The111

Notice the top of the plane visible in the video? If the plane was descending, you would still not be able to see the top of the plane, as it would be angled away from you (forward). Ask the pilot to dive when you get out of the plane... you'll see the bottom of it, not the top. I was in the plane (and in the video) and I can promise you the plane was not descending on jumprun. What you see in the video is actually very simple to do in a wingsuit, and many flockers have done it. With 6000 jumps, surely you have noticed that during a fast swoop under canopy, you can actually gain altitude by applying enough toggle input? This same principle is what drives the wingsuit above the plane (excess speed). Note that we do not go directly above, but above and behind. The jumprun was 130 knots. We have done this at 5000 feet with a plane full of RW jumpers, who confirm that (1) jumprun was level and (2) they watched us go way above the plane. I see that your home DZ is Eloy. Ask Ash, or Betsy, or any of the other experienced wingsuit pilots there, they will tell you (and maybe even show you). Put on a wingsuit and do it yourself.

Damn that guy can fly! There is a 3rd person (outside) perspective of that shot in the video Burble Flyers available here. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Air Time was owned by Tony Uragallo... aka Tony Suits (in some places on their website, the phrase "Air Time Tony Suits" is still used, and the Air Time sign still sits on the front of their warehouse). I was talking to him about the Jonathan a few weeks ago. He also let me in on an interesting tidbit as to why he stopped making it. The man marketed the first elliptical canopy (I'm sure somebody will correct me here), then jumpsuits, and now wingsuits. He's a jack of all trades.

The camera does not play favorites... if you are in the flock, you will be in the video. And Sean, I am glad you appreciated the chickens. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

It is indeed a wingsuit, the new Mach 1 from Tony Suits to be specific. I took the photo. Good eye. That is a camera. Look at this picture and you will see the camera more clearly (in his left hand). I have a much higher resolution image at home, I could post later if I remember. I do not remember any gift-wrapping though. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Glen, My only guess is that some of the internal elements got out of alignment or something. I've read in many reviews (on general photography sites) that the build quality of the lens is very poor (it is evident just based on feel, IMO). I would think that would translate into a short life... especially for a rough environment like freefall. It still focuses sometimes, but it is not consistent. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

I used the kits lens with my XT for 6 months and got some very sharp images... but I had the focus ring taped down on manual. After 6 months, I could no longer get the lens to focus on anything perfectly, even on the ground. I got my money's worth out of it, and replaced it with the 10-22.

I prefer this model.More power, and definitely longer reach I was resisting the urge to make a similar comment. To stay on topic... I'll repeat my vote for the XTi. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

OK, they have these blower things that circulate the air. Same thing to a girl. I was not arguing about the definition of A/C... my "WTF" was just in shock since I had never even thought of the concept of a cooled cabin. Now if they get A/C packing they MIGHT win my vote. First they will need to spring for carpet though. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

You must click it... click it good. CLICK IT!

WTF? That, and the full bar are both news to me. Of course I haven't been there since like March. Both sound nice, but still aren't enough to win my vote overall. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

The difference is not nearly enough for a 10-22. It's about $200 difference, a 10-22 is $700. I'd go for the XTi and the 10-22. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

You'll have to ask Heffro about that one. Hey Jeff, how come you didn't track out of that spin? Sorry, couldn't resist. It's even more fun if you do it without touching them. Burble warfare. This literally happened to me once, except I didn't make the claim. Right after I got my S3 I was trying to show off near the end of a 2-way with a newbie and maxed out so hard at breakoff I stalled the suit, my brain locked up, and I tumbled a few times. I got stable again around 2500 ft. On the ground the kid ran up to me and congratulated me on the awesome acrobatics show I gave him... he was serious. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

selfquote: Congrats Glen, you know your shit! A flatspin is no different than an AFF student tumbling out of control (I did this on level 4 from the door until 5000 feet), it is just much worse because of the extra surface area, and often, the panic. Once you are basically competent at flying the suit and have a cool head, it should not be an issue. Often what people call flatspins are only a few tumbles that seemed much worse and longer. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Dave, I cannot verify Ryan's weight but he is indeed big and flies well. But he is also maxed out at all times (at least when I've flown with him). Here is a picture of him in that position. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Or to paraphrase Chuck, you'll have "errant zoomies" to share the sky with. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Typos aside, canopies do not generate thrust. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Jeff, could you elaborate on this? While I agree it is possible to fly out of a flat spin, I would not say this is the "correct" thing to do. Balling up is the most simple and reliable way for somebody who is unfamiliar with flat spins, and who is overwhelmed by the spin. I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "track out", but if it involves closing down the wings, then it is accomplishing almost the same thing as balling up. If you know what you are doing, you can fly out of a flat spin without balling up, but then again if you know what you are doing it is virtually impossible to get into a flat spin, as you will correct yourself before it gets that far. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Those text things that flash across the screen are too fast to even read. Nice trailer though.

I wanna see Mark vs. a dozen chickens. We can call it enormiss coch-fighting. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Get some Dacron lines! I'm only halfway serious... I just got a new container with a 132 and don't want to downsize again anytime soon, but I want Dacron lines, and it's a tight fit currently. So in the future I will downsize to 120 and add the new lines. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

In the spirit of "one eleven experiences"... At the Keys Boogie I knew I had just finished jump 666 so I pulled out my Neptune to show a friend my mark of the beast jump. It showed that jump 666 was done at 11:11 on 11/10! www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Nope, I keep my logbook exact and my DZ.com profile serves the same purpose. I see no purpose in inflating my numbers. I could lie and say I have 1200 jumps, but I'd rather people judge me based on what I'm actually doing in the sport. And to me, I feel more proud of my accomplishments knowing they come from a 677-jump wonder. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

For the same airframe, more speed = more lift and more drag. L:D remains constant. Sink and forward speed increase proportionally. That said, we do not all have the same airframe, and to make it more complicated, anyone of us can drastically alter our own airframe midflight (this is what makes wingsuits such a unique mode of human flight). Common sense dictates that if you are heavy, you will want a bigger suit. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Actually Chuck, in my new Acro I have noticed a similar thing... because of the way the hand loops work (and also the cut of the wings), if I try to put my palms toward the ground while on my back, it seriously shrinks and deforms the wing. Which sucks, because it is much harder (endurance-wise) to backfly for a long time with palms up. www.WingsuitPhotos.com