kimgriffin

About Vigil (not the Neptune)... There was recently "real proof" (meaning not a test in any way) but it's not from a life-saving activation for going low or (God forbid) being unconscious. A normal paying customer, not in the US, erroneously set his altitude correction at +900 feet. He thought he was setting his activation alt AT 900 feet AGL, but what he did was add 900 feet to the factory-set activation alt for "PRO" (which is set 800 ft.) He had a unexpected surprise when his Vigil fired shortly after he pulled. So, the Vigil did what it was programmed to do. (He landed fine, BTW.) FYI - the altitude correction function is for when your landing area is at a different altitude than your departure (like if you took off at sea level and were doing a demo up in the mountains). You can correct for the difference in altitude. -Kimberly Griffin

This is a good point - and is why there is no need to worry in which location your PD reserve comes from. I worked for PD 7 yrs ago and I saw how they are anal about quality inspection (as well as testing and most everything else it takes to produce a high-quality product). The quality coming out of Honduras is no different than what you'll get out of DeLand. ~Kim

Moi Vesa! I have been in Finland - Helsinki Club though. I would indeed like to visit again. Thanks for the invite. About the Jari wearing a full-face at the Herc boogie - sinetolletoikiasa!!!! (Damnnn it's hard to spell those long Finnish words - I'm trying to say YOU ARE RIGHT!) Maybe it was that licorice flavored alchohol I was drinking on the last day that erased my memory. I do remember now though that Jari and many others had on full-face helmets, which with those big groups of not all-very-experienced WS flyers taking out a chunk was an excellent idea! I was much safer doing one-on-ones. ~Kimilintu

Thanks JP. I did explain what some of the problems were in getting started up back on Nov 20, so I won't go there again. But, it's all good now. I have heard from Belgium that production is picking up and all is well over there. Well, I'll be really happy when we have a 100 units in stock here in DeLand so people can have instant gratification. We'll get to that point soon enough. I most definitely have enough right now for dealers to order a small amount of stock and more coming all the time. PS I spent my first 2 jumping years (92-93) working in Cal City. I don't think I even realized Perris existed for a good half year. Funny. I'm really happy for you and SquareOne that you're on board there. I'm sure it's going to suck having a wind tunnel in your back yard! Warm regards from da east coast. -Kimberly Griffin

Terrvve Vesa! Of course, you wear a full-face helmet... it's damn cold in Finland! Okay, just teasing. Of course, it's always safer to protect your head. When I do RW, I use an Oxygn full-face helmet. When flying, I use a skateboard Protec helmet (not the dorky student kind). You can see it a little in my avitar. It just feels so good to have the wind in your face (well, in Florida anyway.) The only time I've seen Jari wear a helmet was in Norway where they forced him to - so he went out and bought a nit snow cap. ~Kim

Why did you think I was somone from "Family Guy"? That one flew over my head! (Maybe because I've never seen "Family Guy".) I'm dying for it to be spelled out to me. So, pleasssee... Yes, things have started off slowly in the Americas but they are picking up as each week passes. We do plan on having the many back orders filled and to have a decent stock in DeLand (to supply Vigil USA dealers) by the end of Jan. Like SkyMonkey pointed out, you can find a info I posted about the Vigil in a thread dated Nov 20th. Or, PM or email me with questions. kim@vigil.aero Have a sweet weekend all. -Kimberly Griffin

Approx 4 minutes (ProTrack unable to log it and I was not counting) Exit: 24,000 ft Opening: somewhere between 3000-4000 Mullins King Air, WFFC, Quincy, 2001 Suit: BirdMan Skyflyer ~Kim

