Skwrl

Great videos, Jeff, thanks for posting. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Hi all, I'm wondering if some of the TIs here might be able to help answer this question. Section 2.1(H) of the BSRs states (in part) that: In the case of tandem operations, I am assuming that the TI's D license governs (in other words, there's no applicable limit under the BSRs with regard to tandem operations). Is that right? Are there other rules applicable to LZs for tandem operations not contained in the BSRs? Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Lurch, that's like most of your market!!! Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

What? You guys haven't learned how to swoop like that yet? Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

This is a huge disappointment, Stoney - it won't be the same without you. I will have to perform stupid human tricks (a.k.a., "Hold my beer and watch this...") in your honor. I can second that one. I got to explore the swamp and meet all of the tropical flora and fauna in a search for my main. It was only later on in the evening, when I was hanging out at the party at the dropzone, that I realized there were probably plenty of these guys in the swamp: http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/Huxley71/bigspider.jpg (the picture doesn't do him justice, but the Brothers Gray can confirm that this dude was one Big Assed Spider). Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

You can fit an CX7 in an FFX as well, with lots of drummeling, modifications to the L bracket, spacers and love. The problem I encountered with it, though, was the CX7's well-known tendency to shake was significantly increased as a result of the exposure of the camera to the airstream... Did you encounter a similar problem? Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Why do I have a strange urge to buy another wingsuit? /Subliminal ads FTW. Reminded me of this: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cd5644bbb3/anniversary-from-picnicface Great job on the video. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Or 220. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

You mean those bastards at Burger King lied to me?!?!? Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Why would you call someone the name of a country in Central Africa? Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

For what it's worth, I've been really happy with the service/attention I've got from Giovanni at Tonfly. He answered all of my questions very quickly and paid a lot of attention to making sure I was getting the right tool for the job. I have a helmet (a "Camera Converter One") on order that should be showing up next week. If anyone is interested to see it, I'll post pics when I get it... Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

+1 to DSE's advice. And I don't consider myself a "camera flier". I'll share my story because it sounds like yours. I put on a camera helmet at 140 jumps. I made a point of being sneaky about it because I knew that the folks at my DZ would be annoyed (rightly so) that I was jumping it prior to having 200. I figured, "hey, I'm just taking point of view footage, what's the big deal?" It was a dumb idea. First, I got crappy footage. Second, it does add complexity to the skydive, and it is a distraction - even for folks with "mad skillz". Third and most imporant, it almost - by all accounts should have - killed me, because I was too inexperienced to handle a malfunction better. Want the full story? I jumped and had an camera/brake line entanglement in a spinning line twist. The spinning line twist would have been my first cutaway, so I was freaked out. However, I didn't even realize at first that the line was entangled on my helmet, because I was so tweaked out over my spinning line twist. I tried to move my head, but couldn't - but wasn't experienced enough to put two and two together. Instead, I cutaway the canopy - and the helmet ripped off of my head as the canopy departed. If I was experienced, I would have cutaway the helmet, then (maybe) fought the line twist before cutting away. By any estimate, I should be dead with a broken neck. You seem like a nice guy - I wouldn't wish that on you. So, in short, try not to violate Skwrl's First Law of Skydiving: Thou shalt not be a dumbass. Wait a few more jumps. You'll be much happier if you take your time. BTW, I wasn't saying you were behaving like a dumbass - I was saying I was. I'm a jerk, but not that big of a jerk. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

A couple of things. It's not 200 x $350 (or if it is, I want to be your DZO). Once you are licensed (and have your gear, and pack for yourself), you're talking more like $20 to $25 per jump. (Depends where you are; there are a few places that are a lot cheaper than that, like Lodi.) And as for the oldest, I don't know the answer on this one, but the oldest guy I know of is Jim Hickey, who is 66. I think you'll be in a wingsuit before then (if you actually stick with it). Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Perfectly appropriate. And it shows up regardless of whether I put in "Jeff" or "Jeffrey". Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

This being FoxNews, it's ADD with the knob turned to 11. I love the "it would work until I hit the ground, and that would probably hurt..." line. Good job, Justin. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Sorry man, I don't swing that way. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

