Articles - Page 58 - Skydiveforum.com

Classifieds Buyer Scams

The typical Buyers Scam involves someone offering to purchase gear and sending more money than the advertised price, asking that the seller send the over-payment ("change") to someone or deposit it into an account. The scammers use different names and the exact form of the offer may vary.
See the Security and Scam Alerts forum for the most recent reported scams.
General advice:

DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.
Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".
Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa
Scam users will often copy and paste the item title when referring to it in their e-mail.
Their given location will often not sync up with their typing or with their story.
In almost all cases they will approach you and state that they will organize a courier to collect the item.
Be suspicious of anyone who refers to the gear as 'the item'.
Don't trust stories about the gear being bought for ones father's birthday or by someone working on an oil rig at sea.
If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.
If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
What do when a scammer contacts you:

DO NOT reply with any personal information.
Best is to not reply at all. Simply ignore the email.
Forward the contact form email to abuse@dropzone.com

Example of a scam offer:

Username => hawkin

Name => micheal

FromEmail => michealschamber001@fastermail.com

City =>

Country =>
Comments => hello ,i am mr micheal
One of my customers as told me to help him to purhcase your Cricket
Reserve - 145
.After looking at the adverts on internet ,i noticed
you have it for sale .So i would want to purchase immediately.Please get
back
to me with your final selling price and
also a NAME and CONTACT ADDRESS which you would want your payments
sent to.My customer would prepare and send you a CHECK OR MONEY ORDER
for payments as soon as i hear from you.i would also want you to know
that you would send any excess funds on the CHECK/MONEY ORDER after
deducting the totaL cost of your item ,and any excess
funds on the MONEY ORDER /CHECK would be my own profit + shipping
cause i will handle the shipment of the good too and the funds would
be sent
to me via western union money transfer.I await your reply with
necessary information so payments can be sent immediately.
P.S FEEL FREE TO CALL ME ON MY MOBILE NUMBER +447031840486
Thank you
REPLY

By admin, in Security And Scams, July 11, 2005

Classifieds Seller Scams

By admin, in Security And Scams, July 11, 2005

Mirage announces new reserve pilot chute

After Mirage Systems released the Product Service Bulletin in December of 2004 our customers have been contacting us regarding the cosmetic appearance of our container after the cutter modification had been performed. We have had a great amount of feedback informing us that the reserve top flap that covers the reserve pin was gapping and bulging considerably after their riggers had performed the modification. The cutter being located on top of the pilot chute does require some additional tips and tricks to be done during the pack job to alleviate this problem. If the rigger manages bulk properly on the pack job then there is no noticeable difference then before the modification. But we at Mirage Systems want to design the highest quality, most rigger friendly, and best looking container on the market. That is why we have listened to our customers and have designed a new reserve pilot chute cap that addresses this issue.
How it works
Figure 1 is of a Cypres cutter resting on top of the reserve pilot chute as mandated by our service bulletin. The Cypres cutter is between the pilot chute cap and the number 3 reserve flap after packed. With the cutter resting on top of the pilot chute cap it does not allow the number 3 flap to rest flush upon the pilot chute due to the thickness of the cutter and can cause a noticeable gap if the bulk of the pack job is not distributed properly.
Figure 2 is a picture of the new concave pilot chute cap from a direct side view. The cutter rests on top of the cap, but lower than the edge of the pilot chute cap and nestles down in the pocket of the coils allowing the number 3 flap to close flush with the cap.
Before and after
Figure 3 picture is of a G3 MZS packed without the concave pilot chute cap and with the reserve canopy bulk poorly managed. The length of the closing loop had to be lengthened 1/4 of an inch to accommodate for the Cypres cutter.
Figure 4 is the exact same rig with the same pack job with the bulk poorly managed with the new concave pilot chute cap. The closing loop had to be shortened 1/4 of an inch and as you can see the top flap rests very flush against the pack job.
But you said...
We stand by our statement that it is entirely possible to make the pack job look normal without using the new pilot chute cap. The concave pilot chute is simply an aid designed to make the riggers job of making your container look as good as possible much easier. The new pilot chute cap is not absolutely necessary to achieve a pleasing appearance but we think it will help riggers in the field that are having difficulty doing so.
Your old pilot chute will still be perfectly acceptable for use and it is a good idea to have a spare reserve pilot chute and deployment bag in the event of a malfunction where you lose your equipment so you won't miss a single weekend while waiting for your new parts.
How do I get one?
These are now our standard pilot chute that comes with each new rig order. If you purchased a Mirage container in 2005 you are eligible for a 20% discount off the cost of the reserve pilot chute. The price of the pilot chute is $100.00 We are not exchanging out old pilot chutes for the new design as it is not a necessity but only an aid. You can order your new pilot chute by clicking the link below to be directed to our spare parts order form. Simply fax in your order and we will get the pilot chute out to you or your rigger immediately.
Mirage Systems

