VectorBoy

Actually the guys are right Lou my suit does have the airlocks on all of the inlets with some very long flaps of fabric extending several times the length of the openings themselves. Kevin should have some pics of these design elements I took a few years back for him. If guys really want some pics I can take them again but the suit is really just the exact planeform of an S-3 and the inlets on the back are exact mirror images of the production S-3s front vents, with the exception of the tail vent which is not near the crotch but instead smack dab in the middle back of the tail wing. Every vent has a flap of fabric extending a good way down into its cell or cells. For the purpose of an airlock. Most of the guys I jump with that can backfly don't care if a suit has back vents, they will back fly anything from a classic to a you name it. The guys that do it mostly fly Matters or S-3s. Those are just the predominant suits out here and this could change. The ones that back fly the best happen to be the ones that have hundreds of freefly backfly tracking jumps. Not the ones with gimmicky suits. For me the best to worst backfly suit that I own in order is the the Matter-2, my prototype jari-backfly special then my production S-3. Keep in mind regardless I'm nowhere near as good as the guys that I know that do this the best. Also keep in mind I have never even seen a vampire or the new Matter three. I'm looking forward to some of the newer suits, those two in particular. But I'm the last guy who will start salivating for advertised gimmicks.

At a festival like this, it's something of a sin to get drunk; you might as well drink PBR at that point because you're not tasting anything anymore. Well isn't that when you need to take bites of something in between sips of beer to "cleanse the pallet"? Something like pizza. I was up there three weeks ago and fell in love with their bridgeport IPA. Sounds like a yummy time.

"Air-drop" operations are way down the list of military facilities priorities sad to say. Most have tons of other air traffic and mission needs that come first. It would be like trying to jump at a fairly busy airport. Meanwhile "air-dropping" is the number one thing on the list at most any dropzone. If a military group can have ready access to planes and some meager ready rooms for training then their traing efforts and resources go further.

Ok, but I'm still looking at one of my harmonicas and how to fold it.... Be safe. Ed Funny Ed I'd never picture you as a harmonica player. In fact I'd see you as more of an accordian player for sure: " and-a-on-a, and-a-two-a".

This seems like such a good idea. Why isn't everyone using them.? You have to pay for four slots for a seat on a load. Hell of a time fitting it into your gear bag.

What did you use for markers Lou?

I'm sure he will keep re-upping. I smell lifer! Congrats wingnut. Thats a nice way to do it.

Didn't the first wingsuits have ...like ...steam engines or something?

More importantly did that flyboy buy another suit or is that a loaner? I was worried that our little wingnut fell off the flock list when he sold his classic 1.

What you don't realize is that moderating is actually the punishment that Sangiro works on the worst offenders. Oh I do realize this. I'm not so good at spelling but I'm not numb to the fact that moderating is actual work. Which I try to avoid for the most part. I don't know if its the skydiver or the lazy bastard in me. But none of this has anything to do with the talented handful of individuals who have invested their time and ideas into a home crafted suit. "If" I was a moderator I would have erased all of that non topical fluff not related to this wonderful topic. (Emodicons left out because I'm also not that good at computing and couldn't decide which to use in this case as to not offend but still be taken seriously without getting banned. Does that make sense? .). I now apologize for the errors in me grammar.

I agree. But then they'll always be the scorned whiners, fashion vs fuction police or just the plain ol' mine is better then yours people that will add to it.... Be safe. Ed I don't even care if drowns out peoples personal equiptment opinions, manufacturers propoganda, whiners , brand lovers, gear whores or safety Nazi's. Thats just life on earth with humans in regards to anything including sports, cars, booze, chicks. it comes with the territory (planet earth ). But I'm personally very excited about any advancement in wingsuits through the trials of those willing to experiment with designs and materials and their time. That is where the advances will come from. And a cure for the "mine is better than yours" folk is a good ol fashion smokin of mister "glidey pants"in their suit.

Hey, then maybe you could be the Moderator too then!

Please dont have him post a pic of it though, the colors are hidious! Be safe. Ed Actually Please post a picture. This forum should be less about the fashion and more about function. Let the custom suits present! I would like to see all of the small volume experimentation that anybody is willing to showcase.

