Bluhdow

LOL! Apex BASE #1816

The internet is more fun when you understand sarcasm. Apex BASE #1816

The problem with your argument is that all of the things listed are compulsory to being a good skydiver, except night jumps. No 500 jumps? Not an expert. - Agree, jump numbers matter. No water training? Not an expert. - Agree, water landings can occur and you need to know how to deal with them. No accuracy landings? Not an expert. - Agree, accuracy is important on EVERY jump. No formation skydives? Not an expert. - Agree, jumping with people is a fundamental skill. No pass on the written exam? Not an expert. - Agree, academic knowledge of the sport is important to being a better/safer jumper. But night jumps? To someone's point above...what are you going to do? Accidentally skydive at night? It's no more compulsory than wingsuiting or CReW. It's a silly prerequisite with no real value. Most of the people I know do night jumps ONLY for the D qualification and then never again. Apex BASE #1816

Whatever dude. I honestly don't care to educate you, and I'm not reading that giant post. Peace out. I do like all the legal dissection of the rules taking place here though! I'm just waiting for my green light to start jumping my (highly reliable) BASE gear out of local aircraft! (Non-USPA of course, so no worries Rich!) Apex BASE #1816

I'm not saying it should be an option right out of AFF. But maybe a rating or something that would allow for someone to choose to jump approved BASE gear would be appropriate. I don't expect it will ever happen, which is unfortunate. For many of us it would be a much more enjoyable (and safer) experience. I'll always deploy my Sabre 135 at 3500 feet, with a reserve. But if I had the option of flying my Flik down to 800 feet I'd do that all day long, with much less risk of hooking myself in at the end of the jump. This isn't a real campaign I'm kicking off here. I just get irked when anyone immediately runs to their comfort zone when presented with something unfamiliar (if only to themselves). Apex BASE #1816

This is about as strong of an endorsement as I can get. A DZO, experienced BASE jumper, and with more sky jumps than the rest of the posters combined. But hey, the FAA is just as resistant to change as the rest of you. You're in good company, kids! Apex BASE #1816

I'll argue that sh*t all day long. Unless you have a good understanding of BASE gear, and experience with it, your "ahhhhh I need my reserve!" response is simply a knee-jerk reaction supporting what you're already comfortable with. The vast majority of BASE fatalities don't result from the gear. Same for sky gear. It's the pilot that usually does themselves in, not the plane. Apex BASE #1816

Spot is going to win this one. Apex BASE #1816

As an update, I've been flying without fins for a few weeks now. I no longer notice any washiness in the back end. I think I've either gotten used to it and/or naturally adjusted my flying slightly to account for it. That said, I'll be flying without the fins and still feel like the suit flys sharply without them. Apex BASE #1816

Hiking > Plane Rides Apex BASE #1816

I had the same issue with my Havok. Send it back to PF. They will open up the front MLW slot in order to prevent the MLW from continuing to rub against the zipper. They will also replace the zippers for you. Mine was done pretty quickly. I was impressed with their service. Apex BASE #1816

Try not wrapping the tail as much. I had the same issue with the SA2 but I found that it was because I was wrapping the sh*t out of the tail. The cocoon would come out of the bag and then spin up before the tail unwrapped itself. Lighter wraps, and less wraps gets the cocoon open faster and before it can spin up. You may have the same issue, but to a much less degree. I've seen other people have better SA2 openings by following this guidance recently as well. Apex BASE #1816

I'm not sure I am convinced that just fixing body position is the ideal solution here. Of course better body position should be part of the fix, but this kind of movement does impact flight unexpectedly. Off the top of my head, I wonder if smaller fins and/or stiffer booties is the solution. In my mind I'm envisioning a stiff rubber fin that is molded as a single piece with the soles of the suit. I wonder if that is feasible. Apex BASE #1816

https://vimeo.com/113794741 This is the best example I've found. Apex BASE #1816

I have a SA1 with a pocket slider. Mine only has a pocket on the front side of the slider, the back end is standard with full access to draw strings. Opens perfect every time. Slider collapses and stows without issue. *Edited for spelling. Apex BASE #1816

These have been out there for a while now on several different suit models. Who's using them/likes them/loves them and why? Who isn't/hates them/is indifferent to them and why? I've got a Venom Power with about 30 flights. 25 with fins, 5 without. My experience has been that the fins make a noticeable difference in flight. The tail feels much more crisp with the fins and I think add a lot to the suit. That said, the washy-ness without fins isn't so great as to create an issue. When flying steep and fast I can't notice much of a difference with or without fins. When flying flat and slow however, you'll notice the missing fins and feel a little more washy. Just curious to hear what other people are doing, especially with the Venom. Thanks! Apex BASE #1816

I had a SA2 135 loaded around 1.4 for about 200 jumps and had a similar experience. I wingsuit so I needed more reliable openings. I sold it for like $1,300 and bought a $600 Sabre1 (with a pocket slider). Best decision I've ever made. When this canopy dies I'm going to have to convince PD to make me a new SA1. Apex BASE #1816

Well, that was the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Apex BASE #1816

Fixed.

That's really where my head is at as well. Maybe my point got lost in some of my ballpark numbers (50 launches) but I think you see where I'm going here. I'm pretty sure Duane would agree with me too. Thank you for your thoughtful responses. Other posters in this thread could learn from you! Apex BASE #1816

A very fair point, thank you. But would you also agree that a beginner should be on a steep, relatively obstacle-free hill with very little mechanical turbulence? Would you also agree that they should be in ideal conditions...perhaps a light headwind to assist with launch? My big question is this: Do you gain enough in safety with respect to turbulence-recovery, to offset what you lose in familiarity? Additionally, every speedwing I've ever flown has been less forgiving to heavy inputs (harness or toggle). Could it be the skydivers (who are more heavy-handed than speedflyers) could benefit from some forgiveness in this area in the early stages? To be clear, I'm not suggesting making a career out of flying sky canopies. I'm simply saying for skydivers, it can be a very helpful learning tool for the first 10-30 launches. Apex BASE #1816

Why? You say these things like they are a given...I'm listening if you're willing to elaborate. Are they harder to launch? Yes, but they are definitely launchable. Is the glide lower than a speedwing? Yes, but you should be learning on steep forgiving terrain anyway. Tell me why the wing doesn't behave when it's up and flying. I've launched Stilettos a little (maybe 20-30 times) and never had a problem. I've also seen them launched, by beginners, many more times than that without issue. I'm open to hearing your rationale if you'll give me more than a blanket statement like, "use the correct gear for the job." I agree, 100%, that speedwings are better tools for the job. Better glide, easier launches, and just more fun in general. I'm not a pro, but I've got enough flights to know a little bit. The last wing I was on when I flew more regularly was a Spitfire 11m. For someone transitioning from sky harnesses and canopies, I simply don't see the harm in starting them on more familiar gear provided the terrain is appropriate and the instruction is adequate. Apex BASE #1816

You are much smarter than me. And cooler. Thank you for your wisdom. Apex BASE #1816

Glide ratio is only important as it relates to the terrain. On steep terrain, sky canopies launch and fly just fine. Paragliding is stupid. That is my official response to anyone who thinks you need a P license before flying a speedwing. Apex BASE #1816

A popular speedflying instructor that I learned from commonly starts experienced skydivers on Stilettos before moving them to proper speedwings. I myself learned to launch on a Stiletto 135 before moving to smaller speedwings which require more delicate inputs. He's an OG speedflyer...one who helped invent and popularize the sport (probably before you could even walk). I trust that his views here are based on a larger data set than your own. Apex BASE #1816