Basejumper.com - archive

Hey there everyone; I'll be returning from my first jump course and a week of straight jumping in December and I have a four hour layover in SLC and Detroit.

If anyone wants to take a fairly new jumper to some relatively simple sites, I'd love to go during my layovers.

I should have at least 30 jumps at that time.
PM me for the date of my flight. Thanks!

not really any simple stuff in slc save it for the bridge for a while.

Not doubting you at all, just curious... by not simple you mean... for example? Access/climbing is no big deal. But bad exit points/crappy conditions is of course a big deal.

think of kind of like moab where it is a bunch of 300-500 ft cliffs except its all jagged canopy eating rock instead of slick rock and they recommend having 40 or 50 jumps for moab. to add to that all the exits will have snow on them as well as the hike.
all small slider down cliffs are not simple objects i think
I also doubt you will find anyone willing to take a new person for their first E
your mentor is not with you who will you trust?
just my opinion and im new
plus we just had someone go in and im sure everyone is a little sensitive right now

FWIW I almost bought the farm on the HIKE UP to one of the more easy peezy exits near SLC in January this year. The base jump isn't always the most risky part in the winter!

4 hour layover?
by the time you can get out of the terminal, and then pass back through security, how much time will you have to do anything?

do you think that will be enough time to:
- meet someone
- establish trust
- drive to an object
- assess the weather
- walk the lz
- inspect gear
- gear up
- climb
- freak out on top
- collect yourself
- jump
- stash your gear
- get away
- celebrate post jump
- get your gear in suitable shape to re-board the airliner
- get back to the airport

oh, and make sure you have everything you need in a carry-on bag. checked bags get checked through to the destination.

your enthusiasm can be admirable. it can also get you hurt if you fail to think things through.

Which FJC are you taking? Are you taking the course then staying an additional week?

at least 30 jumps seems presumptuous for an FJC in December.

Yes I am staying an additional week. Getting in as many jumps as possible. Probably more than 30 if I can manage more.

I am taking everything I'd need in carry on.
Security in state to state flight doesn't take very long compared to international travel.
And I still think I'd have time to get out there and complete a jump, but I'd have to meet some conditions. I'd have to have at least spoken with the jumpers first, have good weather conditions, and see them jump the object before me.

I think things could happen on this schedule if the right people got involved:

- meet someone, establish trust (lots of this should happen through conversation in PM and on the way to the object; if I don't feel comfortable, I don't jump) Hopefully only 30 min max drive time
- drive to an object, assess the weather, walk the lz, inspect gear, gear up (30 mins)
- climb, freak out on top, collect yourself, jump (45 min)
- stash your gear, get away, celebrate post jump, get your gear in suitable shape to re-board the airliner, get back to the airport
(probably another hour to hour and fifteen)

That's only 3 hours... Leaves me with 1 hour of playroom. If there was an object already in mind and I had time to prepare and plan ahead with someone reasonable who wants to take me to the object and show me the jump, then this seems pretty doable to me. I do, however, realize that this is an IDEAL situation I'm describing, and real life doesn't want to work that way very often.

You are dreaming quite unrealistically

but good luck :)

Knife?

I think you are very optimistic about your time schedule, but good luck

how about stay another week in twin, get the 50 jumps you need to go to moab, meet some jumpers at the bridge and have them evaluate your skillz before going out. then if the weather is right and the experienced jumpers agree you are ready, then and only then go to moab for some amazing jumps. i would not go to my first E in a rush. take your time and enjoy this sport. i wont jump with anyone in a rush.

you could always just Solo the Control tower since you will already be right there

good luck out at Twin. What FJC are you taking?

It will take you 2 hours round trip to get to the nearest exit.

Not only that but you would have to do a perfect pickup dropoff to keep just the transition time under 2 1/2 hours. That gives you 1 1/2 hours to hike, prepare, jump, stash, get through security and get on the plane.

Good luck! I've never been able to do a couple laps on Alta with that time, nevermind a jump.

I'll say this: I don't want to rush any jumps, underplan any jumps, or make any jumps I'm not prepared for. I don't want to burn any sites, and I don't want to lose my gear/get into legal trouble. I probably won't be jumping on either layover, and this was mostly a test to determine what kind of response I would receive. It was nice to see that everyone was concerned about my safety and aptly recommended not jumping.

Thanks for your contributions to this thread guys.

about 8 to 12 miles east of SLC international airport are two antennas on the north side of HWY 80. the smaller one is a freestanding A. It is AM and it is on again, I believe.

park by the billboard, walk out there, under the fence, ciimb to the top with some electrical tape, tie off your bridal with 3 wraps of the tape and jump off.

its a night time only jump.

aren't these forums great?

well its about time someone starts keeping these crazy Base Jumpers in check! Thanks for the test. Did we Pass?

excuse me, I meant to say 8 to 10 miles west of the airport. not east.

and its 223 ft. I opened it with the late Jimmy Freeman, and his lady at the time, Sharon. we named it the Substitute Tower as our original destination was the taller one nearby. It is a good beginner A. It was my first A, and second or thrird object after my bridge in idaho. The name seemed to evolve by the locals to simply "the 220"

If I were to jump an A like that one, which I have several of as my "home sites," I'd probably use a take-away break cord system that does not involve electrical tape, but thanks for the site info.

