kimgriffin

Wow - I feel like an ungrateful sap now. I haven't cruised this site since last week. Thank you all so much for the bday wishes! I still don't think my birth certificate can be correct. I must be 24, not 34! Feels like it in most cases - just not when I drink. Thanks again! Best wishes to you all from the ever busy Bird Office, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Wait... okay, let me rephrase the question to Skymonkey: Will you be teaching the first wingsuit course while in Panama City? And, if my memory serves me correctly, Skymonkey has someone of his own to do, so the "first-timers" may be safe after all.

Whhooops, error in the email above. I meant "monkey" pic. Damn these little laptop keyboards. (I'm at home right now.) Time to run. Almost time to hit the BirdOffice for a busy work day and then some flying later this afternoon. Oh, how life sucks! NOT Life, gotta love it! ~Kim (Hmmmm... my Griffin pic did not come out so well. Bummer.) -Kimberly Griffin

A few of us DeLand Birds will be there. We'll likely be flying on Friday the 2nd. After that, we're going to be all about lazing on the beach drinking cold margaritas with friends while watching the best of the best swoop the sh@! out of their high-speed handkerchiefs. Skymonkey: Will you do first timers there? Jari and I turned Lyle down on that due to the fact that baby birds sometimes loose their way and there's that big body of water to contend with. Nice money pic, by the way. Did you do something different with your hair? ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

SkyMonkey meant the store at Skydive DeLand. They have something like 5 brand new Classic I suits on the rack. One main difference on the ClassicI compared to the ClassicII is that the I only has 1 zipper up the belly, while the II has 2 zipper going up the front. So, the Classic I will fly just as well but you will have get in to it while laying the suit on the floor and sliding in to it. The wing design is the same on both suits. The CI would be a good first suit if they offer you a good price. They've had those suits there for almost 2 years so I bet they[email] will make a deal with you. A new ClassicII retails for 618. (By the way, I have nothing to do with the store at the DZ, except I give them my money when I go fly.) The DeLand DZ store number is 386-738-3539. I would ask for Sarah or Sazz - they are the two girls there who would be able to help you best when it comes to the suits. I would also put a posting on the classified section for "Wanted" and see what you come up with. Good luck! I hope you find your new toy at a great price and are up flying soon. Slower Faster Longer... Kim Griffin BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

Opppppps! Blonde moment.... forgot to upload the attached pictures. Here they are (I hope). ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Here's some pics that Norman Kent took during a flight the weekend before last. (Thank you, Norm!) 1. Group shot: Sarah Bratcher, Danielle Ford, Nicole Angelides-Kent, Kevin Schäfer, me, Todd Southerland, Jari Kuosma, Emilie Söderstrom 2. In flight shot. As you can see, we're flying a bit lazy to set up on the camera. You should have seen how our body positions improved when we realized how far away downwind from the DZ we were! 3. Kev and Nicole getting in a camera geek. Slower Faster Longer... Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Yeah, you will rock in a wingsuit with your height and weight (once you build the skill.) So, far the best body type for the wingsuit I have met would be either Christian (mentioned above) or Martin Rosen from Sweden. Tall and skinny is an ideal body type for the WS. I'm 5'4" and 125, so I have a ton of range to float and dive, But, I'm on a waiting list for leg extentions right now. So, someday I can have even better forward drive. But, it comes down to the fact that we all want to have fun and learn together. Right? So, we have to be kind to those who are aerodynamically challenged while not letting them fly lazy. And, just do solo jumps or jumps with other people at a similar range so we can push our own limits. Or, if you are aerodynamically challenged... learn to fly the hell out of your suit and your skill will make up for other's lack of it. I've flown with heavy not so tall guys who absolutely kick ass in their Classics because they know how to fly. Jari does have a very good wingloading - he's about 6' and 165ish. But, I believe he could out fly taller/thinner guys because he flies so well. So... It's not JUST size that matters. Or, maybe there will be a new Nazi nation of tall, skinny WS flyers who seek and destroy anyone under 5'8" and over 160 lb. Oh no, I'd better start running now! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Holy shit, you have to check out the trailer for Tomb Raider II: http://www.tombraidermovie.com/index.shtml I'm all choked up - it's so f-ing cool to see wingsuit flying on what will be the big screen! It's obviously not Angelina and the guy with her flying the suits, but Swedish flyers/BASE jumpers Martin Rosen and Per Flare. Yeah.... that made my day!!! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Patrick rocked! I'm sure he still is somewhere. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Oh yeah, but it was a GTi. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Geez, and I have to work with this evil guy! Jari, I'm going to make your girlfriend give you a spanking. Oh wait, you'll probably like that! LeRoy, you have to admit that it was a pretty good joke. Plus, aren't jokes totally legal anytime within a week of April 1st? I hope you didn't lose any sleep last night! Okay, Kevin... the sad news for you about the 1st all-metallic silver space suit. It was picked up by a very small British girl named Jo Malone yesterday. It most definitely looked cool! She even had silver shoes to match. Imagine a flock of these suits flying over someone's backyard BBQ. I wonder how fast the people who look up with call in the UFO report? Faster Slower Longer... Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Yep, you're right, Kevin. I may have been dreaming, possibly hallucinating. Wait... it IS on video a few times over and with Norman Kent gracing us with his prescence. He's truly amazing. He holds this big camera in his hand to take the pics all while flying his Skyflyer right along with the group and getting all sorts of different angles for his pics. I felt very lucky to have him there last weekend. No ass kissing, he's a great photographer and a really nice guy. But, I don't have anything digital for you to look at so I could be lying about the whole thing. ~Kimibird -Kimberly Griffin

