mccordia

The same thing...the same questions... Its two things we're talking about. This important point, and the silly 'independant' wordgame which is completely seperate. That point is just his method of marketing. But the safety aspect is besides that point. Id have just as little respect for your personal involvement with students well being for such a random list of 'recommendation' as Im showing Simon here for his initial proposal... If you're doing something..do it right, or dont do it at all...at least not if you're trying to instruct, teach or even just market yourself...why cut corners on safety... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I guess that comes down to how you see you customers and how much you care about their safety... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Yes, but as a manufacturer (or person) you want to make sure that person is doing all things needed. Briefing them on emergency procuderes, checking legstraps, not putting them in huge suits on jump #2 etc. If you create an independent list, make sure every person on there is someone you're 100% trusting to teach a good FFC/coaching. Which is hard to impossible with the independent teachers. And some of the big names who are actually quite low with their safety standard will most likely end up on such lists regardless... I dont see how/why? Wingsuitnews is not selling any suits. Its not linked to ANY brand. Its not pushing for ANY coaching method. Apples/Oranges? It matters, yes. Not so much as in actual hosting. But in BRANDING and the advertising it can generate. If wingsuitnews was on our flylikebrick mainpage, it would be a great excuse to advertise our own team with every chance we get in magazines. Same with the artistic competition. But thats done under another banner. Safety would be a good reason to CHECK the data on there...validate everyone should be teaching. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Shame you try and worm your way out with lame one-liners and jokes, and never seriously address the issues on safety many people had with that listing. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Great point. Thats why there is a list of people on the website (PFC's) who they can go to for instruction. They 100% certify that the people that want to fly the products and get training are qualified to do so. The list of not independant. Its linked to PF as a company. Safety is the reason. Nobody is giving Simon shit for the brand he chooses. But the list he has on his site wil serve the function of getting people who choose his suit a teaching. It just means he is also branded. Both his own, and the brand he sells/rents out. He is not independent as he claims. Independent would be a completely seperate website, not linked to ANY person who has sales, renting, or even selling his/her own coaching as an incentive. Its fully understood why and how it works with Wicked Wingsuits and Tonysuits. But the subject on this being 'independent' and not linked to a company (be it simons own company or tonysuits) is quite a mute point. We have (free) licences for wingsuitflyers, showcasing their level of flying (From A to E). That list is free, that list doesnt cost anything. But even with that all said, its NOT INDEPENDENT. Its a list on our website. But we do stand for the level thats listed there. Every person thats listed is listed as such because thats the level at which they fly (as judged by people who we trust). And not because thats what they wrote themselves about their abilities. That would end up with a list of flyers who all fly like superman on their backs. Yet half of them would stil strugle to fly a slot on their bellies in real life. Actually no. Thats not whats being said. Whats being said is, if Simon wants to list people capabale of teaching. Make sure they ARE people capable of teaching. If you want to create a teaching group, make sure they teach something thats worth something. Ive seen a few to many people teach 2 minute first flight courses, and than putting people in HUGE suits on jump #2 with a sale as the only motivation. Getting just any people who wants to throw peple out of a plane in a wingsuit on a list on his website wil for sure generate a lot of new flyers looking to rent suits. But safety is not the motivation if thats the way its handled (no checks on instructional qualities). JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Thought I did: JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I jumped with you, and even a funjump. But for now I sure wouldnt put you on a list of people to see when they need wingsuit coaching JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Jeff, Justin and a few others from TonySuits used WSI numbers/ratings without an actual silibus/teaching materials behind it, long before the USPA push you mention. Those are actually two seperate things. The (non USPA) WSI rating has been on website resumes of some people for a long time, but required less effort than being a part of pink mafia or the muff brothers This whole thing goes beyond what Im interested in (why forward people to persons giving bad instruction, why not validate and stand for GOOD teaching. Be it with or without a branded rating), but also perfectly illustrates that people enjoy being on such lists etc. just as some written form of validation for their teaching. If I forward someone to a person who wil teach them. Damn right I feel responsible for making sure that person knows what he´s teaching.... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

The thing Im basically trying to say is, unless you have some form of actually illiminating the bad coaches from that list, you may as well just let people find those bad ones by themselves instead of helping them. Aside from a big 'look how many names we have here' list, there will be little to no vallue in such a list if it doesnt exclude dangerous individuals that should be kept away from teaching as far as possible. For sure, its impossible to stop. But to give everyone who owns a wingsuit a listing as coach, if they want to. Without ANY checking or validation of them skills. Whats the point of such a list? You're maybe helping people find a good teacher, but you're also maybe putting them in contact with a person that may assist in unstructured homicide.... For all the hoopla made about such a list, it seems like a waste of time and effort if there isnt any outside validation of skills/knowledge.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

