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Wow -- I feel as if we are having an accident reunion here. I too will not forget that day. I was laying over the edge along with Bru** to study the winds (which were a little squirelly) when Nathan went charging off the edge. The seconds that ensued were pretty horrifying... And of course, our group rescue effort over the next couple of hours... Just as a word for all the perspective young BASE jumpers out there...always strive to be prepared and have the tools necessary to react to an accident, because if you're in this sport long enough, you will be around when it happens. C-ya, Bryan

Hello -- I too, am using vented pilot chutes on all my jumps except ultra-low freefalls and static-line jumps. I'm a firm believer that they decrease the amount of PC oscillation and result in better on-heading performance. I don't have any statistical proof that a vented PC will open slower than a non-vented one, but when I'm doing a really low freefall, I feel better at the exit point without a PC vent, and managing your gear fear can be an important aspect of the jump. As for static line jumps, besides the obvious fact that a PC is just a back-up device, there stands a chance that the PC may be damaged as it strafes across the object you just jumped off of. So I simply use my old 46" PCs that do not have vents as they are cheaper and less costly to replace should they get damaged. I'm also of the opinion that vented pilot-chutes are critical when jumping technical objects in the 4 to 7 second range, where your often opening up close to an object in a slider-up configuration. I know that a few people on here did some extensive analysis of vented PCs vs. non-vented PCs at a legal event in the far East about 6 months ago -- maybe they'll share their findings on the subject. And last but not least, ever wonder why a static-line or a PCA jump has a higher chance of an on-heading vs. a freefall? It's because there is a static-point that is deploying the canopy as the jumper falls away. Now, imagine if you could replicate this on a freefall jump... Vented pilot chutes have taken the first step in achieving this direction... C-ya, Bryan

Hi John -- Thank you for taking the time to write your post. I love reading about the history and development of our sport, especially so in the arena of equipment design. Ray -- I know it's been said a lot in this thread, but just to chime in my two cents, my advice is the same: Skydiving specific canopies are inferior to the many BASE-specific designs available today. And this is in terms of structural integrity, rigging, openings, responsiveness at inflation time, canopy flight and even landings. The extra dollars spent on a BASE-specific canopy has double it's worth for the qualities that you'll find in a BASE-specific design. C-ya, Bryan

Just wanted to say thanks to Zennie for the wonderful hospitality this last weekend -- it was fun! I even had a beer placed in my hand before the rig was completely stashed away. Now that's style! Please let me know anytime you're passing through my neck of the woods! C-ya, Bryan

Just to chime my two cents in... I do believe that Bill Dause has the jumps that people think he has. I spent 2 years jumping every weekend and then some at his DZ, and he is on just about every load that he can get on. And Tom speaks the truth -- he has not spent a day away from that DZ in years on end. It's not uncommon for him to make 40 to 50 jumps per week. And I'm unsure if Jim Wallace holds the #3 slot with 17,000+ jumps. I know several jumpers in the 18,000 range...with Craig Girard being one of them. Just food for thought... Bryan

Gosh, isn't this the truth. Just last night, I hopped off an object that demanded the fast opening technology, and after landing, I found myself going to the trunk to grab the packed Mojo. I had my doubts, and these feelings only multiplied on the exit point. I still felt up to the jump, and everything went fine...but my options were much less than what they could have been once I left the launch point! C-ya, Bryan