No worries about being a test jumper. What the mass skydiving public does not realize is that the Vigil is not some new concept thought up in a bar in Belgium earlier this year. The engineering company that created the Vigil has specialized in remote control and activation devices way before the Vigil came about. It has supplied companies such as Xerox, OCE, Fluxys, Electrabel and Gasunie. Two of the engineers - now the owners of the company that makes the Vigil - also happen to be skydivers. The Vigil has been in testing for approx. four years. Production models are now available. As I said above, they are just starting to come in to Vigil USA (the US/Canada/S Amer. distribuor). My life is priceless to me - worth much more than the salary I make - and I'll be taking out my Cypres and installing a Vigil ASAP. Have a great weekend all. If you're in Fla, then I know you will. It's blue as can be today. -Kimberly Griffin

OMG - Please don't let this guy be a "60 jump wonder" - the harness is meant for a BIG person and the container for small parachutes! ~Kim

Hi! In regards to the riggers kit question, here is the answer directly from one of the Vigil owners' mouth (well, fingers actually): "NO, the annual riggers check is not necessary, since the Vigil does a complete self check. We created the download possibility because some organizations (military) or countries (Russia) demand that a unit will be checked each year. That's why. (The riggers check is) not mandatory by us." I thought this would be the case because the Vigil will tell you throught the LCD display if there is anything wrong with it (or give you jump info) - you don't need a rigger to check that for you. -Kimberly Griffin

I have emailed Vigil's owner/creator on this question. I will reply when I hear the official word. I ask for some mercy on the website's wording!

Thanks for that. Yes, the problem was/is that info on the Vigil got out to the skydivers at large early this summer (due in part to some early-marketing) and there were some beta test units getting out in the field. So, skydivers assumed everything was in place for the company to start mass producing. But, so there are so many little and big things it takes to start up a mfg company - 2 companies actually (A.A.D. and Vigil USA) - and so many things that come up that you don't plan on. I wish I could say Vigil USA had 500 units in stock to distribute to its dealers but that would be a lie. It would be great if we did because we could sell most of them. But, we're just not at that point yet. It's still too early. Production units (meaning not test units) are finally coming off the production line - but the amount that can be produced at this point is not staggering. It will take us until Jan or Feb to really have a decent # of units to supply dealers (who will supply the end customer). If you call around next month you will find some dealers either have units in stock or they will be getting them by the beginning of the year. I really do wish I could have better news and tell you that 1000s of units were coming in and you could have instant gratification by calling any dealer. But, I'm one of you and refuse to BS anyone. I do think the Vigil is a very cool piece of technology and if you can wait, then wait. If not, then I'm sorry if we couldn't help. It shouldn't be toooo much longer now. -Kimberly Griffin

No, I have not even heard that rumor. Right now, the only Vigil for sale is the standard production model, which does include the data recorder. -Kimberly Griffin

Yes, I understand that there are a ton of people (in the US especially) who have not heard back from Vigil. I'm so sorry you did not hear back from someone! While the Belgian owners (who are not fluent in writing English) were deciding what to do with the US/Canada/South America sales and then setting up Vigil USA, some emails sat unanswered. They have forwarded a bunch of those emails to me (ohhh, it's a lot) and I'm getting to them one at a time. I'm pretty much it as far at the Vigil USA office goes - and because I go to school at nights, I only work part time. You will get quicker responses by emailing me (see post above). I'm not on this site every day. Thanks for your patience. Sorry we have not been quicker in the past! -Kimberly Griffin

Hi Skip. I have about 300 jumps on my Odyssey with dynamic corners. I have had sweet openings whether I'm WS flying or doing RW (or the rare freefly jump). My lines stay where I put them - although I pack either bridle up or bridle towards the main PC (for WS flying). I don't think you should have a problem packing that rig (Vladi?) in your standard configuration. I've seen Vladi's rig packed and his corners are tight. You will have to make sure to keep your closing look snug to keep the corners tight. Yes, Robert Jones from Morpheus Technologies was the orginal designer of these corners. ~Kim Griffin

