Learning to wingsuit in a tunnel? (in Sweden's new wingsuit tunnel)

[mdrejhon 8]

Now that wingsuit tunnel instruction is apparently becoming practical -- they have wingsuiters (who's NEVER jumped before) flying untethered after just 20-30 minutes time.

After the tests of their prototype, their big wingsuit training tunnel is opening September 2017.

Just like combining tunnel+AFF/ISP -- I'm VERY seriously considering combining tunnel+jumps for wingsuit instruction, as the economics actually check out (at least for Canadian skydivers). One weekend I've never wingsuited before, and then next weekend, I'd be outwingsuiting several jumpers at my DZ in specific wingsuit skill-categories at my DZ...

As a training question -- "tunnel+jumps" for wingsuit training is uncharted topic territory like "tunnel+AFF" used to be. