BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E. jumping, is an activity where participants jump from fixed objects and use a parachute to break their fall. "BASE" is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
BASE jumping is essentially a variation on skydiving. For a good explanation of skydiving and the equipment used, check out How Skydiving Works. BASE jumpers use modern ram-air parachutes (the jumpers injured on El Capitan in 1966 were using older round parachutes, which contributed to their problems). Ram-air chutes are rectangular to give the jumper greater control over direction and speed once it has been deployed. There are some key differences between skydiving gear and BASE jumping gear, however, so BASE jumpers need special equipment and techniques. A parachute made especially for BASE jumping costs between $1,200 and $1,500.
BASE jumpers have to overcome two major obstacles: low altitude and the proximity of the BASE object. Skydivers typically open their chutes at around 2,000 feet. This gives them time to deploy the parachutes gradually (reducing line tangles and a sudden jerk on the diver) using a device called a slider [ref]. It also gives them a little breathing room. If there is a problem with the main parachute, they can still deploy their back-up chute.
But many BASE jumps start out well below 2,000 feet. While jump sites such as El Capitan and Angel Falls in Venezuela are around 3,000 feet, they are the exception. Skyscrapers and antenna towers are usually 1,000 to 1,500 feet tall. As a result, jumpers have to deploy their parachutes quickly.
A few alterations in basic skydiving equipment help to accomplish this. For example, some BASE jumpers use a larger pilot chute. This is the small parachute that drags open the main chute. Larger pilot chutes catch more air, create more drag and open main chutes more quickly. They are also helpful because low altitude jumps force jumpers to open their chutes at a lower velocity -- they haven't been falling long enough to achieve a freefalling human's terminal velocity (around 120 mph). Lower speeds mean reduced air pressure in the chute, so a larger chute is more effective. Because many BASE jumps are so low that only about five seconds of freefall are possible before impact, some BASE jumpers don't bother packing back-up chutes. If the main chute fails to deploy, or deploys incorrectly, there isn't the time to cut away a malfunctioning chute and deploy the back-up.
Instead of a ripcord, BASE jumpers release their pilot chute manually. For higher jumps, the pilot chute is stowed in an easily accessible pocket or flap, and the jumper pulls it free to release it at the right moment. This leaves both hands free during the brief freefall. If the jump is shorter, the jumper usually just holds the pilot chute in his or her hand [ref].
For jumps 300 feet or lower, BASE jumpers have almost no time at all to freefall and deploy a chute. They use a static line to deploy the chute automatically. This line runs from the jumper's pack to the object. During the jump, this line pulls the main chute open, and then separates from the pack.
Skydivers don't have to worry about object proximity. They have to worry about hitting the ground, not the side of a building or cliff. But most BASE jumping fatalities are due to object impacts, rather than freefalling to the ground. The need for fast parachute deployments compounds the problem -- these deployments can send the jumper off into an unintended direction, such as straight into a granite wall. Jumpers call this an "off-heading opening."
Jumpers try to compensate by using a smaller ram-air parachute, one with seven air cells instead of nine. Modern parachutes designed specifically for BASE jumping have started to incorporate modified sliders that ease the suddenness of deployment, making it easier to avoid an off-heading opening.
Body position at the jump and deployment are key factors in determining the success of a jump. Jumping head first and rotating forward is incorrect. Keeping the body oriented so that the jumper is facing down, with the chute deploying behind him, is vital. On jumps with a few seconds of freefall, jumpers use tracking to direct the body away from the object. This means that the jumper "flies" away from the object using the aerodynamic shape of the body, instead of just falling straight down.
Canopy skills are vital as well. Once a ram-air parachute has deployed, the jumper may be carrying a great deal of forward velocity. Being able to steer properly and avoid slamming into the object could literally be the difference between life and death.
Skydiving
skydiving, is the action sport of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of gravity while using a parachute to slow down during the final part of the descent. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal velocity. The history of skydiving starts with Andre-Jacques Garnerin who made successful descents using a canvas canopy and small basket, tethered beneath a hot-air balloon.
Para sailing
Para sailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing. On land or over water the manned kite's moving anchor may be a car, truck, or boat; parasailing just by kiting in heavy winds is highly discouraged. The boat then drives off, carrying the parascender or wing and person into the air. If the boat is powerful enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control over the parachute.
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that has the ability to hover above the ground. The thrill comes from the free-falling and the rebound.[3] When the person jumps, the cord stretches and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord recoils, and continues to oscillate up and down until all the energy is dissipated.
