mccordia

After 2 big flocking weekends and a short holiday in germany where I got to play with my S3S for the first time I'm really starting to get the hang of it. Where just untill 3 weeks ago, my best fallrates where in the high 40's, I managed got into 40 to 35 mph fallrates the past weekend, while flying at forward speeds I havent yet experienced and with way more ease in flying (in terms of strenght needed in your arms). I was going for distance on the dive, and the way slow speeds I was getting during that one where just an added bonus. It was actualy on a couple of speedy flocking dives just two weeks ago, chasing the base, that I learnt to speed it up more. The jump before I was trying to catch up with the base. Trying to fly it as flat as possible, looking up/ehead at the base. I'm only just learning to fly it faster at the moment...as up untill now I was usualy a bit more foaty in my flying...lacking enough forward speed. I was keeping up, but just not catching up. I got a few tips about changing my angle of attack, steepening it a little to get more speed, thus more lift, thus more drive (although my intuition sayd I would dive deeper instead of speeding up) The next dive, J-lo took base in his S3S and put the afterburners on. Most of the group got left in the dust. Only the three people on the dive in S3S's (and Henny in his normal S3) managed to keep up. The speeds where insane! Definately give this suit a try if you can.. I'll see if I can get Johan to chime in here...he's been flying his S3S quite a bit since he got it just 2 weeks ago... Small ps. I also got to try a MTR2, and got quite an okay fallrate and forward speed on my first jump. But the palms down flying of this suit is quite tiring on your arms..I felt my upper arms like I'd been weightlifting like a maniac. The dive lasted just a bit over 1 and a half minute. While I did a 2:30 dive on my S3S (12500ft>3000ft) the day before and hardly felt any fattigue. Although that could also partialy be because of the S3S..where the support in the wings definately takes a lot of stress off of your arms.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

On a side-note.. If anyone happens to have a busted up (original) sidewinder that still has the side-lid/camera cover intact....send me a PM. My cover/lid got torn off JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I think both are quite different suits. Phantom seems to be the king in speed. Firebird also has vents/airlocks and allows backflying at nice speeds (with inflated wings) I think the only way to get a good idea which suit you'd want is to fly both of them a few jumps. And flock in the suits, and do some solo's...see what you like... You never buy a car because someone says 'it's good', you always take it for a test-drive. I think both Birdman en Phoenix Fly are quite easy in letting you testdrive their products...so if you want to know which suit you'll like best, doing the testdriving yourself would be the best option I think.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

With me it was just the fact that I exited with closed wings with a passenger. Being quite heavy on your back, this throws you headdown (especialy if your legwing is a bit or completely open) I now exit rodeo's with arms wide open, en it flies quite wel straigt from the door.. Don't know if this is your problem as well...but just thought I'd mention it.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I don't think you have to fly the suit to understand that the word 'dynamic' refers to the fact that the wing is designed to change shape based on the orientation in which you fly. Inflating in a correct wing-profile when flying either on your belly or back... On a side note, one thing that is funny about Phi is that a lot of people seem to think that backflying skills are included with the suit. Even though it's supposedly easer (and flies with much better fallrates on your back) you still have to learn to fly on your back 'the hard way'...maybe costing you a few thousand feet here and there as you tumble towards the earth hehehe JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

you've got mail.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Filmsy, as in 'quite easy to damage' (not that I have so far). I don't know if the heavier material performs better or worse...but when I buy a suit, I also want it to last... That's why this change in materials made me curious, and I would love to see how a suit design for fast/far flying instead of earobatics wil perform when made this way.. The booty-problem (seems popping) seems more like a size problem then a material problem. As I hear more people complaining about wrong suit-sizes (too short/too long)..but I wasnt there...so not sure on that one.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

yea...curiouus too.. I had to pass up on all kinds of cool toys past weekend because I was flocking. Would loved to have given Phi, Firebird and Phantom a spin... I was quite amazed at the production-quality of Phi. Felt more like a cross between an outdoor-coat and motor-cycle-clothing in terms of quality.. Really a whole different look and feel from anything we've seen so far. I hope this is the direction wingsuiting wil go in terms of materials and strenth (this suit looks way more durable then anything I've seen before, no filmsy Balloon zp anymore) JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yea...people arent supposed to have fun...everything should be about learning and numbers :P JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Don't forget about this guy. Isnt that the guy that manages to rip wings off of any suit? No matter if it's a Prodigy or an S3 JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I thought the important difference between the S1 and the S3 was the wider leg-stance/slighly bigger wing. Adding more stability. Never really noticed anything about 'thinner wings' flying the S1 or S3..it's not a feature that stood out/was noticable to me when I was flying it..? I don't know for sure what you mean with 'triangles'...? Forgive me for not opening up the wing with a knife to show the mylar ribs, but I'd like to continue flying my suit longer But as far as I can feel, the ribs inside the S3S wings are cut so they push the wing into a correct wing shape. Basicly a wing-profile. Is that what you mean? I don't really see/feel the triangle thing? I've felt the V1 ribs (when james was wearing it..rrrrrr) and to me, it actualy felt quite the same as what I'm feeling in the S3S, in terms of shape...(TALKING ABOUT THE ribs you perverts) JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yea...especialy the high-speed racing flocks where cool.. Getting out at 3 to 4 miles, flocking the 1st part of the jump and just racing the second part, who-ever is over the DZ first...:) And a real exciting flock, where the second group came to say hello to the first group. Makes for some interesting video... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

The pics are approved now.. Awesome Photo's saskia! Cool to see some photo's of myself flying, I'm usualy at the other end of the lens.. :) Hope to fly with ya soon! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

