One mans journey thru early wingsuiting, why he chose to retire, and what he's doing now. Missed credits for camera include: Karin Sako & Michael Nordqvist -
Yep. I think the problem is, that people tend to take more risks the more experienced they get. Usual exits become boring, so it has to be a double gainer which already adds to the general risk.
Mario another thing we need to add to this conversation is, now that wing suit piloting has become every lounge chairs dream, people are cutting corners! There is a HUGE difference between jumping from a plane in a wing suit then a mountain! BASE skills and proper training in BASE jumping will help this, but sadly, wayyy too many people are cutting corners just so they can be ‘the man’ to their mates and be another UA-cam hero! I’ve been jumping for over 20 years, starting at 17, BASE at 20, paragliding about 12 years ago, I also came from a family of aviation, so I was flying planes before I was legally able to drive, and I still do, I love it, and will never stop, and the only thing that has slowed me down and reassess my risk evaluation is the fact I have a family now, two step daughters, one son, and a joint child, and I am supported 100% of the way! I don’t skydive or BASE jump as frequently as I used to, but paragliding has been a huge part of my life, and I was lucky enough about five years ago to make an offer on a small Cessna 208 Caravan that was damaged due to a poor landing, I got it cheap, had mates who are maintenance at my local airport so it didn’t take a lot of time or money to repair it, but being a caravan we pumped it out from a 9 seater to a six seater with some personal luxuries inside it, and although fuel is the most expensive part of running an aeroplane, we go flying as a family at least once a month, and two of my kids glide with me quite frequently as I fly pretty much every day! I have watched too many mates and loved ones lose their lives to this sport and lifestyle, and even with the support from my family, I have taken it down a huge step! Doing an inverted backflip (double gainer) at that altitude when it takes three seconds for your wing suit to inflate was pretty much ‘hey guys, wanna see me die’! It’s all about calculated risk, and I won’t and never have done a jump I don’t feel safe or comfortable doing, even before I had kids! The fatality rate is climbing for one simple reason!,, people are cutting corners and jumping well beyond their capabilities! It took me 20 plus years to earn where I am today, but so many millennials want it now, and don’t have the patience let alone skills to pull off ebay they’re attempting! I’ve flown all over the world, D licences jumper, over 5000 recoded jumps, can’t even tell you how many BASE jumps and tracking suit or wing suit jumps either? But my point is even at 36, I was the youngest jumper there at my local DZ, for many years in fact, and I embraced that! You need to learn to walk before you fly, and sadly we’re losing so many pilots because they simply don’t want to put the effort and energy in to learning how to fly properly! Jumping from a plane, being certified doesn’t give you ANY proximity or BASE skills needed to do so, and it’s destroying our sport which was once a dying sport simply due to the fact the average jumper was in their 50’s/60’s and so many people came, did their AFF then never came back! Like I said, learn to walk before you fly, there are so many great BASE schools now! Douggs, LTBJ, Mike’s above with Miles Daisher, and so on, so if you want to excel and evolve as a pilot, learn to be patient and take one step at a time, it could potentially save yours or another persons life one day!... Blue skies people 👍🏻
Mm, narcissism sure is addictive isn't it? I'd suggest grounding oneself and learning to see the beauty in everyday life, but I think such words are generally wasted on the glory seekers in this world. Pity?..
Jim Jennings Thank you for sharing your story! It is very similar to mine, injuries, lost many friends along the way, and I don really get to skydive much anymore, but paragliding saved my life after a near life ending and disabling injury I sustained, so discovering paragliding is my whole world! Blue skies brother ✌️
I was one of the first people to build and fly hang gliders starting in 1971. During those first few years when we were all learning what worked and what didn't I lost a lot of good friends to the sport. By the late 70s I had given up the sport. It appeared to me that if you did it long enough sooner or later you'd bite the dust. So I quit while I was ahead. However last year I got back in a modern training hang glider and took some small flights off a sand dune. It's like swimming. You never forget how to do it. I really enjoyed it. I've seen too many videos of paragliders just folding up and looking like a bag of laundry to ever want to try that. I always like the rigid framework of a hang glider. It won't collapse in a down draft.
This brings back memories. In 1977, I was 17 years old and began skydiving. By today’s standards, with AFF and modern technology, it was a primitive time. I had a military style chest-mount, and was jumping a military surplus round parachute. One of my classmates on his first jump incurred a compound fracture of his Femur. So much for the “plf”. I continued. Bought a Paracommander and started jumping that, when squares were relatively new. Watched another female jumper die before my eyes. She was 19. On my 100th jump, I had graduated to a “Strato-Flyer” 5-cell square. 3-ring circuses has not been invented yet. At 500 feet, one riser detached from the harness as I spiraled down. I couldn’t cut away at that altitude, and I couldn’t dump the reserve into the flapping 2 cells that remained open (the slider saved me). I hit the concrete taxiway and broke my pelvis, my foot, and compound fractured my left elbow. I was wearing a hard “Bell” motorcycle helmet. It saved my life. The impact crushed the helmetbut saved my skull. I know without that, I wouldn’t be writing this now. 40 years later. I went on to make about 50 more jumps, then commenced a military flying and commercial aviation career, and started a family. Then I hung it up. And now, at age 59, I cannot stop watching skydiving videos and think about how if I’d continued, and lived, I might now be considered one of he pioneers of modern skydiving. Yet, since that is not the case, I think every day now of going to my local drop zone and signing up for a beginner A-licence AFF course. ...and when I do, all those memories come back. And yet, I still dream of freefalling.
I spend more time under my paragliding wing these days after 20 years of skydiving. Started skydiving when I was 17, BASE when I was 20, and sadly Lost many friends along the way. This has never deterred me from any of my passions when it comes to adrenaline and flight based sports, but paragliding and acro and speed gliding has consumed me more so then BASE, and with three kids at 37, I don’t take nearly as much risk as I did when I was younger. Rest well Dwain, he was good mates with my good mates and one of the first guys I ever BASE jumped with here in Australia. Great guy, great pilot, and sadly that bridge impact (with Jen Corless going under as Dwain attempted to go over the bridge) really was the worst recorded BASE death in history, in front of so many friends and family, truly a sad day for the BASE/wing suit community, and skydiving community as a whole! My 4 and 11 year year old love to come flying with me, and I love having them up gliding with them, it beings both myself and my kids so much joy and fun when get to fly out favourite fly site here on the east coast if Australia. Thanks for sharing your experiences 👍🏻
Patrick sorry for the loss of your friends. This was a sobering look at hi-risk hobbies - so sad that Lori Barr's husband witnessed her death firsthand. Awful! And being 20' from that Ghastly wingsuit / bridge impact would cast doubt into anyone's mind as to the 'sustainability' of the sport. Seems so amazing and thrilling, challenging etc... until it turns into a body recovery and notifying loved ones. The one gentleman who insisted on that reverse-gainer certainly must have been frustrating for his friends to witness that death. That's so cool that you fly with your 4 year old tho. The look on his little face as you zoom and fly around must be worth any risk. He's a lucky kid to have you as a dad. Dean potter flew with his dog. Not sure if the dog REALLY wanted to go, but he was taken anyway. I think Dean ended up dead. Just glad dog was not taken on that flight. Then he'd no longer be a hero but a dog-killer. Anyway, fly on Patrick & happy skies ☀️
House of Solomon are you a skydiver/BASE or pilot in anyways mate? Yeah, as mentioned, it still comes up on my recommended videos at times Dwains death where Jeb went low and Dwain went above the Royal George Bridge (which is just needed to be removed from any media due to the sheer brutality of it), but not sure where you’re from, I’m from Aus, was based in Sydney when I started, I was not only the youngest jumper at our DZ for many years (average ages 50’s and 60’s professionals were my jump buddies), but I was also the youngest camera man for tandems at 18/19, then the youngest jumper to be doing tandem jumps, and the only reason people didn’t freak out thinking some 20YO is taking me whaaat was because I had huge chops and a goatee, so it helped me look a little older haha First BASE at 19 was from a hot air ballon at 4000feet with my skydiving rig, and I say base because a low altitude jump and dump from a little plane you’re at terminal velocity in less then three seconds, where from a ballon, it’s like that moment where you jumped on a trampoline as a kid and as you floated for a second before you came back down, so it was a huge surprise two have taken a full 10-12 seconds before I was able to deploy, so at a 4000ft jump, I couldn’t deploy until about 2500, which was one two to three seconds max from my Cyprus deploying my reserve and causing an AAD fire, so that was an eye opener! As I mentioned, I was going to the DZ every weekend , keen, listened to all advice the veterans would bless me with, because in all reality I was still only a kid really, so when I kid my dues, people were able to recognise my enthusiasm, I had so many mentors to help me advance, men, woman, old, young (45 haha) because in a comment you made, every man (and his dog) wants to fly wing suits, and the problem that lays there is people are cutting corners! It’s a complete different ball game dumping from a plane compared to a mountain, so having no BASE experience cuts these young bloods out to impress their mates and UA-cam by cutting their skills by way less then half! Having the right BASE skills teaches you why you do NOT doing a effin inverted backflip (reverse gainer) into the clouds with a mountain directly under you! You need a few seconds for your suit to inflate and gain control of it and begin taking control of enau is essentially an aircraft, and that was just a bad move from the beginning! At least a tracking suit (which I prefer) over a wing suit has that advantage where you’re immediately tracking, not needing extreme altitude to allow the imperative to inflate and twoemcomtrol’ so when you tuck your entire body in, closing off all cells to your wig suit,’three or four seconds doing a manoeuvre like that as you mentioned a tragedy waiting to happen! Not sure your skills or just an avid enthusiast in the sport, but Dwain (who hit the bridge in Colorado with Jeb) was good mates with my mate Jimmy Freeman. Our mutual friends helped us to connect and helped me learn from the best! There were no schools back then like Douggs, Dash, and so ok, so I had to use other people’s gear and start from scratch! Mostly PCA’s, most of our jumps were up the mountains, as I progressed I stepped it up, and started doing bridges, buildings, got arrested are times, but it comes with this risks you’re willing to take! If he were alive today he (Jimmy) would be number one in the world! He was jumping and pioneering the sport long before Jeb Corless entered the sport! He was a huge advocate here in Aus trying his very hardest to have it decriminalised, and have the support from authorise to go to certain secluded areas and jump, and if we needed help because of an injury etc we could receive it willing from the authorities, but they didn’t want to play that game! I could almost bet the farm that Jimmy being passed ten years now could potentially have more jumps under him then Jeb, and the difference in these two athletes was jimmy just wanted to BASE jump, he never tried ridiculous shit like flying through cracks in caves not much bigger then himself! He was quietly spoken, extremely skilled, was happy to spend hours with you teaching you and explaining to you this or that, but I can tell you now, he’d be mortified to see how the sport has directed into such a 50/50 life or death sport! It’s sad because like I said, cutting corners only makes the pilot themselves more at risk, and for what? Cutting a year off your training and jumps? If jimmy can die, being possibly one of thee greatest BASE jumpers of all time STILL can lose his life at a popular site we jumped from in the Blue mountains, some cashed up kid who can afford to go all out and be wing suit flying within a year it’s killing not just a sport to us, but our lifestyle! Our passion! Our drive to keep pushing to new limits, advancing technology, so over the last five years fatalities had risen big time! But the most insane craziest thing is, last year more then three times the number of BASE and wing suit pilots deaths globally were from people in the US being killed from using their phones and driving! Killing them selves, other motorists, pedestrians etc, it’s just a touchy subject, hence why I shut my page down at 60,000 followers give or take, because it only took one comment to spark a thread of hate, anger and even threats! One person commented one day that ‘they hope I die in front of my children so they grow up without a father and have to live with that the rest of their lives’! Wtf? Who would enter wish that upon anybody? All because I had my young fella up gliding which is extremely safe in comparison to BASE jumping or wing suit flying! Some vile piece of shit who has no knowledge of the any of the these sports had the audacity to make such a statement! And it’s always people who know absolutely zero about these sports who have the biggest and most wise opinions, and I’d never take a four yeah old child skydiving let alone BASE jumping! If you’ve experienced paragliding, it’s relatively tame, until (like me) takes it up a notch and learns to speed fly and acro, and proximity fly on a speed wing, but I just use my favourite wing with him, he’s so light and same as my 11 year old step daughter, I don’t use my tandem wing with them because they’re so light using my tandem wing is too strong for their weight. I am very diligent when flying with my kids! I make them wear face marks until we’ve launched to protect their faces, they understand why because several of our fly sites draws a lot of tourists who have their camera and phones ready to start filming us, which I don’t mind, but when it comes to filming us, I don’t want my kids faces all over Facebook and UA-cam where I see a few Pilots use their kids to get likes and followers which I simply don’t agree with, but that’s their decision and choices, I’m overly protective of my kids and their anonymity on social media, and after that comment I closed my page down because it started a huge threat where for some reason, people fed off the last comments opposed to the facts! I’d NEVER put my children’s lives at risk, but I want them to be a part of something special, and my little 4YO co- pilot takes the brakes and even though he’s not strong enough to fully flare, he has the basic fundamentals down and I just armchair in good winds and let him take over, my 11YO step daughter is more about the ride, she’s slowly getting more confident and is slowly taking control, but she needs my hands there with her to help her feel safe, and as I said, I’d never put their lives at risk! I am a good pilot, I’ve been flying for over 20 years, I’m 38, started when I was 17, and took all the advice given to me any chance I could get! Sorry for such a long reply, I use talk to text so it tends to get away from me, but last point I wish to make, firstly thank you for your kind words and also sharing your experiences and knowledge with me, I get so wound up and excited just talking about it, so I’d love to hear your experiences, highs, lows, mals, where you’re from? I have skydived and BASE jumped all over the world, so I’ve met some incredible people along the way, so conversation like this is always great over a beer, but for now you’ll just have to put up with my long wonder ramblings haha Blue skies my brother 👊🏼
@@patrickswayze2596 Hey bro- Thanks for the well considered reply. I gave up jumping after seeing some unhappy situations unfold before me. Don't really like going into all the details and re-living them... fortunate I'm relatively resistant to ptsd. Did see one hot-air balloon misstep where a lady's shin got wrapped up in an anchor line and was skinned badly knee to ankle. Like, real bad : ( But I heard after skin grafts n recovery time she's 'back in the basket' 👍 But I get it. I get the challenge, the plain excitement. So now I'm more of a "couch-flyer" lol. With technology, thank God I can now view so much amazing footage whilst enjoying a pipe or cup of tea! Have to admit I envy your tiny flying partner. Hey if he can handle the togg.'s, more power to 'im. Flaring skills to follow with physical growth lol. My only hot air balloon was while in E. Africa photo trip. Got to fly w/minimal burner due to perfect winds - quiet. Could hear wildebeests below. Really cool you started so young. My only "flying young" story was when I took the yoke of a Piper 6-seater over from the pilot (Honduras) at the age of 6. That was a fkn blast btw. I was hooked. That's just awful someone would say they wanted bad things upon you like an early death, leaving behind kids... Whatever could possess someone to write those words? No wonder you shut down your page/channel - & the 60K sub's you had are testimony to the interest in the sport. All this interest generated via numerous platforms (instant worldwide access)has implications. As in, "Here come the dummies..." This is evidenced right here. UA-cam. That's right - you don't have to go far at all to see some very 'questionable' decisions played out. I've seen irreverent comments referring to wingsuiters/terrain/proximity dudes as 'meat-baggers', and so forth. But these guys were living their dreams!! Sounds like sour grapes to me or jealousy smh. I do ponder the psychology of daredevils tho. There's a fella named Jim Bailey (NZ I think...) who merits study. He had an incredible routine that actually didn't pan out well... worth checking out. I'm a Yankee, mate. But AU is a place I HAVE to check out. Many skilled brave flyers there for sure. Later bro. Keep that high-flyin mini-me on those toggles, hard. Fair winds good sir 🍻
@@patrickswayze2596 I've been thinking about Jed Corliss. As a track & wingsuit expert, he was highly experienced and knowledgable regarding aerodynamic principles, as well as the importance of wind direction and speed. Ok... we have now established his level of comprehension and expertise in these areas. I saw his Table Mountain crash. I was like, "What the hell, man!?!" I was utterly confounded as to how he could have let this happen. I know his target was a black balloon filled with helium. Okay, that's fine. Except that he attached the balloon to a string. Here's the problem: A string was a very very poor choice. Why he didn't choose a rigid item that would hold the balloon in the correct position is beyond me. Like a thin plastic or thin wooden dowel. I'm just using my wild crazy imagination here... I just can't wrap my head around his thought process. So what happened was the black balloon on a string (smh) was bobbing and wagging around like a whirling dervish... Jed had classic 'target focus' on the ballon, which at the moment was pinned down on a rock. Jed aimed for the balloon and hit it really hard. BUT it was actually a balloon/rock ledge combo!! He lived but sustained serious injury. He lived to fly again, thanks to the angels. I'm bet he's more attentive to crucial details now. Cool Pat, just thought I'd share some random Jed Corliss thoughts your way. Blue skies and fair winds bro 🍻
Zinedine after 20 plus years I’ve lost count of how many mates and loved ones I’ve lost due to the nature of these sports, however, it you want to put yourself into a situation where there is high risk involved, and aren’t prepared, mentally, equipments, emotionally and physically, then you are at a much higher risk then others in any form of life I guess, however, we don’t expect everybody to understand why we do what we do, but sometimes just a mutual respect of choices is enough to stop such heated debates on UA-cam where every keyboard hero has an opinion... Be well my friend 👍🏻
Great video James. I hope you stay alive and healthy for your children. I also shattered my femur. They say it’s the strongest bone in the human body. I shattered mine into a thousand pieces. No more heights for me. It has changed my life and ruined my sporting life. I wish I had the hardware taken out. Too late ossification sets in, too risky now. I’m glad you chose to hang it up. Being a great parent will bring you more joy than any jump
hi. I broke my other femur in 1992. Had the hardware removed on the first break which was just a fracture - not displaced - but the rod was too long and impinging on my hip joint...it was achey too. the rod is still in my leg of my more recent femur break in 2005 and causing no problems. I’m lucky in that regard I guess. when did you break your femur and how?
