Base-Jumping

BASE jumping, also BASE or B.A.S.E. jumping written, object or object jump jumping is parachuting from fixed objects. The first part of word is usually considered Apronym for B: building, buildings, A: antenna, transmitter mast, S: span, bridge and E: earth, ground. On the other hand, translated closely. base with pad and jump with jump. Persons taking part in this sport, base jumping or object Springer called.

A special form of base jumping, jumping off of objects with wing suits, so-called wingsuit.

Differences for skydiving

Legal situation

Object jumping is handled differently in different countries. Some countries impose draconian punishments, in other countries it is tolerated: In Dubai, for example, penalties up to expulsion of tourists are imposed, while you can use in Switzerland, Italy, France or Norway certain spots without approval. If there are jumps of objects in private ownership in any case the house rules must be observed.

In the U.S., the object jumps are usually prohibited for insurance reasons. Even the U.S. government is very sensitive with jumps to its national parks and tracks unapproved present Springer. Notable exceptions in the USA are the bridges Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls on the Snake River in Idaho and, always on the third Saturday in October ( " Bridge Day" ), the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

In Germany, jumping object represents a field landing with air sports equipment and is subject to approval. This means the owner of the object is bound by the, and the owner of the surface on which is landed must agree in writing. A site report must be created, and the equipment used shall conform to the German regulatory provisions. The permit is issued subject to all necessary signatures from the German Parachute Association. For object jumps in Germany the rules of the Association of German Property Springer applies. A liability insurance of the jumper is required.

History

Object jumping is a relatively young and at the same time virtually the oldest discipline of skydiving. On the one hand there was to the 1980s, only few people who jumped with "normal" parachute equipment of solid objects. One of the first " object Springer " had to jump one of the first Carl Boenish and his wife Jean Boenish who had managed to jump from all four species (bridges, antennas, cliffs and tall buildings ). On the other hand, the history of skydiving starts with the lack of suitable aircraft jump from fixed objects:

Marco Polo reported in his travel books about Chinese artists who pounced with umbrella-like structures made of silk of towers and safely landed.

The Croatian Faust Vrančić, which has about 1615-1616 published a drawing of a parachute with square frame, to 1617, according to a modern legend - a 65 -year-old, seriously ill shortly before his death - with such a screen ( depending on the source ) from the Campanile di San Marco or a bridge in Venice or from the bell tower of 86 meters high St. Martin 's Cathedral in Bratislava have jumped.

Spectacular jumps

Mortality

So far, it came when practicing this sport 1981-2013 to 229 recorded deaths (as of March 31, 2014). Of that, approximately 17% over the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. This is very popular with base jumpers valley (per season 15000-20000 jumps are counted ) already lost 39 Springer (as of March 30, 2014) her life, which always triggers discussions about a ban.

In June 2000, the British actor and stuntman Terry Forrestal died as a result of a base-jumping accident at Kjerag Mountain in Norway.

On 11 November 2009 the Swiss BASE jumper Ueli Gegenschatz crashed during a jump from the Sunrise Tower in Zurich and died two days later from his injuries.