By admin, in Gear, July 3, 2005

Non Skydivers Learn Canopy Piloting

The Ground Launch CenterTM has implemented a new program designed to teach non-skydivers the art of canopy piloting. The center is a playground for experienced pilots, and provides a solid training environment for all levels of canopy pilots. The GLC offers advanced canopy control, Blade running activities and canopy piloting training to low time skydivers. Jim Slaton, who started the center, has put much of his focus into creating a solid training program that can even teach non-skydivers how to fly a parachute before they make their first solo skydive! Jim believes ground launching will play a huge role in the future development of canopy pilots and canopy piloting (a.k.a swooping) as a sport. More on that later…
After a full season of development at the center Jim finally accepted his first non-skydiver into the program. Why would a non-skydiver want to learn canopy piloting you ask? The first student pilot was a 49-year-old male from the Northeast U.S. that had made a few tandem skydives over the last couple of years but was terrified of the canopy flight. He had flown in the wind tunnel in Orlando, and was comfortable with his freefall abilities, but not his actions under an open parachute. He read about the Ground Launch Center™ in Skydiving magazine and contacted the center for training. Jim had just finished the "Zero Intro" program for the center, which was designed to teach non-skydivers canopy piloting through tandem progression and a series of hovering flights. The Zero Intro training begins with an introduction to the modern ram-air parachute and it's design parameters.
The ground training includes harness training, kiting and basic canopy handling. The student learns kiting and how to fly the parachute overhead using all of the controls. The student is then placed in a "saddle" area on the training hill where the student is allowed to kite the canopy overhead and hover above the ground tethered to the ground instructor. The student then conducts a series of tandem flights with the instructor to learn the basics of parachute flying. Through tandem progression the instructor demonstrates flat turns, stalls, riser turns, harness turns and more. The student is allowed to hold the controls with the instructor so they can feel the timing and speed of all inputs made during each flight and landing. The student eventually graduates to the point where the instructor gives the student full control of the toggles and talks the student through the pattern, set up and landing while flying as a tandem pair.
When the student can fly all aspects of the pattern, demonstrate full control of the parachute and land the tandem on a designated target several times they are allowed to make their first solo flight. The student makes their first solo fight with the same Set 400 parachute they were flying during the tandem progression phase. They are taken back to a small training hill with a gentle slope that allows for very little altitude and flight time. The student and instructor are both equipped with a voice activated radio. The instructor assists the student through the launch and guides them through a short flight and into the landing area. The student continues with these low level flights until they demonstrate full control of the parachute and land (standing up) on a designated target several times.
The student then graduates from a Set 400 to a 240 square foot parachute and conducts the same set of maneuvers as before. When the student has demonstrated proficiency with the 240 on the training hill, they are moved up to the 600ft launch site. When they prove proficiency on the 600ft hill they are moved up to the 800ft hill where they have enough flight time to perform a full set up, approach and landing, solo. In the case of our 49 year old male, he made 13 tandem launches with the instructor followed by 12 solo flights under a 240 in three days of training at the center. After the tandem progression phase of the training he was able to run a pattern and perform a stand up landing in the designated area on every solo flight! After successful completion of the GLC's "Zero Intro" program our 49-year-old male enrolled into the AFF course and is soon to become a licensed skydiver.
The center is not only breeding better canopy pilots for skydiving, they are breeding a new generation of canopy pilots that are pushing the very limits of the ram-air parachute. For the first time ever, other professional athletes and aerial enthusiasts can get involved with parachuting without some of the restrictions that come along with skydiving. We are not talking about Paragliding (also conducted at the GLC) but more like "speed gliding" with the appeal of Swooping and BladerunningTM. If you want to see some of what we are talking about check out the Pro Tour's latest DVD entitled GRAVITY PILOTS "Canopy Piloting Revolution" at www.gravitypilots.com or find more info on the Ground Launch Center™ at www.canopypiloting.com

