kimgriffin

Sorry, Steve. Didn't mean to sound like a know it all or anything like that. I still have to remind myself sometimes to keep my head looking straight forward as I throw my PC out. (Of course, I have looked around and above me before that.) Well, and I also switched to the Sabre2 (97). I think I could try cartwheeling at pull time and it would still fly straight. So glad you are enjoying your S3. Hope we can fly together sometime. You coming to Rantoul? ~Kim (up way too early on Sat morning) -Kimberly Griffin

Whassss up Chuckie... I know what you mean. I honestly love my Sabre2 (97). I was hesitant to change over from my Velocity but once I demoed it I was digging it. Like you said, you can get this canopy to swoop. (Not that I can swoop like you do - yet.) Plus, I can't imagine better openings. Hey, I have the same colors as you but I'm not as cool as you with the big logo. Check out the attachment for pic (although you can't see my red end cell.) Hope life is treating you well up in NC. It's been typical jungle weather in DeLand. See you in Rantoul. ~Kimibird -Kimberly Griffin

Craig, thanks for posting that! I thought the wuffo reporter did a very good job on that article. Hope it's raining less in the UK than it is here in Florida (every day from 3:30 until 19:00)! Take care, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

I would not go blaming the Stiletto (or any other canopy) until you REALLY know what part of your gear is at fault. We have found that line twists often come from: 1. A short or even normal bridle, 2. a weak or small pilot chute, 3. the bag getting stuck for even a split second in the container. Of course, if you are looking over your shoulder at pull time or aesymetrical in other ways it can also cause line twists. Of course, if you jump a square canopy at a lower wingloading these factors will affect your canopy in a less drastic manner. You may not notice it at all. But if you want to have the performance that semi ellipicals offer and a you want to keep your speed up with a higher wingloading, you may want to consider these things: 28" zp pilot chute 100 inch bridle open WS corners on your main container (It is ideal but not necessary to have WS corners - so the main flaps come completely open. At least, make sure you are packing with your gromet up or pointed towards the main pilot chute and that your bag comes out of your rig without snagging the corners.) Also, if you have not had a reline in a few hundred jumps, you may want to have your mfg reline it for you. It's a sure sign that your canopy is out of trim when you start to get funky openings or line twists. I know lots of jumpers here in DeLand who jump the Stiletto and wingsuit. A BMI 185lb guy here in DeLand jumps the Stiletto 120 and even with out modifying his gear in any way. He just packs his main grommet towards his pilot chute. And he's happy with his openings. Shit, Jari jumps his 75 Velociy with his S3. But, I don't remend to do as Jari does My 3 cents (inflation)... Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Hiya! Check your personal email. I just sent you an order form, in case you didn't find one before now. Slower - Faster - Longer ~Kim BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Hi Blair. No, I believe if your elbows are pointing up too far then that could distort your wings. You are very right about that it matters most that the wing is inflated and not distorted. I have my arms rolled under just enough that my palms and elbows are facing my feet. My elbows are turned slight up. Sometimes people DO over do it for sure. There's this fine point between the striving towards the ideal body position and also being relaxed. Long flights... Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Oppps, sorry! Here it is. Arm position is good but he's not de-arched which would be a more ideal body position. (He's trying to stay with the faster falling camera man though.) ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Daaammmn! I've done this before - I forgot to "upload the attachment". Living up to the blonde hair once again. So sorry! Here it is now, uploaded and all that. While Jari's arm position in picture is looking good, he is not very de-arched (which would be a more ideal body position) but that's because he's trying to stay with the camera man who is falling faster than he is. Good day all! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

