VectorBoy

As to jumping this thing off a Cliff and flying back up to the same launch spot, I think that is very unlikely. The jet engines took 30 seconds to "stabilize" before full power could be added. Chuck My comment wasn't about the feasability of a rocket man system but rather tongue in cheek question about something like this tarnishing the purity of a wingsuit BASE jump. To some its just hucking, to others its a way of life, away from the smell and noise of turbines and away from those pesky skydivers.

Is there anything that can be done to minimize the mental anguish and physical pain that comes along with pull time? I dont think i was slowing down my horizontal speed enough to reduce the shock to a tolerable level. On most of the jumps i was pulling the second i collapsed the wings, so i know giving it some time to slow down will help a little...I think this was just due to being overwhelmed. Are experiencing the "trap door" effect where your upper body is pulled back violently? Slowing down prior to pull ( some people bend their knees slightly to kill forward speed) , take half a second and go into freefall, be relaxed and pull symmetrically and smoothly. Your how you pack your canopy may play a factor in violent openings.

Will you still think that if someone takes off from below, flys up and over the talus and lands at the launch point?

I know some guys that have relocated from Florida to the dry southwest. They won't do wingsuits in our krisp-clear skies anymore unless they can surf the nimbus from full alti like you can most of the time in Florida.

Sure, you want the fastest, newest, wiz-bang toy that all the big boys play with.Quote I heard a few people post that its no fun to fly their S3 folded up all of the time flying with classics and they wish they would have just got a GTI. I could relate to this sentiment, and its the reason some of us have kept our classics- for the slow days, but our small group mostly flys S3s now and the classics that fly with us can really hang with us. If your group doesn't change much or you don't think it will grow and don't want to buy and sell a succession of suits then the GTI is the wizz bang toy.

Yes but that version butchered what the book was about.

Ironically I found the S3 easier to fly than my classic. But let me clarify, my introduction to the S3 was via an Jari's used backvented S3, so it is not exactly the same. In fact this suit never had issues of upper body strain, like what some people complain about, as it "bleeds off" air through the airlocks. Production S3s have more lift and the difference is easily felt. I did find that the S3 is more forgiving of forward and aft CG shifts. It seems I had to fly my classic more upper and lower wing symmetrically deployed. The S3 does have more range to fly a little relaxed, this by the way relieves that twitchy feeling of maxed flight. I found the classic is either flying or not. Some people have gone straight to an S3 due to unique body type and not wanting to buy a custom GTI that they won't be able to readily sell later to get the S3. As far as being at home in a big wing suit ( or any suit ) or be at the mercy of a wingsuit, it just depends on the individual. There is no way of knowing. Most of my close friends had from fifty to 200 jumps on a classic before the S3, I had 30. I've never put the classic back on but my buddy with 200 prior and now over 150 on the S3 still goes back and forth between his various suits.

YOU ARE THE MAN!!! Bonehead GunRack sounds like the ideal platform. It must be a new option, as I cannot for the life of me find it on their web-siteQuote http://www.boneheadcomposites.com/gunrak.htm

Bummer, At least the tailplane didn't bite you in the goober. Let us know how the repairs go, factory or otherwise.

What you describe would work. In a pull out system the PC is inside the container sitting on top of the D bag not in a boc pouch. To deploy you pull the pud which pulls the pin then puts the PC into the airstream. But the PC is not near your arms full extension. In a throw out system you pull the hackey, the PC is attached to it, directly into the airstream at your full arms extension. You need to take a look at a pull out system first hand to see the difference.

well it could be optional if it helps you fly stable - I find maintaining controlled on heading flights a bit difficult when firing on full-auto. Maybe I need to carry one in each hand - no, that would things at complicate deployment time. Any suggestions? fergs Yes helmet mount. I recommend boneheads GunRack. Keep the bursts down to less than four so recoil doesn't peel it of your head. You are going to have to develope your own bite/tungue switch for the trigger. I've got faith in you, skydivers are brilliant. Especially after a few drinks.

