The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. At 3,030 feet long with a 1,700 feet long main span, the bridge towers 876 feet above the whitewater rapids of the New River. On Bridge Day, BASE parachutists converge on the bridge for West Virginia’s premier festival.

Team leaps from platform of the New River Gorge Bridge as bridge based photographer at left and photographers in cage suspended from crane take pictures.

A leap from the New River Gorge Bridge takes about seven seconds to hit the river 876-feet below. That requires a parachutist to jump and deploy the main cute in about three seconds.

Parachutist approaches the arrowhead-shaped landing target. At this point, the parachutist pulls the left control line to guide the canopy over the New River into an arc descending toward the target.

Parachutist comes into the landing zone in preparation for a standup touchdown at the apex of the target arrowhead marking.

Some jumpers, perhaps one-in-six, preferred to avoid a possible broken leg on a hard landing, or the even worse encounter with a tree, and aimed for a water landing. A handful of powerboats continually cruised this calm but swift section of the New River nearly continuously pulling jumpers from the water.

Casting Fate to the Wind—
Hundreds Leap from Bridge

Travel - Fayette WV

One after another, three hundred people leaped from the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayette, West Virginia. The opportunity to leap from the Western Hemisphere's longest steel arch bridge towering 876 feet above the whitewater rapids of the New River drew BASE parachutists from around the world to West Virginia’s principal festival, Bridge Day.

The flaming New River Gorge foliage provided an idyllic backdrop for the 25th Anniversary Bridge Day Festival on Saturday, Oct. 16. Detours were set on Highway 19 and roads were closed in every direction to convert the roadway shoulders into a massive parking lot that required a bus to shuttle visitors to the event.

For 364 days each year, don't even think about walking or bicycling across the New River Gorge Bridge. The local police will turn you back—and it will happen a whole lot faster if you wear a backpack.

In these post 9/11 days, sure the police are concerned about the threat of explosives that could be secreted in a backpack, but for the past 25 years, they have been just as cautious—making certain to stop any renegade BASE jumper planning to jump off the bridge.

Save it for Bridge Day. That's the one day when bridge rules are reversed with cars being banned and pedestrians rule.

Leap of Faith

A leap of 876-feet takes about seven seconds. This requires a parachutist to jump and deploy the main cute in about three seconds.

According to Harry Parker, a BASE jumper from West Virginia who organizes BASE jumping events around the world, experienced jumpers do not count seconds. “What triggers you to deploy,” Parker responded, “is fear.”

BASE is an acronym for Building, Antennae, Span (bridge), and Earth and thus represents the fixed-objects from which BASE jumps are made.

Experienced parachutists use control lines on their colorful square-rigged parachutes to collapse on side of the canopy and steer in the wind toward a landing target. Points are awarded for accuracy.

Some jumpers, perhaps one-in-six, prefer to avoid the possible broken leg on a hard landing, or the even worse encounter with a tree, and aim for a water landing. A handful of powerboats continually cruise this calm but swift section of the New River nearly continuously pulling jumpers from the water.

Parachute Mechanics

The square design and control lines of BASE jump parachutes allow for a controlled descent.

The BASE parachutist wears a harness containing a very carefully packed nylon main chute—a backup chute wouldn't have enough time to safely deploy. The container holding the main chute is closed with a release pin.

Attached to the release pin is a long chord, called a bridle. At the end of the bridle is the pilot chute. A BASE parachutist approaching the jump, holds the pilot chute in one hand. After jumping, the parachutist waits several of the longest seconds that can be imagined and—when fear overcomes daring—releases the pilot chute. It quickly opens, pulls the pin and deploys the main chute.

The chutes are steered by pulling control lines on each side of the canopy. The control lines collapse its side of the chute. Wind lifts the other side turning the chute to the pulled side. Both control lines are pulled to stall the chute while landing.

Cast Your Fate to the Wind

About 500 people signed up to BASE jump from the New River Gorge Bridge. A rainy morning reduced the actual jumpers down to about 300.

Before a jumper was allowed on the bridge platform, the jumper was required to register months in advance, have achieved a minimum number of previous jumps and have completed an orientation.

Ranger David Caldwell patrolled the landing site—enjoying the event—as a spectator as he managed the crowd. “I'm not a jumper. Not at all. You couldn't throw me off that bridge,” he said.

He observed that the experienced parachutists ride the wind from side to side. “They turn and come in at an approach and then stick onto the landing spot without falling,” he said. “Some go for the water intentionally. A lot of times they tell us from the bridge that this is a water landing.”

While probably 995 of 1,000 jumpers landed safely, with many right on the mark, those that landed in the water fared the safest. Several of those landing on the beach were blown off mark. More than one was caught in a tree. Another snapped a heavy branch and another struck a utility pole.

That's the chance they take—casting their fate to the wind.