Watching you gents ground launch gave me heartburn. You dudes were loose back in the day… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Best of luck to you. What a long, strange trip it has been.
Wow, that brought back memories, I remember shootind that Perris Valley footage Fun times! Thanks for the film credits , sad part is, I remember over half of those deaths ! Great edit, and Good luck with yoru future endevors!
Thanks for sharing! As I turned 18, I decided to go AFF, I knew couple of guys doing BASE, but I wouldn't do that anyway. Then got busy and didn't start AFF, then forgot it. Recently was thinking about this idea again, but something in it was scary for me. During one year, 3 guys who I knew died from BASE, including legend Valeriy Rozov. I started to analyze what attracts me in skydiving/base jumping and I realized that it is flying. So I started directly with paragliding now, doing my first 2-hour soaring flights in very beautiful places. You can make PG meditative, you can make it proximity flights, speedflying, cross country, acro, tandem, almost everything. Not the safest sport still, but the emotions for the price of risk seem to be reasonable.
May 4th will be 15 years of BASE for me. I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 3 month old. I have a funeral to go to tomorrow for a BASE jumping buddy who went in. I'm planning on jumping the 4th of May, calling it 15 years and hanging up the nylon. Then passing all the lessons I've learned in this crazy life to my kids. This video definitely resonates with me.
@@andycopland3179 congratulations on the family and figuring out there's more to life...you're kids will have a dad around to share life with them and they will be that much wiser from all your life stories! Goodonya!
Nice documentary JJ... The guy at 1:50 was clearly not ready to do his first BASE jump. Poor head down exit, inability to become stable in free fall, and extremely lucky to be alive. I too have had friends sustain serious injuries, friends who have died in our sport, and believe me identifying the body of one of my close friends is not what i signed up for (RIP BASE #2016), yet i still BASE jump.
Very cool video. I love watching and learning about the early days of BASE, though I have no interest in trying it myself. Teem's Friday Freakout vids ignited an interest in skydiving for me. I've gone and done the tandem jump but my wife says "No more" hah! It's frustrating but with six children I have to respect where she is coming from. Hopefully someday I'll be able to jump with my children. Thanks for the upload and I'll be sure to check out the podcast.
Sad that Lori Barr's husband witnessed her death there : ( Also sad that the jumper insisted on that reverse-gainer... good lord then being 20' away from wingsuit / bridge impact of idol! Hope none of the fatalities left behind kids.
I believe Tore Lillebostad had kids...everyone else was a ambitious under 30 life adventurer. Greg Hunter was in his mid 40s and not sure if he had any kids...
The addiction is really strong. I once made the wise decision to stop base jumping. After a year or so, I was proposed to jump from a bridge in Mexico. It could not go wrong, so I did 7 jumps there. And so I found myself few months later on the easiest exit, in Arco Italy. I could not track as I used to when I jumped regularly, so I try to jump as much as possible. I did a packing mistake. Ended up in hospital, my left arm is broken for life. It's been a year now, the arm almost works but is limited in motion and strengh. I find myself sometimes walking and imagining I'm on the edge, and I jump. The addiction is so strong. I would never experience such a rush. How long will I manage not to jump again?
Yeah man! Both femurs, collarbone, all the ribs front and back on my right side, scapula, 2 fingers and a toe, 2 comas - 19 and 5 days and knocked out once, only 12 surgeries…I’m coming out of retirement someday if I’m still alive 😃
Wow, what a thrilling, touching and yet heart breaking video. You guys have balls of steel. Just one thing Jim, we most certainly do not reside on a 'gravitational planet' straight up, look into it, you'll see. Take care out there bro. Peace!
some day...some day. First I'm going to do a podcast series on This is a True Story with Scott Davidson. I've got a ton of BASE stories...Stay tuned....
@@jimjenningsmpa1 Awesome (I don't base jump at all, only 2 sky dives) but I live 5 minutes away from the Foresthill Bridge, and have a friend that has jumped it 10 or so times. I've been a proponent that instead of illegal, it should be permitted and allowed. It would increase tourism to the area and by permitting the fee would raise money for the inevitable extractions. But at least jail or massive fines isn't the way like now. Also...here's your documentary title. Base Jumpers Rarely Grow Old.
Nice. I’ve got about 50 jumps off the bridge. Got busted once and it cost me $1000 for the fine and attorney. It used to be way easier to get on and off forest hill but since the retrofit it ain’t easy. I retired from BASE about 20 years ago - I had some good times but the death was just too much and I chose self preservation instead 🤣
so yeah oddly enough i have not really considered trying base jumping to me skydiving looks well safer and more fun then base jumping and yeah i mean i do keep hearing how base jumping can be really safe but then its like after watching this i am questioning that a bit. however skydiving seems like its as safe as ever to get into right now. at least that is my impreession.
It’s a buzz for sure. Becomes a way of life - super high highs but lows as low as you can go… Turkey looks awesome! Would love to fly there. Just moved to New Orleans so looking to get into the lively PPG scene here and going to Utah for paragliding and taking up sail plane too. Gotta keep the flying dream alive :) Be well and have fun!
HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL WING SUIT GLIDER PILOT IN MY BEST OPINION: If you are going to do this everything has to be just right. First make sure to wear your best clean underwear. Just in case you are brought to a hospital. Next is the suit. Make sure it is the correct model for your weight and gender. Eat lite that morning. Heavy food will affect your glide. Next, pack your chute yourself. Make sure to use the correct tallow on the chute cords so friction is reduced. Friction builds heat. Heat can melt the cord ends from the canopy. Make sure every chord is attached properly to the canopy. The chute itself should be properly sewn. The seams must run along the bias. Of course, all these things must be securely affixed to the pack. The pack straps must be strong but not made of metal. Knitted Nylon straps with plastic buckles are best. Make sure all 32 buckles are fastened before you jump. Then we must consider the wing suit. Do not make this yourself. Get a proper wing suit from a professional maker that uses their product themselves. Buy the optional wrist altimeter and ankle airspeed indicator. If you jump in winter you may want a heated pitot model. Also, deicing equipment might be considered for your wing leading edges. In fact, buy a second hand wing suit if you can because that way it has been tested. However, do not buy a used wing suit from a fat man or a fat woman because they may have overstressed it during their jumps. The suit should be crisp and starched to help support your arms. Most jumpers do not flap their arms but flapping is permissible in an emergency or to extend your flight. I am getting ahead of myself because there is much more prep needed before you jump. Wear gliding boots. If you do not know about gliding boots then you must not be in this sport. Do not use 'cheap' gliding boots. Buy the most expensive pair that you can afford. Now make sure your gliding wing suit has the aerodynamic lifting vanes from the collar to the wing edges. 12 vanes are preferred but more might be appropriate. Smear fresh butter inside each vane on every surface of each cavity. Use your fingers to avoid missing any spots, also to avoid snags. Now check the nylon rods. Each rod must be completely embedded into it's channel and stiched up tight! Count to be sure that you have 13 rods in each wing. 26 rods in total. If you weigh more than 183 pounds add 2 extra rods to each wing. That is, have a professional add them. Make sure that all stitching is adequate and not fraid. Your pants, shirt and socks should be made of fine silk. Silk slides through the air best. Silk is slick. Find a cliff base at least 1,000 meters in height. Make sure that the drop off has sides of rock or soil that is well tucked back, not less than 85 degrees to the launch point. Have someone you trust help you dress and suit up. Once you are dressed make sure to use the facilities before donning your gliding suit. Unlike a bird you will not be able to poop while flying. Now put on your suit and check and recheck every buckel. Adjust your straps tight but not so tight as to hinder your arms. Wave your arms up and down creating claps above your head to test your free arm movement. Put on your gliding gloves after lacing up your gliding boots. Wax your face with cannuba wax. Use the good kind from AutoZone. Hopefully you were well groomed before suiting up. Hopefully you remembered to use a deodorant. Now put on your helmet and make sure your goggles are clean. Now walk to the jump spot. Someone can begin filming now. It is best to walk little baby steps up to the edge. Control your fear. The worse thing you can imagine seldom happens, so don't think about that. Once you jump build up velocity until you reach the best flying speed. It is important to maintain your flying speed lest the ground arise and smite thee! Check that your rip chord is where it is supposed to be. They are called rip chords because if they fail you will "Rest In Peace". The rip chord handle should be signal orange for easy spotting during flight. Once you jump go head-first, straight down. Do NOT swan dive. The initial acceleration will be mind boggling. Terminal velocity will come quickly and you will soon be going well over 247 miles per hour. Now (this is most important) you must swoop. Swoop up hard as you can! Yes, the 'G' force will seem incredible but you must swoop up asap. Now extend your wings. Concentrate first on straight and level flight. Watch your wrist altimeter to make sure you do not fly below 300 feet above ground level. Use your ankle supported airspeed pitot system to maintain flying speed. Do not slow below 100 mph or equivalent kph. If you get too slow or too low you must open your chute without hesitation. Once your airspeed and altitude bleed down swoop up into a climb. Just before you stall pull your rip chord. Now look for a suitable landing area. Pick a spot near a concession area so you might refresh yourself before your crew arrives to take you home. If you are gentle with your suit and equipment you might easily get 43 jumps out of it minus however many jumps were made by others in it before you acquired it. Do not exceed 43 jumps total or the suit may fail. It will prove fatal if the suit fails. Also, use fresh underwear for each successful jump. For unsuccessful jumps it will not matter.
Grant them Eternal Rest Dear Jesus 🙏 Blessings on your family, and something my Dad used to tell me might fit in here, Son if you are going to be Dumb, You have to be Tough 🤔 Looks like you are making some good decisions, and you got a wealth of Life to share with the little one's 😉 Don't Grow tired of doing Good 🙏 God Wins Biggly 💪🙏 Viva Cristo Rey 🙏
Hi Jim, this is my favorite video every two three months I come again yo rewatch it. Someday I want to be a base jumper. Is there any way to talk with you? Like an email or something?
yeah. hit me up on IG or FB chat anytime. or email me at jimjenningsmpa@yahoo.com. I'm in the beginning stages of starting a podcast called adventure athlete diaries :)
I’m a little alarmed by watching the chiropractor working on you. It looks rather rough. I’m interested that you are taking up sailplane flying. I have many hours of this beautiful form of flight and although I have stopped flying now due to age I think flying sailplanes cross country for hours is the ultimate. It’s a long apprenticeship to be experienced for this, good luck with it I hope you persevere and can become immersed in the long flights.
Hey weallmakechoices! I’ve been seeing chiropractors for 35 years and the guy in my video is the best one I’ve ever had. I’ve broken 22 bones and without the movements provided by chiropractors I’d be very uncomfortable. When I go with adjustments it gets painful. Have you ever tried chiropractics? Last weekend I finally got on a PPG and I’m going to buy one 😃 Ordering it today! My last sailplane flight ended with my instructor choosing a beach to land out on and we didn’t see the barbed wire fence we went thru until it was too late. If you want to see the aftermath - let me know. It’s crazy how it all turned out. Send me an email at jimjenningsmpa@gmail.com
Hey Jim! Great cut and explanation of the sport back then. I just don't get how you could be there for so many accidents. Where you jumping in big groups? Also, I wonder what year It was you were jumping. I'm jumping myself for 6 years now and the numbers are very different. Cheers!
1998-2003 was my BASE career. I didn’t see a death until 3.5 years into it. Death in base comes in waves. 2016 was the worst as you know. I Made 729 BASE jumps in my time and it was the Time of my life. It’s all different now but I will return someday :-D
My skydiving career fizzled out almost 20 years ago. Paragliding took over for me and have been able to fly almost every day in San Francisco Bay Area since I stopped skydiving. Reward for effort is much greater although I will be back to skydiving when convenient 😃
Well, I if I was jumping I would make sure that this guy was no where near me. If fact, I am quite glad I am no where near him now, he seems like a jinx.
The worst part is, BASE seems to kill off the fittest, most courageous, most competent at the height of their powers.
Yep. I think the problem is, that people tend to take more risks the more experienced they get. Usual exits become boring, so it has to be a double gainer which already adds to the general risk.
Mario another thing we need to add to this conversation is, now that wing suit piloting has become every lounge chairs dream, people are cutting corners!
There is a HUGE difference between jumping from a plane in a wing suit then a mountain!
BASE skills and proper training in BASE jumping will help this, but sadly, wayyy too many people are cutting corners just so they can be ‘the man’ to their mates and be another UA-cam hero!
I’ve been jumping for over 20 years, starting at 17, BASE at 20, paragliding about 12 years ago, I also came from a family of aviation, so I was flying planes before I was legally able to drive, and I still do, I love it, and will never stop, and the only thing that has slowed me down and reassess my risk evaluation is the fact I have a family now, two step daughters, one son, and a joint child, and I am supported 100% of the way!
I don’t skydive or BASE jump as frequently as I used to, but paragliding has been a huge part of my life, and I was lucky enough about five years ago to make an offer on a small Cessna 208 Caravan that was damaged due to a poor landing, I got it cheap, had mates who are maintenance at my local airport so it didn’t take a lot of time or money to repair it, but being a caravan we pumped it out from a 9 seater to a six seater with some personal luxuries inside it, and although fuel is the most expensive part of running an aeroplane, we go flying as a family at least once a month, and two of my kids glide with me quite frequently as I fly pretty much every day!
I have watched too many mates and loved ones lose their lives to this sport and lifestyle, and even with the support from my family, I have taken it down a huge step!
Doing an inverted backflip (double gainer) at that altitude when it takes three seconds for your wing suit to inflate was pretty much ‘hey guys, wanna see me die’!
It’s all about calculated risk, and I won’t and never have done a jump I don’t feel safe or comfortable doing, even before I had kids!
The fatality rate is climbing for one simple reason!,, people are cutting corners and jumping well beyond their capabilities!
It took me 20 plus years to earn where I am today, but so many millennials want it now, and don’t have the patience let alone skills to pull off ebay they’re attempting!
I’ve flown all over the world, D licences jumper, over 5000 recoded jumps, can’t even tell you how many BASE jumps and tracking suit or wing suit jumps either? But my point is even at 36, I was the youngest jumper there at my local DZ, for many years in fact, and I embraced that!
You need to learn to walk before you fly, and sadly we’re losing so many pilots because they simply don’t want to put the effort and energy in to learning how to fly properly!
Jumping from a plane, being certified doesn’t give you ANY proximity or BASE skills needed to do so, and it’s destroying our sport which was once a dying sport simply due to the fact the average jumper was in their 50’s/60’s and so many people came, did their AFF then never came back!
Like I said, learn to walk before you fly, there are so many great BASE schools now! Douggs, LTBJ, Mike’s above with Miles Daisher, and so on, so if you want to excel and evolve as a pilot, learn to be patient and take one step at a time, it could potentially save yours or another persons life one day!...
Blue skies people 👍🏻
Mm, narcissism sure is addictive isn't it? I'd suggest grounding oneself and learning to see the beauty in everyday life, but I think such words are generally wasted on the glory seekers in this world. Pity?..