I was kicked out of a skills camp once for bad performance...... that hurt my feelings

Eh'?! Next time, run with your feet, not your shoulders. Get well soon! Or have Nightingale show you how to do a ninja flip, hyeaeehh! But just remember to take out the riser twists caused by the step through before you pack it again.

I know Paul. Not everybody is proud of the sports over glorification of swooping and there should be some lead by example I agree. We don't hear the pros or manufacturers crying for regulation. If we polled them they would say Don't downsize and no low turns and get training if available. Its the short and dirty answer until there is in place a widespread canopy coaching and training infrastructure available to most DZs. My problem with regulation is it doesn't work.... without enforcement. In my examples I stated above who all need training. Enforcement would or might trim down the incidents in only the last third example. The second example would be neutral as enforcement isn't an issue with the well behaved, until its too late. And of course the arrogance and snobbery would just continue in the first group and you know they would be all for regulation and enforcement as it doen't pertain to them. They don't swoop they are perfectly safe.

The X-Games, by definition, -is- a warning lable. Right up front the name alone tells you that this event is the -far- edge of human capability.Quote Jumping out of anything other than a burning aircraft is EXTREME. Just ask any wuffo. This is not golf, bowling or table tennis. What do you want, a waiver that says we are going to die, we except this as true and are only waiting for it to happen? The information is out there, the warnings, the facts. 50% of our fatalities are under functional mains. There is a certain snobbery I run into out there on the DZ and these forums that if someone loads their canopy lightly and doesn't do performance turns to a landing that they are somehow safe from harm. Sorry that attitude can kill you quicker than an unintended low toggle whip. The facts are unnecessary injuries and deaths under fully functional flying mains. They are represented by all wingloadings, all experience levels. They may be mostly young males but then who make up the majority of jumpers ( I dunnknow ). If you are a conservative 1000 jump experienced person who does not consistently land accurately and safely get help. You are way behind the curve, a statistic waiting to happen. And shut up about what others do under canopy until YOU are up to speed. When you femur in they are gonna blame the swoopers, not cool! If you are 2000 jump experienced and competent and well behaved skydiver. Who has never crossed the glance of the S&TA for aggressive canopy behavior but want to now indulge in aggressive canopy behavior get help. You should be smart enough to know you need the very best training that you have not been a part of in anyway. At the very least realize that you have missed out on some very good scoldings, informative ass chewings and educational groundings by the S&TA. You have up until now slipped below the radar for good behavior and will continue to go unnoticed until the final day you make a jail brake. If you are a committed 500 experience ( or even less ) swooper who is getting great mentoring and doing brilliantly. Realize this, the odds are stacked against you maybe 50~50, maybe less. You need to be in every canopy control seminar by the pros even if you have to travel to get there. And frequently pay to have a coached jump with a pro. Treat every performance landing as a heavily judged and supervised skills camp, something to learn from. Not as a fun swoop&chug. In fact get mentoring for every jump. When knowledgeable people tell you to back off LISTEN! You will not be as good as the mentor until you get into the ball park of their jump numbers. They have more time evaluating a single canopy than you have entire jumps. And you won't have developed their wisdom of when to just say no and take it easy.

I could verbally describe it and you could do a search on these forums but it would be better to find a pullout system at your dropzone and see were the pilot chute is in relation to the pud handle when extended. Now imagine all of this trying to work behind the burble of a wingsuit wing. There are a small minority ( very small) number wingsuit jumpers that do use the pull out despite that the manufacturers all recommend against it. But for wingsuits the throw out is best.

Paint Ball gun? Ha - here's what I use. Wanna come play ... you bring your paintball gun and I'll bring my toy? I promise a fun few flights. Blue Skies, fergs Looks like that cod piece is no longer optional

Severe line twists on my classic early on caused me to go for them. I had them pulled and my hands into position faster than a quik-draw competitor, and then the canopy just flew out of them without input. Used them on my S3 for the same reason but grabbed one arm wing and the leg wing cuttaway on the otherside as it is located too close. I thought about switching the leg to a pillow handle for tactile reasons after that as I never look at them but instead keep my eyes on the canopy. I used the leg cuttaway by itself once after a being too preoccupied with watching my gear on a reserve ride to remember to unzip my legs until too late in the pattern and I didn't want to induce harness steer down low. The LQRS had redeemed itself in my eyes at this point. Even used the single chest located arm cuttaway for my Matter suit after opening too low and not wanting to deal with that suits stiff zippers. The zippers take a while to brake in and soften up and they do as evidenced on the Matter suits that have some jumps on them. I only mess with handles for line twists or other silly reasons were I have time and altitude. I go straight to the rigs emergency handles for all emergency situations. New commers to wingsuits who fly docile mains and deploy above 4 grand find that the wing cuttaways play a more important role as you have more options and altitude, with anything other than a total mal, to deal with it. Once you start deploying too much below 3 grand on small canopies that can dive and are reluctant to untwist, you have much fewer options and a whole lot less time. Silver may be your only hope.

BTW, this is a rhetorical question and you don't actually have to answer either on-line, via PM or even to me at all. Just something for folks to consider. Most sports heros, even extreme sports, have practitioners that want to be like them. Young golfers ( hell even old ones )want to be like Tiger but so what thats boring. Young surfers are gonna want to be like Laird Hamilton and surf tremendous waves, now more than ever. Extreme supercross just fills stadiums and sells more motorcycles and titanium bone fixtures ( way more than the skydiving world sees ). Nobody is asking their athletes to tone it down. I'm not even sure a warning lable is required on the videos produced by the sponsors. I don't hear any whinning over there. Who the hell are we to ask those that swoop and swoop in the spot light, who do it well. Who have taken their time to perfect their craft. Who, as a result of personal risk and pushing their envelope, have uncovered some jewels of knowledge that may benefit even conservatives under canopy. You could open up a secret area 51 swoop facility and confine swoopers to it..... or you can get the message out that low turns kill, kill you faster if you don't have the skills. Its a long road to get the skills.

The mirage is a good choice for both wingsuits and freeflying. A BOC deployment method is just about mandatory for wing suits though. If you buy used and its a pull out it can be converted to a throw out.

Would it be bad if I said in before the lock?

Saying it is one thing . . . would you be willing to lead by example?Quote Oh I wasn't talking to me. I personally fear arterial damage and cancer much more than hurting myself under a canopy. I'm not delusional or a canopy know-it-all. I know a few things about flying things but the more I jump the more I learn there is still tons to learn, but I'm also learning more about arterial damage and cancer too. I know that I could be floating along at 100 feet, my canopy could collapse and I plummet to my death based on nothing more than the characteristics of the air it was near for a second. I except canopy shenanigans for what they are. A very personal decision to increase the risk of an already dangerous skydive exponentially. Mitigated with experience, skill, knowledge, wisdom an a hefty dose of luck but still very dangerous. To engage successfully you need those five items in spades. Lacking in some you need much more of the others. And since there isn't a capability dipstick supplied by the canopy manufacturer, its difficult to gage whether or not you got what it takes to do it. Hence conservatism, Its what the manufacturer recommends. Its how I need to approach this. If I femured or worse jumpers will still jump, teams will still train and the turbines will still turn. After all I let us down not anybody else. I except that. For all of the people that demand a change in the status quo of canopy accidents, would they be willing to lead by example? Or do they want somebody else to do this work for them? Kinda like they wash their hands of it.

Who wants to chat? Do you like to chat?

I have " freepacked" a lightning with a tailpocket. But that is just a bagless propack not the packjob I've seen used on BASE gear which looks more like a reserve packjob. Does it matter how the gear is freepacked for simulations out of the base environment?

You take the money and we'll sit around NOT touching each other and watch everyone ELSE try to figure it out..and yes...the world will be a better place.... ...then we'll have icecream ~~ April Your plan is gonna challenge the fundamentals of my concept...... You'll ruin everything! Well except all that wonderful cash. I'm go.