Basejumper.com - archive

This is posted with the explicit permission of the administration.

We're creating a documentary (blurb to follow) and this is the kickstarter project designed to fund what will be the first of several internet shorts and a feature length documentary. It only has a few days left, and there may be more in the following months. If you are unfamiliar with kickstarter, the simplest way to think of it is a way to pre-purchase dvds. Thank you for your time and consideration:

Jeff Casperson has been blind his entire life, but that is a small aspect of who he is. Even without that attribute, he is still an incredibly adventurous person. He rock climbs, hikes, mountain bikes, and is pretty much down for anything... including jumping off of a bridge. Completely detached from the feelings, sounds, and everything else that normally guide his movements, can he safely perform a stunt most sighted people are too scared to try?

This documentary will cover his training, experiences, and overall journey through periodic, short internet update episodes, culminating in a feature length documentary covering the entire process up to and including the first ever blind BASE jump ever documented.

http://www.kickstarter.com/...61/blind-leap-part-1

sure, he could go to perrine and do a tandem base jump or if he could find some one to "death camp" him, im sure its doable.

Regarding the tandem issue, the goal is for him to be able to do a solo jump.

I think it's possible to do it a lot more safely (and repeatably) than that.

seemed like they are advertising a one off type of base jump. didnt seem like he was too interested in joining the sport.

Was he born Blind or is his blindness come-on latter on in life ?
This will be a BIG difference in his performance .
I have Cessna spotted a blind skydiver for exit a couple times & he had radio on the ground for input for heading & flair . All went pretty smooth for him .
BUT he skydived previous to being blind .

'basically' For solo BASE jump @ Twin Falls Bridge . As long as he is competent to Skydive exit & land on a skydive DZ ( by radio command instructions ) with good canopy skills . He would be able to do it.
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' Ideally' . All he needs to do is find a ( NON USPA) DZ that will put him in a Hanging Harness for hours of training . Then put him out out on Static-line Jumps with Radio on the ground till he is confident on his basic canopy skills . Then to Twin Falls with doing a BASE Tandem & then for a solo Jump . It is very doable .
(IMHO) & frank opinion . He is going to be a 'blind pilot' & it would be pretty fucking stupid to do it without some Hanging-Harness time . Then some skydives under his belt on some 4-K AGL static-line exits for Minimum canopy skills & landing for a BASE jump @ Twin . Then go to Twin & do a BASE Tandem . & then a Solo jump .

( With No Skydives ) . If he did Solo-it @ Twin with 'several ' BASE Tandems for minimum of pre-Jump FJC to get his basics . Then got put off on a Static/PC Exit . In the most ideal of wind & weather . With a Tits-on Heading on the opening .
He 'might ' come out of it without a scrap . Or he might have a couple small minor errors on the Opening or the Heading, or drop a Toggle, or have a Line-Twist, or others that might disorient him and put him in the Dirt .

As Pilot without optical sight . Its all up to him & he is responsible for his own life . & Twin Falls Bridge is about the least technical of all BASE jumping objects in the world . but even so @ least 5 or 6 people have died there to date .
Just someone, get some Vid. of the jump & post it here for all to see .
.

Edit to Add :
The training he chooses to do a solo BASE jump . depends on what his end goal wants to be .
Does he want this completed & call himself and fell like an actual BASE jumper ?
Or does he just want to do it and live & walk away for the Video you say you are making . This to be just a Lucky one-time ' Stunt ' ? for the ego & others video entertainment ?
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I posted this before, but it looks like it got deleted, still figuring out this whole forum thing. Thank you all very much for your insight. We are working extensively with Tom Aiello (hi tom) to figure out the best training and approach to this. Ideally, it would not be just a one off jump, not to say Jeff will necessarily continue to jump, but we'd like him to have that option. So we're getting the training figured out. We want the documentary to give people a good idea of what the whole experience is, what people go through to prepare for this experience, and what it is about the experience that drives them so. What we need at this point is funding for film equipment and crew in order to proceed with the documentary.

" seemed like they are advertising a one off type of base jump. didn't seem like he was too interested in joining the sport ".