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E. jumping, is an activity where participants jump from fixed objects and use a parachute to break their fall. "BASE" is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
BASE Jumping Basics
Before we get into any discussions on the techniques and equipment used in BASE jumping, we need to make something very clear: BASE jumping is extremely dangerous. There is no margin for error. A slight mistake, or a little bad luck, and death is the result. BASE jumpers generally have about 100 regular skydiving jumps under their belt before they ever attempt a BASE jump, and they usually have an experienced BASE jumper who mentors them on the skills necessary to jump safely. No one should attempt BASE jumping without a lot of thought, training, experience and a good life insurance policy.BASE jumping is essentially a variation on skydiving. For a good explanation of skydiving and the equipment used, check out How Skydiving Works. BASE jumpers use modern ram-air parachutes (the jumpers injured on El Capitan in 1966 were using older round parachutes, which contributed to their problems). Ram-air chutes are rectangular to give the jumper greater control over direction and speed once it has been deployed. There are some key differences between skydiving gear and BASE jumping gear, however, so BASE jumpers need special equipment and techniques. A parachute made especially for BASE jumping costs between $1,200 and $1,500.
BASE jumpers have to overcome two major obstacles: low altitude and the proximity of the BASE object. Skydivers typically open their chutes at around 2,000 feet. This gives them time to deploy the parachutes gradually (reducing line tangles and a sudden jerk on the diver) using a device called a slider [ref]. It also gives them a little breathing room. If there is a problem with the main parachute, they can still deploy their back-up chute.
But many BASE jumps start out well below 2,000 feet. While jump sites such as El Capitan and Angel Falls in Venezuela are around 3,000 feet, they are the exception. Skyscrapers and antenna towers are usually 1,000 to 1,500 feet tall. As a result, jumpers have to deploy their parachutes quickly.
A few alterations in basic skydiving equipment help to accomplish this. For example, some BASE jumpers use a larger pilot chute. This is the small parachute that drags open the main chute. Larger pilot chutes catch more air, create more drag and open main chutes more quickly. They are also helpful because low altitude jumps force jumpers to open their chutes at a lower velocity -- they haven't been falling long enough to achieve a freefalling human's terminal velocity (around 120 mph). Lower speeds mean reduced air pressure in the chute, so a larger chute is more effective. Because many BASE jumps are so low that only about five seconds of freefall are possible before impact, some BASE jumpers don't bother packing back-up chutes. If the main chute fails to deploy, or deploys incorrectly, there isn't the time to cut away a malfunctioning chute and deploy the back-up.
Instead of a ripcord, BASE jumpers release their pilot chute manually. For higher jumps, the pilot chute is stowed in an easily accessible pocket or flap, and the jumper pulls it free to release it at the right moment. This leaves both hands free during the brief freefall. If the jump is shorter, the jumper usually just holds the pilot chute in his or her hand [ref].
For jumps 300 feet or lower, BASE jumpers have almost no time at all to freefall and deploy a chute. They use a static line to deploy the chute automatically. This line runs from the jumper's pack to the object. During the jump, this line pulls the main chute open, and then separates from the pack.
Skydivers don't have to worry about object proximity. They have to worry about hitting the ground, not the side of a building or cliff. But most BASE jumping fatalities are due to object impacts, rather than freefalling to the ground. The need for fast parachute deployments compounds the problem -- these deployments can send the jumper off into an unintended direction, such as straight into a granite wall. Jumpers call this an "off-heading opening."
Jumpers try to compensate by using a smaller ram-air parachute, one with seven air cells instead of nine. Modern parachutes designed specifically for BASE jumping have started to incorporate modified sliders that ease the suddenness of deployment, making it easier to avoid an off-heading opening.
Body position at the jump and deployment are key factors in determining the success of a jump. Jumping head first and rotating forward is incorrect. Keeping the body oriented so that the jumper is facing down, with the chute deploying behind him, is vital. On jumps with a few seconds of freefall, jumpers use tracking to direct the body away from the object. This means that the jumper "flies" away from the object using the aerodynamic shape of the body, instead of just falling straight down.
Canopy skills are vital as well. Once a ram-air parachute has deployed, the jumper may be carrying a great deal of forward velocity. Being able to steer properly and avoid slamming into the object could literally be the difference between life and death.
Skydiving
skydiving, is the action sport of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of gravity while using a parachute to slow down during the final part of the descent. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal velocity. The history of skydiving starts with Andre-Jacques Garnerin who made successful descents using a canvas canopy and small basket, tethered beneath a hot-air balloon.
Para sailing
Para sailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing. On land or over water the manned kite's moving anchor may be a car, truck, or boat; parasailing just by kiting in heavy winds is highly discouraged. The boat then drives off, carrying the parascender or wing and person into the air. If the boat is powerful enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control over the parachute.
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that has the ability to hover above the ground. The thrill comes from the free-falling and the rebound.[3] When the person jumps, the cord stretches and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord recoils, and continues to oscillate up and down until all the energy is dissipated.
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