Jim Jennings
Thank you for sharing your story! It is very similar to mine, injuries, lost many friends along the way, and I don really get to skydive much anymore, but paragliding saved my life after a near life ending and disabling injury I sustained, so discovering paragliding is my whole world!
Blue skies brother ✌️
Wait...is this Don Swayze - Patrick’s brother??? Anne and Jakey told me stories about you...
I was one of the first people to build and fly hang gliders starting in 1971. During those first few years when we were all learning what worked and what didn't I lost a lot of good friends to the sport. By the late 70s I had given up the sport. It appeared to me that if you did it long enough sooner or later you'd bite the dust. So I quit while I was ahead. However last year I got back in a modern training hang glider and took some small flights off a sand dune. It's like swimming. You never forget how to do it. I really enjoyed it. I've seen too many videos of paragliders just folding up and looking like a bag of laundry to ever want to try that. I always like the rigid framework of a hang glider. It won't collapse in a down draft.
No frame…no brain ;-)
This brings back memories. In 1977, I was 17 years old and began skydiving. By today’s standards, with AFF and modern technology, it was a primitive time. I had a military style chest-mount, and was jumping a military surplus round parachute. One of my classmates on his first jump incurred a compound fracture of his Femur. So much for the “plf”.
I continued. Bought a Paracommander and started jumping that, when squares were relatively new.
Watched another female jumper die before my eyes. She was 19.
On my 100th jump, I had graduated to a “Strato-Flyer” 5-cell square. 3-ring circuses has not been invented yet. At 500 feet, one riser detached from the harness as I spiraled down. I couldn’t cut away at that altitude, and I couldn’t dump the reserve into the flapping 2 cells that remained open (the slider saved me). I hit the concrete taxiway and broke my pelvis, my foot, and compound fractured my left elbow. I was wearing a hard “Bell” motorcycle helmet. It saved my life. The impact crushed the helmetbut saved my skull. I know without that, I wouldn’t be writing this now. 40 years later.
I went on to make about 50 more jumps, then commenced a military flying and commercial aviation career, and started a family. Then I hung it up.
And now, at age 59, I cannot stop watching skydiving videos and think about how if I’d continued, and lived, I might now be considered one of he pioneers of modern skydiving.
Yet, since that is not the case, I think every day now of going to my local drop zone and signing up for a beginner A-licence AFF course.
...and when I do, all those memories come back. And yet, I still dream of freefalling.
Hey Nick! How can I contact you privately? Would love to talk to you...JJ
Mad story man... you should do it, start again!
Jim Jennings Hi JJ: jetnick@sbcglobal.net
If my kid wants to learn...I’ll come out of retirement!
did you ever go for your aff?
rip the base jumping dudes. i hope u have a happy life dude and great documentary. Idk why yt recommended me this 6 yrs later hmm
And chick.
Your mentor was an absolute legend. Dwain Weston is the gnarliest base jumper of all time.
Agreed. DW was in his own league
I spend more time under my paragliding wing these days after 20 years of skydiving. Started skydiving when I was 17, BASE when I was 20, and sadly Lost many friends along the way.
This has never deterred me from any of my passions when it comes to adrenaline and flight based sports, but paragliding and acro and speed gliding has consumed me more so then BASE, and with three kids at 37, I don’t take nearly as much risk as I did when I was younger.
Rest well Dwain, he was good mates with my good mates and one of the first guys I ever BASE jumped with here in Australia.
Great guy, great pilot, and sadly that bridge impact (with Jen Corless going under as Dwain attempted to go over the bridge) really was the worst recorded BASE death in history, in front of so many friends and family, truly a sad day for the BASE/wing suit community, and skydiving community as a whole!
My 4 and 11 year year old love to come flying with me, and I love having them up gliding with them, it beings both myself and my kids so much joy and fun when get to fly out favourite fly site here on the east coast if Australia.
Thanks for sharing your experiences 👍🏻
Patrick sorry for the loss of your friends. This was a sobering look at hi-risk hobbies - so sad that Lori Barr's husband witnessed her death firsthand. Awful! And being 20' from that Ghastly wingsuit / bridge impact would cast doubt into anyone's mind as to the 'sustainability' of the sport. Seems so amazing and thrilling, challenging etc... until it turns into a body recovery and notifying loved ones.
The one gentleman who insisted on that reverse-gainer certainly must have been frustrating for his friends to witness that death. That's so cool that you fly with your 4 year old tho. The look on his little face as you zoom and fly around must be worth any risk. He's a lucky kid to have you as a dad.
Dean potter flew with his dog. Not sure if the dog REALLY wanted to go, but he was taken anyway. I think Dean ended up dead. Just glad dog was not taken on that flight. Then he'd no longer be a hero but a dog-killer.
Anyway, fly on Patrick & happy skies ☀️
House of Solomon are you a skydiver/BASE or pilot in anyways mate?
Yeah, as mentioned, it still comes up on my recommended videos at times Dwains death where Jeb went low and Dwain went above the Royal George Bridge (which is just needed to be removed from any media due to the sheer brutality of it), but not sure where you’re from, I’m from Aus, was based in Sydney when I started, I was not only the youngest jumper at our DZ for many years (average ages 50’s and 60’s professionals were my jump buddies), but I was also the youngest camera man for tandems at 18/19, then the youngest jumper to be doing tandem jumps, and the only reason people didn’t freak out thinking some 20YO is taking me whaaat was because I had huge chops and a goatee, so it helped me look a little older haha
First BASE at 19 was from a hot air ballon at 4000feet with my skydiving rig, and I say base because a low altitude jump and dump from a little plane you’re at terminal velocity in less then three seconds, where from a ballon, it’s like that moment where you jumped on a trampoline as a kid and as you floated for a second before you came back down, so it was a huge surprise two have taken a full 10-12 seconds before I was able to deploy, so at a 4000ft jump, I couldn’t deploy until about 2500, which was one two to three seconds max from my Cyprus deploying my reserve and causing an AAD fire, so that was an eye opener!
As I mentioned, I was going to the DZ every weekend , keen, listened to all advice the veterans would bless me with, because in all reality I was still only a kid really, so when I kid my dues, people were able to recognise my enthusiasm, I had so many mentors to help me advance, men, woman, old, young (45 haha) because in a comment you made, every man (and his dog) wants to fly wing suits, and the problem that lays there is people are cutting corners!
It’s a complete different ball game dumping from a plane compared to a mountain, so having no BASE experience cuts these young bloods out to impress their mates and UA-cam by cutting their skills by way less then half!
Having the right BASE skills teaches you why you do NOT doing a effin inverted backflip (reverse gainer) into the clouds with a mountain directly under you! You need a few seconds for your suit to inflate and gain control of it and begin taking control of enau is essentially an aircraft, and that was just a bad move from the beginning! At least a tracking suit (which I prefer) over a wing suit has that advantage where you’re immediately tracking, not needing extreme altitude to allow the imperative to inflate and twoemcomtrol’ so when you tuck your entire body in, closing off all cells to your wig suit,’three or four seconds doing a manoeuvre like that as you mentioned a tragedy waiting to happen!
Not sure your skills or just an avid enthusiast in the sport, but Dwain (who hit the bridge in Colorado with Jeb)
was good mates with my mate Jimmy Freeman. Our mutual friends helped
us to connect and helped me learn from the best! There were no schools back then like Douggs, Dash, and so ok, so I had to use other people’s gear and start from scratch! Mostly PCA’s, most of our jumps were up the mountains, as I progressed I stepped it up, and started doing bridges, buildings, got arrested are times, but it comes with this risks you’re willing to take!
If he were alive today he (Jimmy)
would be number one in the world! He was jumping and pioneering the sport long before Jeb Corless entered the sport! He was a huge advocate here in Aus trying his very hardest to have it decriminalised, and have the support from authorise to go to certain secluded areas and jump, and if we needed help because of an injury etc we could receive it willing from the authorities, but they didn’t want to play that game! I could almost bet the farm that Jimmy being passed ten years now could potentially have more jumps under him then Jeb, and the difference in these two athletes was jimmy just wanted to BASE jump, he never tried ridiculous shit like flying through cracks in caves not much bigger then himself! He was quietly spoken, extremely skilled, was happy to spend hours with you teaching you and explaining to you this or that, but I can tell you now, he’d be mortified to see how the sport has directed into such a 50/50 life or death sport! It’s sad because like I said, cutting corners only makes the pilot themselves more at risk, and for what? Cutting a year off your training and jumps?
