ManBird

Not the best conversion, but... http://www.deepart.org/files/loic.avi "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Is there ballsier stuff? That is just absolutely incredible... wow... Backflying three inches off the ground. Let's see him do that! "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

I think Troy hasn't coached anyone in awhile, but I'm sure he'd answer some questions. Troy, BTW, is getting REALLY damn amazing. He practices like few others. I've got some great vids of some of his recent landings. He had one imparticluar (that I did not film) that was probably one of the best swoops I'd ever seen in my life, as well as the others who witnessed it. Definitely doing some really impressive stuff, and should make for some good competition at the qualifiers. You gonna be there monkey? "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

I know what else to say... I'd like to see Loïc fly the S3. He is obviously VERY used to the Crossbow (I think that is actually his own rendition of the CB), but it'd be nice to see what he could do if he spent some time on the S3 and got it dialed in. I bet he'd be getting a significantly better glide ratio and forward speed, and could do even ballsier stüf. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Thank you, sir. ;) "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

If I had the funding and the terrain researched, I'd like to try something similar. Maybe not as close at first. I think any one of us can pick a slope on a cloud and outtrack without punching it. I like getting down to about twenty feet above a cloud and staying there all the way down. Though there's no margin for error on the ground. Answering other questions... I'm totally uneducated guessing his forward speed is probably like 70 MPHish. Fall rate... maybe 50ish. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Was that Meeker that went after Lukas in that "Fastest Mother Fucker in the Valley" video? That Classic looks familiar. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Damn... that's about as close as it gets. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Some of my weak throws have resulted in PC hesitations. I haven't missed the hack yet (163 GTi, 2 SF1, 10 SF3). Line twists have 99% of the time been body position/rotation on deployment. One time, though, on my unmodded Racer, I know 100% for sure that I was flying straight. The heading didn't change one bit, and the lines were twisting before the canopy was even out of the bag. Wait... then again. My theory is that this was either due either to hitting the bottom of the container on the way out, or clearing air on one side when I looked up too early. A PC hesitation/weak throw, theoretically, should not give you twists, as the lines are still in the container. Once the PC catches air, it should behave the same whether it hesitated or not. What were we talking about? "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

I'll be observing. If they have a lameass class, I'll definitely compete. Edited to add: Yes, there will be $399 canopy skills course on Wednesday, July 9 at 1:00 pm. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Yeah, JumpTrack. Edited to add: I should also mention that after experimenting with several locations on my body, I have found that my front pants pocket, in the middle of my thigh, is the best place for my ProTrack. I believe others have found the best results there. That part of me moves very little and is always exposed to clean air. I don't really rely on/use the audible feature on it. If I'm in the spot when my PT is supposed to sound, if often times won't. I have better altitude awareness without it, anyway. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Yeah, it's a tough call. That's why Jared was warned, and not prevented, against a Stiletto and early wingsuit jumps. You definitely can fly your wingsuit under a loaded elliptical, but until you've got your deployment dialed in, you probably shouldn't. We're still figuring it out. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Three more... that is, three miles an hour less and I will be tracking in double digits in shorts and a t-shirt (hit 95 at one point, but averaged 102). Yee haw. Got the SF3 down to 44 for about eight seconds. I need 2'45" of that, then I'll be stylin. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

New BASE jumpers should watch BASE in person before doing it. Plus, someone's gotta be a bitch. Right now, that's me. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

That's exactly what I do. I'm definitely up on my 12 oz curls, but I'll still have to give those reverse dumbell things a try. I can't believe I have to start working out... Sheesh. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Flying the S3 takes a lot of strength. More than I have. ;) "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Assymmetry of the arms or tail will rotate you. His reserve collapsed because it was a Raven, and he flared. Mine did the same thing once, and my helmet kept my head from cracking open. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Now I know what you bastards mean about forearm exercises. I didn't need that much on the GTi. Sheesh. I'm pretty excited. Even though I can only keep myself in full flight for about 30 seconds right now, I'm averaging 48 down. I have a long way to go, and I see some goals that will be very fun to meet. Talonsky and I had a couple great jumps together, but one imparticular was a blast. We basically exited relative and stayed right there for the entire dive. He could hear me yelling over to him. I don't even know how many super tight over unders we did. The forward is nUts on these things. My chest strap was inches above his rig (that sounds... wrong... in some way), and no part of me was burbled. When I went burble hunting, I found it above four feet behind him, maybe just a few inches above his rig. Plus, our landings kicked ass. Nice hot no wind day. Oh, yes. Did ten S3 jumps over the weekend, and my arms ache to the point that I can't even type anym... "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

I let a friend of mine, Jared, borrow my GTi. He has about 700 jumps, and is familiar with his Stiletto 120. I and others warned him about the potential dangers. Basically, he's pretty heads up, and if he's familiar with this canopy, and if only half or so of the people out there have run into major problems with their Spinetto and a wingsuit, I figured he had a 50/50 chance of survival. ;) In flight, he's pretty natural. 65 down on his first ride and decent deployment. On the second flight, he got 60 down, and we even put in a couple over/ unders. However, his deployment (at 4,000 ft) happened in a slight rotation. It was enough to give him the classic Spinetto mal. He pulled the wing cutaway (I've always wondered what those thingys were), and tried to fight it a bit. Chop, stable, reserve ride (all at good altitudes). His Raven collapsed on final, and threw him hard on his back (same thing happened on mine... I have a PD-R now), but he's for the most part, just fine. I came out with two lessons learned and two missing cables. Lesson one is that if I lend the suit out, the new wingsuit flyer will not jump anything that can be spiraled with harness input. Lesson two is that I will emphasize practice pulls as much as I emphasize not hitting the plane. This wingsuit stuff is still fairly new at Skydive Oregon, and policy is still being established. Policy isn't bad here... it's a good scapegoat. The policy is now that if you have 25 or less wingsuit jumps, you may not fly an elliptical, and you must have a Cypres. This adds to the no-pond-swooping-with-the-wingsuit on "policy" (I think we are still allowed, but it is advised against). It's a good thing. When I tell someone they can't jump my suit with their Crossfire 2 until they have 25 jumps on one (and have their opening without rotation down), there won't be any beef with me... it's the rules. :) My black and red GTi is now a dirt brown color... and doesn't have any cables. Until new flyers have their openings under control, please, practice touches and docile canopies. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

The foyer of our apartment complex, which is a lot like a hotel. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Not sure I can make it the Boogie. My girlfriend reminded me that we are moving that weekend. If it weren't for her, I'd never get anything done. Well... nothing that isn't fun, anyway. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Did you have your brake lines lengthened? Were your dive handles high enough? Did you eat an entire cake in freefall? I thought my Sabre hated freont risers until I did these things... well, two anyway. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Keeping up in this way is highly recommended. When I came down from my first wingsuit, I had a huge smile on my face. When I came down from my S3 flight, I was absolutely astonished. Who in the history of man thought we would make it this far? "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

Nice! I've got to get down there and flock. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click

I'll have to bug them this weekend. Hope those old bastards don't mind a kid hitching a ride. "¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click