From: Bowie Newbie (Full Profile) May 20, 2003, 12:49 PM Post #8 of 9 (10 views) Copy Shortcut I just got my new GTI and i cant fly that as well as my old classic. is ther different body positions ??????????? and What i have tryed different body positions but my best is 112 sec 79 kmt (TAS). In my classic i always fly ower 2 min and whith speed between 60 - 70 kmt TAS. From: kimgriffin Enthusiast (Full Profile) May 20, 2003, 1:37 PM Post #9 of 9 (2 views) Copy Shortcut Yes, the GTi is pickier than the Classic suit in that you have to have your arms a certain way, dearched, legs out, etc. Just as the Skyflyer and S3 are even more picky than the GTi. On the GTi, if you have your arms turned over the wrong way (very common mistake) or you are pulling on the wing too much or too little, you will more easily distort the wing than on the Classic. The longer arm wing gets more easily distorted by having your arms in the incorrect position. This will decrease the efficiency of the wing and take away from your lift. If you look at Jari's arms in this attached pic, you'll get the idea. Make sure you let your wings inflate fully (you should not pull on the wings' binding tapes but can't let the wing flap by letting the wing be too loose), your shoulders should be rounded, middle of your back de-arched, butt up slightly, legs extended with toes pointed - all at the same time as being relaxed. What I have learned from experience is that it just takes flying to learn your suit. Then the better speeds should come. I was almost ready to turn my Skyflyer back in when I got it because I was sucking big time. It took at least 10 jumps before I even felt confident that I wouldn't go low jumping with guys that were bigger than me. Patience is a virtue - I think. Good luck! ~Kim BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Yes, the GTi is pickier than the Classic suit in that you have to have your arms a certain way, dearched, legs out, etc. Just as the Skyflyer and S3 are even more picky than the GTi. On the GTi, if you have your arms turned over the wrong way (very common mistake) or you are pulling on the wing too much or too little, you will more easily distort the wing than on the Classic. The longer arm wing gets more easily distorted by having your arms in the incorrect position. This will decrease the efficiency of the wing and take away from your lift. If you look at Jari's arms in this attached pic, you'll get the idea. Make sure you let your wings inflate fully (you should not pull on the wings' binding tapes but can't let the wing flap by letting the wing be too loose), your shoulders should be rounded, middle of your back de-arched, butt up slightly, legs extended with toes pointed - all at the same time as being relaxed. What I have learned from experience is that it just takes flying to learn your suit. Then the better speeds should come. I was almost ready to turn my Skyflyer back in when I got it because I was sucking big time. It took at least 10 jumps before I even felt confident that I wouldn't go low jumping with guys that were bigger than me. Patience is a virtue - I think. Good luck! ~Kim BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Yeah, the writer - a very nice guy but a non skydiver, of course - took that 4 people had died in BirdMan suits pretty seriously. He didn't mention that Jari had told him that 3 of those 4 died on BASE jumps in the suits (and that the suit spefically did not cause the death.) But, you know the media... But, any press is good press right? I SO won't complain about BirdMan being in Forbes, even if they made it sound like the odds of survival are something like 4 in 2000. Ha! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Thanks for posting that. For everyone's info, the article is in Forbes FYI Summer 2003, not the standard Forbes. We think only subscribers get this as we can not find it on the shelves. If anyone does, please let us know. Unfortunately, the web article does not have the pics that are in the magazine. The article is pretty funny... some serious whuffo death and doom stuff but over all a good read. When the person who answered the phone at BirdMan told me that a reporter from Forbes was on the phone I said, "Yeah, right." I totally figured it was someone pulling my chain or possibly they were doing an article on the 100 smallest businesses! ~Kim BirdMan, Inc. -Kimberly Griffin

Quickie note... Be carefull in comparing any one wingsuit jumper's performance to another without mentioning body type, wingloading and flying skill. These things play a big role in what any suit can do. Jean Loic Albert (Crossbow designer) is a lucky guy... VERY tall and very thin. I would kill for long legs like that. (Well, sans the guy hair and all that.)

Sorry, no can do. Jari and I watched it over at PD. Someone there had a copy of the DVD since they are friends with Loic. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Hej Micke. Yeah, I hear you. I think too many flock dives can build in bad habbits. To stay with less skilled people, fat guys in Classics, or the video guy who is not maxing out his suit, etc you sometimes have to have an arched body or legs up body position. To avoid building bad habbits and to learn more about your suit I think solos are critical. Although, I have to say I do find some small to big ways fun. Flying off in to the sunset seeing your good friends' smiles is priceless. ~Kim (funky close up picture of me by Jussi Laine) -Kimberly Griffin

