bdrake529

I've had a bunch of whuffo friends say "you should market that thing and make a lot of money" and I then try explain how I'm already dealing with a very niche market parachutists > camera flyers > narcissists who want to be in their own shot > narcissists who want their ass in the shot and demand can't be very high. Otherwise, something like this would already be available for sale and I wouldn't have had to go through all the time and effort of making one myself. But so far, my "market research" has Scott and Butters listed and if that potential market grows, the idea of making a few extra for time and cost won't be too far fetched. We'll see. Brian Drake

For anyone who cares, I thought I'd post an update on my progress. After designing a rough idea (using 3D software), I made a more specific "blueprint" for the metal plate I needed made. I sent this blueprint, and a plate of 0.125" thick, 5052-H32 Aluminum to my brother, who's good at making stuff (from pipes, to cabinets, to full-blown houses). He made me the "J" piece I need, and with some foam from a camera case, the RAM camera mount from the Vertical Visions Raptor belly mount, and the velcro straps from my unused walking boot, I had exactly what I had designed. Two problems though. I designed it to go on the back of my ankle, but the achilles tendon makes for an uneven surface (or rather, "sharp" surface), so even when fully tightened down, the camera weight on the end of the mount tended to eventually slide/swing the mount to the outside of my ankle. Though the outside of my ankle was a better mounting spot, this limited how high the camera could get above my leg and wasn't exactly as desired. I fixed this problem by wearing an ankle brace (one with hard plastic on either side) under the mount. This prevented the mount from sliding side-to-side and makes for a very solid (relatively speaking) mounting solution. The second problem was one I should have thought about originally, but simply overlooked: a cutaway system. Though I'm mounting the camera only on my left leg so as to avoid the PC, full flight deployments still pose the danger of an entanglement. My first attempt to solve this was to go out and buy 4 plastic buckles (basically flattened plastic rings/rectangles). I then dusted-off my nylon line "finger trapping" skills and made 8 "loops" out of the nylon line closing loops are made off. The loops were essentially one side closing loop, the other side looped around the buckle. I could then feed the "eye" end of the loop through the slots in the plate (originally meant just for the velcro straps), run some cutaway cable through the loop (using washers to prevent cable distortion), and viola, the buckles were held in place until the cable was pulled. I now threaded the velcro straps through the buckles and the mount attached as before. The problem with this solution was that when the velcro straps were fully cinched to maintain a solid mount, the tension on the cutaway cable was enough to make pulling the cable unreliable. Sometimes it would just bind. Considering these were tests with only the weight of the camera (instead of my entire body, dangling upside down by my feet), this system needed to be improved. After a lot of thought, I figured I would use the same ideas as the 3-ring cutaway. I read online that the original, big ring, 3-ring system gives something like a 200:1 mechanical advantage. Since my direct system was only enough force to sometimes bind, I figured even a 3 or 4:1 would be plenty, so I went with a 2-ring idea (haven't figured out the MA, just guessed it would be enough). The 2-ring idea seems to be working. The force is redistributed enough that the tension on the cutaway cable is very minimal. I've done a few tests (see end of linked video), and pulling the cable is very smooth. My Sony HC5 camera has a "slow-motion" feature to capture 3 seconds at a higher frame rate. So I filmed some of these tests in slow-mo and I'm fairly pleased with the results. One thing that I'm unsure of is that when watching the video, frame-by-frame, it's obvious the 2-ring system isn't working as expected. Since I'm currently not attaching the system permanently to the plate, the rings hold but the "tail" of the small ring comes free. I don't see why this should matter, since the mount "cuts away" just fine either way. And the advantage of the 2-rings is evident where I need it most, the ease of pulling the cutaway cable. If anyone can provide insight on the physics involved, and whether I need to look into a system that directly mimics the 3-ring cutaway system (i.e., the small ring, and the "closing loop" should be permanently attached to the plate), or if what I have is fine, I appreciate all input. Check out the attached images for design-to-realization, and this video for parts of 2 flights, and 2 cutaway tests at the end. On the second flight, watch the "slowed" replay of deployment to see why a cutaway system seems to be a prudent precaution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn_2NLgcDTM&fmt=22 Tips, comments, critiques, etc... all welcome. Blue skies, Brian Brian Drake

Mind posting the GPS data? Because without data, the current record is 7.0:1, so 3.7 ain't that impressive... Brian Drake

Just learn to slide in on your butt. I've been doing it for the last 80 jumps and it's very safe, regardless of forward speed (though wind is nice). Just make sure you've got a TonySuit made of Parapack. Though I've worn a few small holes in the ass, the material has held up very well considering. edit to add: In the beginning, I was worried about potential tail-bone injury, so I used this: http://www.azzpadz.com/ Once I got the technique down and practiced (a slightly later flare), I no longer needed it. Brian Drake