I'm not an WS/I instructor and I doubt I ever will be one (I'll let you guys decide whether it's my un-mad skills or my fear of losing my kid's college savings in a lawsuit that's keeping me from it). Having said that, I think this is a pretty wise idea. There's an established program (AFF) that has the concepts of "instructor" and "coach" in skydiving. Over the course of time (and lawsuits), certain "standards of care" (e.g., Who's responsible for what? How does it have to be done?, etc.) have grown up around those roles - we (more or less) know who is supposed to do what and how. It doesn't necessarily follow that if we adopt their names, we automatically have adopted their roles and responsibilities, but it certainly eliminates a lot of the discussion (and potential lawyerishness) about "What is an instructor?", and any argument that a skydiver (or his estate) might have trying to pin greater responsibility on a WS/I than might otherwise be fair... Hell, call it Wingsuit Jedi/Wingsuit Padawan for all it matters (or, if you're old skool like me, "Wingsuit Master" and "Wingsuit Grasshopper"). Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

You're a jerk, JP. A real knee-biter. Now I have to go find "JQ". [Note to mods: this is not a "personal attack" - it's a response to his (otherwise sort of obscure) reference] On the toggle issue, I'm personally a fan of UPT's "true lock" system, rather than velcro. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

+1 for PR. If you're going to come across the Atlantic, you might as well go somewhere pretty and where you can land on the beach. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

As usual, I'll give my "I'm a 400+ jump guy, so what the hell do I know..." disclaimer. But a couple thoughts: It's not a matter of not feeling the USPA "is us". Insofar as we're thinking of ourselves as skydivers, it's us. But we're thinking of ourselves as skydivers and wingsuiters. The USPA is concerned about skydivers generally, and - as hammered home by many people in the other thread - wingsuiting is somehow "different" (or else why do we need an WS/I concept at all!). Although I don't know the composition of the incoming board, I don't believe that any of the people on the electoral slate were principally wingsuiters (I would be happy to be wrong about this). They don't understand us: just look at the valiant (and much appreciated) efforts that were undertaken just to get us recognized as a discipline by the FAI. If the USPA "got" us, that fight wouldn't have been necessary. For what it's worth, when I had my first flight instruction at Flock U (as well as all of my the subsequent coaching jumps - I needed them...), there were suits in from a bunch of different manufacturers in inventory to play with. They didn't push Tonysuit on me. I got to jump Tonysuit, as well as PF and (later) Birdman. I think the problem is that the "standard of care" for an WS/I is a little vague at the moment. From what I understand DSE is saying, they are trying to establish a more rigorous and detailed program. I think it will result in better training for students. That's a good thing. It will also set the appropriate level of care that instructors should follow when doing different things. Now, that's a double edged sword. If a WS/I follows those rules, the student will (in theory) get a better training experience. But if a WS/I doesn't, a court (and skydiver opinion) will be able to look at the requirements and say, "You fucked up, you didn't do X, when the requirements clearly state that X has to be done."). There will be no debates -- well, fewer debates, this being dropzone.com -- over what should and shouldn't have been checked. That will put "sloppy" WS/Is in a difficult position. And that's probably ultimately a good thing. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Kallend is right. When people talk about a "self-regulating" organization -- at least in other contexts -- what they mean is that it's not (extensively) regulated by laws or government-promulgated regulation. Instead, we regulate ourselves through our membership in the USPA (and adherence to its requirements). The FAA is a government agency, but it regulates very little of our activities. Instead, the FAA has permitted the USPA to act as a self-regulating organization. It's very similar to the relationship between the US Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA. Whether USPA does a better job than FINRA does is a question for Speaker's Corner. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

The attached might be useful for those who don't get the "could care less" / "couldn't care less" distinction. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

I thought it looked familiar... Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

I just got mine in a pile of mail delivered yesterday. Great shot of you, Jojo. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

Also, if you're a wingsuiter - or want to try one out - Flock U is in the area. PM PhoenixRising (Justin Shorb) for more info. Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork