Where do you draw the line

[guest]

What i mean is,how low is static,and how high
Pilot chute deployment,I remeber back in 1984
watching 3 guys static of a 300 ft tower,with
skydiving rigs,all 7 cells.what about now
with custom built base rigs and all,can you
push it further?

[guest]

I can't tell where you should draw the line, but here is what's tested (with success)

Static pilot assist - 33,5 meter (over water)
about 1,5 sec canopy ride
The exitpoint:
http://home.sol.no/~bjojoh/Images/Oslo_Port1x.jpg

1 sec freefall - 60 meter (over water)
An article in Norwegian, but a multilanguage picture:
http://leonora.vg.no/vg/96/07/07/09fritt.html

Johnnyb
http://home.no.net/baseweb/index.shtml

[guest]

Carl Boenish was always fond of saying "The Ground's the Limit" and while it's catchy and a good line for the media it may not be the best way to determine how low "is" too low.

It may help to think there are two different limits. The first one is an opening altitude that still allows time for clearing a line-over, line twist, or other canopy problem.

The second is the place where there is no time for these corrective actions, and deployment must work perfectly or it's plaster city.

Of course, being over water or land is a biggie here. But in this case we'll say it's over land.

I used to say to people (before I almost killed myself :-)) that if you lay a canopy on the ground nose up, picked up the risers and ran away, how long before the canopy would rise into the air and inflate? Well, not long at all.

This could lead one to believe that all you need is line stretch plus a little bit more and bingo you are under a canopy. And that's essentially true.

However, if that was the whole story than sub-hundred foot static line jumps would be routine. But they are not and here's why.

As jumpers we tend to relax as we feel our canopies open. However, this initial opening shock is only bottom surface inflation. The canopy still needs to fully pressurize and the canopy has to start flying before you pop that beer and start celebrating.

If you already realize the above, add in the altitude needed to clear a line-over or line twist and you have a better chance of making a good go no-go decision.

If you do choose to jump below altitudes where corrective action is possible, well, that's alright, as long as you made an informed decision and realize the ramifications.

Besides, there’s a TV show out now called "When Stunts Go Bad" (My God, they never quit) so there's something that can be done with the video.
:-)

Nick_BR

[guest]

I used to do a lot of low stuff (because that was what I had available). I started out using round canopies (I 24 type) with static-line bag deployment. This proved highly reliable, just as it is when used from aircraft. You can get a round canopy to open faster if you put a rubber band around it to close off the apex vent. This band will pop off once the canopy starts expanding as it fills with air. I have used this system from 150ft, but came to regard that as pretty stupid and not enough fun to be worth the risk.

I also used ram air canopies (old 7 cell types) in this way, and as already mentioned by the last contributor, you can get bottom skin inflation in no time, however to get the canopy really flying properly and moving forward with enough speed to do a flare, takes more altitude, and this is not precisely predictable. I once rode in a canopy which was spread (bottom skin inflation) but not flying (incomplete cell inflation), and it was my hardest landing ever. It was only through dumb luck and a good roll that I didn't break bones. That jump was over a grass area by the way. I tried doing free falls from these altitudes (under 200ft) using a 52 inch pilot chute. It did work, but I realised I just didn't want to do it.

I came to the view that very low jumps are best performed with a bungee rope, and I stopped doing low BASE jumps. The last BASE jump I did was El Cap, and it was a lot more fun than falling off a crane in a field. Before putting a lot of time into developing equipment and techniques for extremely low jumps, ask yourself why you want to do them, and whether the same time and effort would be better put into travelling to higher objects which allow you a longer free fall. I would suggest that very low jumps are all about the preparation, and the jump itself could be accomplished by a sack of potatoes (or a complete novice - I gave a few people "rides" in this way). Higher jumps in which you have to fly in freefall, and make decisions during the jump, are a challenge to your airmanship and can't be done by a dead weight or a total beginner. Having tried it both ways, I definitely prefer the higher stuff.

[guest]

>Carl Boenish was always fond of
>saying "The Ground's the Limit"
>and while it's catchy and
>a good line for the
>media it may not be
>the best way to determine
>how low "is" too low.
>
>
>It may help to think there
>are two different limits. The
>first one is an opening
>altitude that still allows time
>for clearing a line-over, line
>twist, or other canopy problem.
>
>
>The second is the place where
>there is no time for
>these corrective actions, and deployment
>must work perfectly or it's
>plaster city.
>
>Of course, being over water or
>land is a biggie here.
>But in this case we'll
>say it's over land.
>
>I used to say to people
>(before I almost killed myself
>:-)) that if you lay
>a canopy on the ground
>nose up, picked up the
>risers and ran away, how
>long before the canopy would
>rise into the air and
>inflate? Well, not long at
>all.
>
>This could lead one to believe
>that all you need is
>line stretch plus a little
>bit more and bingo you
>are under a canopy. And
>that's essentially true.
>
>However, if that was the whole
>story than sub-hundred foot static
>line jumps would be routine.
>But they are not and
>here's why.
>
>As jumpers we tend to relax
>as we feel our canopies
>open. However, this initial opening
>shock is only bottom surface
>inflation. The canopy still needs
>to fully pressurize and the
>canopy has to start flying
>before you pop that beer
>and start celebrating.
>
>If you already realize the above,
>add in the altitude needed
>to clear a line-over or
>line twist and you have
>a better chance of making
>a good go no-go decision.
>
>
>If you do choose to jump
>below altitudes where corrective action
>is possible, well, that's alright,
>as long as you made
>an informed decision and realize
>the ramifications.
>
>Besides, there’s a TV show out
>now called "When Stunts Go
>Bad" (My God, they never
>quit) so there's something that
>can be done with the
>video.
>:-)
>
>Nick_BR
>
>
>

