skypuppy

So far my experience has been that about 60 - 80 % of my students will try to pull, but only about 1/2 of them actually find the orange ball and end up pulling. Often I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they must have found it and pulled at the same time as I pulled the other ball.... I usually try to let them know it's not unusual not to have been able to find the ball on the first attempt and try to give them the feeling that at least they tried to pull it at the right time, I just didn't want to lose any more altitude trying to find it. I tried pulling their hand around to the ball on some occasions, but sometimes they're too stiff and fight me, and other times they still don't realise what I want, so I usually just pull myself now and then let them know they would have got in a few more seconds, I just didn't want to wait that long. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Space I guess my take on it would be, while 20,000 usd is a finite amount of money, since BASE jumpers are generally a very small group of people, (who often don't have a lot of money, because, let's face it, who wants to give you money for living under a bridge and occasionally jumping off), the person able to get non-jumping corporations and public to open their wallets brings in a huge amount potential funds to be tapped which simply isn't available from the 'BASE jumping crowd'. Does that make sense. Maybe it's still not too clear? If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

On a related note, what canopy do you (as a videographer) use when you film a sequential or rotation 4-way team? Or 2-way, for that matter? Rob Price If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I think it's a great idea what Miles is doing. Just one suggestion. A website explaining the event and the charity, and listing some of the major (and maybe minor) donors might do something to aid in its credibility for unbelievers. I guess today's the day. Hope it goes well. Skypuppy BASE 92 If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

What happened to his leg? Does the prosthesis cause him to spin in freefall? Is he part of the pieces of eight team, too? If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

On Jimmy Tyler's first chuteless jump, he flew over to another jumper and hooked onto d-rings on the jumper's knees, then they both landed under a round. Maybe someone from Cali could fill in more details... If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I posted in the BASE Zone -- BASE 82 is gone. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Found out this morning, Jo Stanley died in a gliding accident Sunday afternoon. Jo was a competitor, a teammate, a friend... a mentor. Most of all Jo was an inspiration. In the 80's in the Southern Ontario region, Jo WAS the base scene. Gone now to be with his brother, Rick. I went in for dinner with Jo last summer during the big ways at Burnaby, he seemed to have matured into an even happier, more fulfilled person. He hadn't jumped in 2 years I think, but he did one jump to get back into it, and then flew as if he'd never been away.... When I'm up to it I'll post some stories about Jo, or maybe someone else has some.... Rob Price BASE 92 If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Who's the guy in the middle? If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

"As to teachers, I was talking about the payscales where I went to school in the 60s and 70s (I graduated highschool in '76). The men made more than the women, and most of the women had been teaching longer. " Then this situation was heinously inequitous, wrong, and likely illegal unless gender discrimination laws were not in effect yet. I believe the logic behind such inequities were that men had families to support and women were working "for fun". At the time, Im sure this was logical to the old culture which had existed for years...but its time had ended. __________________________________________________ As a graduate of a teaching program within the last 5 years I have a bit of a different take on this -- many of my instructors started teaching at a time when you didn't need even post-secondary education to become a teacher. You could start teaching right out of high-school, then maybe go to summer school if you wanted. Then in the late 60's/70's schools began looking for people with a university degree and/or a specific teaching certificate, and graduates of such programs were on a higher payscale. In Ontario here we still have the lowest spot on the payscale grid for people without university degrees, although it's doubtful anyone would now be hired without one. Maybe there were more guys getting out of the army and using the gi bill to get a teaching certificate, therefore making more money? Sorry, that;s a guess, but I don't think it's necessarily true that men made more for no reason. So the inequity may have been that less women had access to higher education. Similarly if men had more education, they would be more likely to get promoted to admin (principal) then a female teacher who went straight to teaching out of high school. Edited to add I gotta say, I did most of my base jumps from 84-89, then in 2002 I went down to the Perrine to get into it again, and in 2003 went back to bridge day. One thing that impressed me was the number of females I saw - back when I started they were a real rarity. Not only were there a lot more of them, but they were HOT! (Especially, for some reason, those from Michigan). However, I'm a really shy guy, and I'm also the same age as most of their fathers, so I didn't get a chance to talk to any of them. Still, rest assured that compared to the 80's, there are WAY more women in base now, and I only see the percentage increasing. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Good answer. If you gave her the best you had, you're never wasting your time.... If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

