At Bridge Day 2007, all first time BASE jumpers will be required to attend one of the following courses unless they've been trained by an approved mentor:
- Bridge Day First BASE Jump Course - Four days (October 16-20) of advanced training by The Snake River BASE Academy, comparable to the courses taught on the West Coast by the main BASE Gear Manufacturers. In addition to the basic skills needed for a successful Bridge Day experience, such as packing, exits and canopy flight, this course covers BASE history, ethics and culture, as well as malfunction and object avoidance theory. In person training with simulated exits and some home study is included. Cost is $375 and further details are listed below.
- Bridge Day Introductory Course - Six to eight hours of training on the day prior to Bridge Day that covers packing, Bridge Day logistics, malfunctions, launch practice, and a landing area tour. The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching this course and the cost is $50. Experienced jumpers are welcome to attend portions of this course for a minimal charge. Further details are listed below.
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| BRIDGE DAY FIRST BASE JUMP COURSE
The Bridge Day FJC is taught at Bridge Day from October 16-20 in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The Bridge Day FJC is intended as a more comprehensive introduction to BASE than the standard "Bridge Day Introductory Course". In addition to the basic skills needed for a successful Bridge Day experience, such as packing, exits and canopy flight, this course covers BASE history, ethics and culture, as well as malfunction and object avoidance theory. In order to attend this course, students must be registered for Bridge Day (registration is conducted separately). Upon successful completion of this course, all students will receive a discount coupon good for $100 off the price of any other course. This is intended to encourage students to pursue a more complete training program at a later date.
This course combines in person training with simulated exits and some home study. Participants will be expected to review (and practice) study materials received after signing up, prior to arriving at Bridge Day. Primary emphasis of the course will be on a successful Bridge Day experience, with additional material covering further training, progressing in BASE, BASE ethics and community, and the histories of both BASE and Bridge Day.
Tuesday, October 16
Risks of BASE:
Exercise: Letter to Family
Discussion: Insurance
Exits:
Video: Lemmings (Will Forshay) Exits
Simulated Exit Practice
Packing:
Demonstration and Discussion
General Training:
Discussion and video: BASE Ethics
Discussion: BASE Community
Discussion and Video: Recognizing skillful BASE jumps
Discussion: BASE History
Wednesday, October 17
Packing:
Packing Practice
Hand Held and Stowed deployment techniques
Landing:
Video: Lemmings (Will Forshay) Landings
Landing Area Preview
Discussion: Heading Correction and Object Avoidance
Discussion: Flight Patterns
Discussion: Bridge Day Etiquette
Discussion: Bridge Day History
BASE Video Fest
Thursday, October 18
Packing:
Final Packing
Discussion:
Basic object assessment
Understanding weather conditions
Jumper Safety Briefing
Saturday, October 20: Bridge Day
Supervised jumping and de-brief.
Requirements: Registered for Bridge Day and must meet all Bridge Day Requirements for gear and experience. Course cost includes packing video, packing tools, course reader, log book and t-shirt.
The cost for this instruction is $375. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will be able to purchase slots in this course when you register for Bridge Day or independently through the Vertical Visions webstore.
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| BRIDGE DAY INTRODUCTORY COURSE
The Introductory Course is a 6-8 hour course taught in a classroom and larger group format, which will help students to make successful Bridge Day jumps. The course will include:
1) Exit practice
2) Landing area tour
3) Four hour long lecture segments including:
- Malfunctions and Emergencies: review of malfunction video, discussion of emergency procedure
- BASE Jumping orientation: introduction to the history and ethics of BASE, discussion of BASE jumping risks
- Bridge Day logistics: where to go, when to be there, and what is expected of jumpers
- Packing: packing demonstration and Q & A
4) Schedule (October 19, 2007 at Holiday Inn Oak Hill racquetball court)
8:00-8:45 Introductory Lecture (Full Group)
Introduction to BASE jumping, orientation to this course, and introduction of instructional staff.
9:00-11:00 Group A Classroom
9:00-11:00 Group B Landing Area Preview
9:00-11:00 Group C Launch Practice
11:15-1:15 Group B Classroom
11:15-1:15 Group C Landing Area Preview
11:15-1:15 Group A Launch Practice
2:00-4:00 Group C Classroom
2:00-4:00 Group A Landing Area Preview
2:00-4:00 Grouc B Launch Practice
Registered students will receive a packing video in advance, so that they can practice packing. There is no instructor supervised packing in this course. This course is not intended to provide a comprehensive introduction to BASE jumping, and will not discuss any considerations for jumps aside from Bridge Day. Cost for the course is $50 and it will be held on Friday, October 19. Class times are 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm on October 19, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Oak Hill. Further instructions will be provided to all attendees prior to Bridge Day.
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Reasons for requiring first time BASE jumpers to attend one of these courses include:
- Reduce the number of incidents and/or injuries sustained by first time Bridge Day jumpers.
- Increase jumper knowledge about the logistics of a Bridge Day BASE jump.
- Provide advanced "pendulator" launch practice previously unavailable at Bridge Day.
- Increase jumper confidence and awareness.
- Educate new jumpers about BASE jumping and the additional training required if they continue on with the sport.
All courses are taught by The Snake River BASE Academy under contract with Vertical Visions. If you have questions or comments, please contact Tom Aiello at (208) 420-2602 or via email at:
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