[guest]

>Carl Boenish was always fond of
>saying "The Ground's the Limit"
>and while it's catchy and
>a good line for the
>media it may not be
>the best way to determine
>how low "is" too low.
>
>
>It may help to think there
>are two different limits. The
>first one is an opening
>altitude that still allows time
>for clearing a line-over, line
>twist, or other canopy problem.
>
>
>The second is the place where
>there is no time for
>these corrective actions, and deployment
>must work perfectly or it's
>plaster city.
>
>Of course, being over water or
>land is a biggie here.
>But in this case we'll
>say it's over land.
>
>I used to say to people
>(before I almost killed myself
>:-)) that if you lay
>a canopy on the ground
>nose up, picked up the
>risers and ran away, how
>long before the canopy would
>rise into the air and
>inflate? Well, not long at
>all.
>
>This could lead one to believe
>that all you need is
>line stretch plus a little
>bit more and bingo you
>are under a canopy. And
>that's essentially true.
>
>However, if that was the whole
>story than sub-hundred foot static
>line jumps would be routine.
>But they are not and
>here's why.
>
>As jumpers we tend to relax
>as we feel our canopies
>open. However, this initial opening
>shock is only bottom surface
>inflation. The canopy still needs
>to fully pressurize and the
>canopy has to start flying
>before you pop that beer
>and start celebrating.
>
>If you already realize the above,
>add in the altitude needed
>to clear a line-over or
>line twist and you have
>a better chance of making
>a good go no-go decision.
>
>
>If you do choose to jump
>below altitudes where corrective action
>is possible, well, that's alright,
>as long as you made
>an informed decision and realize
>the ramifications.
>
>Besides, there’s a TV show out
>now called "When Stunts Go
>Bad" (My God, they never
>quit) so there's something that
>can be done with the
>video.
>:-)
>
>Nick_BR
>
>
>

[guest]

>Carl Boenish was always fond of
>saying "The Ground's the Limit"
>and while it's catchy and
>a good line for the
>media it may not be
>the best way to determine
>how low "is" too low.
>
>
>It may help to think there
>are two different limits. The
>first one is an opening
>altitude that still allows time
>for clearing a line-over, line
>twist, or other canopy problem.
>
>
>The second is the place where
>there is no time for
>these corrective actions, and deployment
>must work perfectly or it's
>plaster city.
>
>Of course, being over water or
>land is a biggie here.
>But in this case we'll
>say it's over land.
>
>I used to say to people
>(before I almost killed myself
>:-)) that if you lay
>a canopy on the ground
>nose up, picked up the
>risers and ran away, how
>long before the canopy would
>rise into the air and
>inflate? Well, not long at
>all.
>
>This could lead one to believe
>that all you need is
>line stretch plus a little
>bit more and bingo you
>are under a canopy. And
>that's essentially true.
>
>However, if that was the whole
>story than sub-hundred foot static
>line jumps would be routine.
>But they are not and
>here's why.
>
>As jumpers we tend to relax
>as we feel our canopies
>open. However, this initial opening
>shock is only bottom surface
>inflation. The canopy still needs
>to fully pressurize and the
>canopy has to start flying
>before you pop that beer
>and start celebrating.
>
>If you already realize the above,
>add in the altitude needed
>to clear a line-over or
>line twist and you have
>a better chance of making
>a good go no-go decision.
>
>
>If you do choose to jump
>below altitudes where corrective action
>is possible, well, that's alright,
>as long as you made
>an informed decision and realize
>the ramifications.
>
>Besides, there’s a TV show out
>now called "When Stunts Go
>Bad" (My God, they never
>quit) so there's something that
>can be done with the
>video.
>:-)
>
>Nick_BR
>
>
>

[guest]

Well i remember that these guy's were great
freinds of Carl the great Boenish,and phoned him after the jump,and this was just a few months before,The fatal Trollvagen jump.I was just the get away driver.

[guest]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd put in a few pics of probably one of the most jumped sites in Australia.
It's 150' and is static lined (pilot chute end of the bridle fixed using electrical tape). One pic is of a free fall off of it.

Other great pics at http://trak.to/base

Australian B.A.S.E. Association



http://www.nettrek.com.au/~miller28/marko1.jpg
http://www.nettrek.com.au/~miller28/phil1.jpg
http://www.nettrek.com.au/~miller28/tomdougo.jpg

http://www.nettrek.com.au/~miller28/tarsh1bridge.jpg

[Dwain]

The site mentioned by Ken is 180' over land, not 150'. I've done more freefalls from this object than anybody (p/c hand held and stowed, flat and stable and gainers) and believe me, those last 30' are needed in all circumstances.
In my opinion, a 150' freefall over land without injury is possible, but you need specialised equipment, a specialised jumper, and all the odds in favour.