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BASE Technical

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Keeping brakes stowed
So we have this B in a quite dense urban environment. Landing area is close to the B, so a steep approach is a must. More over, there are other building on all sides on opening height very close, practically a well. There are also some wires you need to pass under to get to the LZ.
My thoughts were not to pop the brakes immediately, but to turn to LZ and just sink for a bit and then pop when I clear the wire.
Now, the downside is obviously that rears with stowed brakes give you a lot less control, but a surge on opening could result in another building strike if you turn too late. Plus its easier to keep the 0 forward movement sink.
I'm guessing there has to be zero winds for this to be safer, but it's a zero wind jump anyway.
Any thoughts?
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Re: [REDAKTOR] Keeping brakes stowed
My suggestion:

Take some laser measurements of the environment you have to work with. Then, below a forgiving antenna, mark out some reference points with glow sticks or something, and see if you can fly the scenario. You probably can't simulate the wires, but you can have someone take up a position at the correct height on the antenna to tell you if you "cleared them" or not.

~ Chris
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Re: [seekfun] Keeping brakes stowed
seekfun wrote:
My suggestion:

Take some laser measurements of the environment you have to work with. Then, below a forgiving antenna, mark out some reference points with glow sticks or something, and see if you can fly the scenario. You probably can't simulate the wires, but you can have someone take up a position at the correct height on the antenna to tell you if you "cleared them" or not.

~ Chris


+10.

This is a great technique. I've used to to evaluate several building flight patterns and it certainly saved me from making a serious mistake on a jump that I would have attempted without the rehearsal (which showed that the flight line was pretty much impossible to make with even a slight off heading).

FWIW, if your antenna is cool enough, you can set up a line (I used some old backstroke flags I lifted from a swimming pool) on breakaway tape to simulate the power line.
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Re: [REDAKTOR] Keeping brakes stowed
Why not just release the brakes go straight to 3/4 without letting up on them, and flat turn for any adjustments?
~981
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Re: [REDAKTOR] Keeping brakes stowed
I'm with seekfun, I've done this before and let me tell you how glad I am to find out that others have done it because at first I thought I was just being a big ole puss because part of me was telling me that I could fly it and if I couldn't I didn't need to be BASE jumping. Only my obsticals weren't buildings or wires, just lots of trees and a cave entrance. Oh and railroad tracks and a small bridge. And a cliff. And a shallow creek.
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Re: [TomAiello] Keeping brakes stowed
Another option - object allowing - is to set up a helium balloon anchored on a lightweight chord set to the height of the wires, with a marker (or another balloon) at the height you want your head to pass after allowing for line length and canopy clearance.
You line up with the wire height balloon, and have a reference which avoids parallax error.