do aerial manoeuvres from below 1500’ then an absolute minimum prerequisite would be 200 freefall B.A.S.E. jumps with at least six months of solid platform diving or gymnastics training (with an accredited coach). It’s no good pulling off 10 perfect gainers in a row if your failure rate is 1 in 20.
Dive training and gymnastics will help teach you the consistency needed to survive aerial manoeuvres in B.A.S.E.""

Hope it helps

I think Maretus said it well:



Might be the way I am reading it but it kind of sounds like
you don't think you could do those moves right now or
would rather not bother before learning to do flips.

While I have not done anything but flat and stable exits,
I am able to walk on hands, do cartwheels, and tumble on
the grass and think most athletes can. Don't know your
level of fitness but these moves are easier than you think.

I've seen BASE exits on video where the dude is standing
on his hands and then hops off of a B. I am sure that
guy practiced doing it first on grass, or let's hope.

Lastly, one of my local gymnastic places has a foam pit
where you could practice any crazy move with almost
zero chance of injury - look for one of those, definitely
more forgiving than a trampoline.

I'll take a SWAG and say you didnt go here to research...

http://www.basejump.org/

I did my first gainer this summer at the Perrine when I had about 50-60 jumps. I didn't get any real training on it other than reading about it alot on the internet and watching a bunch of other people do it and I got some advice from NickNitro over the phone the night before. It went pretty good. I did a few more at bridgeday that went really good. They're very addicting. The openings are nicer and the visuals are sweet! I wish I had the balls to do them off my antennas. I'll probably go back to the Perrine and do another dozen or so before I try it at home though. Have fun!

focus

alongside everything that other people will tell you, (trampoline, diving board, cliff jump-water, gymnastics etc),

I would say the best thing that you can do for doing new fun stuff, is get comfy. get comfy running and jumping off of things. just like learning to exit for BASE in the first place. the first step to taking the next step is being well balanced on the step your on.

Actually, that's exactly why I asked. I have been able to do backflips, front flips, hand springs and handstands, walking on hands etc.. for years. I taught myself how to do them as a kid and kept doing them so I wouldn't lose the ability.

Really I was wondering how much this would transfer over to a jump, and what other training techniques could be used to train for carrying the acrobatic experience over to the BASE world.

I thought it would be a good training technique to jump on a trampoline, while wearing a rig, and practice throwing the PC. Timing could be worked out for aerials and it could be practiced a lot easier than the real jump could.

Yeah so, I have zero BASE jumps and have no plans on doing aerials any time soon. They are just my long term goal for BASE, as I've enjoyed flips and whatnot for my whole life. They must be a blast..

Sounds like it should come naturally to you then. Body awareness in dead air is a huge benefit you already possess. You will probably be doing gainers after about 10 jumps.

Trampoline into a foam pit is a good training device to just stay current on skills and practice new ones - especially since you don't have to worry about rotating to your feet on a consistent basis. Instead you can even land belly to earth - but some of the kids at the gym may look at you strangely if you continually do this.