In addition a new state record this was a really awesome event overall! Super leadership by Taya and Purple Mike, flawless video coverage by Skwrl and Hoover, and a really fun team to fly with. We also had a great learning environment with visible progress pretty much every jump. My thanks to all that made this event happen.
As a bonus, I was there for "Skwrl in tow" and Sherpa adventure dives that you really had to experience to fully appreciate...
(This post was edited by pms07 on Aug 1, 2012, 10:58 PM)
The big way camp earlier this week was really fun and educational. Thanks to Taya and Mike for being great organizers!
We only have a couple days of Summerfest left, but we still have a big group of wingsuiters here doing big flocks, small flocks, rodeos, docking jumps, performance runs, and first flights.
This event was a lot of fun for me; I really enjoyed seeing a lot of my wingsuiting friends and getting to check out the local marina.
As an aside, let me offer up the following observation: the revised grid requirement (the "27% grid") is fiendishly hard for a large formation to meet. You'll note a bunch of very, very pretty 36 way formations in my and Hoover's pictures that don't meet the 27% grid.
To be clear, I'm not arguing to alter - or not alter - the grid or to start a long conversation about whether the grid is the right method or whether we should use a lattice method, a complex algorithm, or some other method that requires non-Euclidean geometry, fractals, and CERN to measure. (I personally don't care, I just take the pictures.) But it's pretty obvious that the revised grid is a challenge to meet, particularly when you get to formations bigger than 20 or so.
Jeff, it's also interesting to note that some of my photos which I am fairly sure were taken at the exact same moment as yours (like the one on the last jump immediately before breakoff) fit into the grid slightly differently. This is probably due to (a) different barrel distortions in our lenses and (b) centering, or lack thereof, over the flock. I noticed for the whole event I was flying probably 20-30ft further forward than you when taking my "grid shots." So either I am forward too far, you are backward too far, or some combination of both. But it is really easy to see that moving back increases the apparent angle between the two leading edges of the diamond. If that angle (true measure) is less than 90, you can move back to a certain point where it will measure 90 on the photo (although at this point you're much nearer to the rear of the formation, so you've introduced other problems if perspective into the grid).
Like you, I don't really care, I just take the pictures. But the above observations may be useful for those who do care.
To be clear, I'm not arguing to alter - or not alter - the grid or to start a long conversation about whether the grid is the right method or whether we should use a lattice method, a complex algorithm, or some other method that requires non-Euclidean geometry, fractals, and CERN to measure.
Spoilsport!
In reply to:
But it's pretty obvious that the revised grid is a challenge to meet, particularly when you get to formations bigger than 20 or so.
Indeed, you can fly a perfect, absolutely uniform diamond** with all the lines exactly straight and still not fit the grid if the apex angle is just a few degrees away from 90.
Maybe we should all carry protractors on the jumps.
** a diamond as seen on a playing card is not square, but the grid we use is square.
The big way camp earlier this week was really fun and educational. Thanks to Taya and Mike for being great organizers!
We only have a couple days of Summerfest left, but we still have a big group of wingsuiters here doing big flocks, small flocks, rodeos, docking jumps, performance runs, and first flights.
AND we got to watch the freeflyers complete a new head down world record!
To be clear, I'm not arguing to alter - or not alter - the grid or to start a long conversation about whether the grid is the right method or whether we should use a lattice method, a complex algorithm, or some other method that requires non-Euclidean geometry, fractals, and CERN to measure.
Spoilsport!
In reply to:
But it's pretty obvious that the revised grid is a challenge to meet, particularly when you get to formations bigger than 20 or so.
Indeed, you can fly a perfect, absolutely uniform diamond** with all the lines exactly straight and still not fit the grid if the apex angle is just a few degrees away from 90.
Maybe we should all carry protractors on the jumps.
** a diamond as seen on a playing card is not square, but the grid we use is square.
These are concerns that I raised at a gathering a couple of years ago. Camera angle, lens distortion, etc... that were all essentially disregarded at the time ...
why the need for an objective measure (which is obviously almost impossible to meet due to technical reasons) ? let's have a subjective validation of records : everybody happy : record validated
Thanks to Taya and Mike for safe and thorough organizing. Thanks to all the flyers for being there. It was great to see old friends and make some new ones.
As an aside, let me offer up the following observation: the revised grid requirement (the "27% grid") is fiendishly hard for a large formation to meet. You'll note a bunch of very, very pretty 36 way formations in my and Hoover's pictures that don't meet the 27% grid.
not trying to start the old fight though I'm probably gonna get some bs going for saying this anyway... but can I remind you that something called a record is not supposed to be easy? pretty sure that if all our wingsuit flyers had the same level of skill and jump numbers as the freeflyers on the head down record, we'd have an easier time fitting any grid.
that aside, interesting to see you guys get different results with pictures taken at slightly different positions/angles. and kallend gets to say "told you so" for the millionth time...
whatever. all in all, it was an awesome boogie and the group of people there was a lot of fun to fly (and party) with. Both the bigger-ways and the fun acro and rodeos and other crazy shit from the second weekend.
we got some sick pictures and video, and some long lasting fun memories. that's all that matters.
Agreed. Goals should be hard, or else nobody will choose them as their goals. Nobody wants to aspire to the "most months of not sticking a Crayon up his nose" record. (Well, nobody except Skwrl, circa 1975. But those damn things just looked like they would fit! How can that kind of temptation be resisted, I ask?)
In reply to:
kallend gets to say "told you so" for the millionth time
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