Everyone so far has been pretty polite & Link seems legit & they seem sincere .
They got a 'endorsement' by permission of the administration previous to Posting .
But I have seen many others come on here with more stupid ( I WANA Do My 1st BASE jump ) stories than this & get epic flamed & driven off the Site ?
& this 1st Post a ..." (I'm Blind ) and I wana do my 1st BASE jump ".
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It is all doable With Out Eye-Sight .
But it all depends on evaluation of the person doing the training, stamps on the student .
If the teacher is competent & have taught a few for there 1st BASE Jump . They can train & put him off . The teacher He/she should be able to assess pretty quick if your guy can pull it off & do it right .

But there is NO BASE Law & nothing to really stop him from jumping . Or Stopping someone with No Conscience from just putting him off the exit knowing he is NOT capable .
You NEED to really watch your ass with the decisions you are about to make while doing some hard thinking on what you are about to try.
It's all just shits & giggles & high-Fives on the exit & the opening . The REAL Life decisions come after the canopy opening and decisions and skill the 'Pilot' uses to the ground . To walk away .
Believe me when I tell you this . MANY people with there eye-sight & doing there 1st BASE jump have plowed-in & mangled there asses strait to the hospital .
.

edit to add :
Crying Damn Shame he cant enjoy my Avatar like gauleyguide enjoys it . ...
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Some knowledge the skydiving community developed for blind jumpers a while back may help.

"Flare when the leash goes slack".

Ok, I'm a dick. It's still funny, though, even if it is the oldest joke in the world. LOL

Walt

 

One of the reasons for the fundraising is to pay for skydiving training. I'm donating my time/equipment/facilities for BASE training, but so far skydiving training (and canopy time) is something that will cost a fair bit of money.

Ya that is a option for the bare minimum training you would give a bag of dog food or a human wind drift . Round canopy & a water landing .
Just put him off the exit blind wearing a life jacket with anyone giving a proper PCA on a windless condition & let him drift into the water with a boat pick-up .

All responsibility would be the PCA & a proper spotting position on the exit .
But that would not make much of a Video for a 20-minute FJC & BASE jump . 3 minute 1st BASE jumps off Twin are a dime a dozen off YouTube .
.

Boobies

JUST DO IT

Here in holland we have had several blind people doing solo first jumps, static line. Good radio's of course. All worked out fine. Should be OK from a bridge then, with some exit training in a pool. Landing area preferibly big as well. IMHO there is no real need to do (a) blind skydive(s) first.
He is rock climbing blind? Surely he can climb an antenna blind

I can't understand what would be so enjoyable about falling for 2 seconds as a blind person. Nor do I understand how a blind person could handle any emergency situation like a line twist, etc., but I guess gear has gotten so good that technique has been allowed to decline to the point of appearing like foolish deadly conduct.

Not talking for Ronald . but it's about making the best of life with what you got . & also freedom to do it . & if nothing else, Base Jumping is all that .
In my Posts I am not against him BASE jumping blind but just his choosing of the proper foundation & game plan . There are several ways for him to go about getting what he wants . but what motivates his to do it is none of my business .

A useful skill for blind, solo base jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49dS76KhGc

Pretty good seeing blind with Radar . BUT he isn't No ' Pinball Wizard ' . From what I hear . ..." That deaf, dumb and blind kid Sure plays a mean Pinball ".
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A blind basejump seems like adding additional unecessary risk to an already incredibly dangerous activity while removing the most important and critical information/input to do it safely.

How will he assess the object? How will he know when to pull? Count? With no experience to draw on whatsoever?

Bad Idea, and if he goes in, the producer of this "documentary" would be directly responsible.

Hope you have a good lawyer.

Good luck to him!

I'm blind. I water-ski, snow-ski black runs, rock climb and have done many bungy's and tandem skydives & para-glides. It's all about getting out there and getting stoked!! I'm looking at coming to the US next year to do a tandem BASE. For me at this stage the risks are just too great to go for a solo-skydive but I'm hoping this will change over time...

If I was a betting man on survival for a solo-BASE I'd have my money on one of these two guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QToY6h4nZfQ

Being totally blind and with 1900+ and 300+ solo-skydives a piece shows THIS can be done repeatedly and safely. BASE on the other hand I would imagine would be a whole other 'kettle of fish'.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers

One of those guys is already involved with this project.

Hi Tom,

Any update on the progress of this?

I think it's really interesting....

Cheers