We did some sweet 10 and 12-way flock dives in DeLand on Saturday and 5 of the birds were girls - a better raitio than normal. Jari told me that I was supose to write, "and they were all hot." I have to say that I LOOOOVEEE with a capital "L" being last and having to dive my S3 down to the base. With wings closed, I'm diving like a screaming bullet but once I throw my wings out I can almost hear the tire screetching sound as I come to a stop (relatively speaking). Slower Faster Longer... Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Wow, interesting. Sorry about that! We recommend a bridle that is 100" from pin to pilot chute. Is the bridle that came w your rig 100" from the pin to the pilot chute? Is that the length of the bridle we sold you. (It should be, if it's not, it was made incorrectly.) If you don't want the pc you brought from us, please return it (unjumped, of course) and we will refund all your money. No problem. Email me personally at kim@bird-man.com with any questions or concerns. I can't get to this site all that often, so if you ever need to get a hold of me, emailing or calling me at BirdMan works best (same goes with Jari.) Hope you all had a sunnier weekend than we did in DeLand! Slower Faster Longer Kim Griffin BirdMan Inc -Kimberly Griffin

I just say my thanks to God that you only have birthdays once a year, Jari!!!

I feel my S3 is easier to fly mostly because of the wider leg stance. I feel more manueverable, faster, and more comfotable (with the wider legs). The arm wings flap over your hacky more but in a couple of jumps you get use to the difference (compared to the S1). With the larger leg and arm wings I have more range. I've been slack and have not gone up by myself yet to see my max slow speed. ~Kimbirdly Griffin BirdMan, Inc. -Kimberly Griffin

I have not seen the pic yet. (Hmmmm... we're just next door to Skydiving mag and have not gotten ours yet.) But, if it looks like Robert, then it likely is. He was on the 300-way record in Eloy. Robert has been on the Croatian national 4-way RW team for some time, so he's probably as good at falling like a potato as he is at flying like a bird. ~Kim Griffin BirdMan, Inc. -Kimberly Griffin

Hey Fergs! You might notice that my name is not on The Flock list either - and I've been flying for over 3 years. We have never had our website in house as Jari and I are always too busy to handle it ourselves. (We wish we could!) And we have never had a full time webmaster. So... our site is lacking many things. We know and are hoping to change this very soon. Sorry that you are not on there but you are not alone. How's the view flying over the desert? Get to swoop the camels? Hasta la vista, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

I'm going to contact our fabric mfg and see if they have their fabric colors digitized so I can get it on our web and out to this forum. If they don't, then Kevin O recommended that I get the colors scanned. So, hopefully in the near future this will be available. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Ha - I'm wondering when the first UFO looking suit will be ordered! That and a mirrored helmet will be pretty wild. Now we just have to work on workable strobelights. I hope no on thinks my last posting is promotional. I forgot to consider that fact. Eeekkksss My intention was to get the current information out to you guys. I hope I didn't step over any boundaries! If so, please kick my ass softly. Have a fantastic weekend! I'll be out at SD DeLand Saturday if anyone wants to play. Blue puffy long ones, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Thanks for posting that AAA. Here is the entire letter I emailed yesterday to a bunch of flyers and our BM dealers. ~Kim~ Feb 13, 2003 Hi everyone. We've had some changes and addition to our product line at BirdMan. New Fabric / New Colors We no longer offer Balloon ZP or Atmotex. We now only offer one type of fabric for every model of BirdMan suit - BM Nylon. Basically, it a very durable type of zero porosity Nylon that has a UV inhibitor impregnated in to the fabric. It is very similar to Balloon ZP but it's a tiny bit thicker. It is not nearly as thick as Atmotex, though. We are making both the body and the wings from this one fabric. In changing fabric type, we can now offer a wider variety of colors. (Yahoo!) The wings and/or body of all BirdMan suits can now be in the following colors: Royal Blue, Navy Blue, Teal, Red, Gold, Hunter Green, Yellow, Purple, White, Neon Green, Turquoise, Black, Orange, Raspberry, Aluminized Silver. The body of the suit can be one color and each wing can be a different color (but the front and back of the wings must match). Something new: You can now make the triangular piece of material between the zippers (on the belly of the suit) any color you chose (it does not have to match the body color). New Bells and Whistles It is standard now that all suits come with hip snaps (so you can snap your booties up on your hips while walking) and a small zippered pocket on the outside thigh area for jump tickets, money, ear plugs, etc. For people who BASE fly we now offer as a $50 option the BASE pilot chute pouch. The pouch is sewn to the outer, right side of the suit. It allows you to stow you PC and bridle to an easy to reach position. Currently, this option is available only on the Skyflyer and Skyflyer.3. The New Toy - Skyflyer.3 The Skyflyer.3 was released at the PIA Symposium earlier this month. So, it is ready for you if you are ready for it! Like the Skyflyer, the Skyflyer.3 is a suit for experienced flyers. The arm wings are longer than the Skyflyer and can flap over your hacky - NOT ideal for novices. (For those ready to change from the GTi or Skyflyer, it will just take a couple of jumps to refamiliarize yourself with the pull - it's no biggie.) The leg wing is not only a little longer but is noticeably wider. This provides more surface area on the leg and a more comfortable leg stance. The profile on the arm and the leg wings is thinner (smaller ribs inside) creating less drag. The mesh on the arms has been lengthened to allow for quicker inflation. The air coming in through the arm zippers is being utilized to aid inflation. A small, very lightweight stiffener is built in to the tip of the arm wing for those who like to hold the end of the wing in flight. All of us test flying the suit last year have fallen in love with it. While the Skyflyer.3 is not radically different than the Skyflyer, it IS more aerodynamic so the forward speed and the lift are increased, plus the wide leg stance feels very comfortable. Like the Skyflyer, the .3 is fun to fly but does not perform at its best unless you are in the proper body position. She's a picky craft but flies like a banshee when you learn what what she wants. The base price of the Skyflyer.3 is $100 higher than the Skyflyer, but three different options (that you have to pay for on the Skyflyer) come standard on the .3. Those are: front air deflectors, padded knees and hook knife pocket. ClassicII and GTi The popular ClassicII and GTi models have not changed structurally (just the new fabric and bells and whistles). Pantz The BirdMan Freefly Pantz and BASE Pantz have been selling like hotcakes. They are available for custom order or you can call to see what sizes and colors we have in stock at our DeLand, Florida, headquarters. The color selection for the racing stripe has been increased. The main color must still be either black or red but there are 15 different colors choices for the stripe. (See colors above.) In response requests from many tandem instructors, we now offer a "reinforced backside" on either model of Pantz. (Pantz only, this is not available on wingsuits.) This is an extra layer of black Cordura sewn to the butt area for those intentional or not-so-intentional butt slides. BirdMan Website Our website www.bird-man.com is currently a little behind the times, as we do not handle it in-house. As of today, you will not find current ordering information there. Please contact BirdMan or a BirdMan dealer for the current order forms. Our site should be updated in the very near future - we're working on it! Thank you for your patience! Please contact us with any questions. I hope this email finds you all having a great start to the new year! Best wishes and long flights to all, Jari, Kim, Robert and Sarah _________________________ BirdMan, Inc. 1665 N Lexington Ave Suite 103 DeLand, FL 32724, USA +386.785.0800 Office phone +386.785.0080 Fax President: jari@bird-man.com Business Manager: kim@bird-man.com Design Manager: robert@bird-man.com (also the BirdMan BASE specialist) Sales Dept: sarah@bird-man.com -Kimberly Griffin

Thanks for the invite, Ken. (Although you didn't include me in your posting - loser! It's okay, being a small girl, I'm used to having to talk loud and cary a big stick. And, dive down with my wings closed after the big, fat guys. ) I truly hope I can make the SkyFly Festival. Jari and I will be planning the 2003 tour once he's back in DeLand (should be pretty soon). The fliers in Gryttjom rock the house. If I could only have the long legs of Martin Rosen! For those who have not been to the Gryttjom DZ (I think it's called Stockholm Parachute Center), it has an excellent facility - Twin Otter, multiple bunk houses, restaraunt, sauna, showers, etc. That's it from me, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Hola SkyMonkey. Just emailed you about that 10 minutes ago. Check your personal emails. You are going to love the .3. Be prepared to reach and dig for your PC on that first flght (it's really not that bad - just takes a couple jumps to get re-comfortable. of course your PC is not going anywhere and can easily be pulled) but the wider leg stance (more comfortable) and faster profile are worth it. Just keep yourself out of those knarly spinning mals and you'll be just fine. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Got your email, LeRoy, thanks. About the reinforced backside (aka ass cover) - that is only for the Pantz, not an option for the wingsuit. Or, do you have a pair of Pantz on order that I don't know about? (Sarah is handling most sales now-a-days.) I look forward to your reply to my email earlier today. ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin