T-11 Fracture

[guest]

Ok, here it is. About a year ago in Titusville, Fl, I jumped a tower that I estimated to be about 240 feet and the exact number is unknown. The problem with this tower is that there is another tower 20 feet from the base and parallel straight up, so for those of you who understand the guy wires from the second tower were in the freefall area of the jumpable (barely) tower. Now the Freefall area is only about 90 degrees instead of the usual 120 degrees. Seemed doable, except that the landing area also had telephone and power wires on poles at the bottom which made the landing very tricky. All this being said, I have jumped this tower 4 times even at dark and could not see the maze of wires, I just knew where they were. Memorial night, 2000 was a much different night, no moon, no light, it was all instinct, that was ok except for the fact, and I am gonna admit this openly, I was packed slider........UP!!!! ya big oops. One second delay and the canopy, BASE canopy at that, just did not open as fast as I wanted it, it did open as fast as I had it packed, but not as fast as I wanted. I hit the guy wire from the other tower and got hung up for about two seconds and then the a lines holing me broke and I fell what I think was about 60 feet to the ground. Best PLF of my life and I just sustanined a broken back. Two mistakes and I know just one can kill us, but I had two, slider up from 240 feet with a one second delay and a maze of wires below to navigate through. Of course the doctors said I would never jump again. I was doing tandems 6 months later and got upgraded to a Super Otter at Skydive Houston, from a Caravan at Space Center. I made two mistakes and lived and got a better pilot job for it, but have not done a BASE jump since and I have mixed emotions about it, but I will sooner or later. I guess all I can say now is let the bashing begin, cause I know how it goes on this board, I wanted to pass my mistakes to others so they don't do them also, but I also know there are idiots here who will find wrong with everything for what ever reason, I just want to post my mistakes so that others will not do the same.
Ken Daidone
BASE 536

[guest]

I don't see ANY mistakes in your jump just unbelievably piss poor judgement.

I wish you wouldn't have gotten hurt but you asked for it. That might sting a little and even more knowing it's comming from a 7 jump wonder like me but JESUS man, what part of that sounds like a good idea.

This isn't an example of what not to do this is ... "you MAY get hurt even with good judgement; you WILL get hurt with bad judgement.

But, in the end, I have to stick with what I tell everybody: "do what makes you happy." If jumping these towers makes you happy then do it. But, remeber that no decision is ever made in a vacuum, eveything we do affects others.

Getting hurt SUCKS! I know: L-1 & T-12 (skydiving).

my $0.02
bonusdays

[guest]

I admire your honesty as you surely know you are going to get pasted.

Don't know if I'd fancy flying in your plane considering your irresponsible and ridiculous pre jump planning in this BASE jump.

Another fool makes BASE look even more dangerous than it is by jumping slider up off 240' in an extreme situation in extreme conditions. No wonder my girlfriend thinks this sport is insane - some of the practitioners are certifiable.

Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cluck, Cluck, Cluck, Moo

[guest]

Did you realize you were configured slider up beforehand or did you think you had packed it slider down and forgot?

[guest]

You know I knew there would be bashing and for your info, I'm sure I have more flying hours than you have jumps and the two have nothing to do with each other, at least I had the guts to post my real name, I don't even see yours here, so as far as I'm concerned you don't exist. This is the reason I quit posting here years ago. I just thought maybe this time I could post something that would help others at the expense of my mistake, cause I do prefer to learn from others' mistakes, but this time it was mine.

Ken Daidone

[guest]

Ken:

Thanks for having the courage to step forward with your story. Hearing your story is sure to help keep some young jumpers alive and walking.

We have ALL made mistakes. Some of us were lucky enough to walk away from them. Some of us were not. You may get flamed by some folks who got lucky when they made their mistakes. I think this is because they've forgotten that they got their (BASE 44's phrase) "million dollar lesson for a buck and a half."