A directionally handicapped angel with a high fallrate JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Especially for planes with a lower tail/rear-stabilaser I prefer that sitting exit. Though standing up also works, its the one exit that gives a student the least chance to jump up/back. In some rare cases I could see a front-float exit be an option (extremely tall people), but definately not rear-float. The risk of even a small jump up or opening of wings putting them into the tail is to high. And thats aside from prefering not to have a student be in a suit for the first time, and have to add a complex climb out to the exit briefing... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I was hoping to be at Gransee, but I had just taken a 3,5 week leave from work the days before and sadly couldnt extend that with another week. Sadly I also have to earn a bit of money with an actual job somewhere in between all the fun at boogies and competitions (Its either that that or robing a bank). Im already at around 7 weeks of holiday this year, and going away for another trip next week, than this one in November, and most likely something in December as well While you where having fun at Gransee, I was pushing pixels But hope to see you at Elsinore! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Depending on where you jump, and with whom, option C is not really a realistic one, once you start flying with others. Though suits such as Classics, GTi´s etc are great suits to learn to fly, any mid/range flock with current day suits wil be flying at speeds beyond what those suits can do. A skyflyer3, if one is not built like an anvil, seems to do fine for that. But on a GTi, you´ll definately be strugling. That said, the skills one wil aquire in a cheap beginner suit such as a classic or GTi all carry over to whatever suit they end up jumping after. Be it also a mid to (former' high-end) wingsuit model, or a newer modern wingsuit (with added perks such as inflation on the back). But suits currently ranked ´intermediate´ do seem to be the most viable option for a suit that is great for any flock, solo or bit of acro (regardless of brand) JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Renting a suit for 10 bucks per jump, and doing 20 or so jumps on it, isnt gonna be much cheaper. Plus he or she can sell that same GTI later, or save it for friends to fly with who dont have their own suit yet. Nothing wrong with buying an older suit, and doing a double dozen or more jumps on it, to learn to fly their body. Feel what the suit does. What the wings do. And than move up to another suit (in which case ´bigger´ isnt always better). I know plenty of people who own big suits, that would SO benefit flying something more aimed at beginners for a while....learn to fly that maxed out, instead of owning a big one they always fly at 50% or less.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

What worries me, is that in 99% of all cases, when I meet people who had 1 minute FFCs with no briefing on emergencies, people who are clueless on safety and flight paterns, people who have been put in HUGE suits on their first or 2nd jump (with often horror stories on that same jump OR a proud story on how they bought it), and people who where put in bigway flocks at jump number 2 or 3 and a whole other scary list of things you wouldnt wish on anyone....its those same 'independents' Sadly those events are always shrugged of, and ignored in favour of 'good word of mouth' and ´not bad-mouthing people´. My fear is that un-monitored lists like these wil become THE go-to place for people who got rejected by instructors/coaches who DO stick to a certain standard. Regardless if those are ones with a manufacturer rating (earned and taught in a way, where it actually means something) or so called freelancers who DO do a good job. Unless such a list has someone with brutal honesty weeding out the bad apples...its mostly gonna be the scary list of people who do things different. And different isnt always good or needed, especially seeing how far good instruction has come in terms of whats being taught on FFCs and advanced coaching these days. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Hi everyone, Im happy to announce that Skydive Elsinore will be host to the US Performance Cup, coming November (Nov 4-6). Robert Pecnik, Douglas Spotted Eagle and myself will be flying as well as judging the competition using FlySight Units. The competition is a great oppertunity to improve your flying with the audio feedback the unit gives (bring a pair of headphones), and Robert Pecnik of course will also be open to those who want to pick his brains on performance flying or do a 1 on 1 jump. There will be 2 catagories in which you can enter, Intermediate (Smaller suits) and Open Class (Larger suits). There will be 2 diciplines (speed and distance) for which you both need to make 2 jumps each (with a maximum of 5, best 2 count). So only 4 jumps and you're in the competition already. The competition altitude is the current 1km freefall as used in other competitions such as Marl, Gransee etc (from 3-2 km). For more information, check the event page on facebook The week after (Nov 10-13) Spot and I wil be organizing multipoint flock, with lots of fun flying of various (small!) stacked, flat, rotating and backflying formations. So if you're a flyer with good tight flocking skills, and you're looking to do some challenging dives, for sure...drop by! The weekdays in between (Nov 7-9) we wil also be available for 1 on 1 coaching and funjumps on backflying, docks, acro, formation flying for those wanting to play! disclaimer: Some briefings may be in a funny Dutch or Croatian accent.... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I was watching some videos on youtube of a full orange shadow flocking, and caught myself thinking 'when did I do that?' before I realised it was actually Luke (Ireland)... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

PFC, FYB are quite strict and regulated listings, including people who get their listing pulled for bad teaching. I think thats a different type of listing than the one ment here, which seems more open/unregulated. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Ive seen those sold for prices ranging from 120 to 250 euros. Anything over that would seem a bit steep.. JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

What is it with you guys and pooping 'Backflying a 3 way exit, and rolling a linked 2 way' sounds much nicer AND people actually realise what it is you're talking about (even though usually people mean 'fling one person into outer space') JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

I wouldnt worry about that one...The sick people that comment on that kind of stuff usually dont get out much... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Those type of handles always seemed to loosen/slip on blades/firebirds. Though stifner etc helps a bit, best is a simple velcro patch to stow it properly, so it doesnt unexpectedly pop out. If the bootie doesnt have the simple snap, but the fabric 'get in the way' bit, also replace it. You dont want an open legwing mid front/back transition, or during a barrelroll. These 2 problems whete sadly never adressed during the final (pre-jeans) days of birdman, even though many people (including members of the 'factory team') mentioned/asked... JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Could have been our resident dz.comer VirginBurner. He had similar issues with left/right on Texel past weekend That aside..groovy tat! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Could not have said it better...! JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?

Playing devils advocate, but seeing 'fly like brick' clumsy worked into the frontpage of your website, I do wonder is SEO is part of the reason to list a lot a well known schools and people on your company website for higher ranking in google. Wouldnt a true independant seperate website/list more allign with your intent? JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete?