SkymonkeyONE

Matt, just to quantify what you just wrote, I can tell you that I have flown (in my wingsuit) on a number of "regular" tracking dives. I had my hands behind my back and my feet on my ass, but I was able to stay with the group no problem in that configuration. I would not call that "flocking" in any of the common fashions, but I am sure there are some who would. The point is that anyone can "dumb down" a wingsuit to the point he or she can fly with people sporting less lift. The opposite cannot be said though; a guy in a freefly suit, or any other type of tracking attire is not going to be able to stay up with a person in a wingsuit flying normally and with any degree of proficiency. Do you follow me? Chuck

lol. What are YOU lauging at, Shimmel?

Spence is correct.

Another case where I beg to ask "have you ever even touched or seen a real V1?" A high-end wingsuit is an amazingly expensive purchase. I would hate to know that you guys are all spending money on something that you have never even seen, much less demo'd and flown. Oh yeah, I don't care what tracking attire you wear, you are not about to stay up with someone flying any wingsuit efficiently.

Ed has that suit, though I am not sure he has jumped it yet.

Flocking with V1's? Has this even ever happened? There are very, very few actual suits at this point as far as I can tell. There may possibly be more actual SugarGliders. I am anxious to see a V1 in person, so I hope Robi is at PIA.

I, like Ed, do not use a sight with my point three, though I am considering using a "paper asshole" on my glasses for when I have the lens zoomed in to the point five range.

Jim, the way I read your post everyone who is currently rated on the PST, whether Pro or Advanced, are all elligible to compete on this year's Pro Tour (read: PST) in this new "open" cagegory. In effect, you have deemed all current Advanced pilots "Pro" as far as the PST (Pro Tour) meets are concerned. I certainly don't have a problem letting guys like The Colonel and Brian McNenny running five-footers so don't get me wrong. I am just trying to figure out where the cutoff will be. Correct me if I am wrong in the following statements: -All currently ranked and qualified PST competitors may now compete in the single "Open" class of any Pro Tour (PST) meet. -Pro ranked PST competitors may only compete against other pros in the CPC. They are also qualified "Ultra" at world meets and must compete in "Open" at Nationals. -Advanced class PST competitors may compete in the "Standard" class of CPC, but can also compete directly against PST Pros in Pro Tour meets. Competing against Pros on a Pro course makes you a Pro in my opinion and thus relegates you to "Open" class at Nationals. It is my opinion that if you are a former PST "Advanced" competitor and you compete in one of these "Open" events you don't have any business competing against new guys in the CPC "Standard" class. If you are "grandfathered" Pro without a Pro qualifier (theoretically, according to Pro Tour entry guidelines), then you should be competing Pro in CPC. Just my opinion. -Non-qualified (PST or Nationals) pilots must now compete, regardless of jump experience, in the CPC "Standard" class. Successful competition in this league qualifies you compete in the lower category at Nationals and potentially qualify for the "standard" class at a world meet depending on whether it is an "on" year or not. Non-qualified pilots may not compete in any Pro Tour (PST) event, "Open" or otherwise. More later, Chuck

I will be at the Farm for the Pro meet.

That photo looks like you are simply kiting your canopy.

FL and GA will both have their own districts. Yes, you can come and jump in our meets, but I am not clear as to how the points will tally. It's entirely possible that one might be able to travel around and accumulate points in every district for their cumulative, year-end total; Jim will have to clarify that. Once again, ours will be a "standard class" only district for the first year. I will have to get my points on the road. Chuck

I had to delete video of you in the camper, Skinny!

Very, very few special forces guys wear underwear at all; it's too hot. If we do wear anything, it's normally black Soffe shorts.

I pull my camper to Rantoul, IL every year from North Carolina; it takes me 20 hours (driving). I drive to various places in Florida at least ten times per year; that's between six and fourteen hours driving depending on where I am going. Chuck

At our school, copies of USPA membership, ratings, etc, are all kept in files in the office. Yes, you ought to be able to see them if you like.

I jump mine with a PC 109 on an L-bracket (left side). It's a fantastic helmet.

I am looking for a few good men (and women) to step up to the plate and make this circuit worth my time. Dave Wall (from Parkton) and I (Raeford and the boogie circuit) will be the principles in this region. It is my plan to run five meets concurrently with the CaSL four way meets over the course of this year. The intent is to run the meets on Sunday morning following completion of the meet. I do not think there are enough people in this region willing to bag off of other competition just to swoop yet, so that's why I am planning it this way. A caveat to that is that I am sure there will be at least one meet run at Parkton. As I am the only currently-rated pro in either of the two states at this time all of our meets will be "standard" class only. Details of the league structure can be found over on Jim's site: www.canopypiloting.com, so I won't waste my time retyping any of that. What I need to know is how many of you (here in the Carolinas) are interested in participating in this league. I am extremely hopeful that I will get sufficient responses. I am looking at spending quite a bit of my own money on rudimentary course materials to make this happen, so if the interest isn't there, I simply won't waste my time. That said, who's in? These entry-level, IPC-styled and ruled meets are absolutely the right idea at the right time. Respond either in this thread or via PM please. Chuck Blue D-12501

I jump a .3 on my PC 109 and generally back in in a bit if I think it's going to be a "loose" flock.

If that's St. Patricks day weekend I (and a lot of others) will be missing it due to the Dublin boogie.

How about taking off that caps lock, bro.

Norm does a fantastic job flying that 10D hand-mounted. He took the very pimp photos of us that got in parachutist this year. I am going to send four or five suits to Tammy for that boogie and a bunch of Pantz to try (BASE ones). Chuck

drink your tea and get to the gym, fool!

call BirdMan and see what's in stock.

I worked in the S3 shop of the Battalion that "owns" the MFF school in Yuma for my last five years in the Army. I was there when everyone was jumping the FF2 timer, then for the disastrous (financially and comon-sensically) move to the AR2. I was there for the moving around of the pocket on the MC4/5 rigs because of premature deployments and misfires of that unit, and I was there when the Navy told the rest of the military to "screw you" and ditched the AR2 and installed military CYPRES's in their rigs. I was there when the Army moved the unit from the reserve to the main and sometimes back to the reserve. I sat in on most of the meetings (after all the AR2 misfirings) where everyone and their brother begged to ditch the AR2 contract and just buy the military CYPRES. It takes forever for a product to pass testing and get purchased and then ultimately put into use in the military. Back when the replacement for the FF2 was sought, there simply was no such a thing as a military CYPRES. Still, by the time we had to retrofit every single rig in the military inventory with AR2's, the CYPRES had long since proved itself as the best thing on the market (at the time). Too bad; we had already bought AR2's. Oddly, even though the miltary CYPRES had already been put to use by more than a couple of military units, the airborne and special operations test board still had to "test" the unit before it could be put to use in anything other than an instructor rig (without a waiver anyway). Such is the nature of the military logistics procurement system. Just wanted to throw that out there.

This statement is the flaw in your reasoning, Derek. A person in a carving turn is not in anything resembling a "vertical dive." It is simply not the same maneuver as a toggle whip or riser snap. In a carving turn you are only in the dive so long as you are holding down a riser and you are never on level or above your canopy. The second you let up from that riser the canopy is going to flatten out and go straight. Committing to a toggle whip or a riser snap is entirely different. Once you spank it, you better be "in the window" when you come out. All I am saying is that there are safer ways to make HP landings under larger canopies than spanking a turn. In considering this article one must compare apples to apples. One can compare the benefits and risks of varying degrees of turns only if they base their comparison on similar turn styles.