Costyn

Correct. The accuracy is pretty good, if I compare it to my wrist altimeter in the airplane. I haven't been able to compare graphs on the 201 next to my protrack; I don't have the JumpTrack software. Of course the 201 does report above sea level; ProTrack, Neptune and analog wristmount will show above current ground level. Well, an accurate barometric altimeter might be nice yes, but the main reason I got the 201 was the small size and being able to wear it like a watch (and it was cheap). i'd like a map function and possibility for an external antenna, but a map function means a larger unit as well. Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

I don't understand why 90 seconds would be less challenging from 13,5K. If what counts is the distance you travel in 90 seconds, it does not matter if you are jumping from 13,5K or 12K. It will just mean that if you jump from 13,5K, you will be done with your 90 seconds a little higher than those people jumping from 12K. Or am I missing something? Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Hmm... I guess that's annoying if there's no power around. But I really like the fact that it has internal rechargeable batteries. I really hate changing batteries and having to remember to buy them and having to carry extra's around. So, the extra money for the 201 was worth it to me. Is the 101 waterproof as well with the battery compartment? I would imagine it was not. THe 201 is waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Not that I plan using it underwater, but it's nice to know it doesn't matter if it gets a bit wet or whatever. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Great to jump with ya, Darren. You are a natural. So you making the video yourself or is McCordia making it? And did you manage to find a GPS yesterday? Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Yes, that is indeed what I mean. An altitude range like you suggested would help that, I think. Additionally, 45 seconds for tracking is not hard. 105 seconds for wingsuiting is comparitively a lot harder (for me and most wingsuiters I know). And I agree with Matt. A highly loaded canopy will fly faster with the same glide angle as the same canopy which is lightly loaded. Of course wingsuits are different from canopies, but I would think in terms of both being gliders this would be the same. Cheers. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

We're not all wingsuit gods like you, Yuri. Yes, 120 seconds is not really *that* difficult, but it did take me 50 jumps before I was able to fly those times. What my point really is, is that the level of difficulty between the tracking section and the wingsuit section is out of proportion: 60 seconds total freefall for tracking compared to 120 seconds total freefall for wingsuiting. 60 seconds tracking freefall can be done on your first tracking jump. You won't be doing 120 second freefall times in a wingsuit on your first jump (well maybe you were, Yuri. ). And so you're saying there are really people who can do a 105 second freefall from 12,000 feet doing just tracking? Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Heh, nice one! I'm sure you'll like it! It is quite tricky being able to use the unit for logging as well as in flight data though. Almost all places where you can mount it so you can see it are facing downwards during normal belly to earth flight or have your body between the unit and the sky (it doesn't take much to block the satellite signal). I can get perfect logging if I mount it on my helmet, but I won't be able to read it inflight (for checking speed or whatever). Or, I can mount it on the webbing of my harnas, but the logging will be spotty (pretty useless for postflight data analysis). Ideally I'd like an external antenna for the unit, or an alternative output such as a tone generator to tell me particular data. Where is everybody else placing theirs? Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

You can easily give any computer with no serial but only USB interfaces a serial port with one of these: http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/usa19hs/ Some newer PC laptops don't have serial interfaces either and you need one of these to connect to your computer. But they work very well. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

That sounds like a great idea. So for example recording distance in an interval of 6000 feet, 1000 feet after exit? This is how it is done in speedskydiving as well, I believe? And I like the idea of having a hard deck by which one has to be deployed. Deploying after this would mean the jump was disqualified from being used in the rankings. Are there any downsides to using an altitude range instead of a time range? Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Ah, ok... so I *have* seen them on aircraft.

Yes, very! Actually the coolest app I have found for plotting and viewing tracks is FlightTrack (http://flighttrack.sf.net), and it is Mac only! You can view your flights in 3D from all angles and it calculates glide ratios between any 2 points. And you can load maps and elevation data in it too. Paralog is Java based, so it will run on Mac too. So will the TrackingDerby software. You will need to get a USB->Serial converter, like the Keyspan USB Serial interface, because there are no serial ports on most current Macs. I highly recommend this GPS unit. Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Well, I haven't done that many solo performance flights, but I've always been taught you want to lock you knees and point your toes, while pushing your leg out. You really want your airfoil to be as flat as possible. Flutter = drag = bad, so try to keep all surfaces as tight as possible. You might be getting better times because putting less tension on your toes is perhaps making it easier on some other part of your body to perform better (wild theory alert here! ). Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

The only time they get in the way is when I put my rig in my gearbag and I have to actually "pack" the suit to ensure the ribs are not being bent out of shape. As for functionality, I like the fact that when you pull the wing taut you get a nice and very strong airfoil shape. It almost feels like the fabric of an oldtime airplane wing. But, I'm no expert, and I'm interested to hear from people who actually know what they're talking about. And while we're talking about design stuff that doesn't make sense, I don't get the wing deflectors... I've never seen any wing design with these types of deflectors. They puzzle me. What exactly are they for? To make the suit less prone to stalling by deflecting the airflow over the wing? Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Yeah, you are absolutely right about this. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this (is there?). I guess everybody has to use the winds at their disposal to their maximum benefit? In other words, he who dares jump in the highest winds, wins. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

I've been playing around with my GPS and Trackingderby.com. You can specify wingsuit when uploading GPS data now. The convention for wingsuits is that recording starts at 15 seconds and continues for 105 seconds after that. The score is based on the distance traveled in those 105 seconds, the same as tracking. However, tracking only counts during 45 seconds. I've been emailng back and forth with Claude (of trackingderby.com) for a while. In my humble opinion, 105 seconds is too much, because this means you always need to get 120+ seconds of freefall. In order to make it more accessible to people I suggest recording 90 seconds instead of 105. This will make it more accessible and level the playing field a bit. For tracking, you need to make only 60 seconds of freefall. This is not very difficult, even from 12,000 ft. For wingsuiting however, making 120 seconds from 12,000 is a lot more difficult (or so I find), and is perhaps even dangerous when people will just keep going for a few seconds more to ensure that they've made the 120 seconds (which I found myself doing last weekend). So, what do you guys think? 105 or 90 seconds? Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

No, no pooing in the streets, although there was frightning and harassment of dogs, pedestrians, and cyclists. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Dude... pretty much anything flies better than your S-3 prototype. That thing was a bitch to fly. I think the airlocks on the back weren't really working and letting all the air out again or something. But it was a fun jump anyways, although the most tiring wingsuit jump I've ever done. Cheers. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Yeah, nice work on the flyer Saskia. I'll certainly be there for some of them. Do we have to register with Henny or you? Cheers, Costyn. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Oooh you thought it was you doing all the flying and docking? Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Very nice suit man. Totally awesome coloring scheme. I'm like jealous and stuff.

Damn. That is a frikking sweet picture. Very cool. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Correction, that should be: "So you get to play with Costyn, David, me and flock with people that actually know what they are doing, in contrast with a week later, when Uncle Charlie drops by." Just kidding of course! Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Hmm... interesting idea. I think steering and levelling would be difficult and counter intuitive no? Pulling toggles down means ... you go forward faster and ... hit the ground? I can't picture it Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Ooh ooh... can I? Can I?! Should be fun. Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

Well, if you're in Perris, Greg is usually around and always willing to go wingsuiting, as is Rob. And if you ask Crazy Larry nicely enough he'll don his wingsuit too. Glen (VectorBoy) is a Perris local too. So, should be enough people to jump with no? Cheers Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News