NickDG

I've trained more than a few paraglider pilots to skydive and they always do well. I think an experienced paraglider pilot could make the transition to BASE for several reasons. Being under a canopy, or up in the air, doesn't overload them. They have a better understanding of micro-climates and how they effect parachutes. They are used to finding safe places to land, and generally have experienced more than a few out landings. I've heard it said the best BASE students would be people with parachute experience, but not the skydiving attitude. Well, here they are . . . I believe if paraglider pilots were limited (like skydivers) in where and when they could fly, they'd be launching off buildings in the middle of the night just like we do. NickD

In the mid 1980s Richtie Stein earned BASE 74, and made a hundred BASE jumps before his first skydive. His advise, and it's gospel, is don't do that . . . The one thing we learn is we never learn. NickD

Re: Black Bands . . . Hi Karen, Don't let the "Johnny Jump Latelys" get on your nerves. They don't realize the time it takes to figure things out in this sport. You and I are the only ones that know what your job is like. You are the bumper that takes all the hits. After watching you the last few years, I'm very very proud of you. Tell Todd I said you deserve a raise . . . NickD

"and how to fuck the sport for a couple bucks and a flashlight worth of limelight." That's a Nugget . . . NickD

>>Miles Daisher is by far one of the most talented BASE jumpers in the sport.

Is this the same "Miles" who's feet hit the trees just as his canopy opened at this year's Bridge Day? I had just landed and saw that whole thing. Now, I've always respected otherwise qualified jumpers who push the envelope. I don't respect people who do so just to gain attention. I then heard a few people dissing this fellow and later I sought him out to see for myself. I walked up to him as he was holding court and instead of introducing myself I just listened to him for a few minutes. I then quickly moved away . . . I don't know, sometimes I think we are victims of our own success. NickD

>>My kids (17yo and 22yo) are so excited that I am finally getting out and having fun. They even told me that they are proud of me

Wow, RL? Is that you? Where have you been all this time? NickD

>>How about some now and then pictures (as in 1st tandem to last jump)...

I don't like using skydiving to make the point, but in that sport, an experienced jumper will jump anything in their size range (rig & canopy) as long as someone is writing them a check. It's not automatically that way in BASE jumping. It's not so much that BASE jumping is more dangerous, it's that skydiving manufactures, since Bill Booth gave us the Three Ring and throw out pilot chute in 1975, are all building a version of the same rig. And when skydiving whatever little differences there are you can work out. (Or, you shouldn't be a professional skydiver.) With BASE gear the differences in a tuck here, a fold there, a toggle that sets this way or that, even down to the harness geometry (Moe Viletto scared the crap out of me explaining that one) can translate into the fifty feet that saves your life, or limb. BASE manufacturers are still (and I hope forever) free to imagine new things in the afternoon and then go try them that night. And the comfort level one arrives at after jumping the same gear for a while is tangible. So to answer the question, the check would have to be bigger than usual because picking up and jumping with just any BASE rig is like dancing with someone else's wife. All of a sudden you aren't Fred Astaire anymore . . . NickD

Hi, >>Actually... the first wind tunnel was not invented by the Wright Brothers... however, they did use one first for testing airfoils.

A lot of people have the California Yosemite plate (50 bucks to some environmental fund) like BASE 222 has on hers. Of course, we never took that car there . . . NickD

Happy Birthday Sweetheart! You're fine wine, girl . . . NickD

>>and how can I help support Russel in obtaining THE number 1000.

Of course, the most important BASE number is your own. I meant historically, rather than the world twirls around anyone of us . . . NickD

>>this reminds of a story that BASE 37 told me.

BASE 2 is the forgotten man. It was Phil Mayfield, a Texan, and a really cool dude, who's like the second man to walk on the moon . . . NickD

http://www.basenumbers.org/ui.asp With the speed of BASE numbers issued just since the year 2000, we can see BASE 1000 will be issued sometime within the next six months. I hope whoever receives BASE 1000 realizes what a milestone that will be. Who would have thought it would take almost 23 years to go from BASE number 1 to BASE number 1000? Who would have thought how much the sport would change over the course of those years, and who would have thought so many of us old timers (okay, I've taken to accept that title) would still be around to see it. Carl Boenish, before he died, said in the early 1980s, that BASE 1000 would be awarded in about 1990 . . . bless his optimistic soul. Who ever it is that gets BASE one thousand (and I'm pulling for Russel Metlitzky, http://zerop.net/base/) will join BASE number one as having the two most important BASE numbers ever issued. At least until we award BASE 10000, which at the current rate will be sometime around 2024 or 2025. My generation will never meet BASE 10000, as most of us will be gone, or at least drooling in our Pablum by then, so do me a favor, you young ones, tell him or her, that we were pretty cool people . . . NickD

What the F$#k??? That little son of B ripped off my BASE book!!!! NickD

>>Every BASE jumper should be buying satellite radio. The sooner Sat Radio takes off, the sooner the over the air stations will start going out of business. Someday the world is going to be full of non-operational radio towers.>>Which will be condemed, torn down, and the wide expanse of safety zone around them developed. I think you better keep them running.

