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Bealio

Helmet, goggles, gps, pc, canopy

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I'm currently deployed and can only view products online, so sorry for all the questions. I'm planning on wingsuiting when i get back to 'Murica.

Helmet - I'd like to get a POC Receptor ski helmet, but the pictures don't show the back of the helmet. Does anyone know if the back has a plastic piece that has a snag hazard? Can you fit an audible altimeter in the ear piece?

Goggles - I'd like to get the POC Retina Comp goggles. Anyone use these or have recommendations?

GPS - Would a flysight be a good investment for a beginner? Any recommendations for a mount that will work well with a ski helmet? What type of headphones do you use and why?

PC - I've been told a 10' bridle and 32" F-111 PC is what's hot on the street these days.

Canopy - I currently own a Sentry 170 9 cell zp, i was looking into getting the low bulk canopy from squirrel or the rumored one coming out from PD. The Storm seems like a good option as well. No questions yet, but wouldn't mind advice.

Thanks!

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FlySight is pretty good thing in both of developing your skills and recording tracks.
Goggles- if you feel comfortable in it in free fall in wingsuit you ll feel better or same because speeds are slower.
PC, bridle - with small suits don't care about it
Canopy - 7 cell "square" better than 9 cell or elliptical, but people jumping even cross braced.

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A lot of people that I know, that have purchased the Flysight do not use them. That is sort of sad in my opinion. Decide carefully unless the money is not an issue.

I got my Flysight not long after I got my A license because I had already some plans for what I would do it with it and I knew it would be an asset for my WS flying.

I use a sound isolating earbud that blocks as much of the ambient noise as a good set of earplugs. I just put one in one ear and in the other ear (near my audible altimeter) I use a foam earplug. I am very sensitive to noise and have some hearing damage, so this setup works well for me.

I used the Flysight in my early days to practice my speed range in belly flying, as I did some solos just trying to on a load where C-182s were flying lots of tandems. Later, I used in a lot with solo tracking practice both for the feedback and to record my track over the ground as I practiced navigation relative to the jump run and my deployment target area.

Today in wingsuiting it is just part of my gear. On flock jumps it is reporting my vertical speed, which I listen to if I care to, but is easily ignored if I don't care. If the leader want to know was it too fast or too slow, I have a fair idea of what was happening with real numbers (mine talks with the new firmware). If I were to lead, I use it to help me set a target speed. For solo distance or time flight practice, it is right there with feedback on what I am doing.

Many people that have flown WS for a long time don't really like to use them for feedback, and are more likely to trust their feel for the air over what some box is squawking in their ear. My opinion is that learning to use the Flysight while you are learning to wingsuit would not be helpful at all. If you think you want one and can get it to your location, you can put it in horizontal speed mode and practice with it while driving a car. I have done this and also shown this trick to friends. You can become very familiar with the settings and the way it sounds by ground testing/practice.

Hope that helps a little.

Dan
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

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dthames

If you think you want one and can get it to your location, you can put it in horizontal speed mode and practice with it while driving a car. I have done this and also shown this trick to friends



I'm going to try this tomorrow on my commute to work. I just installed the voice update and I was wondering if there was a way to check that it works before taking it up in the air.

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Hi,
Helmet - You're not gonna ski right? So I would look for a skydive helmet. The advantage is that those have pockets for audibles.

Goggles - I'm personally not a huge fan of sky goggles. They take away a fair amount of your peripheral vision. Which I've seen lead to dangerous situations. Use skydive goggles.
Personally I think these http://sunshine-factory.com/store/product.php?productid=31 ones are the best, although not as sexy.B|

GPS - The Flysight is very nice if you make only solo's. If you have others to jump with, you can learn a lot because of the visual feedback.
I cut down the cheapest headphones I could find and put one of the speakers in my audible pocket.

PC - You can opt for a longer bridle and larger PC, but if you are a beginner, in a small suit, standard equipment should suffice.

Canopy - I jump the Storm. Just use a docile canopy that, when in a twist, just keep flying. So 7-cells are nice.

"The 'perfect' parachute jump was thought to be one where the opening shock and touchdown were simultaneous" -Lyle Cameron, ~1965
---
Falling-With-Style.com

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If you are going to buy a ski helmet, go to the store, look, feel, and test it.
They are not designed the same way as skydive helmets and can be a problem.
All skydive helmets have a cut out area at the back so that you can look up (or when n belly forward), it's not to often you need that abillity when skiing. So skiing helmets are usually not cut that way and can limit you and it's use.
Look for a ski helmet with padding by the ears, some have a zipper.
Inside this padding there is usually a foam insert that you can take out and cut to shape for your audible.

You can get a nice ski helmet that works great for skydiving, but don't expect any ski helmet to work perfect.
My girlfriend found one that has a audible pocket and with more shape at the neck making it work good.
It also has a open/closable vent system at the top :)

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I was wondering what happen to you. Charlie has a fly sight you could probably borrow to see if you like it. Bill sells the "wing suit" PC and bridle combo for a decent price. A lot of people are going to the new full face helmet but mike and I still where skate and snow helmets. I would try both. I'm sure your canopy is fine unless you get really fat over there. But if you want a new one........ Give me a call when you get back . Your way to bored. See you, Jason .

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More and more beginners put a lot of money into a lot of additional gear options, that (in the end) would benefit a lot more from just having more practice.
Though some tools, googles etc can enhance the experience, for most people its not an essential learning tool, and sometimes can even be a distraction from actually learning to fly.

To me, flying is having full control of your body in a winguit, at steep, shallow, flat angles. Flying it stable, on its side, on its back or whatever orientation. To some, the training/practice only focusses on the full flight (how far do I fly) while thats the one thing that comes almost automatic in terms of skills when you explore the full flight envelope of what wingsuit flying has to offer.

The best thing to do, find a training partner, and on smaller dives, do dedicated work on 2 way drills (compared to other diciplines) learning about leveling, control, turns, approach etc.
If you can do those small adjustments / find motor control things with someone during 80% flight, you can also do it while in full flight.

Work on your skills in a methodical way, and goggle wise, a normal cheap ass goggle will do.
Rig wise, almost any old or new rig works fine with a beginner / intermediate level suit.
And flying wise, you dont need gizmo's to tell you how you're doing. Just enjoying yourself and having fun already gets you 90% of the way in most cases.

Training
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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