A couple from my buddy, Hawkeye 'If you're goin' in, look at the parking lot and smile! Some whuffo'll be takin' your picture....' and, 'I may not be able to say I was Linda's first, but I know for damn sure I was her last!' If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Looking thru my logbook today came across this 'nugget'. 'Oct. 20, XXXX. Solo Antenna, 750'. 12:50 am. Cold, Dark, Lonely. Scared. Waited up top to get courage. It wasn't working, so I went anyways.' Ever feel like that? If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I'm sad that you never got a number - while it is a personal choice for you, you are actually a piece of BASE history yourself, and the only way for that history to be recorded other than peoples' memories, is through getting the number. That is one reason too, that I would prefer to see BASE numbers published, at least one's from say, up to ten years ago. Everyone on that list also contributed to the history of BASE. Skypuppy BASE 92 Even if you never get a number, if I ever get to meet you at, say, a CRW world championship or something, I will bring a case of beers. I think I owe it to you for what your posts have showed me in both BASE and CRW.... Great website, by the way. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

You guys are pretty tame. I've posted a lot of dumb stunts I pulled here at dz.com, but the dumbest one I'm not gonna ever post cause on the grounds that it might incriminate me! Anyway, I don't want to lose your-all respect.... If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I thought Patrick Passe had over 20,000. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

At my dz we show them Bill Booth's tandem video, then they fill out the paper work, including a quiz, and register, after which we brief them on equipment and exits. I would say on a good day, by the time we've geared up, flown to altitude (10,500 by Cessna 182) and then landed and got their certificate, it's been 2 hours, at least. On other days we may tend to get backed up (weather, packing, videographers, you name it). Then all bets are off. What do other centres do to operate efficiently. Any way to speed up? If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Actually, I'm a tandem instructor who does CRW (1000+ crw jumps) and I usually do bisides with my student CRWers on their first crw jumps, and probably at least one downplane after the last pin.... Seems to me bisides and downplanes are pretty basic 2-person maneuvers, and give the student lots of experience with climbing around and changing grips/etc. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Not to mention that establishing a 'rapport' with the figure-skating club, the x-country ski club, etc., is a great way to meet cool chicks! If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I'm guessing the extra rangers they want to bring in are just going to be hanging out at the 'other' local bridges/etc in the area during the meetings.... And for this, they want to charge you. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I went to the bank and told them I needed new furniture. They gave me a loan, I bought 3 rigs I could rent out. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Sounds like they're definitely trying to set a precedent, probably because of the approaching access coming up in all National Parks. Imagine what they'd try to bill for rangers to monitor crowds for 100 jumpers at El Cap! Have you tried contacting your friendly congressman Tancredo? He may be concerned about this flagrant move to push BASE out the back door, OR he may just figure $2400 bucks ain't that much money? Maybe the bridge day committee will have to cough up the bucks for the base jumpers IF they want to keep their star attractions? It wouldn't be that much for the community as a whole, while it is much more for the 450 BASE Jumpers. Skypuppy If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

I generally won't fire someone after one jump. Was there more to the story? My general belief is 'the student didn't fail to learn, the instructor failed to teach'. That said, I can see Tonto's point in not allowing a student to go on after discussing suicide. I don't think I could have done AFF type jumps in the early years if I was NOT confident that the students I trained knew what to do in all situations, including if I fucked up. Just my opinion. Edit to add -- Of course, financially it was never my dropzone, although in a couple of places I was the chief instructor. Maybe if it was my life's work on the line I would have kicked some off. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

About 2400 of my 2650 were without an AAD. A while back I was on a demo team that required it. When I had to give the rig back I kept the cypres but never installed it. Now I also have an astra, but so far I haven't bothered installing it either. The only time I use one right now is doing tandems.... I'm a rigger so I could install it myself -- I just haven't bothered. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Please post what your dz pays for TI and for videographer. Just wondering what other dz's do. At my dz, using the centre's equipment, the Tandem instructor gets $32 Cdn (without packing), and the videographers get the same. If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone