zoobrothertom

Woh! Dude, you just triggered a memory switch. When I was 17, I spent a summer with my Uncle climbing girders as a cable puller in a power plant under construction in Texas (labor laws were lax back then). I understand what you mean. I remember being told that if we were in a group to never tie off to the same point!! I've jumped towers but never tied off to one. Now I know what you mean. One platfrom supported at one or two strong points but everyone is tied off to one railing. The weight caused the one/two points to fail and everyone went with it. Condolences to the families... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Nic, sounds like you've done some climbing. I've done a lot of rappeling (sp?) but have never had to tie off such a large group. Any clues/experience on how they do it with tower maintenance? Anybody want to chime in? ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13078979/ ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

I can't be that old! My first square was a used wonderhog with a stratostar! Bellyband to boot. Sport Death! Of course, it was a tasteful black wonderhog... I was the envy of all my friends, the few I had, that is ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

If I'm not mistaken, I met Raul Torres when I was a newbie at Ft. Bragg in the early 80's. I'm pretty sure he was on the Army team for awhile. After that, I don't have a clue. ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

If the slider is tied/secured to the connector links, you'll keep some sort of shit inflated above your head if a riser cuts loose. I can't tell you it would be surviveable. If the slider isn't tied/secured to the connector link like a skydiving rig, the previous poster was correct in saying that the released side will most likely drag the slider up the lines and seal it up or become a spinning wad of shit that resembles a streamer. "....but, I could be wrong." ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Hey Captain, I've been living over here for 4 years and, as you probably already know, regular jumping itself is rare. Check out the 2 skydiving clubs in Seoul and ask around. I haven't seen or heard of anything reported in the news. So, if anyone is BASE jumping here, they keep a really low profile. Good luck and let me know if you hear anything. ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Wally Gubbin's isn't American! Leo Dickinson filmed it, he's also done a lot of climbing and kayaking adventure films, as well as the first hot air balloon flight over everest. Uhhh..., thanks, I think, for helping me remember a name. I don't seem to recall any mention of nationality when asking for his name... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

I do remember reading that he was an active duty officer in the British military, don't remember what branch. He would use his leave time to film. Did he really quit jumping and move to Australia? Who was the videographer? Joe Jennings comes to mind, but I don't think that's right. Anyone know? ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

"What license did you have to have to jump a "high performance" StratoCloud when they came out?" How's this for canopy progression? I started on T-10 in Airborne school and my first jump course at the Ft. Lewis parachute club. When I finished 5 second delays, I was transferred to N.J. Just before I left Ft. Lewis, I bought a used Starlite container with a Starlite in it. (23 footer high performance round with the opeing schock from hell!). I jumped it through 15 second delays in N.J. at Lakewood. Then transferred to Ft. Bragg. Jumped my Starlite through student status and had about 50 jumps when I finally was allowed to jump a Stato Cloud. Placing 2nd in Novice accuracy at Raeford against squares helped convince the powers that be to let me transition early. The first square I owned was a StratoStar in a Wonderhog with a belly band. Next was a Unit I at about 250 jumps. Oh, those soft, staged (very staged!) openings. A great canopy for reducing opening anxiety and learning to watch your altitude on "lower" pulls. No A, B or C. Just a D that I finally got at about 500 jumps because i was being transferred to Germany. Ah, no so easy nowadays!! ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Awesome collection! Does the wonderhog still have a bellyband? My second rig was a wonderhog serial # 2??. I had it converted to a legstrap after about 100 jumps on it. Sold it years ago. Here's a question/opinion for you old bellyband jumpers. I was taught to deploy my bellyband with my knuckles forward to prevent the bridle from coming up between my arm and body. When I changed over to legstrap, I continued doing this and never had a bridle wrap my arm or hand. The only time, one time, I lazily reached back and just grabbed and tossed. Sure enough, found my self going through 1400' unraveling it from my wrist! Anbody got a Starlite system to add to the collection? ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Dude those pictures rock! They bring back memories of skydiving into the valley in the mid-80's. We used to rent the Air Glacier chopper and jump onto the Junfrau for skiing. Then we'd jump back into the heliport and party all night in the bunk house. BASE jumping wasn't very big back then, but we'd stand outside in the snow half-drunk looking at the walls. Wondering if/when someone would have the balls to do it. On one jump, we drifted over the top/edge and a lot of altitude suddenly disappeared. The three guys I was jumping with chickened out and pulled. I tracked liked hell and cleared the top with about 500 ft. to spare, did a 180 and back slid into the valley. Dumped around a grand. I like your version better! ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

kjarv, see my reply in this thread.... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Doh! I forgot! Calling me is local. 016-521-6276 ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Hey, sinister69, contact me at zoobrothertom@hotmail.com or @posco.co.kr. I've been living here for 4 years and, unfortunately, jumping here is very limited and expensive. The KPA's homepage is http://www.kpa.or.kr - at the bottom left are two links to the only to schools in Korea. They both jump at the aforementioned outrageously expensive location near Seoul. Only the rich and dedicated jump here. I gave up due to 4-6 hour travel times. They only jump on every other Sunday starting in the spring until fall. You could wasted a thousand dollars in travel costs/time and fees to finally make one jump for 100,000 Won on your fifth trip to Seoul. My advice, save your money and take a weekend trip over to Japan and jump. Take that 1,000 bucks and jump your ass off for a weekend in Japan. The other option, take up paragliding for your tour over here. It's very,very popular and a used rig is about 800,000 to 1,200,000 Won. In any case, drop me line. Maybe we can comiserate over some beers... Blue Skies (somewhere!) ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Nice! Got the same OD bag myself from my crew chief/tech inspector days in the army. When not jumping, they also make a great weekend bag for short trips. ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Your right about the griping if you hesitate too long. I always tried to do it when we had kinda of a mass scr/zoo load at the end of the day. I think stratostar said it best about how the new guys usually don't see you. When they do, it's funny to see their reactions afterwards. Remember in Pat Works' book about the different ways to dive on a star. Ya know over & down, straight in, or head down short into a fast flat approach. He really did help me once I was able to understand the swoop and realize what I was seeing the senior guys/gals do. Later Daze ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Hey Jaymundo, would you be the old guy that told me drop it on the concrete story Quote ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

There's nothing quite like that balls-to-the-wall dive down from the back end of some long line, back in the days when it was cool to beat the guys in front of you to the formation . It's all poor form now, for a whole lot of very good reasons. But it sure was fun. Wendy W. *** YUP! Now THERE is a "giggle" memory moment!

I'm sure you've heard of a frap hat. The leather 'helmet' worn by many older jumpers that haven't switched over to a full face. Popular with tandem students, too. I was told by an older jumper years ago that "Frap" was the noise made by the leather when snapped together. Drop a frap hat flat on concrete sometime and you've got the sound. Another definition is a synonym for bounce. ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

I'm definitely not a BASE jumper by the definitions above. Only 7 jumps, 3 at NRGB and 4 from a 1900 foot antenna. First one in '83 and latest in '99. But, I follow BASE jumping closely and dream of those big cliffs in Norway! I'm still growing some balls... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

You Win! Dude, get well soon. Hang in there and keep posting. It'll take the edge off the boredom and rehab. I always thought my eleven pins from my leg made an awesome board game (you know, jump until only one is left). I am sincerely humbled by your hardware! My experience pales in comparison but I understand how you feel. BASE, Glide & Skydive! ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

It's official! I should give up BASE jumping if I can't handle a simple game. Oh, wait a minute, BASE isn't simple! Maybe I'll survive.... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!

Oops, clicked the wrong buttons when posting. The previous entry should be only this... Just a thought about that "barrier." Is it possible that a burble created by the wing prevents it from accelerating through the barrier. The dive builds the speed high enough to push the vortices/burble far enough aft of the wing to almost ride it like a surfboard stays ahead of a wave by riding the "burble?" Just kinda guessing here, but maybe that is what is happening with the extra speed from the dive. Any thoughts? ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!!