LouYoung 0 #26 October 5, 2004 I attended Johnny's last BASE Camp and I think it IS a great bargain. There were only 4 students in the class and you get his time for a full week and as many supervised jumps as you can get in. And more supervised jumps DOES mean more confidence for the new BASE jumper. In addition to all the ground schooling, exit practice, packing instruction, you get enough jumps to learn many different exits (step off, spring off, side float, reverse float) and many canopy drills with video review. All for $750 (or was it $700), plus $200 if you need gear. Other commercial courses start at $1200 and include 1.5 days of jumping. You get one wind day, and you're out. At Johnny's class, we got winded out two days and I still got in 15 supervised jumps. Lou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #27 October 5, 2004 That was exactly the same ratio of students to instructor (4:1) we had on my BR FJC. I know a guy who did Johnny's FJC. I was there when he did his first jump back in the UK, he was rock solid. He only had good things to say about the course. People who bitch about $1 000 for a FJC are probably in for a bit of a shock further down the line. (and unfortunately the price you pay isn't always financial). FJCs are just about the only bargain in BASE. Some days are a bouncer that won't let you in and some just fuck you up. Will Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZegeunerLeben 0 #28 October 5, 2004 Quote Quote Something that surprised me was just how much I learned about canopies and their lines. My confidence in working with brake lines, four line checks, step throughs and packing have greatly improved. You know, this is an excellent observation and something which is probably overlooked an awful lot but is very important. >>So much so I want to harp on it some more. The other night I was packing and thought I had fixed all my step-thru's so no need to stack it on it's side and double-check. Well as I went to set my tail-gate I noticed a single line above the cascade on each side routed thru my control lines...it was a killpack. So I pulled it all apart (d'oh), side stacked it and did a four-line check and low and behold somehow I flipped the rig thu a set of lines on each riser. So now I check every time I don't care how it looks because as someone once told me: Sweat Saves Blood Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eipmoez 0 #29 October 5, 2004 QuoteQuote...but my impress is that in US you dont learn about this or how your gear works?? Sadly true. Due to the prevalence of commercial packing at DZ's here, I've met many skydivers with hundreds of jumps who actually couldn't even pack their skydiving rigs competently. They'd "learned" to get the license, then promptly forgotten, since they never did it. Hides in shame.... Although I have no problems doing a simple packjob, when it comes to hooking up a pair of risers I've aptly demonstrated this weekend that a monkey could do a better job :) haha. Quote In Denmark you´ll need a packers licens to get a skydive licens.To get a packers licens you must be abel to entangle a canopy from it self,hooking it up to risers etc etc I thourght this were basic all over the world?? Yeah, it's the same in both Canada and Holland. 'm mentally handicapped when it comes to knots and lines, so I always take two times as long as other people when it comes to line-checking. And trying to keep up with other people (to make the next load) only aggravates things. Interestingly enough, I'm wearing shoes with velcro at the moment. I guess even tying my shoelaces is too much Anyway, I had the good fortune to be able to attends Tom's course this weekend, and it was an amazing experience. First and foremost, I met some incredibly nice and friendly people. Tom, the other students, the Twin Falls regulars, the jumping Twin Falls visitors and even the non-base jumping tourists. The vibe at the bridge is incredible. I've learned a ton of things, and managed to get seven jumps in. Two PCA's, two hand-helds, and three stowed jumps. I can't compare Tom's course with other courses (yet), but I can definitely recommend his course to anybody. Thanks so much Tom! Eipmoez $e^{i\pi}+1=0$ how humbling, an error Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASE813 0 #30 October 5, 2004 just curious: how many people put in a load of DZ time before they go on a FJC? People who rate the fact they learnt about rigging up a system or gain knowlegdge in parachutes on a FJC - surely you could actually do this at the DZ for free and well before you decide "uh huh im gonna take a FJC" what happened to working for it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faber 0 #31 October 5, 2004 QuoteYeah, it's the same in both Canada and Holland In Denmark you also need to show your skills to keep your packers licens=skydive licens once each year in case you dont regular pack your canopy.(on the papers it says you should show a packjob desided by a rigger alike person,in practice only people who dont pack alot needs to show this) Stay safe Stefan Faber Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #32 October 5, 2004 Quotehow many people put in a load of DZ time before they go on a FJC? It varies, I think. Of the five folks scheduled to come out last weekend, two were of the "loads of time" variety, and three were relatively young. It definitely showed in packing, when the older jumper would finish way ahead of everyone else.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jalisco 0 #33 October 5, 2004 Quote...two were of the "loads of time" variety, and three were relatively young. It definitely showed in packing, when the older jumper would finish way ahead of everyone else. So, it's about time in sport (skydiving) more than jump numbers/currency? Does skydiving generally put less emphasis on gear knowledge and packing today than it has in the past? On the time-vs-numbers thing, I know when I take it easy at the DZ, I'm much more likely - while others are on a load - to find myself talking to packers and elders about gear, or watching people pack strange rigs, or helping somebody do a line check or fix a step-through or swap canopies (or packing my BASE rig(s))... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #34 October 5, 2004 QuoteSo, it's about time in sport (skydiving) more than jump numbers/currency? Does skydiving generally put less emphasis on gear knowledge and packing today than it has in the past? Vintage skydiving gear is more similar to modern BASE gear. So a skydiver who has experience with the 7 cell F-111 canopies, flatpacking, and such that were staples 15 years ago is going to find it easier to pick up BASE packing skills.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #35 October 5, 2004 Quote So a skydiver who has experience with the 7 cell F-111 canopies, flatpacking, and such that were staples 15 years ago is going to find it easier to pick up BASE packing skills. guess i'm starting from scratch.. i was taught to propack from day 1...____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #36 October 5, 2004 I pro-pack my BASE rig. Well at least the initial stage of my pack job resembles the pro-pack that you're familiar with. Plus also just as in skydiving, in BASE there is more than one way to pack. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #37 October 5, 2004 If you propack nicely, then you have a good start already. Ever watch a rigger pro-pack a reserve? It's a lot like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #38 October 5, 2004 hmm i'm very anal about organizing the lines and flaking (because honestly i dont pack that often for myself and so have to go through my mental check list everytime) but getting it nice and tiny to slide into the bag easily always gives me hell... guess thats not as much of an issue with a BASE canopy?____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #39 October 5, 2004 It's different altogether than a main skydiving canopy. but knowing where stuff is supposed to go, makes it easier to learn BASE canopy packing. Look in the library at http://www.asylumbase.com for the packing manual. Download it and look through it. It will show you that version of an orderly pro-pack.My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #40 October 5, 2004 hmm couldnt find a packing manual per se and it seems like a few of their .pdf links are bad... but some good resources there thanks!!!____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #41 October 6, 2004 Ah.. sorry bout that. This site is nearly identical... go to: http://www.crmojo.com Library > Document Library Then open ra_manual_online.pdf Oh cool ... I just figured out how to post a direct link from the crmojo site. Right click the following link and save as. http://www.crmojo.com/adobepdf/ra_manual_online.pdf My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #42 October 6, 2004 nice! more reading material... when i print all this out i'm going to have a nice fat BASE reference manual.....now all i need a canopy, a healed leg and some training... cool cool....____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
