BaseR For Skydiving.

[Xempt17 0]

Ive been looking at rigs recently, and the best bang for the buck deal I could possibly come up with was a BaseR rig with the reserve mounted in the front.

Its much cheaper than a conventional skydiving rig (by like 2-3 grand). I know that there are drawbacks such as an uncontrollable reserve canopy. It also means that every pack will have to be done carefully just like the Base people do it.

Its approved, its legal I can do it. But the purpose of posting this is to discuss the drawbacks of using this system for just skydiving.

[2shay 0]

I may be wrong but I am pretty sure it is not equipped for an aad. You would spend most all of your day packing rather than jumping. If I had to guess it is probably not freefly friendly either. You will probably have very fast or slammer openings everythime becasue of the way it is packed. If I were you I would totally forget this idea and look for some used gear. There is plenty of damn good used gear out there.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[Hausse 0]

I have multiple jumps on the BaseR and while it's a LOT of fun, it wouldn't want it for every day jumping. It's gonna take you at least 30 min. to pack, if you deploy at regular altitude it will take you about 15 min to the ground, and as your main will be F-111 you'll pound in due to bad flare and the openings are fairly spanky too.

It is free fly friendly though and LOADS of fun if you use it for what it's supposed to be used!

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Ive been looking at rigs recently, and the best bang for the buck deal I could possibly come up with was a BaseR rig with the reserve mounted in the front.

Its much cheaper than a conventional skydiving rig (by like 2-3 grand).

I spent $700 on my last used rig and reserve together - a Javelin and Super Raven 3. Even if I need to have a new harness sewn on for $400 that would have beat a new baser.

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I know that there are drawbacks such as an uncontrollable reserve canopy. It also means that every pack will have to be done carefully just like the Base people do it.

It's a bad idea. You don't want a belly mount reserve, you don't want to jump a round places where they can't spot (most) and the terrain isn't good, and you want an AAD.

The baser is only a good idea for getting your low wingsuit openings dialed in from a plane without breaking any FARs (just the BSRs) so there's less stress when you fly off a cliff.

If you just want to jump a BASE canopy to get some practice there are lots of nice used big rigs with square reserves so you don't have to spend as much time packing.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I have multiple jumps on the BaseR and while it's a LOT of fun, it wouldn't want it for every day jumping. It's gonna take you at least 30 min. to pack, if you deploy at regular altitude it will take you about 15 min to the ground, and as your main will be F-111 you'll pound in due to bad flare and the openings are fairly spanky too.

When a generously sized newish F111 canopy lands you hard you've done something wrong. You should also be good enough that you can hit the pea gravel 10/10 times so that's not an issue.

[davelepka 4]

What are you doing?

Looking for a way to legally jump a BASE rig from an aircraft in the US? In that case the BaseR and belly mount reserve are the way to go.

Going skydiving? Use a skydiving rig. If there was a better or cheaper way, jumpers everywhere would be doing it. There's not.

[pchapman 279]

Some days it is like April 1st here all year long.

Let's see that profile filled out too.

To be sarcastic but truthful, everyone knows you can get gear cheaper if it is used gear. For example, it took me only $200 to put together a rig last year with a Paracommander and a belly mounted round reserve. (But a little rigging knowledge was needed too.)

However serious the original post, the point about prices is interesting. Prices listed for the BaserR are:
$1100 rig w. normal accessories
$425 belly container
~$1400 new BaseX main (price varies by size)
$1190 new Strong 26' LoPo

That adds up to $4115, with the whole rig and harness $1525 of it. The rig is cheaper than a regular rig, although one gets into the question of what to what degree discounts off list price exist for other rigs. The main is comparable in price to other F-111 canopies out there (eg, from Flight Concepts), although a lot cheaper than most zero p designs.

Jeez, what's happened to the price of round reserves? It's getting right up there. A PD square reserve is only $1280 list. Compare that to ParaGear in 1993/4 where a Strong Lopo was $695 and typical PD reserves $912, a whole 30% premium for a square.

To defend F-111 style canopies, F-111 won't pound you in especially if it is new and generously sized. Also, a decently designed BASE canopy tends to flare very nicely in my limited experience.

Anyway, I won't get into the various reasons why the BaseR system isn't all that handy for day to day skydiving, even if it keeps you alive.

[diablopilot 2]

THe EP's are completely different than with conventional gear, the main will last for shit in the skydiving environment compared to a ZP main, and you really want to limit yourself to jumping in 10 mph winds or were you planning on getting a bunch of experience on undersized rounds?

The right tools for the job man.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[riggerrob 643]

Most BASer owners plan on installing used round reserves.
Just avoid round reserves sewn before 1988, because they might suffer from acid mesh.
Yes, there are ways to test for and wash out acid, but after twenty years of testing, the fabric will be tired.
Hint: Free Flight Enterprises and Strong Enterprises brag that they among the few companies - that have avoided problems with acid mesh - because they only used MIL SPEC mesh.
The safest answer is to find a round reserve sewn in the 1990s. Just remember to have it inspected by a grumpy, old grey-bearded Master Rigger before any money changes hands.