Hi D-Dog -- I would like to talk to you about your concerns for a slider-up Ace/Black Jack. If you prefer to do it in a private setting, please let me know. I've been jumping the Ace and the Black Jack for quite some time now, and in my humble opinion, I've found it to be an outstanding canopy for slider-up jumps. For those who don't know me, I have a deep invovlement with CR Inc. I have been jumping their products for the last 4 years, and have been involved with the testing and development of many of their new products, to include the intial skydiving jumps on the airfoil that became the Ace/Black Jack, as well as approximately 50 BASE jumps on the Black Jack during its BASE development phase. With all of this said, I always look at things subjectively, and try to give my honest opinions on produsts, and not just a canned answer because I am invovled with the company/product. Also please note that I am not a spokeperson for CR Inc. -- nor am I all knowing -- the following is simply my opinions and observations. I've found the Ace and the Black Jack to be a fantastic canopy when it comes to slider-up BASE jumping -- especially in the sub-terminal range (3 to 7 seconds). In my opinion, the Ace and the Black Jack open faster in a slider-up configuration than any canopy currently on the market. I have been able to achieve and duplicate, near slider-down opening speeds in the 3 second slider-up range. I've also found the Ace, specifically, to open etremely clean and symmetrical when jumping slider-up. I consider the speed of the opening to be of great benefit in the 3 to 6 second range, where a canopy is exposed to the greatest dangers of an off-heading during the opening sequence. However, it's this same opening speed that makes the canopy open hard during a terminal deployment (9+ seconds). For this very reason, as long as I'm not pulling in the basement, I'll jump a sail slider on an Ace/ Black Jack when in the terminal range. (by being in the basement, I'm referring to releasing the pilot-chute at 350ft while at terminal) In every jump that I've made at terminal, or near terminal with an Ace/Black Jack, I've never had a problem with jumping a sail slider. And for the record, I'll only jump a sail slider with an Ace or Black Jack whereas with a Mojo, I'll always jump a mesh slider. It's also this same opening speed and responsiveness that I like when dealing with a slider-up off-heading opening -- the canopy is inflated quick and I'm able to respond immediately with corrective input. D-dog, you're a pretty sharp hound, so I'm sure that you have witnessed things to lead you to the opinion that you have today. I'm going to check out the ABA's forum and post (should have done it before writing this) and see what other's have to say. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts regarding the Ace/ Black Jack. Thanks, Bryan P.S. -- Strating this Wednesday, I'm taking a one-week break from my nasty skydiving habit and hitting the roadmap of objects in the great Southwest. I hope that we can hook up sometime on a futire trip and cause some mayhem together! :-)

Hello -- I'm going to be training in Arizona for the next 3 to 4 weeks. Training is only Mon thru Fri -- I will be at Eloy or Coolidge on the weekends flying my wingsuit. Any Dropzone.com Birdmen going to be there during the same timeframe? Let's fly together and the first round that night is on me... Bryan

Ok, so last weekend was my first flights. Today, Spizzarko, Chad, and I flocked together for the first time. (we all 3 just got our suits) Holy cow! The fact that "relativity" was on a horizontal level rather than a vertical level really blew my mind. On my first 2 way with Chad, we were able to dock with our hands and it flew really smooth. However, when we tried it agin on a 3-way flock on our next jump...we started waffling pretty bad once we docked...so we released and just started flying up and over each other. Another funny thing to me was our breakoff. We each wanted to pull at 4000ft since we still only have a few flights each...so we decided to break off at 5,500ft. So there we were, cruising along and when I tapped my legs together at 5,500ft, I continued forward as the other 2 peeled off to the left and the right. We had forgotten to take into fact that our fall rate was so slow. By the time each of us pulled at 4000ft, we had *tons* of separation. It seems that we could break off 1,000ft above our pull altitude and still have plenty of time for good separation. How about you? In the 2 to 3-way range, how high above your pull altitude are you breaking off? Long Soars, Bryan

Hi Jay -- I know that I'll probably flock with you in the very near future...you'll have to explain more then! Speaking of which...any chance that you'd want to come and fly with us down South at Canon on Saturday? Sunday morning, I'm leaving for a month of training in Arizona... Bryan

Good ol Mike Spurgeon. Very likeable guy -- I worked with him at Lodi for about a year before I moved to Colorado. He may be 60ish, but he's still truckin along doing 8+ tandems in a day...pretty cool if you ask me. Oh yea, in answer to the question as to "how often do you jump". Every day that the weather allows!