By admin, in News, July 3, 2005

SkyVenture Colorado Ground Breaking

By admin, in News, June 27, 2005

Five Quality Canopy Skills Every Beginner Should Have

So you whipped through your student program, graduated AFF, moving towards or already got your A license, eyeing a rig to buy and well on your way to your first 100 jumps. Canopy or parachuting skills are an integral part of every training program, but are also the most important skills these days. There are five quality canopy skills every student should know: awareness of your rig and canopy, awareness of your self and others in the pattern, awareness of target and setup, good depth perception, and a proper two stage flare.
A Few Parachuting Tips That Are Very Important

1. Awareness Of Your Rig And Canopy
Developing awareness of your rig comes with time. Unfortunately, when you're a student, time is not a comfort you always have. You need to be comfortable and confident with your rig on every jump. If it is a new rig you're jumping, wear it around the house, while your cooking dinner, sitting on the couch or doing chores so that you can get used to it.
If you rent rigs, get suited up extra early like on the twenty minute call, so you can go through all your emergency procedures. This comfort and confidence is paramount when you are up in the air. If you are not confident in your parachuting equipment, you will have "gear fear" and this can affect your judgment.
If you have a new rig and there are things you don't like about the rig, change them. You would be surprized the little things a rigger can do to make a rig fit better. I recommend buying a custom rig when you have reached a size you will be on for a while 190-170 sq feet on average. Even with a new rig, small alterations can be made. The easiest fixes that I see students can do is a bungee cord to connect your leg straps, padded reserve handle, shortening the closing loop, and modifying the laterals to make the rig fit tighter. All these modifications are freefly specific but a tighter rig is a safer rig.
Know your canopy when parachuting. Know each stage of deployment and the equipment on your canopy which is responsible for each stage. Learn how to pack! Packing your parachute is an intimate way to get to know your equipment. If you can pack your rig well, you will more likely have a greater understanding of your equipment and confidence with it. Packing comes with experience. Pack at home over and over again, watch people pack, and ask lots of questions. If a packing course is offered, take it.
I know when I was starting out, I wasn't that interested in my canopy. It was a docile vehicle to get me from 3,000 feet to the ground, which I had to pack every time to go up. I definitely feel different about my canopy now. When you are under canopy and not in the pattern above 1000 feet, play with your canopy, practice your landings over and over again. Experiment with front risers, rear risers and toggles.
Two intricate tips with your equipment can improve the performance of your canopy immensely. The first is simple, stow your slider and bring it down behind your head. Keep weary of where you are located relative to the drop zone, and other jumpers. Don't mess with the slider as you might end up in another county. Stowing your slider helps reduce drag and can increase your glide. It also gets rid of that annoying flapping noise.
The second tip is for a student who can land on his target consistently. After your slider is stowed elongate your chest strap all the way out, without undoing it. Practice on the ground. You want your chest strap to be as wide as possible for three reasons: the canopy is designed to fly like this as it increases the glide of your canopy, second it gives you another control surface to fly, that being your hips, and lastly it allows you to lean forward in your harness which gives you more control. All three of these points can be seen on a good canopy pilot and a moderate student can start practicing these skills early on in his career, even though it will play a bigger part later.
When your chest strap is elongated your hips are now hooked directly to your canopy instead of your shoulders through the harness. It will be hard to turn the canopy with your hips at first especially with large canopies, but it can be done. Simply scissor your legs and throw the leading leg over the trailing leg and lean in to it. Then try it the other way. This will become more important when you get to sizes like 150 sq feet and below.
A word of caution, don't spend too much time elongating your chest strap under the canopy while you are parachuting, you definitely will end up in a different county. Opening shock makes it more difficult to elongate the chest strap then on the ground. The buckles cinch up with opening shock to make sure you don't fall out. Do not undo your chest strap! If you elongate the chest strap properly you will not fall out of the harness. The canopy will feel slightly wilier but nothing dangerous. Stow your slider and elongate your chest strap before you unstow the brakes. This will make it infinitely easier. If you unstowed your brakes already, let the alterations go and remember to do these things on the next jump. You must have a certified instructor watch over you when you practice on the ground and in the air. Make sure these alterations are done before 1000-1500 ft. Be careful, use common sense.
2. Awareness Of Your Self And Others While Parachuting
I have briefly touched on this subject already, but since canopy collisions and landing off are a reality, awareness of yourself and others is a Quality Skill unto it self. Always know where you are relative to the drop zone. Are you up wind or downwind? Can't tell, figure it out! Watch the wind on the trees, or a nearby lake. Watch other skydivers, are they landing in the same direction your facing, or the opposite.
I tell my students to watch the drop zone in the plane and where you are relative to it and the wind. This serves multiple purposes: you gain an awareness of where the pilot is in his jump run and his tendencies, you have a better understanding of the area you are jumping and potential outs and hazards, and on jump run you will be able to anticipate where you will be if you look out the window while other people are getting out.
Look out for other people under canopy, especially during and right after opening. Check your canopy then look for others immediately. Look up and down the jump run for the people who got out before you and right after you. Get a visual then go through your checklists of things to do. If you are playing with your canopy up high always look before you turn or yank on a control surface. Find the pattern; be mindful of people out side the pattern. Do not spiral in the pattern. The best way to have clear space around you is to go last and deploy high.
One easy thing that you can do especially when you are traveling to a different drop zone is find how they operate their pattern. You would be surprised how many experienced jumpers do not ask about or forget the pattern. I think this is the biggest problem at destination DZs where people are visiting. Follow the rules laid out; the rules are there for you as skydiver's safety and the safety of others.
3. Awareness Of Your Target And Setup
You should be aware of where your landing target is in freefall. I have left countless jumps early because the spot was off, people took to long in the door and spread the spot to thin, or the wind was stronger when we exited then when we took off. The point is, develop an awareness of where your target is in freefall by doing solos. Don't be afraid to deploy a little early if you see you are entirely too long to get back.
After you are open and you have made sure the canopy is safe, you have made your control checks and alterations, size up the distance and altitude you have from your target. Execute the pattern your instructor and you have gone over. Try to stay up wind of your target before you start to execute your pattern. Go over in your head, how you are going to execute, see the legs of your pattern, check for others, and then go!
Hitting your target is not done in the last 150 feet, that is how people get hurt. Hitting your target comes from proper briefing of the landing area before the jump, your spot, and how you set up for your pattern at 1000 feet. Good target acquisition comes from practice but also preparation.
4. Good Depth Perception
Depth perception is a key element of being a good canopy pilot. It is a learned skill but can be greatly improved through various techniques. If you wear glasses please tell your instructor. Do not be ashamed of your sight. Your sight will put you at a great disadvantage if you do not use your glasses or contacts while parachuting. With proper use of glasses and contacts you can enjoy the sport with no problems. If your goggles don't fit your glasses buy ones that do. If you do not like glasses and your contacts dry up, change your goggles to a snugger fit, or possibly look into laser surgery. I know many people in the sport who swear by laser surgery. The bottom line is that when you skydive, use what you use to drive your car. Skydiving is as critical as getting behind the wheel with your eye sight.
If your sight isn't a problem or you use one of the corrective measures above, you can dramatically increase your depth perception of the drop zone and the ground. Look at the drop zone while you are in the plane and gage it with your altimeter so you get an idea of how high you are. Get a highly visible altimeter and don't forget it on the ground! When you get within the last 150 feet do a quick check for people around you, then lock in on your target. When you get 50 feet from your target, shift your eye sight from looking down to looking in front of you. Open your vision so you still include the ground but try to look forward. Begin your two stage flare at about 10-15 feet depending on the winds. Keep your vision open and wide; do not fixate on the target. Consult your instructor.
5. A Proper Two Stage Flare
I know some drop zones do not condone a two stage flare. Do not buck the trend on this one. If your drop zone doesn't allow it, come to me I will teach you. Ask your instructor about the two stage flare. I know from my experience some students have a tough enough time doing a symmetrical flare at the proper altitude. So maybe the two stage flare is not right for you, right now. I do believe it is an important part of being a good canopy pilot, and mixed with all the alterations mentioned above can give you your first swoops coming straight in with no riser input. In fact I have seen students who collapse and stow their slider, elongate their chest strap, and use a proper two stage flare swoop 50-60 feet with no wind.
The two stage flare is quite simple.10-15 feet above the ground quarter flare your canopy. This action planes out your canopy and translates your vertical motion forward. Make sure that the flare is quartered not a half flare. There is a dramatic difference. A quarter flare will plane the canopy out and accelerate you forward; a half flare will distort your canopy and make you sink. When you are five feet above the ground, full flare to come to a complete stop. I see many people just leave the canopy in a quarter or half flare. This action makes you hit the ground moving forward and a little hard, you might have to run it out.
Make sure you have a consistent symmetrical flare on target before you practice a two stage flare. The two stage flare is difficult without video to show you what you are doing. So, get coaching with video, people just telling you what to do will not get it done. You must have feedback and video is the best for this. Also if your instructor uses radio this is a plus, but not essential.
I have commented on many things in this article. Do not try to do them all at once. Concentrate on one thing per jump. Focus on one thing for 20 jumps if you get flustered easily, till you get it right and it becomes habit.
If you incorporate all these things with the over site of a quality coach, you can swoop coming straight in with no riser input on target safely negotiating others and the physical hazards around you. Be very careful under canopy while you are parachuting. Nothing replaces common sense, good judgment and asking lots of questions. You too can be an excellent canopy pilot with these five quality skills.

Steven Blincoe has 4,000 jumps and 300 Skyventure hours in the wind tunnel. He is the founder of the New School Flight University in Orlando, Florida. He also has 10 years of experience in the sport coaching, competing, and filming. Steven Blincoe can be reached by phone 530-412-2078 USA, or by email info@blincoe.org. You can also go to www.blincoe.org.

By admin, in Safety, June 27, 2005

Skyflying, Wingsuits in Motion

Skydivers love skydiving and they love reading-especially when it is about skydiving. This is a book about wing suits for wing suit pilots and those interested in it. Scott Campos has taken the entire process of learning how to successfully fly the wing suit and distilled it down to the most important points. Sky flying, Wing suits in Motion could well be described as the most thorough book of its kind on wing suits and wing suit flight.
Each chapter contains useful information, pertinent illustrations and explanations on every aspect of wing suit flight. This book could be much longer, but Campos has refined it to the most educational and useful information possible. It is designed to help wing suit pilots reach their potential in becoming the best wing suit pilot they can be. From Aerodynamic principles to GPS systems, this book has it all.
The dream of human flight has been realized with the evolution of the wing suit. However, there has been a lack of readily available information in one place. This book combines all the information about wing suits under one cover. No other book like it has existed until now.
This 200 page full color book is beautifully designed and illustrated with photos and illustrations on its 8.5 x 11 pages. It could easily occupy a spot on a coffee table or on a drop zone; it is a treasure inside and out.
Scott was instrumental in developing the BirdMan instructor program and has several published works in various skydiving media. He has traveled through out the United States where he has helped implement wing suit safety procedures at some of the world's largest drop zones, while lending his expertise on the subject of wing suit flying. Scott's constant attention to continued education and the advancement of wing suit flight has made him one of the premiere speakers at the World Free Fall Convention, as well as a highly sought out instructor globally.
Human flight has been taken to another level.
What others had to say:
"This book is a must for any wing suit flyer wanting to take their performance to the next level. It is the answer to all of your wing suiting needs." ~ Jari Kuosma, President, Birdman Inc.
"All of the information is here, full of hard facts, helpful hints and useful illustrations. This is by far the best book of its kind." ~ Dan Poynter, President, Para Publishing and author of The Skydiver's Handbook
Sky flying, Wing suits in Motion is available for ordering from SkyMonkey Publishing at
www.skymonkeypublishing.com or by e-mailing loudiamond@dropzone.com
Skyflyiing, Wingsuits in Motion published by Scott Campos. Original edition 8.5 x 11, 200 pages, 69 color illustrations. $29.95 Publication: Summer 2005.

