mccordia

For some of us monkeys (who's work is staring at computer screens all day long) its nice to go on holiday and not be online for a change. Most stuff for the other event seemed to have been online for over a month already, and was also sent by email to all participants. Here it was kinda quiet with information outside dz.com, so Id though Id mention it.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

The bottom line is..you need experience, and the more you have, the better. Though some do take to things a bit easier than others, even those few who do okay, will (as will you probably) look back at this point in time, about 500 to a 100 jumps further and realise you hardly knew anything (in terms of skills/awareness). The 200 is a bare minimum which we use as a rough guide for those without patience....at the rate you are jumping, an additional 50 to 100 jumps would have definately benifited your flying. Maybe not from a performance POV. but definatey from a safety POV. I would really like to hear your view on this subject in a year or so when you have double the experience you now have, and see if your stance on this subject has changed by then...(mainly how you see your awereness and skills at that point in your jumping career, and how with hindsight, it was at the 175 you are at now) In the people Ive taken on FFCs, the experience always showed. Though some jumpers may suck at the performance part (big arched back, fallrates of a homesick anvill) from a safety and awereness pov. I definately see a lot better things coming from those with more experience, especialy when things dont go completely according to plan. And my biggest issue is..people who do okay on their first jumps, regardless of their (be it little or big) lack of experience, always seem to be an example for the talentless/dangerous/rebellious peeps who see it as their tickets to fly with even less experience (and more-off...less talent). Id rather be strict with the guidelines.. typed on my mobile..so scuzz the typos JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I know a lot of .EU monkeys have already headed for the USA, and might not get close to a normal web connection between now and next week anymore. Having some printed versions for everyone allong with registration is probably recomendable. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

skittles, I dont think DSE's reply was ment as a personal attack. Merely a *sigh* with regards to the ever sliding 'standards' that people use for safety and training... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Aaaaand fixed it JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

The FAQ seems to be aimed at everything leadin up to making your first wingsuit jump. And not so much coaching/advice for after that one. But if we do put it in there..would you like it above or bellow the line that says why do I need to have 200 jumps before I can jump wingsuit? On a more serious note... Ill see if I can give JB a push, and maybe put together a small FAQ thingy on advice/practice for people after making their first jump. With some links to online resources/tutorials and tips on making progress in terms of skills etc. I already tried doing this (more elaborate) with this article a year or so ago. http://www.flylikebrick.com/articles/flb_wingsuit_formation_flight.pdf Though not completely what the initial poster was looking for, some of this stuff (regarding time not being the only focus) is also (be it in a different way) covered in the 'need for speed' video in our flight manuals section on our website JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Thats usually a line used by low-timers who dont care about jump numbers as it doesnt mean a thing... Though they do update their profile with every single jump they make, and often suddenly round em off to 200 or remove the jump numbers all together if people ask too much or actually show a bit of care for their well-being (knowing that persons background and skill-level). But hey...lets not hop on that train again.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Time is fun, but there are definately more important things. Getting good and stable in your exits and flight. Also when you have a tumble or flip. Practice barrelrolls (single ones, double ones) and see how 'on heading' you can make those. And if they dont go as planned, they are exelent recovery practice for small spins. Experiment with different flight angles. Try flying a bit steeper, feel the forward speed increase. Try flying a little 'headhigh' and see how that feels (feel the forward speed bleed off, flaring, untill you loose lift/stall and suddenly the downward speed builds up again) For weird and funky moves which might result in unstability, set yourself a hard-deck below which you dont initiate any new exercises/do any practice loops/rolls anymore, so you always have some altitude left for recovery (if needed). These are all things that will help you. Especialy in wingsuit formation flying. But still the biggest asset is getting some solid formation experience in normal (FF and RW) formations, where there is no forward speed in formations and closing distances are a lot smaller, and thus the reaction each body-position/action makes/creates is a lot clearer. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Dude....its the other way around Awesome flying..looking mighty cool... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Fairy dust, solidified A1 Jetfuel and a hint of mylar (from batches of checked and tested mylar..not the 'easy to break' kind)? JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Depending on what GR stands for...could be really high JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