Hej Schwede! Sweden to Orlando is always cheaper because Orlando is the #1 travel destination in the US (Disney, Universal, ect). Usually, my svensk friends pay around $400-500 to come here - I have paid as low as $800 but as high as $1000 in recent years to go there (sweden). And many Europeans wonder why Americans don't travel outside the country too often. (That and 2 weeks vacation per year is standard - ugh!) Hey... but, I HIGHLY recommend this boogie to people from all over the world!!! I had a blast last year - the Herc is sucha cool plane. Do you know they charge something like $60-70 to jump a Herc here in the US (at special boogies)? ~Kim

I have a few hundred WS flights with my Odyssey w WS corners and love it - looks good, easy to pack, sweet openings. Here's a pic of of my rig and Vladi Pesa's hooked up to our S3s this year's PIA Symposium. ~Kim BMI/E -Kimberly Griffin

ASAP - never been and would love it. Going to hit S Africa first, though. Nice to hear you are back home safe and sound! XO - Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Hi! I work for Vigil USA so I'll be happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability. I've been on the job for about a month so I'm somewhat knowledgeable but hardly an AAD expert. There's also ton of info on the website, if you have not been there. Vigil was started in Belgium. That's where you will find the production and testing facilities of Advanced Aerospace Designs (that is the name of the Belgian company that makes the Vigil AAD). Due to the amount of jumpers in the US, the owners quickly realized that it would make their life a lot easier to have a distributor to handle US sales. So, Vigil USA in DeLand, Florida, was born. This is who I work for - Vigil USA - and I'm the main point of contact. Vigil USA covers sales and customer service in the US, S. America and Canada. All sales will go only through approved Vigil USA dealers. Airtec vs Advanced Aerospace Designs...To put rumors to rest, yes, Cypres tried to claim that there was a patent infringement on the Vigil cutter. This did throw a monkey wrench in to production plans and caused a delay in getting the Vigil out on the market. Airtec, however, could not go far with the suit because it was proven that there is no patent infringment. The Vgil cutter is unique and was designed by a company in Wisconsin that has been making cutters for over 30 years - way before Airtec was on the scene. To the person who claimed that Vigil is just like a Cypres with a different box... that is not correct info and has not been an issue for the company. Of course, it IS a similar product - meant to cut your reserve loop at a pre-determined altitude/speed (if you don't or can't save your own life). But, it is designed differently, has different materials, programming, etc. Just as a Vector and a Javelin are constructed a bit differently and look a little different from one another, but they are made to serve the same purpose. What the h@#! has been taking so long??? Yeah, I'm with you on this - a valid question! Vigil beta (test) units were out in the field this summer but only a few found their way to the US. Delays were caused by a few things: marketing before production was at full capacity/speed to be able to handle demand, the cutter issue with Airtec, Advanced Aerospace Designs deciding mid-summer to create a US distributorship - it took time to find the people, place, legalize corp documents, etc. Vigil USA was active only in mid-Oct. Nothing has really happened with dealers and Vigil orders until recently. We're trying our best now to get the ball rolling. Like I said, our capacity to meet demand has been out of balance. This problem should be remedied very soon as production Vigil units are coming off the line (not fast enough for some people, I'm sure) and are now finally getting in to the hands of jumpers. Does your (US) dealer have units in stock? No, not yet. Limited dealers should have some by the end of Dec. More and more will come as time goes by. Even the biggest skydiving mfg are still small compared to the non-skydiving business world. And, Vigil is a currently a small skydiving mfg, so things don't always go as fast as some people would like. (Including me! I have dealers to answer to so I'm probably the biggest pain in production's ass at the moment. ) The misfire someone asked about... yes, it was on a test unit - not a production unit. Okay, I hope that covered the questions in this thread. My opinion as a skydiver (of 11 years) is that no matter which AAD you choose, the fact that a new AAD mfg is on the scene is going to be good for for our sport. The AAD companies will have to continually improve technology and keep their prices down to compete with one another. So, it's all good. ~Kim Griffin Vigil USA Sales Liaison (if anyone can think of a cooler title, then bring it on) -Kimberly Griffin

Derrrrrr.... Fergie... I forgot you're back in Austalia. I keep thinking of you and with a machine gun haning out with the camels. Cool, so glad you're back home to spread the love in Auzzieland. All my best, Kim -Kimberly Griffin

You get approx double the freefall time that someone with out a BirdMan suit would (meaning around 2 minutes.) There is no set time because suit model, body position and body type play a roll in fall rate even with a wingsuit. It is cool - and fun! You should shoot this question to the dedicated wingsuit forum on this site. There's lots of experienced bird people if you want other opinions. ~Kim BMI/E -Kimberly Griffin

Very well put, Jari. I agree 100% ManBird Wrote: My view: I don't think the BM-I rating should be required for BirdMan specific instruction, but permission should be sought from BirdMan. Kim replies: There is no way BirdMan could know by someone who calls or even drops by if they have the WS teaching or flying skills needed. That plan could lead to having many terrible teachers out there claiming that they could do the FFC (first flight course). There was a death a few years back where a guy went in with a BirdMan suit - he landed all wrapped up in his main canopy. No one knows how he wrapped himself up but one fact is that he was given the suit to try by a friend who had a handful of WS jumps. I'm sure his friend told him what he know of WS flying. Although this death MAY have had something to do with the way the canopy opened, my opinion is that this guy would have stood more of a chance of landing alive if he would have been trained by a BMI how to properly handle the suit at pull time. Jari is one of the most anti-rule people I know and he's certainly not in the WS business for the huge amounts of money it generates. I believe his intentions in regards to training is to do what is in his power (which is not all that much) to help keep this part of our sport safe. In the last BMI course I evaluted, two of the candidates (who got their rating) told me that they could not believe how much they learned (about teaching people to fly). And these guys were experienced flyers. Maybe some one else will come up with their own comprensive traing program some day. For now, the BMIC course seems the safest solution in assuring quality WS instruction. Just my 2cents... :) Kim -Kimberly Griffin

BirdMan Inc recommends 200 jumps within the past 18 months. It's pretty easy to learn to fly, but proper instruction is the key to staying safe and really learning how to fly the suit. BirdMan has a website you may find interesting: www.bird-man.com Yep, if you want to learn in Australia Russell Thorton is a BMI and BM dealer who has demo suits. Slower, Faster, Longer... ~Kim BMI/E -Kimberly Griffin

Hi Vallerina. Although I don't find it hard to fly my Skyflyer, I do feel the burn in my shoulder muscles if I'm having a maxed out flight. I do 3 different standing free weights excersizes for my shoulder muscles - lifting out to the side, lifting out to the front and one that's like shrugging your shoulders. I make sure to have a heavy enough weight that I can't do more than 12 reps without my muscles screaming. I only do this a 1-2 times a week but seems to work for me. I also do push ups regularily - one of the easiest and all-around upper body exercisized I think. Good luck! Bird babes rock! ~Kim -Kimberly Griffin

Hei! Yes, it's true... you should have at least 200 jumps within the past 18 months (and be current) to do the BirdMan first flight course. There are BM instructors at Elsinore, although I don't have their contact info to pass on to you. There may be a couple at Perris too. I'm a BMI (in Florida) and have met the guys out in Elsinore and Perris. There are a bunch of good flyers out there. I'm wondering if we can find Vectorboy (who is often on this wingsuit forum) for his advice. He flies at Perris and may know who the local BMIs are. Hello Vectorboy.... you there... can you help this guy. Or, you may want to email or phone the Elsinore DZ and ask who their BMIs are. You will also likely need to ask any BMI you find if they have a suit around that will fit you. If not, the BMI will have to rent from from BirdMan and have it shipped from DeLand, Fla. Good luck and happy flights! Ha det bra Cato!!! ~Kimberly -Kimberly Griffin