Basejumper.com - archive

I occasionaly jump on my own with a good friend as GC. He is not skydiver or a BASE jumper.

He has certain qualities that I thought would be useful. He is level headed, good trauma skills (through our occupation), good common sense and he can keep his mouth shut.

I have explained what might happen and what he might have to deal with if the worst were to happen. He accepts it and enjoys our little excursions as it beats sitting in the house watching the shit TV.

Last night and tonight I got him to PCA me. I got him to wear my helmet cam so I could see exactly what he was doing. The jumps were from a height that would have caused no probs should he drop it all. I also had a 46 on. After viewing the vid, he done as I asked to the letter. These practice PCAs are in preparation for lower jumps in the future. Prior to the jumps we done many walk through talk throughs & watched lots of video of PCAs. I also explained to him the mechanics of what was happening.

My theory is this:

He has no knowledge of BASE or skydiving so he will do exactly what I ask him to do as he will know no other way. If someone is already a jumper they may put their own slant on the PCA and you the jumper wont be getting exactly what you asked for.

I'm now curious if anyone else uses a non jumper too PCA them?

posting...

Funny, I thought about having my wife PCA me
on my next visit to the Perrine just so she could
have a small hand in the moment, of course like
you said, it would be in a situation where if she
did fuck up I'd still be okay.

FYI -- Kevo did my 1st & only PCA to date,
which happened to be my 1st BASE jump so
yeah, I was wicked scared, probably asked
the poor guy at least 3 times if he was ready.

I know of lots of occasions on which non-jumpers have given PCA's. On one occasion here a jumper convinced a police officer (whom he'd just met at the overlook) to PCA him.

PCAing is a skill like any other. It's not terribly related to many of the other skills involved in making a BASE jump. It requires some practice to do well. Aside from the fact that a jumper is likely to have more opportunities to practice, there is no reason to think a jumper would be better at it than a non-jumper.

Blondie would PCA anyone for a beer.

I'm not THAT cheap...it's gonna have to be Patron...or Tom's tri-tip...or some vodka...or a good bottle of wine...hmmm..or a beer

Damnit...ok I'm that cheap

Hello,
My wife is not a jumper, but she has been with me on many jump trips.
On several occasions she stayed in our hotel room with my pilot chute while I left through a window.
The lowest was 152' so yes I really was counting on her.
She's awesome.
Avery

I know a certain ABA President who shall remain un-named who caught a taxi to a 152' site and got the driver to PCA.

g.

I had my brother do a bridle assist for me for his first time from 88ft. I was the first to go on a load of 4, so the other guys would feel warm and fuzzy when it was their turn to go

In TF last Labor Day my buddy asked a whuffo chick to PCA him. The video is hilarious because he asks a group of waiting jumpers "is this a bad idea?". Upon exit she screamed and threw the whole wad.

Hahaha! Was that from NB?

I've been PCA'd by a non jumper, approx 270ft, although i wouldn't of considered it sub 180ft.

Knees were aknocking though!

Once Gabo, Urosh and myself went to jump a Damn at Monterrey in Mexico and I had this idea to ask my neighbor to help me with the PCA.

I invited him to see the rig system while packing and I told him what was going to see and also what could go wrong.

My two partners jumped first assited by me and last my neighbor helped me.

Is really intense knowing that my life depended on my neighbor but I have total confidence he'll never let me die.... jeje

Saludos Ingeniero....

Yup! NB

Pretty sure he just FF'ls the 152' now rather than hassle the taxi drivers.

g.

On a more serious note - you gotta remember Jason Rooney. He came over from the UK and dayblazed all our high-profile sites and brought media whilst backpacking thru our country.

He would always use whuffo backpackers he'd scrounge up from the hostels to PCA him.

Jason was found impacted/deceased at the bottom of a site with rig partially out. Whilst details are still uncertain about what happened the police have said that there was evidence of other people at the exit-point at the time he went off.

I think if you are gonna use a non-jumper to PCA you gotta choose someone who has some degree of mechanical aptitude (amongst other things like maturity, intelligence). Shit... I've even had a highly experienced jumper despatch me with a mis-routed bridle so be careful what you choose to do.

g.