All the canopies were flown straight in at full flight for speed measurements. In my own experience I couldn't tell the difference in speed. All of the improvements were in the flare. With the non collapse PC it was best if I grabbed a little front risers for extra airspeed for the flare just to make it civilized, which is not something you want to be doing with only 40~50 jumps. After I put on the collapsable PC I was flaring myself back up into the sky. The bottom end was just fantastic and forgiving. Which is what it should be on a spectre loaded at 1:1 for a beginner.

What is the "airplane thing" Bill is doing?

I met Sara and Yonatan when they visited for the 2003 film festival. She was very excited about her new to her wingsuit that she had not jumped yet and also failed to bring with her to jump. Despite some nasty weather days they had their own sunshine. Sara was doing flips into the big bean lounge bags available that most of the locals, including myself, sat mopeing in. We all had a ton of fun learning atmonuati with Marco and Gi. She had incredible positive energy helping make the event, and making their acquaintance very memorable.

When I bought my own rig that had a non-collapsable everyone told me that at 1:1 I shouldn't waste money on a new PC. This advice was almost universal 100% from everybody, instructors, coaches, riggers and even the vendors that could of had a vested interest in selling me a new PC. I somehow new there was room for improvement. Well after going against all of the advice and installing a new collapsable on my 1:1 I found a dramatic improvment. More so than any other thing that had been done to my gear or technique. Which made me wonder if I was so much more "in tune" with my gear than all that gave the advice ( most probably not! ) or it had just been soo many years and jumps ago since that large and experienced group had struggled at the meager wingloading of 1:1 ( much more likely) Try It! I would look up at my spectre and see it dragging along the inflated PC, bowing the plane form and curling up the topskin. A collapsable PC doesn't suck.

I use a gentle detergent and cold water in a bath tub working the stain very gently. There is a point were the remnents of some stains are just better left alone. I have some very used suits and abrasions from the rig harness over time and "over scrubbing" in a wash will actualy wear off the ZP coating on the material. I have a white suit with the faint hint of both grass and blood stains ( none mine). I worked the stains the best I could and left the balance. The stains are faint and hard to see.

If your peyotyie has fiber in it your source isn't cleaning it well enough. Those big strands that look like hay, well, it is or it use to be until, well,... never mind.

And you wouldn't have to worry if your leg straps are fastened or not.

So true Ed, this has been a slow flight year. Not to be confused with a "slow flight" year. But good news, I'll be headed up this weekend to Skydive Oregon. Might even do some flocking if that doesn't stir up suspicious looks. Which leads me back to the original topic of this thread: What do you want in a wingsuit? I need a suit with invisible wings so as not to get that distrustful vibe from S&TA, DZO. The suit will look like a freefly suit with extra zippers. What do you guys think about its marketability? Will there be demand for it? Not us boss, we not flocking just doing a horny gorilla, trust me.

Wingsuits aren't hard to fly at all. Anyone can basicaly go out and do solo's and get the body positioning correct for maxing the suit out, Be safe! Ed I've been led to believe you are mistaken on this last statement Ed. As I understand it you must seek out and pay for the guidance from one of the elite instructors from the core that have been carefully selected by one manufacturer to lead us safely where the other manufacturers fail to support this safety initiative. Wingsuit flying is also as dangerous as jumping with a 500# barrel of concrete strapped to you And that this facet of the sport is in constant peril of being outlawed by the government, USPA, DZ owners and or managers, airport managers and pilots flying anything not fuelled by premix. At least thats what I've heard...... if I could only remember who said this stuff to me. I'm gonna have to do a search.

Not too girly at all. I couldn't have picked better colors myself.... in fact I would have picked the very same colors.

I've had this happen on a suit that was way big on me. Found out in the door, did the jump anyway and had no problems. Wings still inflated and were attached only below the latterals on top and below wing. In fact it was the same flight this avatar was taken on.

Sure that wasn't the Heatwave and not the Hornet? No, I'm not positive it was the hornet or the heatwave. Just a rumor I heard a couple of years ago when I was looking to get my Cobalt modded . Sure works good on my cobalt A call to Joe will do no harm.