By admin, in Gear, June 21, 2005

World's Largest Wind Tunnel to Open in the UK this Summer

By admin, in News, May 28, 2005

Arthur's Gift

Arthur Stapler, known as "Rebel," was a vibrant, intense man who never took no for an answer. Rebel died Saturday, May 14, 2005 at age 47, of Multiple Sclerosis. But it isn't his death I want to talk about, it was his life, and the gift he gave everyone he knew, especially those of us here on Dropzone.com. He gave the gift of dreams, of challenges, of inspiration.
His death hurts. I received a call on Friday from his father, relaying Arthur's request that he be remembered to all of us here at DZ.com when he had passed. We were such a large part of his life; we were such a large part of his dream. I thought and cried and thought some more about how to best remember him...and when I received the news this morning of his passing, I cried some more. I grieve not simply for me, and not simply for his family. I grieve for the loss of him in this world, of a man who, despite his setbacks, despite his illness, made a difference to many, many people. In his living, he showed us how to live for real, at 100%, no holds barred. He showed us how to trust at the most deep level; he showed us how to dream and dream big, and then make it happen. He showed us what life is about; freedom, joy, peace, happiness.
Rebel had this dream, you see.
For him, wheelchair bound and in assisted living facilities, it was a really really big dream. He wanted to skydive. He told me once that until he had come to Dropzone.com, he hadn't realized he could skydive; he had only been searching for a skydiving photo he could print out and gaze at. He had already skied, biked, and any number of other things. And then he realized he wanted to skydive. What he really wanted - what he craved, he said - was to see the world from above, to know the thrum of a jumpship, to slide out into forever, to hear the sudden noisy silence of freefall, and to dance towards the earth under a canopy.
He jumped twice, despite the fact that multiple sclerosis had robbed him of mobility, of independence, of movement. Jumped into the sky, tasted the freedom, danced in the sun, and stole our hearts with his brightness of spirit. Somehow, CNN got wind of his story and interviewed him, and he was so proud of what he had accomplished, and what he could show others. He was able to communicate, through his dream of skydiving, and in his doing it, that whatever you dream, you can get. Whatever disability is yours, it only holds you back if you allow it. And if you're going to dream, you might as well dream on the largest scale you can...for in the dream, buried as a pearl is inside an oyster, is our freedom. He spoke to millions of people that day, and as I sat on the sofa 3000 miles away from him, I saw his pride, I saw his joy, and I saw his love. His enormous self jumped out of the tv, challenging all of us to reach past whatever we think of as barriers, challenges, obstacles, and meet him one-on-one in his magnificence.
To see him take to the sky, to see the beatific expression of expectancy, anticipation, and confidence as he left the plane and slipped into the sky, to see him land and say "I wanna go again!!!" was his gift to us. And what a huge, gigantic, rare gift he gave us. He gave us the experience of a dream well dreamt, a goal well challenged, obstacles met and overcome, choices made and respect earned.
His gift taught at a deep level. In his living, he showed a passion and a zest for life, to take what is given you and make the best of it. He had two careers, two marriages, and more dogs than he ever admitted to. He laughed, loved, and lived fully, shooting laughter over the phone, winging a hug through the email, teasing me about my life, my dreams, my hopes. He did that with many people, and each were touched in their hearts. He made me laugh, and made me understand that obstacles are only in our mind, only if we choose for them to be obstacles. You want it? Go get it. You wish for it? Do it yourself. You can do anything, you just have to dream bigger than your challenges, and it will be here.
I've had some time to reflect upon this most ordinary, unusual man. Contrary terms? No, not really. For he was a blend of both the ordinary and the unusual. He was a balance between that which is and that which could be, if one would only open their heart's eye and look. He was both teacher and student, of all subjects, big and small. He was ordinary, and he was unusual. He was real, tough, gentle, kind, stubborn, optimistic and rebellious. He got what he wanted; not because people felt sorry for him (he would never have allowed that), but because it was right for him, for his life, for his dreams. He made things happen...and happen they did. He not just talked the talk, but walked the walk...and flew the flight.
Rebel dreamed of freedom. He dreamed of moving through space, touching the infinite, of being in the heart of the world, in the sky. He wanted...and he got. And now, as I try to imagine what he's doing, I can see him running. Cheering. Flying. Swooping with his angels, and dancing with God. He is joyous now, zinging around, doing everything at once ('cause that is what heaven would be for him...everything....), and he smiles so widely his face cracks. He is free now, loved and loving, ever present in those whose lives he touched, into whose hearts he burrowed, in whose spirits his met there in the sky, dancing in freedom and in joy. I listen closely, and I can hear his laugh again, loud, reverberating through my heart.
Arthur's gift was himself.
Rebel my friend, dance with the angels, and smile with God...and endless blue skies for you. Endless, perfect summer blue skies.
Rebel with a Dream

