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JamesNahikian

Should USPA Adopt a New Wingsuit BSR ?

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What would this BSR cover?

Its better to just write a note about it in the SIM. The current flyers are doing a pretty good jub with it the way that it is. You don't see a Skysurf BSR or a Camera BSR or a high proformance canopy BSR do you?
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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The current SIM has adequate guidance on wingsuit flights. Any more would need to be scrutinized closely before being added.



What are you suggesting, specifically?

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO




I'm not suggesting anything be added. I am saying that what is currently in the SIM is adequate and to expand on it anymore would need to be closely examined as i think it could become intrusive.
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

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Notes are notes. What exactly do you mean by 'intrusive'? As wingsuits proliferate, they impact skydiving operations in a particular way and a valid question remains whether traditional jumpers, whatever the hell that means, could benefit from specific BSRs similar to those under proposal for highly-loaded canopies.

The poll definitely isn't aimed at jumpers with your experience, Lou ;)

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO

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If there's a wingsuit BSR, how about a FF BSR or a CReW BSR...how about a BSR that makes you jump a RW without booties on it until you have 500 jumps.

Basically, its not needed,
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Want is irrelevant, the poll is directed primarily to jumpers whose disciplines don't involve wingsuit flying directly. The SIM is vague regarding wingsuit flying procedures. Wingsuit basic safety recommendations could include, for example, detailed procedures for traffic clearance, reckoning, group flight, permitted time aloft and demonstrated skills, to name a few. Why or why not?

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO

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Wingsuit basic safety recommendations could include, for example, detailed procedures for traffic clearance, reckoning, group flight, permitted time aloft and demonstrated skills, to name a few.



Traffic should be a local issue as each drop zone birdman flight area would have different requirements.

Reckoning? not really sure what you mean by this term.

Group flight -- not really sure this is any different than any other tracking dive.

(here's the one I liked the most)

Permitted time aloft -- y'alls GOT to be kidding me! How is that even a factor?

Demonstrated skills -- what skills? To begin wing suit flying? Those are already covered by the manufacturer's recommendations.

I'm starting to get -really- curious what the point is that you're trying to make.

Did you have a near mid-air with a wing suit flyer or what?
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Yes If I'm approaching the DZ after a nice wingsuit flight and I don't see you there under canopy floating along, BOOM!

Nope, unless you are on a tandem, a student under canopy at 5 k or A CReW formation you will never see a wingzoomer.

Some DZs have separate CReW/ high pull areas vs Tracking/ winsuit operating areas and do a good job of keeping them separate.
Some DZs like a nice wingsuit swoop of qualified and notified tandem master and passenger after a discussion of how many tandems and how many wingsuits will be on any given load. I have received requests for these on occasion.

You are very much more likely to have someone on a regular skydive not give you enough exit delay on a regular dive, drift above you while you deploy, track along the line of flight into your group than have problems with a wingsuit jumper. Unless of course if I exit first and swing back under jump run.
I could exit with you in grips for three seconds then let go fly away in my wingsuit and before I was on a downwind leg you would be off of the landing area packing.
And wingsuiters are more likely to have problems with aircraft separtion. Both on exit and then during descent.

So how again does a wingsuit jumper place you in extra danger?

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So how again does a wingsuit jumper place you in extra danger?



A wingsuit flyer has more to deal with under canopy, especially under a canopy with the line twists that are not uncommon to novice wingsuit flyers. Canopy collision with a non-wingsuit flyer, "oops I needed to free my arms."

Why not respond to the poll?

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO

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>A wingsuit flyer has more to deal with under canopy, especially under
> a canopy with the line twists that are not uncommon to novice
> wingsuit flyers. Canopy collision with a non-wingsuit flyer, "oops I
> needed to free my arms."

Depends on the gear used. I have less to deal with when I am using my Silhouette 170/wingsuit combo than when I am doing big-ways and jumping my 119.

But no, no new regulations are needed.

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Wingsuit flying is a unique form of human flight. Do you believe that additional USPA guidance would add value?



You have asked two questions here. First, should USPA provide additional guidance, and second, should there be a BSR for wingsuits.

I think USPA already provides a reasonable amount of overview guidance with regard to wingsuits. More wouldn't hurt as part of the SIM, but it isn't necessary and can be as easily provided by local drop zones, training centers, manufacturers, etc.

A BSR seems to be unnecessary given the limited nature of wingsuit flight, the specific experience of the people flying wingsuits, and the overall safety record of wingsuits.

Back in the day we actually had a BSR that prohibited "batwings," an early version of a wingsuit that used solid wings. There were problems with those contraptions and a BSR was written. As the popularity of batwings decreased the BSR was removed. Now, USPA has a better process of providing guidance through the SIM.

I would like the BSR's to remain focused on the basics, and especially targeted toward minimum standards for student operations that involve a hold out to the general public.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem)
S&TA
Author JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy
Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

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Wingsuit flying is a unique form of human flight. Do you believe that additional USPA guidance would add value?



It is a fool's quest to attempt to legislate safety into existence.

The USPA should follow in this instance (if they do anything at all), and codify the results of hard-won experience.

The last time they had say regarding wing suits, they banned them. Not exactly a visionary approach.


Blue skies,

Winsor

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