Basejumper.com - archive

Ok folks, for those that don't know me, I have been wingsuit BASE jumping since 2002. I'm having a conversation with an anonymous friend who asks me if it is ok to his first wingsuit BASE jump from a 1300ft A. He has no bigwall experience, just wingsuit skydiving, some balloon jumps on skydiving gear & then on BASE gear. Most of his jumps are slider down.

I told him it was not a good idea. Unfortunately, he cannot leave the country he is in, so he cannot get to a bigwall to learn. He suggested a 2200ft A instead. So your opinions!

There should be one more vote option: "Yes, providing there's GC with a video camera"

Hey matey,

I'd be as concerned that he doesn't have much slider up experience.

I presume he'd be doing this at night; delay off a 1,300ft "A" this size is 7/8 seconds max. Unless he's going to nail the exit (unlikely given his lack of still air tracking experience - especially in a wingsuit) then he's not going to generate sufficient lift in time to appreciably extend his freefall time, and certainly not get too far. Couple that with a wingsuit deployment, a guyed "A" could be quite dangerous.

So, I would not recommend. Too low with too many potential hazards.

 Not sure why your friend would doubt your judgment on this, but I find it even a little more disturbing that you're questioning your own stance on this (that's how it appears). I'm thinking that in 7 yrs you've got to have some appreciable experience with which to guide him if he chooses to heed the advice.

always question your own stance

My guess is that he wants to use
our collective input as leverage to
convince an excited jumper from
doing something sketchy/dumb.

With all the circumstances, maybe first wingsuit basejump is not a good idea for your friend at all. How aboput getting current in slider up tracking jumps from those antennas?

FTF
V

At the moment I have suggested to him that he work on his slider up tracking skills. Thats what is most important.

hell of a concept.

rarely works.

(think miamibase.)

Wait...who cares about anything but the fact that there is a 2,200 ft antenna! Cool!

In the US they stop at 2,000!

Big As can be a lot safer than any big wall, if you jump with a strong tailwind. The original post beggs the question, if there is a 2200' A available, why is the jumper insisting on doing his first wingsuit basejump off a 1300' A?

2063' - rule passed to grandfather the already existing A