This was originally intended as a reply over in the trivia thread, concerning the musical scores of Carl Boenish's films, but it's probably more appropriate here . . . http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/mlloyd.html (Interview) http://bhhs.beverlyhills.k12.ca.us/alums/hall/famers/lloyd.htm (Photo and Bio) Michael Lloyd originally filled a need to produce original music for small independent film makers (like Carl Boenish.) He also did the same for many early porno films, and true aficionados will recall his name in the credits of many such works. (Not me, of course.) Carl was very careful about using music he didn't have the rights to, that's why some of his earlier films use stuff that's in the public domain like Beethoven. What I'm about to say now is a conclusion I'm come to after knowing Jean Boenish for many years. (There's an old joke in BASE jumping that whenever you rag on Jean Boenish, you always end it by saying, "but, we love her.") She was an integral part of early BASE jumping, and she endeavored in those days to always admonish us (in a motherly way) to straighten up and fly right. And she took a lot of abuse for that. However, in the years following Carl's death some kind of disconnect occurred between her and the sport of BASE jumping. I now believe her ways, especially in the terms of greed, is doing more harm to Carl's legacy than anything else. After watching her run Bridge Day and administer the BASE numbers for many years I can say now (in hindsight) she was a lousy organizer. People waited, sometimes years, to receive a BASE number from her, and Bridge Day under her leadership was filled with political infighting, and bad relations with the locals. She started more fires than she put out. It was really great to see her at Bridge Day 2004. However it became apparent her ways haven't changed. She invited me (and some other old timers) to a meeting at the Western Pancake House following Bridge Day to "discuss" the running of event. Politics as usual for Jean Boenish in the middle of the best run Bridge Day I've ever attended. I passed on the meeting. Anybody who knows me knows I'm nothing but a Carl Boenish booster. I always try to educate new BASE jumpers, as best I can, in the history of the sport, and the large part Carl Boenish played in that history. On the BASE Fatality List that I keep I had a thumbnail photo of Carl next to his fatality report. Jean demanded I remove it because I didn't pay her for it. I was a bit dumbfounded. Prior to this I wrote and left her messages asking her permission to use the photo (like I do with all the photos) but of course, I never heard from her. Technically, she's right of course, but on a personal level it was a kick in the balls. I removed the photo. Jean will get her due in BASE history, I will see to that, but it may not be as blemish free as she might have hoped. But, we love her . . . NickD

The first "wind tunnel" is attributed to the Wright Brothers who invented it. They used it to test the lifting ability of certain airfoils. Nowadays NASA uses a wind tunnel at the Ames Research Center in California that's the world's largest at 80 x 120 feet. Now turn that one up on its ear and imagine the possibilities. "Man, that 50-way was flying great, until it funneled trying to transition to the second point, and then it got real ugly . . . Nick

Russel, Are you telling me you can't keep that wheelchair going straight downhill unitl achieving 20 MPH?

Jumpsuit fashion violations? How about take it off, when you're not skydiving. One Saturday night in the Perris Ghetto there was an earthquake at about 3:30 in the morning. It caused almost everyone to turn out. (Trailers really rock and roll in an earthquake.) It was too funny to see so many who hadn't been to bed yet still partying from the day before and about three quarters of them are still wearing their jumpsuits . . . NickD

I'm not sure I get the idea behind this either. However, it's possible there are some future benefits we don't see at this point. I think it was 1979 or 1980 when we first heard of some Swiss folks (I think) ground launching their skydiving canopies. After Parachutist Magazine ran an article about it many American skydivers found themselves bruised and battered after running and tumbling (mostly tumbling) down hills while vainly trying to launch their low aspect ratio canopies. Ten seconds in the air was a great success back then and we felt like the Wright Brothers. Years later I made a few flights on real paragliding gear and fell in love with the feeling of lift and the amount of ground that can be covered. (Jump in the park, land outside the park?) I thought right then and there we needed BASE canopies that initially open like seven cells, but then further deploy into more of a paraglider configuration. I guess the point I'm going for is, any future development in canopies, no matter what sport they comes from, may benefit us all. NickD