Two basejumpers fall after leaping from the exit point High Nose (550 meters) in the valley of Lauterbrunnen.
Keystone / Gaetan Bally
The Swiss Base Association and Air-Glaciers have jointly launched an app aimed at improving safety for base jumpers in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Bernese Oberland. The app is designed to improve coordination between extreme sports enthusiasts and helicopter pilots.
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Base jumpers can request permission to jump via the app. If the airspace is clear, they are given the green light for two minutes, Air-Glaciers said in a statement on Monday.
Until now, base jumpers had to obtain permission to jump by telephone from Air-Glaciers before each jump. In high season, this meant up to 200 calls per day, which placed a considerable additional burden on operations management.
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The app helps avoid potential dangers for both parties. The aim is to ensure safe coexistence around the Lauterbrunnen heliport. Several incidents between base jumpers and helicopters have occurred in this valley, which is very popular with foreign tourists for this extreme sport.
Translated from French by DeepL/jdp
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