Just want to say "ditto" to what Mick, Tom, and D-dog has said. I've always worn armor since my very first jump, and as each day goes on, I find myself with more and more armor. I hate to say it, but it comes from experience. Like Mick -- I've seen serious carnage and death. Stay in the sport long enough and I assure you, you will see it to. Good armor can go a long way in reducing the damage that will happen sooner or later. C-ya, Bryan

Tom has pretty much summed it up, but to add my own personal data, 173ft static-line over hard earth is the lowest I've gone, but then again, rumor has it that a moderator from a really cool forum has freefalled that same obejct (173ft)...not only once, but several times. Bryan

After receiving my suit over a month ago, I finally made my first flights on my new GTi. (first wingsuit) I wish it could have come sooner, but 4-way training and demos have gobbled up all of my time. Made 4 flights and as my fellow birdman brothers and sisters can only understand, words cannot describe how beautiful it was. I had no problems what-so-ever with stability, etc...but it wasn't until the 3rd flight before I truly relaxed and hit the sweet spot (as best as one can with just a few jumps). I made it down to a 61mph average, which didn't seem bad considering that I'm one big dude and my exit altitude was 17,500ft (landing at 5,500ft). I am absolutely in love with this and I can honestly say that now I know what it is like to truly fly. Birdman smiles, Bryan

Hi D-Dog! Sounds you had a great time in Malaysia -- that's awesome! Could you expand on the following? I'm having a difficult time picturing what you're saying. Start the loops bigger than you end them, so that the loops at the bottom of the lines are too small to get all the way around the loops at the top, decreasing risk of entanglement (thanks to DW for this trick). *** I'd like to type more right now, but my fingertips are recovering from frostbite. (BASE-excursion gone wrong) Thanks, Bryan

Hi Jim -- Very good question, but difficult to answer as it can vary from jumper to jumper. I've met jumpers with 15 jumps that I trust exclusively. Sure, they still have a lot to learn, but they are very smart in their decision-making process. I've also met jumpers with 100 jumps that scare the crap out of me due to their lack of knowledge/unwillingness to learn. Many times, a good marker of experience can be the number of different objects that a jumper has. Different objects can expose a jumper to many different variables, greatly increasing their experience. And expanding on your question even more...as the sport grows, so does the experience level. Think about 30 years ago when 100 skydives meant serious experience. That may equate to 1000 jumps nowadays. 15 years ago, 100 BASE jumps was ALOT. And while it still is today, it is becoming increasingly more common to run into someone with 100 under their belt. So it's tough to say. Hope this helps... Bryan

Funny that I read this post, because I was thinking about this exact question while I was jump run earlier today. I touch handles prior to boarding the plane while thinking about various EPs and I touch them on jump run every single time I jump. At any rate, after touching my handles, I opened the door to the Otter and as I was spotting, I pondered on how many people go through the sequence every time. (and then I read your post/poll a few hours later) Blue Skies, Bryan

Ok. I'll let you know when the dates are final.

Just for gee-whiz comparisons, I have landed a parachute 3 times at 12,200ft. And if you think there is a noticeable difference between sea-level and 6,000ft (there is), it's REALLY noticeable at 12,200. I was using a 280 for all 3 jumps. The first one, I landed into a 2mph head-wind and even though it was fast, I had no problem standing it up. On the second jump, there was zero winds and even though I stood it up, I was smoking across the ground and it took a roadrunner pace to run it out. The thrid time was with a 4mph downwind, and well, that one wasn't pretty. Some of the locals around here can probably figure this one out, but I'm looking at a jump next summer that will have me landing a large American Flag at 14,110ft. Now that will be interesting! Blue Skies, Bryan

For comparison differences, here's the difference between TAS and SAS: TAS True Air Speed -- measures your actual airspeed. SAS Skydiver Air Speed -- takes into account the pressure difference of the altitude that you are jumping at and then calculates what your airspeed would be at Sea Level. I realize most people know this, but for those that don't, you travel at a much faster speed when you are at the higher elevations. A good example: I jump in Colorado and the field elevation at one of the drop zones where I jump is 6,500ft. Our jump runs are at 11,000ft above the ground -- which in effect -- is 17,500ft above sea level. Just the other day, I checked my Pro-Track after a 4-way training jump. My TAS average was 138mph. When converted to the SAS average, it was 124mph. So this is saying that at sea level, my average fall rate would be measured at 124mph. They designed this so skydivers around the world could compare data on the same playing field -- and it doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Another neat little trick is that you can toggle between TAS and SAS after the jump..so you can get both readings after the fact. Blue Skies, Bryan

