Skydive into the Rain Forest
Brent P. Callaghan
Tues March 4th on PBS "Nova".
It documents an expedition of 12 skydivers who parachuted
onto a remote plateau in the southern Venezuelan state of
Amazonas.
The plateau rises 4,000 feet from the floor of the rain
forest and features a system of caves at the 3,000 foot
level.
The expedition's members and 5 tons of equipment were
delivered via parachute to the plateau from a DC3.
Sounds like good watching!
(For further info: see Bill Booth's article in
the March Parachutist magazine)
--
Made in New Zealand --> Brent Callaghan
AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft, NJ
{ihnp4|mtuxo|pegasus}!poseidon!brent
(201) 576-3475
dmeyer@ti-csl
Humpf. I got all prepared to watch "Skydive into the Rain Forest" on NOVA
yesterday (Tuesday, March 4) -- but it turns out that they showed some other
tale. Was it shown anywhere else? Either it was rescheduled or our local
PBS decided to show something else. Humpf.
=========================================================================
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kas
I enjoyed the flick -- especially the freefall photography. The
photographers did a nice job, I thought.
One thing that puzzles me a little, though, was their plan to BASE
jump off that thing. Assuming they safely landed in a clearing below, and
not in some tree, how did they plan to get out? Walk? Call a taxi? What
about all their gear (other than the parachutes)? Leave it on top? Pick it
up later with a helicopter? What about the guy with the sprained ankles?
Obviously, he couldn't jump off. Leave him on top? Pick him up next year?
Oh, well. The Venezualan government took care of all their decisions for
them, when it forced them to evacuate via helicopter.
Anyway, this show kinda got my withdrawal pains flared up again. I
haven't been able to jump since last Summer, due to school and the negative
cash flow in my checkbook. Geeze, I gotta jump or I'll go crazy...
*
/ \
|---/---\---| Ken Scofield C-9355
| Gone | Hewlett-Packard PCD
| Jumpin' | Corvallis, OR
|-----------|
{ucbvax!hplabs, harpo, ogcvax}!hp-pcd!kas
Mark P.
This reminds me of a piece "Believe it or stuff it" (sic.) did a few
months ago about a group of skydivers who parachuted off of Angel
falls (sic.) in South America some place, supposedly the tallest waterfall
in the world. So, as long as we are promulgating discussions, how about
this and other BASE activities (legal or otherwise)? Is there not a
canyon bridge where it is legal once a year? Just how risky (i.e. stupid)
is it? Or is this something frowned on discussing here...
Mark Papamarcos
Valid Logic
{hplabs,pyramid,..}!pesnta!valid!markp
P.S. Yes, I'm just a beginner, and wouldn't even CONSIDER doing anything
this crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested.
Will Martin
being the most "anti-skydiving" thing I've ever seen -- not from bias or
editorializing, because I think all involved were in favor of skydiving,
but in the facts reported. Two critical members of the exhibition were
severely injured in the skydive landing; one (the only woman) had such a
smashed leg that she was permanently crippled. She was evacuated by
helicopter. If they could get a helicopter there to lift her off, there
was no reason to skydive to that site in the first place (at least that
was never explained -- I started out by assuming that there were few
heilicopters in the region, or the site was out of the flight range of
what there were, but this cannot be so, since at the end, they were all
evacuated by helicopter when the government cancelled their permits!).
It was never clearly stated why they *had* to skydive to this place
instead of being helicoptered to it.
My general impression, after watching the program, was that the whole
exercise was a waste of time, pain, and money, with little or no
scientific benefits gained to recompense for this cost. Maybe this is
not true, but that is what this viewer gathered from watching the
program and not having any other info about the whole thing.
Will
Brent P. Callaghan
>yesterday (Tuesday, March 4) -- but it turns out that they showed some other
>tale. Was it shown anywhere else? Either it was rescheduled or our local
>PBS decided to show something else. Humpf.
Humpf and double Humpf.
Looks like they switched program schedules since the Parachutist
article.
They had a 5 sec clip at the beginning then I watched
2 hours of rehashed nature programs.
I guess it'll be on at a later date - when I don't know.