If jimmy can die, being possibly one of thee greatest BASE jumpers of all time STILL can lose his life at a popular site we jumped from in the Blue mountains, some cashed up kid who can afford to go all out and be wing suit flying within a year it’s killing not just a sport to us, but our lifestyle! Our passion! Our drive to keep pushing to new limits, advancing technology, so over the last five years fatalities had risen big time! But the most insane craziest thing is, last year more then three times the number of BASE and wing suit pilots deaths globally were from people in the US being killed from using their phones and driving! Killing them selves, other motorists, pedestrians etc, it’s just a touchy subject, hence why I shut my page down at 60,000 followers give or take, because it only took one comment to spark a thread of hate, anger and even threats!
One person commented one day that ‘they hope I die in front of my children so they grow up without a father and have to live with that the rest of their lives’! Wtf?
Who would enter wish that upon anybody?
All because I had my young fella up gliding which is extremely safe in comparison to BASE jumping or wing suit flying!
Some vile piece of shit who has no knowledge of the any of the these sports had the audacity to make such a statement! And it’s always people who know absolutely zero about these sports who have the biggest and most wise opinions, and I’d never take a four yeah old child skydiving let alone BASE jumping!
If you’ve experienced paragliding, it’s relatively tame, until (like me) takes it up a notch and learns to speed fly and acro, and proximity fly on a speed wing, but I just use my favourite wing with him, he’s so light and same as my 11 year old step daughter, I don’t use my tandem wing with them because they’re so light using my tandem wing is too strong for their weight.
I am very diligent when flying with my kids! I make them wear face marks until we’ve launched to protect their faces, they understand why because several of our fly sites draws a lot of tourists who have their camera and phones ready to start filming us, which I don’t mind, but when it comes to filming us, I don’t want my kids faces all over Facebook and UA-cam where I see a few Pilots use their kids to get likes and followers which I simply don’t agree with, but that’s their decision and choices, I’m overly protective of my kids and their anonymity on social media, and after that comment I closed my page down because it started a huge threat where for some reason, people fed off the last comments opposed to the facts!
I’d NEVER put my children’s lives at risk, but I want them to be a part of something special, and my little 4YO co- pilot takes the brakes and even though he’s not strong enough to fully flare, he has the basic fundamentals down and I just armchair in good winds and let him take over, my 11YO step daughter is more about the ride, she’s slowly getting more confident and is slowly taking control, but she needs my hands there with her to help her feel safe, and as I said, I’d never put their lives at risk! I am a good pilot, I’ve been flying for over 20 years, I’m 38, started when I was 17, and took all the advice given to me any chance I could get!
Sorry for such a long reply, I use talk to text so it tends to get away from me, but last point I wish to make, firstly thank you for your kind words and also sharing your experiences and knowledge with me, I get so wound up and excited just talking about it, so I’d love to hear your experiences, highs, lows, mals, where you’re from? I have skydived and BASE jumped all over the world, so I’ve met some incredible people along the way, so conversation like this is always great over a beer, but for now you’ll just have to put up with my long wonder ramblings haha
Blue skies my brother 👊🏼
@@patrickswayze2596 Hey bro- Thanks for the well considered reply. I gave up jumping after seeing some unhappy situations unfold before me. Don't really like going into all the details and re-living them... fortunate I'm relatively resistant to ptsd. Did see one hot-air balloon misstep where a lady's shin got wrapped up in an anchor line and was skinned badly knee to ankle. Like, real bad : ( But I heard after skin grafts n recovery time she's 'back in the basket' 👍
But I get it. I get the challenge, the plain excitement. So now I'm more of a "couch-flyer" lol. With technology, thank God I can now view so much amazing footage whilst enjoying a pipe or cup of tea! Have to admit I envy your tiny flying partner. Hey if he can handle the togg.'s, more power to 'im. Flaring skills to follow with physical growth lol.
My only hot air balloon was while in E. Africa photo trip. Got to fly w/minimal burner due to perfect winds - quiet. Could hear wildebeests below.
Really cool you started so young. My only "flying young" story was when I took the yoke of a Piper 6-seater over from the pilot (Honduras) at the age of 6. That was a fkn blast btw. I was hooked.
That's just awful someone would say they wanted bad things upon you like an early death, leaving behind kids...
Whatever could possess someone to write those words? No wonder you shut down your page/channel - & the 60K sub's you had are testimony to the interest in the sport. All this interest generated via numerous platforms (instant worldwide access)has implications. As in, "Here come the dummies..."
This is evidenced right here. UA-cam. That's right - you don't have to go far at all to see some very 'questionable' decisions played out. I've seen irreverent comments referring to wingsuiters/terrain/proximity dudes as 'meat-baggers', and so forth. But these guys were living their dreams!! Sounds like sour grapes to me or jealousy smh.
I do ponder the psychology of daredevils tho. There's a fella named Jim Bailey (NZ I think...) who merits study. He had an incredible routine that actually didn't pan out well... worth checking out.
I'm a Yankee, mate. But AU is a place I HAVE to check out. Many skilled brave flyers there for sure.
Later bro. Keep that high-flyin mini-me on those toggles, hard.
Fair winds good sir 🍻
@@patrickswayze2596 I've been thinking about Jed Corliss. As a track & wingsuit expert, he was highly experienced and knowledgable regarding aerodynamic principles, as well as the importance of wind direction and speed. Ok... we have now established his level of comprehension and expertise in these areas.
I saw his Table Mountain crash. I was like, "What the hell, man!?!" I was utterly confounded as to how he could have let this happen.
I know his target was a black balloon filled with helium. Okay, that's fine.
Except that he attached the balloon to a string. Here's the problem: A string was a very very poor choice.
Why he didn't choose a rigid item that would hold the balloon in the correct position is beyond me. Like a thin plastic or thin wooden dowel. I'm just using my wild crazy imagination here...
I just can't wrap my head around his thought process.
So what happened was the black balloon on a string (smh) was bobbing and wagging around like a whirling dervish... Jed had classic 'target focus' on the ballon, which at the moment was pinned down on a rock.
Jed aimed for the balloon and hit it really hard. BUT it was actually a balloon/rock ledge combo!!
He lived but sustained serious injury. He lived to fly again, thanks to the angels. I'm bet he's more attentive to crucial details now.
Cool Pat, just thought I'd share some random Jed Corliss thoughts your way.
Blue skies and fair winds bro 🍻
House of Solomon hey brother
Let me read these comments properly so i can respond to them with the focus that they deserve 👍🏻
Chat shortly mate
Best documentary so far, sorry for the losse of your friends
Zinedine after 20 plus years I’ve lost count of how many mates and loved ones I’ve lost due to the nature of these sports, however, it you want to put yourself into a situation where there is high risk involved, and aren’t prepared, mentally, equipments, emotionally and physically, then you are at a much higher risk then others in any form of life I guess, however, we don’t expect everybody to understand why we do what we do, but sometimes just a mutual respect of choices is enough to stop such heated debates on UA-cam where every keyboard hero has an opinion...
Be well my friend 👍🏻
Great video James. I hope you stay alive and healthy for your children. I also shattered my femur. They say it’s the strongest bone in the human body. I shattered mine into a thousand pieces. No more heights for me. It has changed my life and ruined my sporting life. I wish I had the hardware taken out. Too late ossification sets in, too risky now. I’m glad you chose to hang it up. Being a great parent will bring you more joy than any jump
hi. I broke my other femur in 1992. Had the hardware removed on the first break which was just a fracture - not displaced - but the rod was too long and impinging on my hip joint...it was achey too. the rod is still in my leg of my more recent femur break in 2005 and causing no problems. I’m lucky in that regard I guess. when did you break your femur and how?
Thanks for sharing your experiences, base jumping is a risky business .
Now you’re talking, single track dirt biking in the desert.....The Best!
Watching you gents ground launch gave me heartburn. You dudes were loose back in the day… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Best of luck to you. What a long, strange trip it has been.
Wow, that brought back memories, I remember shootind that Perris Valley footage Fun times! Thanks for the film credits , sad part is, I remember over half of those deaths ! Great edit, and Good luck with yoru future endevors!
