What would be the 5 most important things to remember when jumping an antenna for the first time? 1000+, 42 in pilot chute, pretty good landing area. Solo. no options for expert guidance. What would you as an expert tell the nervous beginner to remember as he is exiting. thanxxx. ps. i know, but i have no smaller pilot chute...
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-25-01 AT 06:01 PM (PST)[/font][p]My advice:
Get a smaller pilot chute. Are you so impatient that you can't wait the three days it would take to get one? If that's the case, I suggest reconsidering your participation in this sport.
Find someone to jump with (or at least ground crew). You never have "no options". There is always a way for a dedicated, committed person to find help. Typically, people complaining that they have no options are just too lazy to seek out a safer path, and put themselves in danger by taking unnecesary shortcuts.
I would worry about making this jump. It seems like you are rushing into it. You can certainly get a smaller PC (you're talking about three days and 60 bucks--your life is worth taking the extra precautions), and you can undoubtedly get someone to accompany you (heck, if all else fails call your mom--I'm sure she'd rather watch than have you go alone).
There are always options. When you are a beginner, it is a very bad idea to shortcut on safety options because you are impatient.
--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu
Hey Tom,
You act like it's certain death if he jumps a 42. What's the problem? 3-4, even a 5 isn't going to be that bad. No, it's not the ideal size. A 38 would be better, but I wouldn't call it black death at all.
Jump with the wind to your back splitting the wires. Toss off a wind direction indicator prior to jumping. A small piece of TP should do. Be sure that the wind isn't blowing the opposite direction 1/2 way down. It is likely on an antenna that high.
If you are going stowed, practice in your living room a LOT. Freefall is not the time to figure out where your PC is.
Take a reasonable delay. A go and throw with a slider is a bad idea. I recommend 3-5 sec.
Put a wind sock in the landing area.
Carry a cell phone if you insist on jumping alone.
Have fun.
Feel free to call me an idiot, Tom, but is the jump from 38 to 42 really that big a difference for a 4-5 second delay? I jump a 38 on those and it works fine, but I just got a new 42 (oddly enough) and was going to make my next 5 second jump on the new PC just to check it out.
Also, does canopy size and configuration affect this? For example, I'm jumping a 265 (pretty big) with Multi setup. My gut (no information, jut gut) is that the Multi will open a little bit slower and the bigger canopy would do better with a marginally bigger pilot chute, ceteris paribus.
So I guess my question is whether The Chart for PC size and delay is for average canopies and configs, or conservate, or does it even matter? I mean, a 265 is more than 10% bigger than a 225, and a 42 is almost exactly 10% bigger than a 38 PC. Wouldn't one want to scale the two in approximate congruence as canopy size increases?
As to the original question (jumping the antenna), my only advice is to take a longer, SAFE delay. Hop-and-pop is so often thought of as safe, but on an antenna I don't think so. Push off on exit, track a bit if you can from 3.5 to 4.5 seconds, open at 5 or so, and enjoy the canopy ride safely away from the antenna and wires.
The only antenna accident I've personally seen was a hop-and-pop off-heading causing a wire strike. In contrast, with a little bit if tailwind and a good exit, I can get at least 40 FEET away from the antenna by the time I open at a 5 second delay. That's a meaningful safety margin, at least in my mind.
You are more likely to hit the antenna or wires than to hit the ground. Longer delay = safer, if you have the freefall and tracking skills.
Take with a grain of salt (or two), opinion of low-timer though it is backed up with advice given to me by many experienced jumpers. My first BASE jump ever was an antenna, so I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Enjoy.
