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gozza

Always check your handles.

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I have come across this issue more than once which rang alarm bells!! I noticed that some people put their wingsuits on and dont realise their reserve handle has slipped into the suit. Some checks before manifesting yourself for a load.
1. Make sure your wingsuit is a correct fit and both handles are accessible before jumping it.
2. D shaped reserve handles have been the most concern due to the size and slippery surface of the handle, so try on the suit and make sure it will NOT slip in.
3. If you are unsure about your gear dont jump it.
4. Always get a gear check.
5. Have a system of checks before walking to the plane, mid flight checks and before exits checks.

All in all people have fun and blue skies :-)

Peace :-)

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gozza

I have come across this issue more than once which rang alarm bells!! I noticed that some people put their wingsuits on and dont realise their reserve handle has slipped into the suit. Some checks before manifesting yourself for a load.
1. Make sure your wingsuit is a correct fit and both handles are accessible before jumping it.
2. D shaped reserve handles have been the most concern due to the size and slippery surface of the handle, so try on the suit and make sure it will NOT slip in.
3. If you are unsure about your gear dont jump it.
4. Always get a gear check.
5. Have a system of checks before walking to the plane, mid flight checks and before exits checks.

All in all people have fun and blue skies :-)

Peace :-)



I'm getting my pop corn ready for this thread B|

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PF and Squirrel use the same zipper system. On my Venom, I use non-stretchy cords to tie the zippers together. I have zero issues with this.

I think, somewhat intuitively, this is a bigger issue if you use stretchy bungees to hold the zips together, regardless of what suit you fly.
Apex BASE
#1816

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Bluhdow

PF and Squirrel use the same zipper system.



While that may be true in some limited context, I don't think it's true in general. I am not familiar with every current suit in the PF lineup, and I'm even less familiar with the Squirrel products, but even within the PF brand they do not use the same zipper system on every suit.

Regardless of who makes the suit, I prefer the style of zipper on the PF Phantom/Ghost to this new style that requires some sort of extra attachment to hold the zipper in place. To be honest I actually miss the old laceup systems from BirdMan and first gen PF stuff. :)
It's not practical with our sport being so tiny, and it will never happen, but it would be nice if a buyer could get any attachment method he wanted on any suit.
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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It seems to be suits that use this ‘zip in zip out’ system to cover base and skydiving that can suffer from this if the zips aren’t tied together somehow. I also think this design is meant to offer cleaner airflow (?).

I had this problem on my R2B2 as opted for zips rather than the lace up system and lost my reserve D-ring when sat in the plane; I could adjust the suit prior to exit to rectify it but I had that constant niggle during the flight about it.

I spoke to Tony about my concerns, we chatted about a suitable fix, I said I just wanted a regular skydive zip system, he’s now making me a new suit with standard ‘zip out’ system to address this at no charge! You can’t say fairer than that.

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It's true in the context that matters, the innie-outtie designs (which is the subject of this discussion).

I too personally prefer the 1-zip system that's on my Havok. I think the innie-outtie mode is overkill for what we do in the sky and anyone who really needs to reduce drag that badly (e.g. WWL competitors) could simply buy a BASE only suit (which is already offered by PF).

My advice to PF (and Squirrel) is to offer the 1 zip system as standard, or at least as an option if they believe in the innie-outtie that much.
Apex BASE
#1816

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Knowing that this is an issue, one of my first checks after deployment and BEFORE i pop my brakes, I am checking my reserve handles. I use the loop and button system in the Squirrel suit and I haven't had many problems, when I have it was early enough and easy enough to fix.

reason I do this BEFORE i release my brakes is b/c of an incident at elsinore a few years back where the skydiver came back from a long spot with brakes set and around a grand he released them into a tension knot without enough time to cut. his chest strap was already opened so it put his handles in a new place.

hope someone finds this useful, my $.02
IHYD

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As ive said in the past, I think with any zip system, the D ring is a bad idea.

Not saying it never will be an issue, or defending one system over any other, but has there been any incidents yet with these type of systems? Just curious if theres been any close calls or people landing with handles inside.

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hjumper33

As ive said in the past, I think with any zip system, the D ring is a bad idea.

Not saying it never will be an issue, or defending one system over any other, but has there been any incidents yet with these type of systems? Just curious if theres been any close calls or people landing with handles inside.



I've opened and had to dig my cutaway out of my suit, I dug it out before releasing my brakes and had no problems but have seen it happen. It was happening on my Aura with the older bungee setup.
IHYD

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