"Most people that got caught in the initial overflow seem to be waiting the around 2 months at the moment" Really? 2 months is 8 weeks. How many people have received their V3s in 8 weeks? "That aside, comments on leadtimes, and problems you might have with an order you placed will always be better replied to when directly contacting the manufacturer." Ha ha ha ha ha.... Jarno, you're a great guy, but don't let being sponsored skew your common sense. All my inquiries have been futile. Phoenix-Fly designs and makes top-notch suits, so that's their saving grace. But it benefits the potential customer for PF's fraudulent claims of order fulfillment times to be publicly exposed. Brian Drake

"was given a lead time of 9 to 10 weeks" Then you were lied to. Brian Drake

Anyone in the US receive their copy yet? Brian Drake

Tristan must have had really bad head-winds and Luc almost none at all. Despite Yuri's contention of 0.5:1, most flocks I've taken GPS recordings of are in the 1-1.5:1 range. The glide ratio of a performance wingsuit flight vs. track (in the same conditions - wind) isn't even comparable. There may be some really good trackers that could give some really crappy wingsuiters a run for their money, but that's a weak comparison. Take the best tracker vs a merely competent wingsuiter on the same jump and the wingsuiter won't break a sweat in getting much further than the tracker. That is in comparing glide ratio. I've personally found that I can get faster ground speed tracking than I can in a wingsuit. But the slower fallrate in the wingsuit more than evens it out to a significantly better glide. Back to the original thread derailment, the first two definitions of "fly" in my OSX dictionary widget are: 1. (of a bird or other winged creature) to move through the air under control 2. move or be hurled quickly through the air Which as commented before, can apply to straight down freefall as well as wingsuiting. So post AFF, we all fly. Some of us just glide a little better than others (straight down < tracking < wingsuit < everything else practically). Brian Drake

While I agree that flying is a generous term, falling is also not accurate. Giiding seems to be a fair compromise. Drop a rock of a cliff and watch it fall straight down. Then watch an experienced wingsuit BASE jumper launch off the same cliff. Does he/she really just fall? When they open their chute more than a mile away horizontally, after precisely guiding their body mere feet away from the terrain, isn't that something more than just....falling. It's my own arbitrary classification, but I propose that (disregarding horizontal winds): Something without a glide ratio is falling Something with a glide ratio (regardless of how "pathetic" in comparison to other things) is gliding. Something that can willfully sustain/gain altitude is flying Brian Drake

Sorry, I already sold mine on eBay. Trust me, $300 is very cheap compared to the benefits. In fact, I would have paid well over $1k after using it for a few days. And you can always turn around and sell it on eBay when you're done with it. It ended up only costing me about $100 that way. Can you do this on crutches?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpWQNryAQLk Brian Drake

Actually, what I like about those pics is that Moab doesn't look like a place in the world (at least this world). Brian Drake

Always liked these two (taken by Ori Kuper) Brian Drake

I realize I'm late to the party, but there are some really great shots of gainer exits in this video from May 2007: http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=5773 Brian Drake

What about using this stuff Brian Drake

$700 (rough cost of new flat-top) - $100 (rough cost of materials in fiberglass solution) = $600 != $5 If I can fiberglass a solution, it will be just as snag resistant as a $700 helmet. For $150 in a weekend I get 6 jumps. For the extra $600 I get what exactly? A pat on the back for using a "real" camera helmet? Brian Drake

Let me elaborate a bit on: as this was obviously too subtle. The sock is simply for volume to fill the gap. I wouldn't have any of it exposed, but would liberally apply (i.e., use lots of) gaffers tape to cover the entire assembly. Therefore, unless a suspension line has the time to literally saw back and forth to cut a groove through the tape, and get wedged under the plate, won't any glancing lines simply bounce off the several layers of tape and move on? Brian Drake

Well, I'm not a real camera flyer, so what can I say? No need to take this personally Phil. Brian Drake

Hey Spot. What's up? Even using running/ankle socks, I had to really stuff them into the gap, so they were not "soft" and had no available compression left. The only way to make an impression in them was to really push hard with a single finger. I seriously doubt a glancing strike from a riser (which has a wider surface-to-force ratio) would be able to depress the cloth enough to remain wedged under the plate. But the machinable foam is definitely looking like a better solution. So while I'm comfortable with jumping the sock solution this weekend, I'll be pursuing the foam and maybe going the extra step to encase it in fiber-glass and paint to match the helmet. Thanks, Brian Brian Drake

First, thanks everyone for their input. It's been helpful. Well, I think I've now got something that works. It is a stupid idea, but functionally I don't see why it won't work. I took 2 socks and some tape and viola! See the attached images for proof (the minimal masking tape was just proof-of-concept, I'd use liberal amounts of gaffers tape for jumping, and probably black socks for color matching). I think this crude approach solves my safety problem, and is easily removable, so in a sense, my problem is solved. But it certainly isn't very stylish. So I'm going to investigate the machinable foam + fiber glass solution. Another idea I had was using some sort of clay/putty. I have a bunch of those putty-like ear plugs and was playing around with using them. If I got enough, I could hand mold it perfectly. Does anyone have experience with molding clay/putty and suggestions on an effective type that is hopefully cheap? To those who think I should just buck up and shell out the cash for a flat-top pro (or equivalent), I'm still not convinced. I already have a camera helmet and currently, my expenses in addition to already having the helmet are: metal plate: $25 metal shop work to cut groove for camera screws: $30 $55 or $700? Hm.... you tell me. Plus, once I get this settled to my liking, I have a helmet that is good in 3 configurations: No cameras = maximum aerodynamics, least drag 1 camera in camera box 2 cameras on plate = much cheaper, and lighter than a flat-top For maybe $100 over the initial cost of my Fuego Pro, I'd say a little ingenuity goes a long way. Especially in an economy like today. I'm happy for those of you for whom money is a dismissible factor, but I'm trying to be frugal. Blue skies, Brian Brian Drake