Peace,
D-d0g
ddog@wrinko.com
thanks breeze and d-dog. Actually the funny thing is, is that i went to jump this thing last night, half moon and all. I hide the car, walk 1/4 mile to get to the antenna across a new cut hay field, get to the antenna, lay a hand on the fence when suddenly a pick up truck roars out of the night, screeches up to the gate, someone leaps out, unlocks the gate, hops back in the truck, roars up to the antenna, hops out again, unlocks the gate, and goes into the transmitter house at the base of the tower. I have just enough time to make one of very few hay stack "rolls" sitting in the field before the headlights of the truck would have nailed me. I get to stand behind this frickin haystack for 20 minutes while this guy is popping in and out of the transmitter hut to and from his truck; eventually he is inside long enough that I say screw it, and manage to slink off cross-country back to the car. Unbelievable. No one told me maintenance crews came out in the middle of the night on a saturday to do sh!t. What kind of timing/luck was this? It was not to be last night...cya
I don't think the 42" PC is going to kill you (I have a friend who uses his 42"--and only--PC on everything, 300'-3000' ) . I was mostly worried by the tone of the original post. Cutting corners is a bad habit to acquire early in your BASE career.
I do think that bigger PC's are a good idea for big canopies, especially at low airspeeds (once you pick up some speed, I don't think it's as big a deal).
I'm pretty sure that the delay-altitude-equipment charts were all written back in the day, when everyone was jumping 220's and 240's. I think they may be a bit conservative on PC size (what's a 310 weigh--4 and a half pounds more than a 220? ) . However, that may be a good thing for promoting on headings if you have a bit of altitude below you at pull time.
--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu
this is one of those 'coincidences' that every BASE jumper should pay attention to. For whatever reason the timing wasn't right and something intervened - as evidenced by the maintenance man showing up as you made your approach to the tower. Make sure that you utilize the experience of his messing up your plans to re-check your gear, re-think what you're doing and re-consider the all of the variables. Strong regard for this kind of coincidental stuff, coupled with acknowledging any 'gut feelings' (beyond butterflies) you might have will keep you alive longer, IMHO.
have fun be safe
bsbd
Gardner
K. Gardner Sapp
Executive Director
The Alliance of Backcountry Parachutists, Inc.
P.O. Box 38202
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
gardner@backcountryparachutists.org
www.backcountryparachutists.org
Don't consider yourself above turning back/climbing down if conditions aren't right and/or don't feel right. There is plenty of time to jump again. As said above, be careful with the winds and they can change quite a bit over the course of 1000' of altitude or the 30+min. it will take you to climb. If the weather is in a stable pattern, and its light on the ground a "strong" wind between the wires at your targeted deployment altitude is your friend. Please see a post about 2-3 weeks ago by Yuri on winds and towers, there is heaps of good info in the archives oin this stuff for you, take time time to check it out.
Take your time, don't be rushed. Sit on a platform at or near your exit altitude (as long as its not too close to a stinger), look around, appreciate the view, the beauty, the wildness, and 'specialness' of what you are about to do. Enjoy and smile! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ground crew with radio contact. Have fun!
Cowabunga baby!
DT
In order of importance, (although failure to do any one of them can kill you):
1. Pitch
2. Pitch stable (launch your chest at the horizon for a non-rotational exit)
3. Pitch with horizontal separation from object X. (take a suitable delay)
4. Ensure that your deployment system is configured correctly from PC to canopy attachment such that when you pitch, something comes out. (watch for bridle routing when stowed or potential snags on antenna structure if going hand held. Make sure you're holding the PC correctly if going HH such that the bridle isn't going under the arm. 9 foot bridle length.)
5. Ensure that your gear is configured such that any potential problems with what comes out will not be fatal (check those 3-rings [see below], line mod for no-slider, steering line routing for slider-up, mesh slider vs. sail slider)
The rest is gravy (e.g. may not kill you). Concentrate on the important things, and don't sweat the small stuff.
Oh, don't fall off the antenna. For an inside climb, it's death by Plinko (you know, from "The Price is Right")
OK, sweat everything.
I have two suggestions for when you get out on the edge(If you are going hand held). I always pivot on my left foot so I am facing in twards the structire. The reason for this is because while priming your pilot chute with the wind at altitude the pilot chute can get away from you sometimes and the bridle may very easly get aroud or snagged on part of the structure. so when your on the edge just do this simple check. If you feel tension on the bridle, somethings not right. Just climb back in and fix it. The other suggestion is on an antenna un like other objects, you, more than likely will be hanging on to the structure with at least one hand just before exit. Do not forget to let go. This will cause you to go unstable. Its not pretty. Ive seen it happen. Otherwise have fun.
BSBD
Pringles@basejumper.net
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