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DSE 3
I prefer to be a part of the solution, not exacerbate relationships with DZ's.
How long did it take for Skydive Santa Barbara's incident to hit the internet? Even after a letter was sent out to all SDSB jumpers? Why did it take so long?
Wingsuits were banned until last weekend, and now wingsuits are restricted to a butt-on-floor exit. They're not the only one. One phone call to that DZO led to another unreported incident which led to yet another one. Call Dave Hughes, maybe he'll lead you to further info, and you can start from there.
They're also not all in the US. Some of your US friends were present. Wonder why they have forbidden the release of the video, and why they haven't spoken about it on DZ.com? They post here fairly regularly. Hmmm...?
You can "only think of three in the past five years?" There are three on DZ.com in 2011 alone.
How about you focus on the "who, when, where." That's really important stuff.
Others can do the real work and focus on the "Why/how/solutions."
Trae, as Matt, Lurch, Jarno, and Macca have pointed out, the student needs to be head-up, looking at prop/door, elbows in/hands in front. An arch creates a cup. What some get away with in small suits leads to habits that likely won't serve so well in bigger suits.
Additionally, students must be taught that no matter what happens at the door (losing stability, slipping, whatever) they must stay closed tight until they can see the aircraft. Two of the tailstrikes this year resulted from the jumper being unstable at the door and "reaching" for air. One broke his hand, the other broke his ankle.
QuoteSome of your US friends were present. Wonder why they have forbidden the release of the video, and why they haven't spoken about it on DZ.com? They post here fairly regularly. Hmmm...?
I am going to need one of those decoder rings also.
Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com
Trae 1
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Is it faster to arch or dive? ie do we cut through the air better in a arch or in a dive?
johnmatrix 21
Sorry I've only seen about a billion on YouTube but thought someone might know of a particularly good example.
QuoteIs it faster to arch or dive? ie do we cut through the air better in a arch or in a dive?
I love your photos, nice idea with the skull. :) I also do this kind of 'dive-forward' exits, but do believe that this is an advanced exit technique. You don't only have to have a lot of experience on how the wind in the door effects your suit but you also have to have a good feeling for the setup the plane is in.
The111 0
Quotein reply to "What's wrong with that, is that in a wingsuit you do not always go where you look"
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Is it faster to arch or dive? ie do we cut through the air better in a arch or in a dive?
Nice photos, but the guy is arched in BOTH pictures. He is only rotated 90 degrees in the second one. If you can get in that orientation after exit, great. Just maintain the arch.
Although, if you do get in that orientation you will be doing flips since the wind is now hitting your back (as your nifty wind indicator shows). However, neither I nor anyone else here cares if you do flips or stay stable. Just maintain the arch.
You are correct that in freefall a de-arched dive will make you go down faster than an arched dive. But it will also make you move forward faster. And on exit, everything is rotated 90 degrees. Freefall forward = exit up. So de-arching on exit will make you go up faster. Up is where the skull is.
The111 0
QuoteDoes anyone have a link handy to a video of what they consider the perfect exit to be?
Sorry I've only seen about a billion on YouTube but thought someone might know of a particularly good example.
This one is close, but he should be more arched.
http://www.matthoover.com/gallery/skydiving-photos/2006-03/2006-03_p20.html#navbar
It would be great if Trae's wish could come true and the guy's head and torso could be below the plane while his feet are still up in the door. But it's not realistic to get in this position unless you can teleport through the floor of the plane, or you exit from a handstand. We walk on our feet, and when you get out that door, your head will be the highest point on your body. Yes if you know what you are doing you can get into a headlow orientation very quickly, but it will not be "feet in the door and everything else below."
Even the best pilots like Robi go up a little bit on an advanced move like that.
http://www.matthoover.com/gallery/skydiving-photos/2007-10/2007-10_p32.html#navbar
http://www.matthoover.com/gallery/skydiving-photos/2007-10/2007-10_p33.html#navbar
DSE 3
QuoteDoes anyone have a link handy to a video of what they consider the perfect exit to be?
Sorry I've only seen about a billion on YouTube but thought someone might know of a particularly good example.
Several examples
Trae 1
in reply to "So de-arching on exit will make you go up faster. Up is where the skull is. "
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Can't disagree with that.
My emphasis wasn't on arching OR dearching but flying your body with the wings closed .
Imho the wings being open on exit , trumps most body positions.
I agree that it is probably a very good idea to put some arch in especially when starting out. keep yourself as stable as poss. but not to sacrifice safety for stability, or rapid transiton to wing open flight.
My exit priority has been to miss the tailplane and now over time, stability issues have naturally been minimised.
I'm just happy on my exits to feel that the closest I come to the tailplane is standing in the door...but then of course I could be wrong
edited to ps. have you noticed how many WS exits barrel out towards the tailplane??? ie from the front of the door out past the back of the door?
I've been working on making my exits move forwards and down, and that means moving forwards in the door, in the plane, legs collapsing under me as I project myself just past the bottom front corner.
ie from the rear of the door but mid height , to the front of the door aiming low, just outside the bottom of the front of the door.(easier to do than say )
That helps get you in a position close to that diving wooden feller, almost before you fully leave the plane.
Trae 1
Heres another way to describe the movement.
You're gunna have to use your imagination and suspend your disbelief plus it helps if you are standing up.
Imagine you are in the front shield line of a gallic/celtic battle line You're in a shoving match with a Roman legion, .(you can be a Roman if you have to )
battle line to battle line, shield to shield.
You have to lean into it., stop them from pushing you over , hold them back......THEN as one , you let them start to push you back but only the top of your body, your feet stay firmly planted, your arms , squeezed up against your chest your fists bunched under your chin,
the rest of your body tenses and keeps taking the load,
THEN suddenly ! you push down under their shields keeping your arms in close, you let their force push itself over the top of you , as you push under them toppling them enmass,..... then the second line cleans the ones that fell, back up with your shield ....
huh what's this I'm in freefall better open me wings.......
QuoteThe two jumpships with lower horizontal elevators (Beech & PAC750) are both low-wing planes. So for these (when looking forward on exit), wait till the plane’s main wing trailing edge goes by your face to open your wings.
Or just do a tail-first (poop) exit and stay knees in and bent forwars until the tail goes past.
What's wrong with that, is that in a wingsuit you do not always go where you look. Sometimes it is quite the opposite. Why do we look backwards (tuck our chin to our chest) when doing a max performance solo flight. Is it because we want to move backwards? Why is it that newbie trackers can never catch the base in a tracking dive, while looking forward/up at him, and spilling air off their chest?
It's not just limited to wingsuits. When a newbie RW flyer goes low, do we tell them to look straight up so they can go back up? No. You do not always go where you look.
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