The111

Well a Wikipedia search just showed that it aired from 1984-1989... so I was 3-8 years old. Add to that, I don't watch much TV in general. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

I've never seen the show but anything by Michael Mann has me excited. The fact that the trailer actually makes me feel into a Linkin Park song says a lot... www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Didn't know you liked the Pumpkins, Mark. In high school they were LITERALLY all I listened to. Next time I see you remind me to tell you a funny story about me, SP, and a lawyer. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

I'll second that. I'm not too crazy about their latest album, but Love and Emotion is Dead each had VERY long runs in my CD player. I saw those guys at a small club in Tampa a couple years ago and it was a really good show. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

If you like Sigur Ros, you should check out Explosions in the Sky as well. Other good post-rock bands are Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, and A Silver Mt Zion (one of my favorite songs by them is in the intro to my Z-Flock video). All of those bands are good but EITS is definitely the most similar to Sigur Ros. For years I have classified/used both as "music to fall asleep to". www.WingsuitPhotos.com

It is not rocket science but you do need to be able to work with your hands and take the TIME to do it (the main reason I still probably have 6-8 weeks left on mine). Also, keep in mind I'm not done yet, so it may not be as easy as I think. But, there are 3 basic steps. I am almost finished with the 2nd. The 3rd will be the most time consuming as it is the actual helmet. The steps below are a VERY rough overview, you'd need Wes' instructions (or a lot of previous experience) to do it with only this crude outline. Step 1: Plaster wrap of the head (negative cast). This step requires a friend, who wraps your entire head in plaster (you breathe through small nose-holes). You wait for the plaster to dry (I waited 90 minutes - overkill) and then your friend saws off the cast with a HACKSAW. I have very cool video of the plaster wrap process. Step 2: Foam mold (positive) of the head. Two-part expanding liquid marine foam is used to fill the plaster cast and create a positive mold of your head. Step 3: Fiberglass layup. Use the foam mold to wrap fiberglass cloth around and make the helmet. Again, this process has been overly simplified and I'm not even on step 3 yet. The first 2 steps take more time than you'd think since you need to seal the cast with resin, sand it smooth, and wax the resin for mold release. The mold also needs to be sealed, voids filled with Bondo, and also waxed for helmet shell release. I had never worked with resin, plaster, foam, or any of these things before, but Wes' instructions are great and I'm learning fast and am pretty confident my end product will work as expected. I've seen enough of his products to know it's worth the effort (all the pros in FL fly his helmets). I've spent nearly $400 so far and haven't even bought the fiberglass cloth yet, but I think I might finish for under $600 total in materials and tools. Wes charges around $1300 base price (I THINK), so I'm not really even saving all that much but I will customize a few things on this to my own ideas, and I will enjoy being able to say I made it myself. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

No experience with your problem, but Tiffen makes the Stroboframe, it seems. Contact them maybe? www.WingsuitPhotos.com

They are awesome helmets and as functional as they are good looking. The quick release plates are a great idea. I am documenting my helmet construction with timelapse video. I'll post something to skydivingmovies when I'm done.

I'm a little lost here. How does lux rating work? From the specifications listed on the Sony page, "minimum illumination": HC26 - 5 lux (DV) HC36 - 5 lux (DV) HC46 - 7 lux (DV) HC96 - 5 lux (DV) HC3 - 5 lux (HDV) Are these numbers accurate? What do they mean? www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Wes Rich custom CCM. Made to YOUR head shape (exactly), the most streamlined camera helmet available. I am in the midst of building my own using Wes' instruction CD. (will save some of my scarce funds that way, plus I like the satisfaction of building it myself) Of course, if you do go stock, and stick with Bonehead, then I agree with everybody else - wide. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

So you have no idea about the HC series, but are certain they're too heavy? PC1000 ~1.1lb HC46 ~0.9lb HC96 ~1.1lb Sorry for butting in... www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Here is a post from a couple days ago.

I noticed that too... the "instant drop" was pretty impressive. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Nice edit James. Formations look tighter than Z-Flock but less organized, if that makes any sense. People appeared very close together but it was hard to tell what the formation was supposed to be. There were obviously a lot of skilled flyers there for everybody to fly so tight. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

I've seen some very good tracking done in scuba fins. My freediving fins. I'll bet anybody tries to jump in these ruins their ankles. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

This is another very bold claim. These guys, whoever they are, could have placed @ the world wingsuit comp I guess (without suits) since 2nd and 3rd place distance were around GR 1.7. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Sure, here goes. Fly your body, not your shoes.

You shouldn't be jumping a nice camera like that with the lens exposed anyway. Any shutter is a delicate mechanical component that probably shouldn't see relative wind. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

At the very least there has to be footage of the roller pidgeon competition runs, right?

I was being sarcastic. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Too bad you didn't go to Russia... your "2.9" could have blown away Loic's and James' measly sub-2.0 glides. "It's not the pilot, it's the shoes!" www.WingsuitPhotos.com

So the time was measured from 3700m to 1400m also? Looks like the winners averaged in the mid/low 40's (mph, stupid English units I'm accustomed to). I don't feel so bad about anymore my times on long solos (still haven't broken 160 seconds, about 46mph average). I hear so much talk about people who can pull low-30's averages, and 3:30+ flights. Extrapolating Loic's performance to a "normal" skydive (13,500ft - 2,000ft) barely reaches the 3 minute mark (assuming constant fatigue-free performance over the final minute). I have always assumed people exaggerate their performance a little. This contest shows what people are really capable of. Considering Loic's talent, experience, and perhaps most importantly his bird-like build, I am very happy with my 46mph avg against his 41. Did Perry enter? www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Jump a canopy that can handle linetwists and see what happens. If you are convinced the corners of the tray are causing twists, cut them down. On my Vector I had the corners cut, but I was still learning so I don't know how much difference it made. On my Icon I never modified anything and it opens great every time. www.WingsuitPhotos.com

Update for anybody who was not aware: In addition to the U.S. (both) and Canadian mags, there is a short article by James with a really nice pictorial in the June 2006 BPA mag. The French and Australian mags will also be running some pictures shortly. Hopefully this will generate more interest for next time! www.WingsuitPhotos.com

The other thing missing from the picture is that C of P on a wingsuit is completely variable, unlike on a rigid-wing glider. I would think a small tweak of your body/wing position could alter your trim as much as adding a small amount of weight to your feet. And I'd much rather just adjust my body than fill my shoes with lead. www.WingsuitPhotos.com