Thanks for sharing! As I turned 18, I decided to go AFF, I knew couple of guys doing BASE, but I wouldn't do that anyway. Then got busy and didn't start AFF, then forgot it. Recently was thinking about this idea again, but something in it was scary for me. During one year, 3 guys who I knew died from BASE, including legend Valeriy Rozov. I started to analyze what attracts me in skydiving/base jumping and I realized that it is flying. So I started directly with paragliding now, doing my first 2-hour soaring flights in very beautiful places. You can make PG meditative, you can make it proximity flights, speedflying, cross country, acro, tandem, almost everything. Not the safest sport still, but the emotions for the price of risk seem to be reasonable.
I hung out and jumped with Valeriy in Norway, Switzerland and maylasia. Did you know he blew his toe out climbing onto an antennae?? Crazy shit man…
Karin Sako and Michael Nordqvist both should be recognized in the credits for footage used in the film. Changes will be made soon! :-)
May 4th will be 15 years of BASE for me. I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 3 month old.
I have a funeral to go to tomorrow for a BASE jumping buddy who went in.
I'm planning on jumping the 4th of May, calling it 15 years and hanging up the nylon. Then passing all the lessons I've learned in this crazy life to my kids. This video definitely resonates with me.
@@andycopland3179 congratulations on the family and figuring out there's more to life...you're kids will have a dad around to share life with them and they will be that much wiser from all your life stories! Goodonya!
What a great short documentary!
Thanks! It was fun to make from 20 years of footage
Norway looks incredible.
Also your story could easily be a longer vid/documentary into base.
RIP to all the students and colleagues lost.
D.B. Norway is incredible. Wanted to immigrate there but visa ran out before I could find a jobby job job
Nice documentary JJ... The guy at 1:50 was clearly not ready to do his first BASE jump. Poor head down exit, inability to become stable in free fall, and extremely lucky to be alive. I too have had friends sustain serious injuries, friends who have died in our sport, and believe me identifying the body of one of my close friends is not what i signed up for (RIP BASE #2016), yet i still BASE jump.
Why do you still BASE jump?
I`m curious , is there a full movie / documentary ? I would love to see & hear about this in detail. Thank you for sharing this video.
Yo turbo toad! In a few weeks I’m going to be doing a podcast - telling some stories from my BASE Past. Www.truepodstory.com
@@jimjenningsmpa1 eeeey bro I have seen this comment from just a week ago I just want to tell you this is my favorite video ever. This is awesome
Very cool video. I love watching and learning about the early days of BASE, though I have no interest in trying it myself.
Teem's Friday Freakout vids ignited an interest in skydiving for me. I've gone and done the tandem jump but my wife says "No more" hah! It's frustrating but with six children I have to respect where she is coming from. Hopefully someday I'll be able to jump with my children.
Thanks for the upload and I'll be sure to check out the podcast.
NIce job on making it through brotha.
BSBD to all your friends.
I'm bummed I've not seen this before. Well done man .
Thank you for sharing man, really enjoyed this one!
Sad that Lori Barr's husband witnessed her death there : (
Also sad that the jumper insisted on that reverse-gainer... good lord then being 20' away from wingsuit / bridge impact of idol! Hope none of the fatalities left behind kids.
I believe Tore Lillebostad had kids...everyone else was a ambitious under 30 life adventurer. Greg Hunter was in his mid 40s and not sure if he had any kids...
So sad and they all will be missed ...
Nice film, scary experiences and good conclusions. Best wishes!
The addiction is really strong. I once made the wise decision to stop base jumping. After a year or so, I was proposed to jump from a bridge in Mexico. It could not go wrong, so I did 7 jumps there.
And so I found myself few months later on the easiest exit, in Arco Italy. I could not track as I used to when I jumped regularly, so I try to jump as much as possible. I did a packing mistake. Ended up in hospital, my left arm is broken for life. It's been a year now, the arm almost works but is limited in motion and strengh.
I find myself sometimes walking and imagining I'm on the edge, and I jump. The addiction is so strong. I would never experience such a rush. How long will I manage not to jump again?
It’s been 18+ years for me :)
Bridge day seems safe
I wanna write this movie, this is insanely inspiring yet so sadly terrifying.
I’m planning to write a book from some of these experiences someday, and who knows maybe a movie will follow :)
Incredible...
24 broken bones, 23 surgeries, i've slowed down, but i still can't help myself
Yeah man! Both femurs, collarbone, all the ribs front and back on my right side, scapula, 2 fingers and a toe, 2 comas - 19 and 5 days and knocked out once, only 12 surgeries…I’m coming out of retirement someday if I’m still alive 😃
Okay. Dude. The guy recording and laughing at the ground launching had me dying laughing. 🤣 lmfao
Forgot his name but he was a classic Japanese dude - he had great commentary
Wow, what a thrilling, touching and yet heart breaking video. You guys have balls of steel. Just one thing Jim, we most certainly do not reside on a 'gravitational planet' straight up, look into it, you'll see. Take care out there bro. Peace!
Not sure what you mean...there is gravity here on earth...right?
Thank you for the video
1:52 holly shit, crazy zero controll, maybe a littel more skydive jumps would help
Get yourself an Ozone Rapidos 8m... And NEVER look back... 'Nuff said!!!...
Like the way you handle all, inspiring 💙
You could easily turn this story into a full documentary. Thanks for 8:33 into your life.
some day...some day. First I'm going to do a podcast series on This is a True Story with Scott Davidson. I've got a ton of BASE stories...Stay tuned....
@@jimjenningsmpa1 Awesome (I don't base jump at all, only 2 sky dives) but I live 5 minutes away from the Foresthill Bridge, and have a friend that has jumped it 10 or so times. I've been a proponent that instead of illegal, it should be permitted and allowed. It would increase tourism to the area and by permitting the fee would raise money for the inevitable extractions. But at least jail or massive fines isn't the way like now.
Also...here's your documentary title. Base Jumpers Rarely Grow Old.
Nice. I’ve got about 50 jumps off the bridge. Got busted once and it cost me $1000 for the fine and attorney. It used to be way easier to get on and off forest hill but since the retrofit it ain’t easy. I retired from BASE about 20 years ago - I had some good times but the death was just too much and I chose self preservation instead 🤣
so yeah oddly enough i have not really considered trying base jumping to me skydiving looks well safer and more fun then base jumping and yeah i mean i do keep hearing how base jumping can be really safe but then its like after watching this i am questioning that a bit. however skydiving seems like its as safe as ever to get into right now. at least that is my impreession.
Both skydiving and BASE jumping are as safe as you want them to be ;-)
Nice. Great vid, man.
Brilliant mate really enjoyed your story 👍
Thanks! I’m gearing up to do some podcasts about BASE life and free flying here:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-a-true-story/id1548625406
@@jimjenningsmpa1 you’ve got some big big balls mate! Done paragliding in turkey 🇹🇷 but to do that must be such a buzz.😳
It’s a buzz for sure. Becomes a way of life - super high highs but lows as low as you can go…
Turkey looks awesome! Would love to fly there. Just moved to New Orleans so looking to get into the lively PPG scene here and going to Utah for paragliding and taking up sail plane too. Gotta keep the flying dream alive :)
Be well and have fun!
Very cool!!
HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL WING SUIT GLIDER PILOT IN MY BEST OPINION: If you are going to do this everything has to be just right. First make sure to wear your best clean underwear. Just in case you are brought to a hospital. Next is the suit. Make sure it is the correct model for your weight and gender. Eat lite that morning. Heavy food will affect your glide. Next, pack your chute yourself. Make sure to use the correct tallow on the chute cords so friction is reduced. Friction builds heat. Heat can melt the cord ends from the canopy. Make sure every chord is attached properly to the canopy. The chute itself should be properly sewn. The seams must run along the bias. Of course, all these things must be securely affixed to the pack. The pack straps must be strong but not made of metal. Knitted Nylon straps with plastic buckles are best. Make sure all 32 buckles are fastened before you jump. Then we must consider the wing suit. Do not make this yourself. Get a proper wing suit from a professional maker that uses their product themselves. Buy the optional wrist altimeter and ankle airspeed indicator. If you jump in winter you may want a heated pitot model. Also, deicing equipment might be considered for your wing leading edges. In fact, buy a second hand wing suit if you can because that way it has been tested. However, do not buy a used wing suit from a fat man or a fat woman because they may have overstressed it during their jumps. The suit should be crisp and starched to help support your arms. Most jumpers do not flap their arms but flapping is permissible in an emergency or to extend your flight. I am getting ahead of myself because there is much more prep needed before you jump. Wear gliding boots. If you do not know about gliding boots then you must not be in this sport. Do not use 'cheap' gliding boots. Buy the most expensive pair that you can afford. Now make sure your gliding wing suit has the aerodynamic lifting vanes from the collar to the wing edges. 12 vanes are preferred but more might be appropriate. Smear fresh butter inside each vane on every surface of each cavity. Use your fingers to avoid missing any spots, also to avoid snags. Now check the nylon rods. Each rod must be completely embedded into it's channel and stiched up tight! Count to be sure that you have 13 rods in each wing. 26 rods in total. If you weigh more than 183 pounds add 2 extra rods to each wing. That is, have a professional add them. Make sure that all stitching is adequate and not fraid. Your pants, shirt and socks should be made of fine silk. Silk slides through the air best. Silk is slick. Find a cliff base at least 1,000 meters in height. Make sure that the drop off has sides of rock or soil that is well tucked back, not less than 85 degrees to the launch point. Have someone you trust help you dress and suit up. Once you are dressed make sure to use the facilities before donning your gliding suit. Unlike a bird you will not be able to poop while flying. Now put on your suit and check and recheck every buckel. Adjust your straps tight but not so tight as to hinder your arms. Wave your arms up and down creating claps above your head to test your free arm movement. Put on your gliding gloves after lacing up your gliding boots. Wax your face with cannuba wax. Use the good kind from AutoZone. Hopefully you were well groomed before suiting up. Hopefully you remembered to use a deodorant. Now put on your helmet and make sure your goggles are clean. Now walk to the jump spot. Someone can begin filming now. It is best to walk little baby steps up to the edge. Control your fear. The worse thing you can imagine seldom happens, so don't think about that. Once you jump build up velocity until you reach the best flying speed. It is important to maintain your flying speed lest the ground arise and smite thee! Check that your rip chord is where it is supposed to be. They are called rip chords because if they fail you will "Rest In Peace". The rip chord handle should be signal orange for easy spotting during flight. Once you jump go head-first, straight down. Do NOT swan dive. The initial acceleration will be mind boggling. Terminal velocity will come quickly and you will soon be going well over 247 miles per hour. Now (this is most important) you must swoop. Swoop up hard as you can! Yes, the 'G' force will seem incredible but you must swoop up asap. Now extend your wings. Concentrate first on straight and level flight. Watch your wrist altimeter to make sure you do not fly below 300 feet above ground level. Use your ankle supported airspeed pitot system to maintain flying speed. Do not slow below 100 mph or equivalent kph. If you get too slow or too low you must open your chute without hesitation. Once your airspeed and altitude bleed down swoop up into a climb. Just before you stall pull your rip chord. Now look for a suitable landing area. Pick a spot near a concession area so you might refresh yourself before your crew arrives to take you home. If you are gentle with your suit and equipment you might easily get 43 jumps out of it minus however many jumps were made by others in it before you acquired it. Do not exceed 43 jumps total or the suit may fail. It will prove fatal if the suit fails. Also, use fresh underwear for each successful jump. For unsuccessful jumps it will not matter.
Wow! Such detailed procedure and checklist!! How many jumps have you made in a wingsuit???
Awesome video man!
I cant believe you continued to jump after all these deaths. Maniac.
…But…I did retire from jumping. It was all I ever wanted to do so it took repeated traumatic events before I decided I to stop.
That was a great video!
I retired from BASE/wingsuit flying after my second child was born.. (Yeah broken femur later too).. Lol
Great video thanks for sharing
Grant them Eternal Rest Dear Jesus 🙏
Blessings on your family, and something my Dad used to tell me might fit in here, Son if you are going to be Dumb, You have to be Tough 🤔
Looks like you are making some good decisions, and you got a wealth of Life to share with the little one's 😉 Don't Grow tired of doing Good 🙏 God Wins Biggly 💪🙏 Viva Cristo Rey 🙏
No music would be better than Death Metal, be AWESOME and sound natural for this alpha sport.
very nice
Hi Jim, this is my favorite video every two three months I come again yo rewatch it. Someday I want to be a base jumper. Is there any way to talk with you? Like an email or something?
yeah. hit me up on IG or FB chat anytime. or email me at jimjenningsmpa@yahoo.com. I'm in the beginning stages of starting a podcast called adventure athlete diaries :)
Hard to feel bad for anyone that
Dies or gets hurt jumping off cliffs or airplanes
They don’t want you to feel bad for them. They accept death and choose to live life to its fullest :)
Amazing video! Does anyone know the song that starts playing at minute 1:20??
Ronald Jenkees - Stay Crunchy. ua-cam.com/video/lg8LfoyDFUM/v-deo.html
I’m a little alarmed by watching the chiropractor working on you. It looks rather rough. I’m interested that you are taking up sailplane flying. I have many hours of this beautiful form of flight and although I have stopped flying now due to age I think flying sailplanes cross country for hours is the ultimate. It’s a long apprenticeship to be experienced for this, good luck with it I hope you persevere and can become immersed in the long flights.
Hey weallmakechoices! I’ve been seeing chiropractors for 35 years and the guy in my video is the best one I’ve ever had. I’ve broken 22 bones and without the movements provided by chiropractors I’d be very uncomfortable. When I go with adjustments it gets painful. Have you ever tried chiropractics? Last weekend I finally got on a PPG and I’m going to buy one 😃 Ordering it today! My last sailplane flight ended with my instructor choosing a beach to land out on and we didn’t see the barbed wire fence we went thru until it was too late. If you want to see the aftermath - let me know. It’s crazy how it all turned out. Send me an email at jimjenningsmpa@gmail.com
Nice bro
Very Cool . . .
Damn...
Hey Jim!
Great cut and explanation of the sport back then. I just don't get how you could be there for so many accidents. Where you jumping in big groups? Also, I wonder what year It was you were jumping. I'm jumping myself for 6 years now and the numbers are very different. Cheers!
1998-2003 was my BASE career. I didn’t see a death until 3.5 years into it. Death in base comes in waves. 2016 was the worst as you know. I Made 729 BASE jumps in my time and it was the Time of my life. It’s all different now but I will return someday :-D
@@jimjenningsmpa1 Alright, thank you for your answer. What type of objects did you jump mostly?
500 from cliffs, and the rest from bridges, buildings, antenna in that order
@@jimjenningsmpa1 Alright, so lots of tracking I assume? Any wingsuit flying? 🏔💭
272 jumps in Norway. 100 or so in Switzerland. 80 wingsuit BASE jumps.
Insane story man. Are you into hang/paragliding yet considering they are considered a lot safer?
Paraglided daily for nearly 20 years and hand glided for 7 years until injury and convenience took over…
Now I live in flat land and fly PPG 😃
Next step gliding?
just took up sail planes and PPG...
Must be incredible. I am happy with Skydiving. What about Skydiving for you?
My skydiving career fizzled out almost 20 years ago. Paragliding took over for me and have been able to fly almost every day in San Francisco Bay Area since I stopped skydiving. Reward for effort is much greater although I will be back to skydiving when convenient 😃
Become a golfer, you go home safe and sound every time!!
boring!
*RIP*
Yeah. Looks like you’re a real natural at the ground launching. Lol
I was for about 6 months....then I wasn't anymore LOL!!!!
Fuck that.
If people saw photos of the bodies after failed attempts they would not jump.
I can't believe a base jumper lived long enough to have kids
If god had wanted humans to fly he would’ve made us with tighter sphincters
Try paramotor
Since I’m moving to flatlands now...I’m taking up PPG, amphibious HG as well as sailplanes :)
I know powered paragliding looks cool you can go up to 17000 feet
Just got into it a few months ago. It’s pretty cool…different but fun!
Great stuff. Your death wish is your business. As long as you dont have kids.
25% fatality rate = 1 out of 4 eat it.
Hou aren’ heros YOU ARE FOOLS .
Naw…jumpers don’t want to be hero’s…just living life to its fullest!
Fatalities abound , .
man u should of quit like 5 times, trust your instincts
I did trust my instincts and is probably why I’m still alive ;-)
Well, I if I was jumping I would make sure that this guy was no where near me. If fact, I am quite glad I am no where near him now, he seems like a jinx.
Yeah!! and thanks for costing us taxpayers THOUSANDS of $.
Ty Zeno - you mean tens of thousands of $ 🤣🤣🤣
Everyone was fully insured because they were jumping in Europe where health care and rescues are free