3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 36

•On April 21, 2014, Fred Fugen and Vince
Reffet
(both
from
France)
broke
the
Guinness World Record for Highest BASE Jump
From a Building with a jump of 828 m (2,716 ft 6
in) from the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.
•On May 27, 2014, Whisper became the world’s
first wingsuit BASE-jumping dog.
•On August 21, 2014, Ramón Rojas of Chile
broke the record for highest earth-based wingsuit
ski jump, 4,100 metres (13,500 ft) off of Cerro El
Plomo.
Comparison with Skydiving
BASE jumping grew out of skydiving. BASE
jumps are generally made from much lower
altitudes than skydives, and a BASE jump
takes place close to the object serving as
the jump platform. Because BASE jumps
generally
entail
slower
airspeeds
than
typical skydives (due to the limited altitude), a
BASE jumper does not always reach terminal
velocity. Because higher airspeeds enable
jumpers more aerodynamic control of their
bodies, as well as more positive and quick
parachute openings, the longer the delay, the
better. BASE jumping is significantly more
dangerous than similar sports such as
skydiving from aircraft.
Skydivers use the air flow to stabilize their
position, allowing the parachute to deploy
cleanly. BASE jumpers, falling at lower speeds,
have less aerodynamic control, and may
tumble. The attitude of the body at the
moment of jumping determines the stability of
flight in the first few seconds, before sufficient
airspeed
has
built
up
to
enable
aerodynamic stability. On low BASE jumps,
parachute deployment takes place during this
early phase of flight, so if a poor “launch” leads
into a tumble, the jumper may not be able to
correct this before the opening. If the
parachute is deployed while the jumper
is tumbling, there is a high risk of entanglement
or malfunction. The jumper may also not be
facing the right direction. Such an off-heading
opening is not as problematic in skydiving, but an
off-heading opening that results in object strike
has caused many serious injuries and deaths in
BASE jumping.
At an altitude of 600 metres (2,000 ft), having
been in free-fall for at least 300 metres (980 ft),
a skydiver is falling at approximately 55 metres
per second (120 mph), and is approximately 10.9
36
seconds from the ground. Most BASE jumps are
made from less than 600 metres (2,000 ft). For
example, a BASE jump from a 150 metres
(490 ft) object is about 5.6 seconds from the
ground if the jumper remains in free fall. On
a BASE jump, the parachute must open at
about half the airspeed of a similar skydive,
and more quickly (in a shorter distance fallen).
Standard skydiving parachute systems are not
designed for this situation, so BASE
jumpers
often
use
specially
designed
harnesses and parachute containers, with extra
large pilot chutes, and many jump with only
one parachute, since there would be little
time to utilize a reserve parachute. In the
early days of BASE jumping, people used
modified
skydiving
gear,
such
as
by
removing the deployment bag and slider,
stowing the lines in a tail pocket, and
fitting a large pilot chute. However, modified
skydiving gear is then prone to kinds of
malfunction
that
are
rare
in
normal
skydiving
(such
as
“line-overs”
and
broken lines). Modern purpose-built BASE
jumping equipment is considered to be much
safer and more reliable.
Another risk is that most BASE jumping
venues have very small areas in which to land. A
beginner skydiver, after parachute deployment,
may have a three-minute or more parachute
ride to the ground. A BASE jump from 150
metres (490 ft) will have a parachute ride of only
10 to 15 seconds.
One way to make a parachute open very quickly
is to use a static line or direct bag. These
devices form an attachment between the
parachute and the jump platform, which stretches
out the parachute and suspension lines as the
jumper falls, before separating and allowing
the parachute to inflate. This method enables the
very lowest jumps-below 60 metres (200 ft)-to be
made, although most BASE jumpers are more
motivated to make higher jumps involving free
fall. This method is similar to the paratrooper’s
deployment system, also called a PCA (short for
pilot chute assist).
Legality
BASE jumping itself is generally not illegal in
most places. However, in many cases such as
building and antenna jumps, jumping is done
covertly, because the owners of these objects
are generally reluctant to allow their object to be
used as a platform. Jumpers who are caught can
expect to be charged with trespassing, as well
Vol 4 | Issue 1 |Jan - Feb 2019