Cliff launching???

[swoopfly 7]

hey


i was wondering if anyone has seen or heard of anyone ground launching a skydiving canopy down a hill and off the side of a cliff? I just pondered this idea and figured someone out there has done it before. It would be a great way to get canopy time if you went off a huge cliff.... the only down side i see is once you started the launch you would have to be committed as the launch point would end at the edge of the cliff!

[jtnesbitt 0]

It can be done and a lot of people have done so. Of course a lot of people have also been really hurt, killed, and torn up their pretty gear trying to do so. I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. There are plenty of PG and speed wings out there.

Not to be the dorkzone police or anything because i hate all the super safety nuts on here but keep in mind most people dont realize how dangerous ground launching can be. Your essentially proximity flying under canopy. Which means you will be maneuvering very close to the ground and possibly other obstacles.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[hookitt 1]

Yep. It's been done quite a bit. Not a good idea if you don't know what you're doing already. Good luck! Wear an HDGoPro. If it works out it's going to look great. If it doesn't, it will be spectacular.

Hope that helps.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[piisfish 140]

kind of LIKE THAT ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Try a hill before you try a cliff.

[danielcroft 2]

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kind of LIKE THAT ?

Ok, that was freaking awesome.

[Jame58rown 0]

How much wind do you need to do that? (down a hill)
Cheers

[piisfish 140]

depends on the hill, the canopy and your skillz...

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[swoopfly 7]

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Try a hill before you try a cliff.

I didnt create this thread because i am going to try this, only that i thought up the idea and was pretty sure someone has done it somewhere. just curious as to what other people know or have heard about it.

thanks for the video, thats pretty cool.

[heavydude 0]

From the looks of the video that dude is a real experienced Paraglider pilot. I looked into the training process at Torrey pines and techniques are considerably above what a skydiver learns in terms of launching, etc. I am going to take the paragliding lessons eventually when I get the cash !

[emmiwy 0]

That's pretty sick thanks for sharing the video. Looks pretty dangerous though...

[shveddy 0]

I tried this on a really steep hill a while back. Got the canopy above my head, started running, and when the really steep part came up, I ran off it. Problem is the canopy wasn't in full flight yet (couldn't support all my weight), so when I tried to get airborn before it was ready it dropped me ten feet or so. An embarrassing tumble in front of a gathered crowd ensued.

Basically make sure the canopy picks you up off the ground and choose a place that allows ample slope before the cliff to allow you to be in full flight before the cliff comes. Otherwise you might slam into the cliff.

[yoink 321]

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It can be done and a lot of people have done so. Of course a lot of people have also been really hurt, killed, and torn up their pretty gear trying to do so. I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. There are plenty of PG and speed wings out there.

Not to be the dorkzone police or anything because i hate all the super safety nuts on here but keep in mind most people dont realize how dangerous ground launching can be. Your essentially proximity flying under canopy. Which means you will be maneuvering very close to the ground and possibly other obstacles.

Top post.
just like skydiving, it's great fun, but can be incredibly dangerous if you don't have the right gear, training and location.

You wouldn't try jumping out of a plane without all of the above - the same applies to speedflying / groundlaunching.

[mcordell 2]

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kind of LIKE THAT ?

That is a paragliding canopy though. I don't think anyone will get that kind of lift on a skydiving canopy....right?

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[mjosparky 4]

Doc Johnson and Mike Kemp were doing it off the Torrey Pines cliffs in the late 70’s or early 80’s. They were using a Comet 300 and their regular skydiving rig. I never had the balls to try it but it sure looked neat.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[rhys 0]

In New Zealnd in the 80's a CRW team used to do rotations off the mountain.

I have a site that you can perform a high performance turn after launching and land on a fresh water beach.

It is a wonderful discipline full of peril.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[tkhayes 348]

yes it can be done.

1982, Kevin C was one of my instructors. Came out to the DZ one morning and "Where's Kevin?"

"Kevin died trying to fly his canopy off a cliff..."

right gear, right place, right training, etc.

anything else and you are a test pilot. don't be the dead guy - rule #1

[Ocean21 0]

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I am going to take the paragliding lessons eventually when I get the cash !

That's the best way to approach this temptation.. I got my paragliding license last september and must say that the lessons about in what (weather, wind) conditions and where you can fly were the most valuable ones..Flying skydiving wings of a cliff without knowing about possible wind turbulences on the edge off the cliff may lead to a serious injury that could have been prevented.

[tdog 0]

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kind of LIKE THAT ?

I wonder if a frame could be built, using stong light weight poles, that could hold the canopy open and up above your head so you don't need the wind at launch.... The throw it up in the air technique needs a bunch of wind.

[hookitt 1]

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I wonder if a frame could be built, using stong light weight poles

Yes, but rather than take a sled ride to the bottom, even hang gliders need wind to stay aloft.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[tdog 0]

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I wonder if a frame could be built, using strong light weight poles

Yes, but rather than take a sled ride to the bottom, even hang gliders need wind to stay aloft.

This post was actually a joke. Someone who posts here regularly built such a "fly frame" and launched his speedwing from one of the Swiss BASE exit points - an exit point with only one or two steps to a cliff.

While it was a "sled ride", flying a speedwing next to a waterfall is far from a sled ride... Later he flew off of areas that no one ever has ground launched from - including flying from the Eiger to the city...

This was a joke because I expected 5 people to post "it will never work", then I would let my friend post photos of him doing it...

But tragically, this persons very good friend, a fellow BASE jumper and sometimes skydiver, was killed in a midair plane collision today, so I, out of respect, call my own bluff and say, it can be done, has been done, and is very cool to watch (although scary as hell to watch too).

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=132284&catid=339

[Andy_Copland 0]

Yea, and the really fucked up thing is you can run a paraglider off of El Cap and be legal but if you jump you're a criminal.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[Martini 0]

Yea, and the really fucked up thing is you can run a paraglider off of El Cap and be legal but if you jump you're a criminal.

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Not. If that was true then the valley would be crammed with paragliders. It isn't.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

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[mjosparky 4]

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Yea, and the really fucked up thing is you can run a paraglider off of El Cap and be legal but if you jump you're a criminal.

And the only one to blame for that is the jumpers themselves. At one time it was legal until a few fucked it up for everyone.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[DesertDevil 1]

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hey


i was wondering if anyone has seen or heard of anyone ground launching a skydiving canopy down a hill and off the side of a cliff? I just pondered this idea and figured someone out there has done it before. It would be a great way to get canopy time if you went off a huge cliff.... the only down side i see is once you started the launch you would have to be committed as the launch point would end at the edge of the cliff!

I put this group together a while ago. Most of them are now expereinced speed flyers. You might want to start from a small hill. Take your pilot chute off. If there's just a little wind, try using a big parachute, like a 170 or up. A small parachute will not work like a paraglider or a speed wing when there's not enough wind. If you have more questions, you can check out the paragliding forum. They'll probably have a lot of info on this.