Pre-Bridge Day BASE Jump Sky Diving at Skydive Orange VA New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV BASE jump lessons

Wing Suit Jumping

Mid October, Skydive on the way to or from Bridge Day- we do discounted weekday Super Otter jumps here at the closest Drop Zone on the way to the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia Base Jumping Event

Requirements to learn to BASE jump-
First, you need to make at least 200 skydives. If you never made a skydive before, then your BASE jump training starts here, then continues with the AFF training program. If you skydive but aren't already a licensed skydiver, then your BASE jumping instruction school starts here because you need to get your skydiving license before you even think about learning to start BASE jumping!

After you have at least 200 skydives and are ready to ready to learn to jump off Buildings, Antennas, Spans, and Earth -based high places, then email me and I'll arrange base jump instruction for you. If you haven't already made the required skydives, then you need to make them first!

For many, the allure of the great outdoors and heart-pounding adrenaline leads them to the sport of BASE jumping. BASE jumping is the sport of jumping off fixed objects like buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), or earth (cliffs). Contrary to popular belief, BASE jumping is not illegal in the U.S. Frequently, it is the trespassing to gain access to these objects that is sometimes illegal. However, there are multiple legal BASE sites in the U.S. and abroad that are available every day.

Virginia BASE jumping school. Maryland BASE jump lessons DC first BASE jump instruction

Your career as a BASE jumper begins with your first skydive. Highly skilled and proficient skydivers may try BASE jumping after 150 skydives, where parachute control and landing skills are honed. Many Skydive Orange alumni have continued on to pursue BASE jumping, and travel the globe in search of Base jump adventure. If you are from NOVA DC, or MD base jump training starts with an introductory Tandem Skydive followed by the basic skydiving skills you'll learn in our Skydiving certification course. Then we can put you in touch with our resident BASE jumpers for your own personal BASE jumping school.

You don't need to be a BASE jumper to have fun at Skydive Orange. Just come, and jump your ass off! (Cypreses (included with all student jumps) or other AAD required, but we usually have rental rigs)

Weekday Super Otter jumps- Check our planned weekday jump schedule, or contact us and request we arrange weekday jumps for you.

Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested, especially if they are gonna be passing by on their way to WVA. Thanks! I put this webpage together because of our relatively close proximity (as drop zones go) to the Bridge in WV.

Email Bridge Friday Questions or suggestions Maybe I forgot to arrange weekday jumps ahead of time for Bridge Day, so email me a reminder of when next bridge day comes.

Current USPA membership, AAD, License, In-date reserve required as usual.

BASE jumping grew out of skydiving. BASE jumps are generally made from much lower altitudes than skydives, and a BASE jump takes place in close proximity to the object serving as the jump platform. Because BASE jumps generally entail slower airspeeds than typical skydives (due to the limited altitude), a BASE jumper rarely achieves terminal velocity. Because higher airspeeds enable jumpers more aerodynamic control of their bodies, as well as more positive and quick parachute openings, the longer the delay, the better.

Skydivers use the air flow to stabilize their position, allowing the parachute to deploy cleanly. BASE jumpers, falling at lower speeds, have less aerodynamic control, and may tumble. The attitude of the body at the moment of jumping determines the stability of flight in the first few seconds, before sufficient airspeed has built up to enable aerodynamic stability. On low BASE jumps, parachute deployment takes place during this early phase of flight, so if a poor "launch" leads into a tumble, the jumper may not be able to correct this before the opening. If the parachute is deployed while the jumper is tumbling, there is a high risk of entanglement or malfunction. The jumper may also not be facing the right direction. Such an off-heading opening is not as problematic in skydiving, but an off-heading opening that results in object strike has caused many serious injuries and deaths in BASE jumping.

At an altitude of 2,000 feet, having been in free-fall for at least 1,000 feet (300 meters), the jumper is falling at approximately 120 miles per hour (54 meters per second), and is approximately 5.7 seconds from the ground. Most BASE jumps are made from less than 2,000 feet (610 m). For example, a BASE jump from a 500 foot (150 meter) object is about 5.6 seconds from the ground if the jumper remains in free fall. On a BASE jump, the parachute must open at about half the airspeed of a similar skydive, and more quickly (in a shorter distance fallen). Standard skydiving parachute systems are not designed for this situation, so BASE jumpers often use specially designed harnesses and parachute containers, with extra large pilot chutes, and many jump with only one parachute, since there would be little time to utilize a reserve parachute. If modified, by removing the bag and slider, stowing the lines in a tail pocket, and fitting a large pilot chute, standard skydiving gear can be used for lower BASE jumps, but is then prone to kinds of malfunction that are rare in normal skydiving (such as "line-overs" and broken lines).

Another risk is that most BASE jumping venues have very small areas in which to land. A beginner skydiver, after parachute deployment, may have a three minute or more parachute ride to the ground. A BASE jump from 500 feet (152 meters) will have a parachute ride of only 10 to 15 seconds.

One way to make a parachute open very quickly is to use a static line or direct bag. These devices form an attachment between the parachute and the jump platform, which stretches out the parachute and suspension lines as the jumper falls, before separating and allowing the parachute to inflate. This method enables the very lowest jumps (below 200 ft) to be made, although most BASE jumpers are more motivated to make higher jumps involving free fall. This method is similar to the paratrooper's deployment system.

Skydive Orange is the closest Super Twin Otter powered skydiving center on the way to Bridge Day at the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV (Fayette County, West Virginia) So if you are looking to skydive near the New River Gorge Bridge, this is the place to come to!