[councilman24 37]

List for a new Preserve I is $850.

And it must be April 1st in some dimension.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[sid 1]

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If I had to guess it is probably not freefly friendly either.

check THIS pic out (ps: for the record I'm not advocating this as a skydiving rig but if even Miles Daisher can freefly in one....... )

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[2shay 0]

sure. You can freefly in most any rig, but that does not make it feefly friendly.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[billvon 3,009]

> and the best bang for the buck deal I could possibly come up with was
> a BaseR rig with the reserve mounted in the front.

We have a 22 year old Talon with an original Swift reserve someone's trying to sell. It's going to be a much better deal than the BASEr, and probably safer overall. (i.e. can be modified to take a cypres, uses standard emergency procedures etc.)

If you want to you can get a complete and legal used rig for about $500. I'd avoid a BASEr unless you want to get into BASE jumping, in which case it's a reasonable "transition" rig that will allow you to practice packing and deploying the same rig you will eventually BASE.

[Beatnik 2]

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Just remember to have it inspected by a grumpy, old grey-bearded Master Rigger before any money changes hands.

Not all round riggers are grey-haired grumpy old guys.

There are some studly young round riggers around

[riggerrob 643]

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Just remember to have it inspected by a grumpy, old grey-bearded Master Rigger before any money changes hands.

Not all round riggers are grey-haired grumpy old guys.

There are some studly young round riggers around

.......................................................................

re you kinding?
I've got more scar tissue than you've got muscle tissue!

[riggerrob 643]

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List for a new Preserve I is $850.

And it must be April 1st in some dimension.

...................................................................

Preserves are a great combination of low volume and reasonable strength (Standard category), but if you plan to play with the high speed edge of the envelope (more than 150 knots and 254 pounds) you would be better off with a (more reinforced) old-school 26 foot LoPo, most of which were developed from the original US Navy 26 conical, which was the best military-surplus reserve.
Last time I phoned Strong Enterprises, they offered to sell me 26' Mid-Lites for US$1199. each. Fortunately they had a few (new, un-used, old stock) LoPos for $999. each.

[Beatnik 2]

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I've got more scar tissue than you've got muscle tissue!

If you want to compare scar tissue we can one day when I am on the west coast. I have had my share of injuries and I am not talking what most of these jumpers call injuries. I can old my own with the pioneers as well.

I pack lots of rounds every year in all types. I probably, scratch that, I know I do more round reserve packjobs than squares every year, probably by slightly more than 100 round over squares. Most years I do a lot more round jumps as well. Most years I average a little better than 150 round jumps a year.

[riggerrob 643]

Then you are way tougher than me.
I have not jumped a round parachute since 1986, and that was just so that I could earn a shiny set of West German Army paratrooper wings.

[councilman24 37]

Ya wimp

I jumped a phantom 28 as a main in 2005. I like the quiet.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Hausse 0]

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I have multiple jumps on the BaseR and while it's a LOT of fun, it wouldn't want it for every day jumping. It's gonna take you at least 30 min. to pack, if you deploy at regular altitude it will take you about 15 min to the ground, and as your main will be F-111 you'll pound in due to bad flare and the openings are fairly spanky too.

When a generously sized newish F111 canopy lands you hard you've done something wrong. You should also be good enough that you can hit the pea gravel 10/10 times so that's not an issue.

Well the canopy had over 100 jumps on it and I don't know about you but I doubt I'll ever be able to land a Fox 265 as nicely as I can my Safire II 139...

And the Pea gravel is WAY to far from the hangar and the cool kids all land closer so that's not even an option

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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When a generously sized newish F111 canopy lands you hard you've done something wrong. You should also be good enough that you can hit the pea gravel 10/10 times so that's not an issue.

Well the canopy had over 100 jumps on it and I don't know about you but I doubt I'll ever be able to land a Fox 265 as nicely as I can my Safire II 139...


Newish is hundreds of jumps plural It's not a thousand jumps. I've personally put over a hundred jumps on my Fox 245 and it's fine.

I can land my Fox 245 and Dagger 244 as nice as my Samurai 105 and Stiletto 120 at exit weights between 160 and 210 pounds. Nicer than the Monarch 135 since it doesn't like to stop like more modern tapered designs do. It's very different but not that hard - you just have to realize the canopy takes longer to respond and start flaring higher.

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And the Pea gravel is WAY to far from the hangar and the cool kids all land closer so that's not even an option

On wingsuit skydives with my big rig I've landed where I want the rig for packing (at the end of the unoccupied half of a tarp). Takes more finesse but is also doable.