In reply to:
Army officer sets record for first BASE jump in India
New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI)
An Army officer today undertook a record feat by successfully completing the first-ever 'BASE' jump in India by leaping from the 235-metre-high Pitampura television tower here.
Lt Col Satyendra Verma, captain of the Army's skydiving team, leapt from the tower as his family, friends, Army colleagues and several hundred awe-struck members of the public watched.
This advanced form of free fall jump is a major adventure sport around the world and BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span (bridge) and Earth (mountain cliffs).
Verma, with over 1,100 skydiving feats to his credit, is an experienced BASE jumper and had earlier jumped from the telecom tower in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Perrine Bridge in the US.
"When I am standing there, I have to just forget if anyone is standing there down below. I only think I have to take this jump whether I am ready or whether the situation is right or whether the weather is OK or if I am feeling cool.I just take the jump and think nothing about it," Verma told reporters here soon after landing safely.
The jump was carried out as part of the Corps of Signals' centenary year celebrations this year. For the jump, the Army had earlier carried out a technical study of the site and found that the feat was possible, given the Pitampura TV tower's location beside the Delhi Development Authority's cricket ground.
In this form of extreme, adventure sport, the jumper takes a free fall off a building, tower, bridge or cliff, but carries an unopened parachute. As the jumper approaches the ground, the canopy opens up for a safe landing.
"This sport is attempted only by experienced skydivers to ensure that the jumper completely understands the concept of body positioning in free fall and is capable of immediate and suitable response to any canopy malfunction," Army officers said.
BASE jumping is significantly more dangerous than similar sports such as skydiving from an aircraft and is regarded by many as an 'extreme sport'.
BASE numbers are awarded to those, who have made at least one jump from each of the four categories -- buildings, antennas, spans or bridges, and Earth (such as mountain cliffs).
Pakistan is a separate country dude.