Cool, Chris and Chuck, it will be great to see you there! I'm getting excited now knowing we could do some nice, tight or creative flights. Sweeeeeet... ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Jari and I watched the video of Loic's flight skimming the mountains yesterday. A friend of ours had it. Yeah.... WOW - very cool! Boys and girls, do not try THAT at home! You would think balls that big would cause more drag. I wish I had more time to play that hard. Well, then again anything is possible. PLUR, ~Kim BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Hi Eric. My recommendation is the GTi. It has longer arm and leg wings than the Classic but is still very easy to fly and pull with. We sometimes even teach experienced jumpers (like you) the first wingsuit course with the GTi. But, the GTi is easier to fly and takes less practice to get good at than the Skyflyer or S3. The Skyflyer and S3 would be a big step up with out having much WS experience but this is not to say you would not be able to handle it. It's similar to going from a Stiletto to a smaller Velocity - much more performance and less room for error. I had about 2300 jumps when I started flying the Classic, did about 45 jumps on it and went right to the Skyflyer. The drawback is that I had to get used to a more sensitive pull with new techniques and I did not fly the Skyflyer very well for a while. It is a different suit - it's way more critical of having the proper body position. The Classic and GTi will still give you a good flight if you are not in an ideal body position. It took me about 10 jumps on my Skyflyer before I felt I could fly with other people and do well. The S3 has longer arm and leg wings than the Skyflyer but it also has a wider leg stance than the Skyflyer. I find the S3's wider leg stance much more comfortable than the Skyflyer but I definitely do not pull low since the arm wings are so long it may take a grab or two to get my hacky. I also really concentrate on arching to decrease the very fast forward speed before pulling. If you do go for the Skyflyer or S3, I'd be happy to share flying and pulling techniques. The Skylfyer and S3 are very sensitive suits that have long arm wings that, as I mentioned, sometimes flap over your hacky on the pull (but do not cover - you can always pull! - it just takes getting used to over 2-3 jumps), both turn quickly if given radical input, and both have bigger burbles so you may want to have a 100 inch/234cm bridle to get your PC away from the bad air (line twists are often caused by weak material in the PC or too short of a bridle). The Skyflyer and S3 are much faster forward, creating more lift, than the GTi. But, since this suit is meant to be high performance, it can also have some radical spins if you have a collision or get super funky in it. It's not a big deal, there is a technique to get out of it. I just want to make it clear that the S3 is not hard to fly for someone who has as many jumps as you (and as long as you feel comfortable in a wingsuit) but you will have to take it easy when learning to fly it and fly it with respect and be heads up if you would get in to a spin and be heads up enough to know not to do anything radical at a low altitude. Or, if you want a really fun toy that still rocks and is easy to learn to fly then you should chose the GTi. It's really personal preference. With your jumping experience, I think you could learn to fly the S3 easily (with a couple hints about best body position, how to safely pull, get out of a spin, etc) but do you want to put that effort in to it? Plust, if my memory serves me right, most of the SA birds have GTis - so you'll be matched with their suit type seeing that you have an average build. About 10-12 SA jumpers got suits last year (all GTis I think). There are a few with Skyflyers in SA though (off the top of my head) - Shawn Smith, Graham Hoal, and Tim Mace. Pls see your personal email, Eric, I sent you some other info there. ~Kim Griffin BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Okay, Jari and I made reservations today to be at the WFFC in Rantoul. So, I hope we get a chance to meet you all there! We'll be there mainly to teach new birds and show off the new Pantz, but look forward to doing some nice flocking dives too. SkyMonkey... keep in touch. You know we'd love it 2 times over (at least) if you could BMI with us. You know us, we're flexible and can work with your swoop schedule. It's all good. Nice to see you in PCB! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Not to mention that the SkyVan is not the most manueverable aircraft out there. From what I have heard, the Porter is the ideal aircraft for radical stuff like this (plus, a top-notch and very ballsy pilot). Also, Patrick may have made many things look easy but he put many training jumps in to his stunts. I saw the video of him getting back in to the porter years ago and it's gnarly. It also shows him missing it a bunch of times. Trying to get back in to an aircraft in freefall while both WS flyer and aircraft are traveling at high speeds (and one has a rotating propeller)... What could possibly go wrong? But, with the right WS jumper, right plane, right pilot and money to afford the training flights it's definitely possible to do again. Maybe in 10 years it's what we'll all be doing at the DZ on any given Saturday afternoon.

Are there any BMIs going to WFFC in Rantoul this year? We have not decided for sure if we will have a booth there this year, but if we do, we could use your help and you can make some money flying with first-timers. Also, if we do decide to go we may hold a BMI course 2 day before the boogie. Slots would be limited. We're still sorting out our summer schedule. We'll make a decision pretty soon. If you are interested or have questions, please email me at kim@bird-man.com. Thanks. Blue skies. long soars! ~Kim Kim Griffin Business Manager BirdMan, Inc. -Kimberly Griffin

Hi Steve! Well, I don't have a penis to measure anyway and haven't logged my jumps in over 5 years but here I go with my best estimates on how many flights I have: 45 ClassicI 350 Skyflyer 40 S3 Yeah, there are birds out there with lots of flight time now, which is so cool. I guess Jari will take the top slot with approx 1300 flights (on all sorts of suits.) Good question, ManBird... interesting. Maybe we should add that to the new BM website - a flgiht number survey - so we can hit birds who do not cruise this forum. I'd be happy to post the results here. (BTW, our new site should be launched mid May.) ~Kim BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Thank you, skymama, for the concern. Much appreciated! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Tjene Schwede! Please stay in touch with Jari and I about the upcoming Herc Boogie. We would like to be there to organize the flock again. kim AT bird-man DOT com Jari: jari AT bird-man DOT com Last year's Herc Boogie was one of my favorite of all time. What a plane, what nice people and what a great time! I left happy and tired (a good sign). Could you please try to schedule 1 day of bad weather this time though. I couldn't believe how hot and sunny sverige could be! I came back to DeLand more tan than the Floridians. Already looking forward to seeing Lydköping again! Tweet tweet, Kim Griffin BirdMan Inc e-mail addresses edited by skymama so Kim and Jari won't get a bunch of spam from the web crawlers. -Kimberly Griffin

I do believe Skydiving Magazine in DeLand, Florida, pays more than that. They also have a world wide readership. (Although pics in Parachutist do look better due to the glossy paper.) Skydiving's website is www.skydivingmagazine.com - info on how to submit articles and pics is listed there. ~Kimibird -Kimberly Griffin