We where also in talks with them at the start of the year (but sadly couldnt get the financial stuff arranged fully with our sponsors). Aside from some R&D and arranging a wider wingsuit to fit the special thermal jumpsuits, they didnt quote any huge difficulties. Leo Dickinson (one of the lead video/film guys for the trip) seemed exited about doing wingsuit stuff over Mt everest (being a wingsuit pilot himself, did some kick-ass shizzle with some falcons in freefall/with wingsuits a while back). So aside from some technical hurdles..there didnt seem to be any huge problems that should prohibit anyone from doing this on the second trip next year.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I hate you...both! Yea..me too.. Non-metric people are gay JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Now those pix shouldnt be hard to come by :) The only dowside is that they also feature James Boole in his BM jeans..but we'll remove him with photoshop if needed. I want that gay fake-leather BM jacket...that stuff rocks! Glen is just experiencing 'no jeans envy' in an ugly way...you know you want this next evolutionairy step in wingsuit r&d for your hairy bottoms! admit it! promised DSE Id be nice to ponies...so this post is pony-free JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I think the lunocet is in the '27 mph sustained' phase atm. :) But there should be some people posing at offices atm with those things, so the real proof of their claims will be with the users yea soon...also sceptic on the 10 mph swiming speeds quoted. But I guess we'll see soon enough. And from what I hear, some users might even get a real camposs with their office pix ;) Also seen some vids on monofin action where a full breach was made, thou like high jumps (jumping up and bending/flexing out of the water) and not like a dolphin..being truly airborne for a few seconds with the complete body...curious to see what this thing does in the hands of capable people... And yea..regular reader on deeperblue..the bodysurfing sounds cool..Im already having great fun 'tracking' underwater during dynamic (distance) swimming. Funny to see its still the skydiving elements that attrack us in other sports.... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Maybe have the flippers extend about 30 cm 'behind' your feet. So when you stretch your toes, they lock on your calves in the outstretched position you want em..? And pix man..we want pix! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

When I just started flying camera, many DZs asked about my availability for tandemvideo as I walked by with a camera. Regardless of jump numbers or experienced. If you deliver a product they can sell to costumers, they will quite often take who-ever is available if it works. Some of the people jumping video might have strong principles..but the DZs quite often only have those if there are enough video flyers available, or shortly after someone gets a foot or camera entangled in a drogue... I think you probably know the incidents Im talking about? JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Coaching rates..? Dude..dont make me pull that BMI number out...wait..I have it around here somewhere...*cough* pfffh...(blows away dust)...hmm..where did I leave it.. Hmm...(idea to go to the USA) Who wants to buy my BMI number? JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Its not that top secret.... But glad to see your gay-dar caught me..was it the purple thong or the high heels that tipped it off.. Aside from a bad sense of humor...there wont be a bigger F5 monkey online this coming month, hoping for a succesfull bigway, than this pony-boy here try and smile a little..it doesnt hurt.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Order your boogie T-Shirt here JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yea..they mentioned doing some tests for the militairy a few months back and thus getting some additional funding for further development. The first commercial versions should be arriving at the buyers roughly about now, so it shouldnt be more than a week or two before the first vids of actual trained freediving champs using the fin make it online... More interested to see what they can do with it.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Dude..even when submerged in water the wings stay inflated.. How awesome is that! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yea..I know..(scuba)dive fins are insane.. If you think we're nerdy in wingsuits, the fins for scuba all have 1cm of added ribs and a weird hinge or extra joint here or there. All to supposedly maximise output. And then you wear it all with tons of bulky gear and insane amounts of loose gear and bits and pieces dangling from every available bit of space...good thing the fins ad 0.001% of performance. But if it makes people buy new gear every year.. But the freediving stuff is pretty sweet. Just sleek carbon blades and suits that are as tight and slippery as can be. And some suits have cool panels on the arm/leg ends for more grip/resistance on arm/leg movement. A bit like the stuff you see more and more in comp. freefly suits. This stuff got me exited.. And for some reason, this wing/fun reminded me of wingsuits a bit... For people really pushing the envelope of what they can do in that part of the diving world, an extra one or two % can mean passing a depth/distance worldrecord by one or two meters.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yea..would be cool to modify a pair of freediving fins (strengthen them) so you could have tailwing thats roughly 2,5 meters long (and than an inflated pieces trailing) and then could thus accordingly size the armwings. Dont know if the result will be high speeds at slow decent rates, or something you could land. But cool nevertheless.. Bring on the home rigging! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

My guess..much less than diving with a mono-fin that requires three times the strength/effort to swim the same distance? nerdy review early proto testing JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?