Rebel's Photo Gallery
For more information about Multiple Sclerosis, please go here: National Multiple Sclerosis Society

By admin, in News, May 17, 2005

Bird-Man introduces PHI

Story of PHI
Phi is the golden ratio of antiquity, (1.6180339887), a never-ending number. Phi is also claimed to have been crucial in the design of the Great Pyramids, the composition of the Mona Lisa and the construction of Stradivarius violins. It has shown a propensity to appear in the most astonishing variety of places, from mollusk shells, sunflower florets, and rose petals to the shape of the galaxy. Psychological studies have investigated whether the Golden Ratio is the most aesthetically pleasing proportion extant. It is believed to feature in works of art from Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to Salvador Dali's The Sacrament of the Last Supper, and poets and composers have used it in their works. PHI is also the new state-of-the-art-wing-suit from BIRD-MAN International.
PHI introduces a new era in sky flying with it's wind tunnel tested design, looks and innovation. Hours of flying in various speeds and angles gave us even better idea how to make a wing suit that is at the same time easy to fly and control, thus giving you power you need whether you were flying on your belly or back, making acrobatics or just cruising around. This was made possible only by mixing science and art, technology and vision. The qualities which made Bird-Man a legend and the leading wing suit manufacturer of the world.
Dynamic-Wing-Technology
Imagine if you could adjust the size of your parachute when you really needed to, in the middle of the flight? Well, you can just do that with PHI. Increase the wing-area when you need to go slow and decrease when you need to go fast. This allows wing to be in the best aerodynamic position in respect your flight and the surface area needed. It's pure Ying and Yang in the sky.
Double Action Quick Release
With our new double action cut away zipper you are allowed to free your arms using additional technique. That gives you another chance if you need one. Be smart.
Semi-Rigid Large Wings
As tested in the windtunnel semi-rigid wings using Mylar in selected ribs gives you that extra performance and keeps the larger wing area in just the correct shape and ideal for the best glide.
Airlocks on every Air-Intake
Our new air-lock technology gives PHI it's beautiful flight characteristics whether you are flying on your belly, upside down or making the most artistic maneuvers.
New Materials
PHI is made of new high-tech Trevira Micro material called Action Mistral. The fabric is made by using membrane technology, it is Teflon protected giving the product better endurance, durability, comfort and 100% wind proof with maximum breathability.
Attention to Detail
PHI is truly a new design concept paying attention to every detail. Higher collar with ultra comfortable material that protects skyflyers throat during the cold flight is just one example. L.Q.R.S. (Leg Wing Quick Release) and airlocks are standard features of this state-of-the-art wingsuit.
ISO 9001-2000 Manufacturing
Last but not least. Both PHI and S.5 BLADE are made under strict standards of standardized ISO 9001-2000 quality certificate. The quality of these suits is the same as diver suits, bullet proof west's for the special-forces, hiking clothes made for Mt. Everest mountain climbing expeditions etc. In fact, they are all made in the same place.

Introducing PHI
PHI is made in stock sizes and in dynamic and exiting pre-made color combinations. BIRD-MAN is taking pre-orders now Through authorized BIRD-MAN dealers and the first PHI's will be out June 2005.
For more information go to: www.bird-man.com

By admin, in Gear, May 13, 2005

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