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

"If you've lived your life properly, you've made plenty of mistakes."
-Ronald Reagan

[guest]

Thanks, and that was my intention, to help others avoid my situation. I think I paid more that a buck and a half for this one, it's an expense I don't want to pay again.

Ken Daidone BASE 536

[guest]

Thanks ken, i was the one who initially asked for an elaboration. appreciate it very much, you get many many points on two levels. one, for talking about it; enthusiasm can make people blind on site to what others consider insane from their den. And two, for having the balls to not only think this jump was possible, but apparently to have pulled it off a couple of times previously and survived. That kind of enthusiastic testicles is in the best traditions of BASE pioneering; pioneers who used to be called crazy but who made it possible for us to sit around and criticize knowledgeably now. After all, what would people have thought of dwain a few ago for proposing to do 9+ front somersaults off of nrgb. Hank Caylor told me once he broke his foot on his first jump off an antenna; skydiving rig, sail slider, 600 ft. Fortunately, i never in a million years would have even remotely considered the jump you described, let alone actually lay hand on ladder rung. thanks again. p.s. to those criticizing this jump, i call you hypocrites who at the same time pride yourself on using and swallowing the party line 'base quote' that mick seems so fond of, "sounds dangerous, count me in". You made the hall of fame, ken...induction after 5 years. cya

[guest]

What is the five year thing? I will make anoter base jump, I just have to get over the last one, which I will in light of the mistakes I've made. I didn't tell you one thing though, I always carry 80 lb test line in case the jump is too low, which I do so love the low ones, but for some reason unknown to me the break cord was not in my rig, I don't know where it was and I was gonna tie off and In all honesty, should have climbed down but didn't and that is in the past, when I get pics scanned I will post them here or post a link so you all can see the site, it's ugly. All I can say is, OOOOOOPppppps! Thanks for your support and I did get away with it for four jumps. If you know Eric Fradet, he told me I was insane also, but like I said, four jumps unscathed, number five sucked......

Ken Daidone BASE 536

[guest]

Ken,
Hey bud... Remember me.? Many a jump from charleene and matilda, doing my ranger thing in the woods so as not to get caught!!! I heard about your accident but was unable to get in touch with you. Glad to hear you are still doing well. When you decide to do your next base jump count me in..Maybe New River...???

...People walk to and fro
But they never look up
They Never Look up...
But we are watching!!!
TEAM GARGOYLE

CYA at the exit point........ Jeff....
Drop me a line Bro.....pandjFoley@aol.com

[guest]

Dude,

Of course I remember, I would love to do my first back from the dark side with you and not at NRGB, I want it to be the way we did it, secret and dark and unknown, that's the way I learned and that's the way it should be. I'll come back there to do that one, just give me a little time and we'll rape charlene together, sound good to you?

Ken Daidone
BASE 536

[guest]

Dude,

The funny thing is I am a very respected jump pilot of many aircraft (piston and turbine, single and multi) and you will never know where I am flying at or who I am, so you may have jumped from my plane, I have flown at a lot of drop zones because I have been around for a long time and plan to be around for much longer. I guess you would rather have a pilot who is just building time for the airlines, go to those places it's much fun, I don't care about time I just love to fly jumpers, I have too much time to care about the airlines.
See ya around the block somewhere and you and I won't even know who each other are.

Ken the pilot, Of many aircraft, biggest being a Boeing 707, see ya.

[guest]

This is my night for answering questions, yes I knew I was slider up but I also knew/thought I had some 80 lb break cord in my rig which I didn't and I still don't know where it went, I should have climbed down, but went for it. If i had tied my pilot chute off It may have been different but then again I wouldn't have met my girlfriend here in Texas, OOOOOOPPPPPPSSSS

See ya

[guest]

Ken,
I will have to travel down to make a jump, i have since moved to DC. In the dark and secret is the only way to jump.... Drop me a line,
PandJFoley@aol.com