SkymonkeyONE

If it looks too long when you assemble the suit, just give the whole mess a tug from top to bottom. If you still can't get it to seat flat in the pocket, just burn then cauterize a small hole right in the top of the keeper and let the last little bit stick out there. Cutting cables too short will cause your wings to come undone from the top once under load in freefall. I can't count the times I have seen people walking to the plane with their back cables undone two or three tabs because they neglected to restow them after their last jump. Chuck

a .5 is more useful lens overall if you don't ever want to work the zoom on your camera, but I get better results (my opinion) with my .3 for total video (not just the freefall) production. I have my zoom pulled back to about .45 in freefall, but I get lots of "in your face" stuff while rigging up and in the plane and that's where the .3 shines. As for lenses, you can get a .45 (with a step ring) at Best Buy for under $40 (US) if you are hesitant to get a Royal/WayCool-type low-profile lens right away. Personally, I would not consider jumping anything other than a low profile lens. The additional weight and snag factor of other lenses just takes away from the tiny, super lightweight package afforded by a PC 109 with a .3 (or .5). Chuck

Do you do hanging exits with your IAD? If so, then there isn't really any difference in the program. I get most of the way out on the step with SL students when I JM from a C-182. Commands I use are: -sit in the door -climb all the way out and hang -go I have my left foot out on the step and hold on to the strut with my left hand while controlling the SL with my right hand. Chuck

I think Macca used that banner to bangage his face after the golf cart incident! It definitely needed something that large.

velly, velly noice.

Congratulations, John! Can't wait to fly with you at WFFC or somewhere else this year.

NEGATIVE! I would never, ever cut away the leg wing of a wingsuit in freefall! You see, you only release one leg when you do that and that will do nothing to deflate the wing. If anything it will cause you to spin more.

I was standing right there, drunk, during both flights. It was bad ass. On the last flight, the one shown in the video where he lands right next to the giant inflatable GoFast can, he nearly runs out of fuel because the can was waving back and forth right where he intended to land. It was almost as cool as nine-lives and the other guys hucking off the parasail with their BASE rigs just offshore, in front of the bar. Did I mention the rocketman thing was LOUD?

I really don't see what the big hang-up with the "external" (docking port) firewire connection is. We use linear editing through a digital mixing board here so there has never been a reason for me to have to firewire anything. If I did, it would be at the end of the day (over beers) in either my camper or the video room, both of which have docking stations sitting around. I really like my 109. The only detractor to the camera that I can find is that the LANC in on the right side of the camera. If you are using a CamEye (I do not), then you will either have to cut a hole in the left side of your helmet to keep the flush fit that the 109 is so capable of (at least on an L-bracket), jack the camera farther away from the side of the helmet (if you want the LANC connector to stay outside your helmet), or just wear it mounted in a D-box on the right side of your helmet. As I jump my camera on an L-bracket and do not use a CamEye, the slim design and incredibly light weight make for very low neck strain on opening. I do the great majority of my editing hand-held using the simple fades afforded in the camera. I put the camera back on my helmet just after the student is connected, then put my camera helmet on just as we are moving to the door, ensuring that the camera is recording. The gaps are taken out and other editing is done post-jump on the linear board. Chuck Chuck

There is only one working/flying example of the rocket pack left. As I recall, it was bought from a private museum collection and put back into service. There are only a couple of people qualified to fly it. Troy Widgery (GoFAST!) was sponsoring it at Panama City. It runs on hydrogen peroxide and flies for exactly 30 seconds. The footage you saw was from the PST Panama City meet in 2003. I have to tell you that that fucking rocket pack is possibly the loudest thing I have ever heard. It was a pure spectacle seeing that thing fly at The Spinnaker (the bar which served as the HQ for the beach boogie.)

If you can zip the arms down fully to the wrist (not too long or too short to seat fully), you can tension the booties, and you can zip the main zippers all the way up without busting at the seams then you will have no problems in a "loaner" or used suit purchase.

On my 2k3 Tandem I got an orange D-bag, orange freebag, orange pilot chute. You never know when you might have to go looking for one in the woods and orange sure is a lot easier to find hanging in a tree or on the ground than black. Chuck

the bar at Raeford, "Aviators", is open every day/night of the week and has all ABC permits.

Thirty bucks, either side. Just like I have since 2001 when pay went up from twenty five bucks either side.

Don't be a pussy, Beezy. Jump the canopy (and get video of your landing)

I agree totally, James. There are a whole lot of people that get away with jumping completely stock rigs with standard bridles with their wingsuit. Corner mods will make you safer in every instance, but if you use a deployment technique comensurate with what type of gear you are jumping you will be fine, at least in "smaller" suits. Chuck

That was a fantastic flight.

I totally agree as well, Dave. For what it's worth, I have never worn more than 12 pounds of lead to swoop, and that was because I was wearing it for the four-way jumps I was on. I am not going to ever win a pro meet at my age. I am extremely reluctant to put lead on for the sake of going faster. I commend those with bodies strong enough to take the punishment and the will to do whatever it takes to win. I will stay content to swoop at wingloads between 2.05 and 2.2, make the gates everytime, and finish in the middle third. Chuck

Another note on the Firebolt in "larger" sizes. Howard Adams jumps a 298 Firebolt in his tandem rig and I very nearly bought that size. I only changed my mind and got the 350 when I realized that in order to pay the damn thing off I might very well have to haul some heavy meat. Scott Campos and I have nearly identical 38-pound tandem rigs.

I don't buy that at all as someone who has jumped every Cobalt derivative (including the tandem) and both the "sport" and tandem Firebolts. In both cases, scaling seems to have worked just fine. Just for the sake of comparison though, I would call both the Firebolt 350 and Cobalt 350 tandems "sporty". My Firebolt 350 flies exactly like a similarly sized Icarus tandem. Chuck

You mean "Long Larry", Skinny.

The recirculating tunnel on Fort Bragg is generally ten degrees warmer in the cone than outside ambient temperature.

KAZ SHEKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! Chuck

Actually, I think it's really "extremely ridiculously small", and no, I am not kidding. The old XRS does not exist anymore and it was replaced by the identically sized RS. I had a '98 XRS and a "pre-PIA" RS Ody when I was jumping Javs.

Neal Beverly, an ex-golden knight and former national style and accuracy champion went 5000 before his first ride. Oddly, it was a broken control line on a beat up Sabre 150 and he could have easilly landed it, but needed a chop for his upcoming tandem course. Neal works at CrossKeys these days.