Jun 14, 2005, 6:44 AM
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Jeb's Wingsuit Landing Attemp?
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Hope I didn't get anyone excited with the title there....I was just wondering if anyone had any info on his landing attempt? He had said it would be possible by this summer...so I was wondering if there were any plans to actually make an attempt this summer? And if so, when and where? Thanks for any info.
I know- most of you don't care, and this is old news and quite boring- but some of us do find this rather interesting. Sorry to add to your boredom- move along.
I think it can be done and think I kinda understand the idea. Canopy pilots have been landing on moving things for some time now. Boats, cars, motorcycles, trains etc. If you match the speed to which you're flying, then you can land safely. For about a million bucks, that sounds about right to build a rather large sled type something on the side of a hill that could match him forward speed for him to land on, or just a big conveyor belt.
For about a million bucks, that sounds about right to build a rather large sled type something on the side of a hill that could match him forward speed for him to land on, or just a big conveyor belt.
Or land into a similar rubber trap used by fighters.
The reason some of us yawn, is this has been discussed to death, with this that and the other gadget.
When someone can land without any giant airbags, landing gear etc etc and walk away from it in one piece, then I'll be interested, otherwise its just a stunt, be even more impressed when they can take off;)
To an extent I understand you- but my question wasn't "How is Jeb going to do this?" It was- Anyone here if he will make the attemp this summer (as he said he should be able to do) and if so, where and when?
Come on be nice, you are a moderator lead by example. Besides Jeb's attempt I know of a couple other guys attempting to attempt this same feat. I wish them all the least anguish and the most success.
Besides if we had some more real developements in the the blade and Phi arena people wouldn't post more querries about landing attempts.
TomAiello (D 22400)
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Jun 15, 2005, 8:50 PM
Post #10 of 164
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Dude, we have threads for that. Let's keep this one on topic, okay? Tom, my shit was tongue and cheek. except for the part of more than one friend going for the landing challenge. Thats real and on topic now back to uze guyz in the dot .com studios.
(This post was edited by VectorBoy on Jun 15, 2005, 9:44 PM)
All I can say to those people attempting a landing STUNT is "I hope I don't have to tell your friends 'I told you so' ". I have a lot more wingsuit experience than Jeb Corlis (as do more than a few people in this forum) and I am simply not interested in any media hype concerning "landing a wingsuit." I sure as hell don't need to see another wingsuit fuckup like Royal Gorge on the news. You huggers out there can take that anyway you like it.
All I can say to those people attempting a landing STUNT is "I hope I don't have to tell your friends 'I told you so' ". I have a lot more wingsuit experience than Jeb Corlis (as do more than a few people in this forum) and I am simply not interested in any media hype concerning "landing a wingsuit." I sure as hell don't need to see another wingsuit fuckup like Royal Gorge on the news. You huggers out there can take that anyway you like it.
Chuck
Ok, so let's say that your wrong. And you don't have to tell anyones friends "I told you so." What if, in turn, Jeb gets to tell you "I told you so." What if someone with "alot less wingsuit experience" does something that you can't or won't try to do? Will he get any credit then??? Damn, I ask a simple question, to which I still haven't gotten an answer for- and in turn I get a thread that is more suited for Speakers Corner. I understand that some people don't care- but there are those of us out there that are interested, that do want to see it happen. So I guess all you naysayers out there can take that anyway you like it. Mike
this project has become bigger then most people realize. We found technology that not only makes this possible but makes it reasonable for any competent wing-suit pilot. This project is a huge undertaking. We were given a budget of close to one million dollars to start out with and we believed that would be enough to construct the different forms of technology that would be needed to make this safe. We went to the people who would be manufacturing what we needed and when we got the first bids back i almost passed out. The budget exploded from just under one million to over 6 million Dollars.
When I go the bid back for the key piece of technology the guy said i have very bad news for you Jeb. I said what is it. They said it will cost close to 3 million $ to build what you need (and remember that is only for one piece of the 4 pieces of technology needed to pull this off), but that's not the problem. I said if that's not the problem then i don't want to know what the problem is. He said it will take us one year to construct it after we have the money.
So right now we are working on two things. We are working on bringing the costs down for the overall project and we are working on finding additional funding. We will do both, it's just going to take time.
I find it funny how everybody thinks this is so impossible. Try to think outside the box. This can be done and I am sorry to say the wing-suit is actually a small part of the project. After we get additional funding this will be something pretty much any competent wing-suit pilot will be able to do and I believe it could possibly be done without a wing-suit by one of the Norwegian super trackers. The wing-suit will just give you a much larger margin for error.
There is a quote from Einstein that I love, " great spirits often encounter heavy opposition from mediocre minds."
The quote is not intended for you Mike :) Just for the people who talk about things they know very little about...
We found technology that not only makes this possible but makes it reasonable for any competent wing-suit pilot. The budget exploded from just under one million to over 6 million Dollars.
Jeb Corliss
Sorry but call me old school but if this is costing $6M its a little out of the average wingsuit pilots league ;)
For that much money I hope you can take off too and hover and take a decent payload to altitude;)
Good luck with the stunt
TomAiello (D 22400)
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Jun 16, 2005, 1:18 PM
Post #18 of 164
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Sorry but call me old school but if this is costing $6M its a little out of the average wingsuit pilots league ;)
If the apparatus were re-usable, and set up somewhere convenient like Eloy or Perris, are you saying you wouldn't pay a hundred bucks (or whatever) for a "landing ticket" and give it a go?
Turbine aircraft, wind tunnels, and lots of other toys cost way more, in their entirety, than I can afford individually. That doesn't mean they're way out of my league. It just means that I buy small increments (jump tickets, tunnel time, whatever).
edit to add: I have no inside knowledge of Jeb's attempt, so this is all just hypothetical to me. I'm not trying to imply anything about Jeb's apparatus, financing strategies, or re-usability.
(This post was edited by TomAiello on Jun 16, 2005, 1:21 PM)
If the apparatus were re-usable, and set up somewhere convenient like Eloy or Perris, are you saying you wouldn't pay a hundred bucks (or whatever) for a "landing ticket" and give it a go?
Besides the point raised by Leroy about FAA... can you imagine any DZO (much more "cool" than FAA in general) who would even let a jumper attempt this at their DZ on a regular basis? Some DZ's have a hard time with wingsuits already...
TomAiello (D 22400)
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Jun 16, 2005, 3:49 PM
Post #22 of 164
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I can think of at least one place where it would be totally legal, and you'd have enough time to enjoy the flight.
Heck, if your budget for building it is climbing to 6 million anyway, why not throw in another couple and build a 2000 ft tower with an elevator, to launch from? Call it an even 10 million to set the whole thing up? Then you could do repeated landings on one side of the tower, and, for those interested in such things, do regular parachute jumps on the other side.
Heck, if your budget for building it is climbing to 6 million anyway, why not throw in another couple and build a 2000 ft tower with an elevator, to launch from? Call it an even 10 million to set the whole thing up? Then you could do repeated landings on one side of the tower, and, for those interested in such things, do regular parachute jumps on the other side.
NOICE!
2000' tower with elevator...On one side the WS landing device. On the other side lots or trees to practice tree landing or tree slalom. On the third side a swooping pond for those who will be tarding or Mcing HP canopies. And finally on the fourth side a nice swimming pool for the round boys
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