MB38

If memory serves, it's 1,800 for B-D holders. Don't know about Pre-A students. Then again, I could be completely wrong. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Please buy the software. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Test 4: Cypres vs. keyboard USB cab- I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Check every piece of equipment I can get my eyes on while sitting on the plane. I've caught two chest straps and three exposed bridles on freeflyers. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Jump 17: Was trying to get "braked approach" signed off for my A card. Meant to stay in half brakes until about 50 feet to allow the canopy to slow its surge before landing. Let up at about 20 feet, panic flared just before impact and PLF/slid it out. Deserved a broken ankle, got damaged pride. Jump ~30: two-way RW jump with somebody of a drastically different fall-rate. Couldn't keep up with him, decided a sit would be a good option at the time. Matched him just as we entered clouds at 6,000. Got flat, turned to what I felt like was 180 degrees and tracked until I came out of the clouds at about 3,800 [probably tracked in a circle or in the same direction as him]. Looked all over the place for him, waved off and pulled at 3,500. Found myself uncomfortably close, heading right for him. We both risered right and ended up clear, talked about it on the ground. Learned a handful of lessons that day. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I once overheard a conversation between a canopy coach and an overzealous DGIT. The lesson was effectively "when you get to the point where you think you're ready to swoop, take your jump number and double it. Live that long and you might be ready." But I'm in no position to give advice, I merely pass on what I hear. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I did a hop & pop at altitude on a CRW pass, having notified the pilot. The visiting 8-way team got out after me on the same [climbing] pass and landed almost three miles out. The stupid mistake? Not having video of it. All stupid joking aside, I've probably made more stupid mistakes than I'll ever know. All I can do is learn as much as I can and do my best to avoid making [too m]any in the future. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Anybody have any information on or experience with this helmet? I can't seem to find it on BH's site, but I noticed it on page 115 of the #71 ParaGear catalog. It's certainly one of the most "original" looking camera helmets I've ever seen, I'll be interested to see how stable a camera platform it is. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I think what she's saying is that object fixation led to the low turn. If there was no accuracy comp, she never would've made the turn. Thus, she was fixated... on the object. Glad you came out of that alive. [edit: I'm a chauvinist, aieee! ] I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Don't worry, I actually tend to side with you on this one. it probably isn't a huge risk. I just figured it'd be worth bringing up in a thread about letting one's hair down. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Eek, I'd hate to think about having a riser tangle with the hair on a late cutaway. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I had hair down to my shoulders for my first 30-40 jumps. The nightly untangling in the shower [agony] was enough to make it that much easier to chop it all the hell off. Don't let it out, hide it. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I was told that the purpose of collapsing a slider - in addition to quelling the irritating flapping - is to prevent wear on the lines that would be caused by the flapping vibration when transferred through the slider grommets. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

What lens on the 1st pic? I used the Nikkor DX Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G on both pictures, but the second one is cropped. Gorgeous. Does it resolve well at 100% [not to lead the thread astray]. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

What lens on the 1st pic? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

That is completely dependent on the type and severity of the malfunction. Most of the time [lets say 9/10 times] the canopy will be fine. Just untangle it and reconnect it to your rig after a reserve repack. Good to go. Sometimes, however, there can be damage. It could be from any number of places... line burns on the top-skin from a line-over malfunction... maybe the canopy landed on a cactus... maybe you snapped a line or two... who knows. Small problems can generally be repaired. Catastrophic malfunctions [canopy blows up] will end the life of a canopy. It's pretty clear when that's happened. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

My question, simply stated, is this: how much faster/slower/flatter do you think that wingsuits can/will become in the future? My [admittedly uninformed] observation of the market has led me to wonder what the future holds from a performance perspective. Now, it's a given that there will be advances in designs, materials and construction methods in the future. I have no doubt that new wingsuits will continue to be designed and released. My curiosity comes from the apparent stagnation of the market, particularly in the high-end sector. What I mean by that is simple. It almost seems as though the "space race" for the biggest, best wingsuit is over. BM released the S3S, PF released the V1... and that seemed to be all she wrote. Now, given, I haven't been following the market closely for more than about 2-3 years. I'm completely unaware of the way that things were before I started paying attention. I may just need a history lesson. But it just seems that the envelope has been pushed and the pressure is off. Consider the recent updates of the two company's flagship wingsuits. The S6 has fairly minor upgrades over the S3S: a few apparently minor performance boosts [though I have not seen actual figures to support my assessment] and some comfort changes. The same seems true for the V2: a few performance updates through wing profile and size changes [once again, no data to support my guess that these are fairly "minor"] and some comfort/ease of use upgrades. Both seems to be fantastic wingsuits, but neither are revolutionary. Now, this may be the norm. I just haven't been around enough to assess whether these updates are generational or revolutionary. But from my [effectively whuffo] perspective, they feel minor. Consider the V2 from a design perspective. It has a very wide [the widest?] stance and a downright huge leg-wing. The profile has been cleaned up significantly, giving it a smoother profile in the air. The arm-wings are similarly huge, extending a full 27cm beyond the natural profile created by the arm. These seem [once again, I don't know much] like solid upgrades over the suit's predecessor that will undoubtedly allow for noticeably greater performance. But how much larger can wings get? How much more wing-like can the profile become before the limits of the shape of the human body have been reached? Will the future add 30 seconds to freefall time, or will it put us floating on thermals? Good pilots can get their fall-rates down into the 30s. I've read that 0mph fall-rates have been recorded - if only for an instant - by GPS. I'm sure that more is possible, there's no way that we've reached the "limit" of human performance in freefall. I just wonder where that limit is. So, is there market stagnation? The force driving the companies to strive for the best performance possible seems to have dissipated slightly... at least to me. Are we doomed to a series of generational changes, or will we see the same rush of innovation and performance increases that we saw - as an example - during BM's infancy? Beyond that, is the answer merely an enlargement of existing wing design... or is it something else? I don't get paid to design wingsuits, I'll leave that to the professionals. I just wonder, is all. What do you guys think? Am I spouting nonsense, flying way off base as usual? [edit: I'm effectively ignoring the acrobatic wingsuit sector... I'm mostly talking about balls-out 10/10ths flying, for argument's sake] I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Got the video? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

maybe in albania or something... IIRC, if you are disabled and can't get a license normally, you can get a restricted license. it has an R in the license to let people know. like A-55555r Aye, I just sorted out where I got my funky idea from, too. Whoosh. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

There are packets on the Impact where you can put protective pads. Just to clarify, I'm aware of this. The point of my post was that I would't want the [minor] padding in the Impact to replace a full set of armor for those who choose to wear it. Anyway, I've led the thread astray. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

One website to check out if you're just looking for random Mac [sorry, I gotta point it out... Mac, not MAC] freeware/utilities is www.versiontracker.com. Do a search for RAW to see what they have there... but eventually you'll learn to swear by the site. Need some random little task done that you've never needed to do before? Somebody's probably written an application to do it for you. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Isn't the E license a restricted license? For when a jumper possesses some disability [or limitation otherwise] that prevents them from reasonably completing a particular requirement for a standard license, but are able to complete everything else? Or am I making this up? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

It's my uninformed opinion that I'd want to buy my body armor from a body armor company and my tracking suit from a wingsuit company. I'd trust a company like Dianese to save my spine and Bird-Man to keep me in the air. I'd just hate to see somebody remove their purpose-built body armor in lieu of what would potentially be sub-standard body armor in their tracking suit and pay the price. The pads in the Impact suit seem wonderful for those individuals who have an apparent opposition to body armor [It's too hot, it doesn't fit in my gear bag, I don't have time to put it on at the exit point, too many snag points, it's not cool] because they can suddenly remove the complications and get some of the benefit. You and I have both seen body armor save lives, I just think that the R&D necessary to build a truly effective piece of armor would be overkill for BM when the work has already been done in the motorsports industry. Cliff's notes: The pads in the Impact are great, but I don't think they should replace a full set of body armor for BASE. But, of course, I don't know much in that department. I suppose that on many of the objects where such a tracking suit would really shine [I.E. terminal walls with landing areas the size of football fields], many consider body armor to be unnecessary... overkill, even. But hey, to restate, I wouldn't want to see somebody leave the armor in the car because of the pads in their tracking suit... on the one jump where they'll inevitably need it. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

That's a pretty vague question. If we're talking about the basics - a freefly suit vs. an RW suit, for example - that all depends on what you'll be doing and your fall-rate. You won't find many [if any] coaches or instructors that recommend anything but RW to start... so maybe a RW suit would be in order. That's something to talk about your instructors with, particularly once you're out of AFF. If you're talking about more advanced suits/stuff - serious tracking suits, wingsuits, camera suits, etc. - 200 jumps is a fairly accepted number... if a little on the low side. New additional things? That's equally vague. Flying a camera, for example? At least 200 jumps. Maybe bringing objects along in freefall? Talk to your instructors, the S&TA, etc. It's very easy to want to get ahead of yourself in this sport. But don't take my word for it, please. 70-odd jumps may seem like a lot when you're in AFF, but it's really a trivial number. Talk to people with more experience, particularly your instructors. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Do you have a higher-res version of that? My desktop wants it I really don't know what I'm talking about.