Basejumper.com - archive

I would like to know from people who have experience with McConkey's and TARD if they always use the tailgate?
Other thing is why would someone go slider-up doing a mcConkey, while normally start going slider-up on 3 sec delay or more?!! Only thing I can think of is keeping the lines together...

Cya!

Although I have never done a McConkey, I have watched lots. The reason some will go slider up is for the sensation of no opening shock, you do your front loop and slowly decelerate and have a canopy above your head, this method does take a little longer to open so adjust altitude as nessesary.

I have stopped using the tailgate for McConkey's. I did this on the advice of BASE 587, who is, I believe, the world's most experienced "unpacked" jumper (he's also recently finished TARD BASE 1 [but I heard some lousy American beat him to McConkey BASE 1]).

With the tailgate in place, the canopy tends to stick together in a bundle, and is far more susceptible to off-headings, either from rotation at line stretch or from line slack during the roll over.

Without the tailgate, you ought to be able to partially pre-inflate the canopy, virtually assuring an on-heading, as well as minimizing line over potential.


In my opinion, this is a bad idea. I know that lots of people are doing it, but (a) I've seen McConkey's line over, which really sucks slider up, and (b) I prefer to spread and pre-inflate the canopy (see above), which is impossible with the slider.

Let me see if I can email 587 and get him to add his thoughts...

I could give a rat's ass about opening shock sensation. Any unpacked jump has significantly lees opening "shock" than even most snively skydiving openings, let alone BASE openings.

I sometimes prefer to use a slider (on McOvers/McUnders) because even in slight breezes an unpacked, slider off canopy dangling from the side of an object can be sometimes difficult to manage. I find that a slider helps me to put the canopy where I want it easier since thre is less to catch wind. It also seems to enable me to "swing" the canopy back and forth more easily, as i like to jump whilst my canopy is on the backswing [McOvers].

I don't use a tailgate on any Mc Anythings, and I think those other things are reTARDed (More power to ya, S.)