Thanks for asking the question Hook -- I was getting ready to ask the same question... Anyone have any thoughts? Bryan

Hello Everyone -- After reading the "Fleecing the Collegiates" post, I've decided to post about the Air Force Academy's parachute team, The Wings of Blue. Rather than make it a reply under that post, I think it is a topic of it's own. It’s my impression that some people think that the Air Force Academy’s parachute team is a club and that the jumpers are provided with jumps as a reward for military service. Wings of Blue jumpers are provided with a lot, but they work incredibly hard to get many of the things that you see. Here’s a little background: Ultimately, parachuting at the Air Force Academy is here for one purpose: Character Development. Primarily, this is achieved by our First Jump Course, in which we put 850 students through each year. Each student must complete 40 hours of ground training, and after completing 5 ten-second delays (graded), they graduate from the course. Our 50-person Cadet Parachute Team, referred to as the Wings of Blue, teaches the 850 students that come through the program each year. It’s an enormous program, and it is the primary focus of the parachute team. Aside from teaching our first jump course, Wings of Blue members are allowed to be on either a “Demo Team” or a “Comp Team”. Our Demo Team performs 45 to 55 demos a year, ranging from small local events to very large events like The Fiesta Bowl, NFL Games, and NASCAR races. Latest numbers indicate that we perform in front of approximately 5 million people a year. The Comp Team trains and competes in Style, Accuracy, and 4-way -- mostly at the Collegiate level, but in the last few years, we’ve begun to expand to regional meets and the U.S. Nationals. Being on the Comp team or the Demo team always takes a back seat to our real purpose, our first jump program. It’s easy to have the perception that it’s all fun and games, but these Cadets work extremely hard to get where they are today. Even though they take 21 to 24 hours of classes each semester and deal with the rigors of attending a military academy, they still manage to give 20 to 30 hours each week to the Parachute Team. Believe it or not, the character development found in the 850 students each year, and the leadership traits developed in our 50-person parachute team is unbelievable. Look back to your first jump; I’m sure you learned a thing or two about yourself after climbing out the door for the very first time. Professional studies have found the parachute program to be the #1 leadership lab at the U.S. Air Force Academy – and I think that says a lot for a program at an institution that is here for that very purpose. Yes, we get to jump out of airplanes and we are extremely fortunate to have this opportunity, but it does not come for nothing. On the same token, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s called passion -- and that’s something that I think every skydivers has. Blue Skies, Bryan

You're right Kevin -- an office full of mundane people would never understand the concept, but it is ironic that even in an work environment where everyone is a skydiver, you still draw some amused looks.

Ok. I can't resist this post. After ordering our wingsuits at the end of the "buy one, get the 2nd for half off" special, our wingsuits finally arrived today. (they ran out of our color choice and we decided to wait) 3 of us actually went in on the deal, and it just happens that all 3 of us work in the same place. The other 2 soon-to-be birdmen made it a point to rush into my office every single day and harass me about the suit's location, as if I had a handle on the where-abouts. Well today, one of my compadres tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, BAM! There he was, spreading his wings on his all-white GTi. Within 20 minutes, all 3 of us were running around the building spreading our wings for all to see. One would have thought it was Christmas morning and Santa had paid us his visit. I wore my suit for over an hour today and it is hanging right by my desk for the world to see. (she sure is beautiful) And I sip my beer with a smile, knowing that her first flight is approaching soon... Bryan

Hi Jonathan -- I agree with everything you said. I feel that the prices are high (especially for college students) but not completely unacceptable. I work closely with the Air Force teams, and I've heard a LOT of good things about GT Inviscid from them. I'm going to be in Phoenix for a bunch of demos around that time, but should make it down to Eloy on the 1st and hope to meet your team then. Best of luck in the competition!!! Blue Skies, Bryan