It's JT's tower, it's JT's rules. You will use electrical tape.

haha if that electrical tape left behind isn't going to burn your site or in any way bother locals then that's totally a different game, but I thought that using break cord and a take-away attachment system would leave only footprints and take only pictures if you feel me

and isn't tested/rated break-strength cord safer than elec tape generally?

that is for you to decide!
plenty of experienced jumpers use electrical tape or just break cord (without the lanyard). would you be comfortable with that? gear fear sucks.

Tape is cheaper and more readily available.
Cost per foot is about 1.6 cents based on
$1 per roll divided by 60 feet.

Break cord is more expensive and unique.
Cost per foot is about 4.3 cents based on
$64.50 per roll divided by 1500 feet.

However, one is tested and made for this
exact purpose, the other well who knows.

I have never used tape for BASE jumping.
If JT recommends it then it must work but
even being the cheap Economist that I am
I'm still going to continue using Break-cord.

If you would like some break-cord and/or
a CWY S/L set-up send some money via
paypal to --> Tom@Sky-Frogs.com

I will snail mail which ever you want
along with a free autographed photo,
small plastic frog, or other trinket.

Happy Thanksgivng Fuckers

How much do I send if all I want is the autographed photo ?

If I send extra will it be in the nude ?

Thank you, doont choke your turkey

I have break cord and a cwy s/l set up already put together
thanks for the offer though! glad to see people are helpful in this community

@JT: I don't think I'll be able to jump your tower because I'll be laying over between 7 am and 11 am. Bummer.

Anyone with any sites they've been wanting to day blaze?

It's a giant mistake to think that somehow between jump number 49 and 51 you magically become prepared to jump in Moab.

Preparation is about what skills you have acquired by training. It's not about numbers. I've seen guys with 200 jumps from the Bridge who had no business going anywhere near a slider down solid object.

i agree with you 100%
that is the reason for this portion of my post

"meet some jumpers at the bridge and have them evaluate your skillz before going out. then if the weather is right and the experienced jumpers agree you are ready, then and only then go to moab"

not saying that the "magic number" entitles you to anything. just a bare minimum for the locals to even think about showing you some EP's in moab.

if you were sneaky its totally dayblazable, dont you agree?

it wouldnt be such a big deal to get caught, right? maybe misdemeanor ticket or something

lol yeah, we're only in a post-9/11 world where anything done at airports is instantly a felony, but I'm sure they'd be like "dude that was awesome, autograph my butt cheek and have a good rest of your flight home"
(Yes, that was sarcasm.)

How heavy is a 1500ft spool of break cord? If less than 80lbs, one could make a 1500ft static line jump! It'll be an expensive jump ($64.50+S&H), but at least something not doable with electric tape.

Just brainstorming here.

You forgot about the kinetic energy of the canopy, at that speed a canopy that is being stopped by only a few dozens of feet of elasticity in the break cord will probably weigh a few hundreds of pounds Of course you can attach the break cord to a screamer, or dynamic rope, that would absorb the shock of the canopy lifting up from the pack tray The problem I see here is that you can't attach the pc as a backup. So if the break cord breaks prematurely, your day will rapidly deteriorate.

you could always tie off the Static line to the PC attachment point and pack the PC in the BOC. That way the PC is extracted first with hopefully less force then will break the cord.

alternatively you could modify the BOC to be more like a Tail pocket with velcro on 3 sides to aid in the PC extraction.

Brainstorming is fun

Totally doable! all one has to do is just walk in like you own the place and demand access to the roof. Its all about attitude!
http://www.bing.com/...ty=b&form=LMLTCC

edited to add: on a serious note I looked into trespass on airport property and although TSA is a Federal entity the airport is not and would not generate a federal trespass charge if caught (at last as far as i can tell from an internet search) I would think that, and this is only my opinion... That DHS could make a case of criminal intent if you were caught and make a federal case out of it. DHS can pretty much do what they want. i bet they wouldn't hesitate to slap a "Domestic terrorism" charge on someone for doing that. just my opinion.

I'm pretty sure that's how Theresa Tran died. If I have the story right, the cord broke without extracting the PC from the BOC.

okay so to jump the control tower (I won't, so this is just for kicks but...), I'd need a sport bike, scuba gear, waterproof stashbag, team of skilled individuals, cover story, fake identification, possible disguise facial hair, and an intense documentary/special report crew. I don't really think this silly plan would work, but a buddy and I planned it out all night... so who has a motorcycle in SLC? lol j/k