Thanks for the reply You really think that the time, effort and materials of fixing my problem will equate to more than $700 (roughly)? That seems a bit extreme and I'm curious how you arrived at that estimate. Thanks Brian Drake

Hi, I'm in need of some ideas for preventing riser/line snag on a custom flat mounting plate I plan to jump on top of my Tonfly Fuego Pro helmet. In the attached images, you can see the helmet with the plate attached, and the obvious snag hazard this currently presents (don't plan to jump this until I find a solution). The solution I need must be removable since I plan to swap out the plate with my Tonfly camera box when I'm just jumping a single video camera. The mounting screw setup I have accommodates this and swapping between the two is very easy. An idea I started with was to take nylon cord and run it from each of the four corners of the plate, down to the helmet somehow. An extremely inelegant version of this would be to have the 4 cords secured under my chin. A slightly more sophisticated solution would be to drill holes in the helmet and have the cords secured internally somehow. The idea being that if enough tension was kept on the cords, they would effectively deflect risers/lines just long enough to prevent a snag. Another idea was to get some thick foam, and hand carve it to roughly fit the contour of the helmet on each side, attaching the 2 foam "deflectors" under the plate to fill the gaps. Not sure if foam would do the job deflection-wise and not sure if hand-carved foam would survive many trips into freefall. Another idea was to cut some PVC and place a tube under each side of the plate. This doesn't really solve the problem, but makes the gap smaller and hopefully harder to snag. The convex shape of the pipe may lead to risers/lines sliding out as well (though there'd still be a nasty snag point between the bottom of the pipe and the helmet). None of these ideas seem like the ideal solution so I thought I'd throw this one out there to see if anyone here had a better idea. Thanks, Brian Brian Drake

Unfortunately, not very often (at least Southern California). And when we do, often the DZs are frustratingly skittish about unloading jumpers in industrial haze. So while the Southern West coast may be a great spot for wave surfing, a really good cloud surf is a rare treat. Brian Drake

Having not found exactly what I'm looking for (either in a commercially available product, or ideas for a custom solution), I did a little brainstorming and came up with what I think will be ideal for what I need. Since I can't draw, I dusted off my 3D software and came up with a design last night. The first image shows what I have in mind. I simply need a "J" shaped piece of metal fabricated/welded since I have no skills or tools to do that myself. Once I have the "J", I can glue on foam padding, drill the slits for the straps, and use the velcro straps from my (now unused) walking boot. The purpose of the "J" shape is to allow the wingsuit leg/ankle collar to fit over the base of the mount while allowing the actual mounting plate to be outside the suit. I think the back of the leg is a more ideal mounting area since it still leaves my feet clear for landing and allows me to point my toes/shift my foot without disturbing the camera. The subsequent images show how I plan to attach the arm/camera plate from my Vertical Visions Raptor bellymount to the exposed mounting part of the "J". Due to the flexibility of that arm, I have many options in selecting the best (and least drag) angle for the camera. Any comments/critiques of this idea? Does the mounting idea (on the back of my ankle) seem like it will be stable enough? I don't imagine this idea presents a danger of the mount/camera falling off. But I'm not 100% sure the mount won't twist and slide (thus the idea of tight velcro straps, and foam backing to the base to both cushion and provide friction). Any advice on how to get the "J" made? The bellymount is made out of a sturdy, but really lightweight "powdered aluminum", which seems perfect for this. Anyone here have experience procuring this and working with it? Can I just buy a strip and then bend it into shape myself? Or should I try a welder/machine shop? I'm really out of my element here so any advice is appreciated. Brian Drake

That sort of looks like what I need, except... how do you land? Especially on a BASE jump, where time under canopy may not be enough to deal with the wingsuit, and unmounting something attached to the bottom of your foot. Brian Drake

I'd post this in the Photo/Video forum, except I think what I'm looking for may be specific to wingsuiting. I'm looking for advice on where to buy and/or how to construct a video camera foot mount that places the video camera on the back of the foot, looking up the leg/body. The conventional "shoe mounts" (such as Bonehead's ShoeVue) have the camera on the toe of the foot. I essentially need it on the heel. I've seen this shot in several skydiving/BASE wingsuiting videos (such as the first shot in the Fly the Line 2 trailer). What are people using to reliably mount the camera here? I realize that taping the camera does technically work, but I'm hoping for a more solid solution. Also, I will be using this with a V3 and a SM1, and the tail wings on both those suits don't allow for any exposed ankle to fully wrap tape around for security. Thanks in advance. Brian Brian Drake