Bruce Florman
> this and other BASE activities (legal or otherwise)? Is there not a
> canyon bridge where it is legal once a year? Just how risky (i.e. stupid)
> is it? Or is this something frowned on discussing here...
>
> Mark Papamarcos
> Valid Logic
> {hplabs,pyramid,..}!pesnta!valid!markp
>
> P.S. Yes, I'm just a beginner, and wouldn't even CONSIDER doing anything
> this crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested.
There is a bridge across the New River in W.Va. that is closed to traffic
one day every year (sometime in the early October I think) and the local
townfolk have make a day of it watching all sorts of loonies (both skydivers
and bungee jumpers) hurl themselves off. They've been doing it for about
three years now. Each year it seems to draw a hundred or so jumpers, some of
whom make several jumps. As far as I know, there has been only one fatality.
That was due to drowning rather than impact. There have also been a number of
injuries, due primarily to the poor landing area: a rocky sand bar (sandy rock
bar?) surrounded by deep water and tall trees.
I've never been there myself, since it's 3000 miles away, but I've seen
most of the videos. A friend of mine did the editing for a couple of them,
and I can send you his address if you're interested in getting a copy.
There are a couple of other bridges in the U.S. which are easily high
enough to jump from. There is the Royal Gorge bridge in Colorado, which I've
not jumped from, and the Foothill Bridge in Auburn California, which I have.
The Auburn bridge is not quite as high as the New River bridge (approx. 750
feet vs. approx. 830 feet) but the landing area is vastly superior. There are
reasonably large landing areas on both sides of the river which can be reached
after exiting either side of the bridge. The river itself (the North Fork of
the American River) is neither as wide nor as deep as the New River, although
the current is probably a little faster.
I have jumped the Auburn bridge six times. Even though it's not exactly
legal, it's not *exactly* illegal either:
I had been told by a friend before my second trip there that there was no
law against jumping off of the bridge. Believing this to be true (well hoping
anyway), four others and myself made a jump at three in the afternoon on the
Sunday of Memorial Day weekend 1984. There must have been 200 wuffos there,
making it one of the largest demos that I've ever done. Four of us landed on
the East side of the river and one, after going off the bridge waaay head
down, kicking his deployment bag and opening with a half dozen line twists,
landed on the West side. We were all whooping and hollering, and the crowd
seemed to think that it had been a great show, but when we got to the end of
the fire road where we had parked our truck, there stood four park rangers
(the land under the bridge is part of a state park).
They were quite polite and friendly, asking us questions about our gear
and about skydiving in general, but they wrote each of us a citation that
ended up costing us 85 bucks apiece. Each of us, that is, except the guy
who had landed on the other side of the river. He saw them stopping us, so
he stashed his gear under a bush, accepted a Lowenbrau from a wuffo, sat with
his feet in the river and laughed at the rest of us.
As it turns out, there is no law against jumping off the bridge. The
problem is that it's illegal to land an aircraft in a state park without
written permission, and under the definition that's on the books, a parachute
qualifies.
I jumped from that bridge on four more occations (at more discreet times)
and made one jump from a 1400 foot television tower. However, I have since
retired from BASE jumping. My last one was more than a year ago. They are
very thrilling, but also extremely dangerous. Two of my friends have been
seriously injured doing BASE jumps (one after making nearly fifty without any
problems) and three friends of friends have been killed (including Carl
Boenish, who pioneered the activity and had done hundreds successfully).
If you do someday consider making a BASE jump, talk to someone who has
done them before. If you do it somewhere other than New River on Bridge Day,
you should also give thought to the legal implications. Not so much about
what will happen if you get caught (I don't have to tell you to worry about
that), but rather, think about what happens when you kill yourself and your
family sues the owners of whatever it was you jumped off of for not stopping
you. There is a matter of "right and wrong" to be considered.
Bruce Florman, D9019
Santa Monica, CA
k...@teddy.uucp
I thought the show was pretty good. I also was wondering how they
were going to get out of the forest (after the BASE jump). The looksee
into the cave was pretty interesting (I was hoping they'd find some
archelogical discoveries). Unfortunately, the Venezualan (Sp?) gov't
wasn't too hospitable and pulled their visitor badges (who knows why?).
So, they never got to do the cliff jump. Would've been nice to see.
(pretty dangerous too)
kas
I'm surprised that some of you out there weren't able to watch "Skydive
Into The Rainforest". As my first response to this note indicates, it WAS
shown in my area. Maybe you guys should call your local PBS station and ask
if they plan to reschedule it. Let them know you're ticked off that it was
preempted, and threaten never to send in another contribution again (What? You
mean you never contributed to your PBS station anyway? Oh well, they don't
know that).
Mike Hartsough
> but in the facts reported. Two critical members of the exhibition were
> severely injured in the skydive landing; one (the only woman) had such a
> smashed leg that she was permanently crippled. She was evacuated by
> helicopter. If they could get a helicopter there to lift her off, there
> was no reason to skydive to that site in the first place (at least that
> was never explained -- I started out by assuming that there were few
> heilicopters in the region, or the site was out of the flight range of
> what there were, but this cannot be so, since at the end, they were all
> evacuated by helicopter when the government cancelled their permits!).
> It was never clearly stated why they *had* to skydive to this place
> instead of being helicoptered to it.
>
> My general impression, after watching the program, was that the whole
> exercise was a waste of time, pain, and money, with little or no
> scientific benefits gained to recompense for this cost. Maybe this is
> not true, but that is what this viewer gathered from watching the
> program and not having any other info about the whole thing.
>
> Will
My thoughts exactly...additionally, they seemed pre-occupied with convincing
the viewer that "there once was a river here, 3000' above the jungle floor",
the only message they could provide...personally, I get the impression that
a bunch of skydivers wanted to make a jump onto the mountain, decided that
they could get PBS to fund it if they made it into something "scientifical",
and once there they all chickened out of the jump to the forest below, so they
called the cavalry (i.e. pistoleros in a helicopter) to come and rescue them.
What a joke.
--
Michael J. Hartsough
hart...@oberon.UUCP
It is to the interest of the commonwealth of mankind that there should
be someone who is unconquered, someone against whom fortune has no power.
---- Seneca
That's why I'm here.
kas
>My thoughts exactly...additionally, they seemed pre-occupied with convincing
>the viewer that "there once was a river here, 3000' above the jungle floor",
>the only message they could provide...personally, I get the impression that
>a bunch of skydivers wanted to make a jump onto the mountain, decided that
>they could get PBS to fund it if they made it into something "scientifical",
>and once there they all chickened out of the jump to the forest below, so they
>called the cavalry (i.e. pistoleros in a helicopter) to come and rescue them.
>
>What a joke.
>
>--
> Michael J. Hartsough
> hart...@oberon.UUCP
Whoa there, pardner...lighten up a little.
In the first place, you're right about one thing -- the skydivers WANTED to
jump onto the mountain, "because it was there." There was no particular
reason why they HAD to jump. In fact, an earlier expedition DID arrive by
helicopter about 10 years ago. But the earlier group did not get down to
the caves, which was one of the primary goals of this group. These people
jumped onto the mountain for the same reason people keep climbing Mt. Everest
at PBS expense -- because they want to. Besides, I'm not sure PBS funded this
little venture anyway.
My second point is that they did not "chicken out" of the jump to the jungle
below. The government "forcefully" removed them, and even confiscated some of
their audio and video tapes in the process. What you saw on the program was
not by any means all that was taken. Something like nine hours of video tape
was shot (or maybe it was film, I don't know). The group was removed with
the helicopter literally at gunpoint (not shown or mentioned in the show).
See the article written by one of the expedition members in the March '86 issue
of "PARACHUTIST" for more details.
Lastly, feel free to read and respond to this net group as you see fit, but
keep your obvious prejudice against skydivers to yourself, OK? We don't
consider our chosen form of recreation and relaxation a joke, any more than
you do yours.
*
/ \
|---/---\---| Ken Scofield C-9355
| Gone |
| Jumpin' |
Brent P. Callaghan
my only contact with BASE has been a subscription to the BASE
newsletter ( a fascinating compilation of BASE stories and
tidbits). I would like to have a crack at a BASE jump - just
to see what it's like. Like you, I wouldn't consider making
a habit of it - like jumping without a reserve - chances are
the more you do the less likely you are to relate the experience
to your grandchildren.
Does anyone happen to know how Carl Boenish was killed ?
I heard he was jumping Troll Viggen at the time. I assume
he hit the wall under canopy.
Brent P. Callaghan
>the viewer that "there once was a river here, 3000' above the jungle floor",
>the only message they could provide...personally, I get the impression that
>a bunch of skydivers wanted to make a jump onto the mountain, decided that
>they could get PBS to fund it if they made it into something "scientifical",
>and once there they all chickened out of the jump to the forest below, so they
>called the cavalry (i.e. pistoleros in a helicopter) to come and rescue them.
An article written by Bill Booth (one of the participants) in the
March edition of Parachutist attributes the conception and
organization of the project to the British Broadcasting Corp.
It would be incorrect to surmise that the expedition was the whim
of a bunch of skydivers. I think they did a pretty good job
getting 5 tons of equipment and 12 people onto the plateau.
The unexpected turbulence encountered by the last two to land
and the landing injuries were just bad luck. Up to that point
I can't fault the preparations nor the qualifications of those
involved.
Whether or not they BASE jumped off the plateau, they had enough
climbing equipment and supplies to climb down and make their
way out to a river rendezvous. They didn't request the
helicopter which finally evacuated them. I certainly wouldn't
refuse a helicopter when it arrived.
The expedition was no more scientific than a climb in
the Himalayas. I'm sure the intention was to film an
exciting adventure and capture people's imagination.
Adventure isn't always without risk - and persuading
a foreign government that such expeditions aren't
irresponsible is a task on it's own.
Would we be better off without an occasional
"Skydive into the Rainforest" ?
P Valdata
tandem jump. Have any jumpers reading this done a tandem jump?
I am considering doing so; I am a sailplane pilot and I always wear
an emergency chute, but I've never jumped and think it would be a
good idea to experience a jump in case I ever have to do so for real.
I've been hesitant till now because I didn't think a static line jump
would be as useful as doing a free fall and pulling a ripcord.
(Okay, I've also been hesitant becuase the idea of jumping out of an
perfectly good airplane scares the heck out of me!) However, I'd
recently heard of the tandem jump and it sounds like an ideal way to
experience the sensations while being attached to someone who knows
what they're doing. So, have you tried it? Know where I can try in
the NJ-eastern PA area? Please e-mail to the path below. Thanks!
--
Pat Valdata
pyuxh!nosmo
Mark Smith
The jump into the rain forest, as I know it, was made for several
reasons. One, it would much less disturb the natural environment
then a loud and foul helicoptor. And two, flying a helicoptor onto
it has already been done. The skydiving part of the show also an
added selling point to the public. (How many conversations, would
have been floating around on the net without the jumping part?)
What I don't understand is how did the experienced skydivers make
the worst landings. I saw it, and as I was looking, the skydiver who
broke her leg, didn't even flare for her landing. She came in fast
and heavy into the side of a hill, with all its consequences. I could
understand, if she was taking pictures and she miscalculated something
horrible, but the show didn't say or point out anything like that.
--
Mark Smith
NYIT Computer Graphics Laboratory
Old Westbury, New York
...{philabs,sbcs}!nyit!mark
Bruce Florman
> I heard he was jumping Troll Viggen at the time. I assume
> he hit the wall under canopy.
Carl and Jean were in Norway filming jumps from the Trollveggen for some
TV show (Ripley's or That's Incredible). The exact circumstances surrounding
Carl's death are rather unclear, as he died while alone on the wall. The
point where he jumped was not one of the ones used routinely (?!?) by other
jumpers. The approach is apparently too steep for someone to stop at the
edge and peer over. As I understand it, he was found with his canopy not
fully deployed. The theory then is that he realized a few seconds after
jumping that he wasn't able to out track the wall. He dumped his main, but
hit the wall before it could open.
According to Jean and others who knew him, this was very much out of
character for Carl, who usually insisted on meticulous planning and testing
before jumping from some new object. We'll never know why he chose to make
a jump from a blind edge that day.
Bruce Florman D9019
PS. Jean Boenish made her second jump (and maybe more) since breaking her
leg, this past weekend at Perris.