According to www.trackingderby.com and the GPS units they use, all of you are pussies, as most people are already doing 250 to 300 km/h (That's 155/186 MPH) speeds WITHOUT wingsuits... At 150 mph vertical speeds, but still... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I'm going to be making a bad comment on piracy now..don't spank me...:) But the book "The Yorkshire Birdman" is not in print anymore, and getting ahold of one is quite hard. It would be great if by accident, someone managed to PDF the book, and accidently PM-ed the url to a few interested people... Just a joke ofcource...yes? JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Don't worry, I didn't. I've met you and I know you are just being playful Playfull and mindfull of what I see people do when they are flying different suits... My initial intention wasn't fighting or dissin' your crew...just tried to get across what I thought I saw in peoples flying the past weekend.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

So that would mean you wouldnt be allowed to mention this anywhere either?? You saw someone do something...and you mention that...same thing I'm doing here..as that part was not mentioned in their initial reviews of their jumps... I'm not saying it's a shitty suit...all I'm saying is that they had a hard time flying their slot in the suit, something that's also quite obvious when you see the videos. I'm not pooping on your head or anything...I'm just stating an observation... Didn't mean to get your panties in a twist :) JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

You didn't try the Phantom yourself and you only observed 2 other people try the suit over several (?) skydives... Where I saw that they didn't fly their slots in the suit. They went low or shot past the formation. While they DID fly their slots in another suit... Just stating facts... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I'm only saying the phantom looks like a harder suit to fly correctly straight from jump #1...but it's quite funny how nothing but extremely positive news seems to be allowed... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

To me, this sound like you could also just need to rig your wings up 1 tab higher. When your wing is almost swallowing your handles and pushing against them, a hard opening probably could bang one handle out of its pocket.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Awesome designs!! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

There have been a lot of jumps. With anything ranging from a slow falling base, to high speed chases all over the sky. I think we pretty much covered EVERY speed a base can and wil ever fly in a flock. Including a high-speed chases with the base completely maxing out..It wasn't just the one 'slow' jump where it didn't work out. But there wasn't one single jump where people flying it for the first time stuck their slot... This was actualy all I was commenting on... Which seemed to show me that the other suits are easyer to fly.. I have no doubt that amazing things can and wil be done with lots of practice...nobody flies a suit perfect for the first time...but people flew their slots without zooming all over the place in other suits.. All glide-ratios, designs specs etc etc. aside....when people do better in another suit, which they are ALSO flying for the first time..it shows me that that would be my choice if I was looking for a good 'all-rounder'...and it shows to me that the other suit seems a lot easer to fly in ANY type of flock if you don't have a ton of jumps yet.. Practice with the suit wil chance that....no doubt.... My 0.2 JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

When it comes to flocks and other people I fly with I do...or try to.. And what you and I do together 'slighty above' legal opening-altitude is my buisines But when I fly the Prodigy next week, I'll be sure to post how the wings keep coming off, even though there's only 2 documented cases worldwide JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

James Wrote: As stated..I do think that jump-numbers correct for a lot this.. The suit looks wonderfull, and on one of the jumps we ended up racing, and I was definately given a run for my money. But a lack of lift on slower flights (forward and downward) seemed to be a consistent problem, and the folks that flew it did fly tight slots in other suits (also ones they hadn't tried before) I think bigger suits like a V1 and S3S are a better answer to flocking for most people who are in a normal weight (and experience) class... Costyn wrote: I would love to have tried...I'm a bitch for trying out anything new. Next weekend I'll be flying a MTR2 and a Prodigy in Zeeland (NL)... But Holland has little to no big flocking events.. And when you are invited in a 10 way flock, I'd rather fly it in a suit I know. Instead of learning to fly a suit on a bigway, where you could end up zooming all over the place. I would love to jump the Phantom on a solo dive, to try it out in every way I could think of...but I won't be doing solo dives when it's good weather and there are big flocks to be flown (knowing that you'll have to wait untill May next year for the next event) So my dicision to not jump it was not based and what people could or couldnt do in the suit. It was just a safety one on my behalf... And the fact that (aside from good fast flying) I haven't realy seen any solid flown slots in the Phantom this weekend, from people who performed well in an S3S they'd both NEVER flown before... This made me just mention that it's not a suit that everyone flies really wel straight away...it takes practice, and seemed to be hard to fly without the drive... The video of the last event where you (james) were showed you flying with a nice open/extended leg, in good flying jumps. In the slower jumps we did this weekend, the bigger suits (S3S/V1) allow you to not use the drive of the legwing, and 'hang' in your armwings more...to stop you from dropping out.. The smaller armwings of the Phantom don't seem to support this to well. Although no doubt you'd be able to fly any slot in it... And If I'm allowed to say....the fact that not EVERY single word anyone writes on the suit is possitive doesn't mean the suit sucks...it just means it's a real product.....and not a fictional story.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

As an outside opinion, the suit does seem to be quite difficult to fly in flocks when there isn't a ton of forward speed. I've seen several people fly it in different dives over the past few days. The small armwings really seem to need the speed to keep flyers up with the flock (either that or it should be flown mostly by lighter people) Though it's flying really well and fast at breakoff and in the one or two maxed out group jumps we did, in all honesty I don't think it's the ultimate flocking suit for most people with a normal weight. Almost everyone that flew it here had problems overshooting the flock or dropping under when they tried to break the forward speed a bit (loosing lift en going low) People repeated this patern several times, fast into the formation, fast past the formation, slowing down and dropping bellow the formation. Then moving to the side to gain altitude again by speeding up even more (because on armwings alone it didnt seem to work) The bigger suits seem to allow much more 'hanging' in the arm wing, when dives are a bit slower and people aren't flying to the max... Where the phantom didnt seem like it could be flown in a formation without the legwing fully extended and open.. Just my 0,2 JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?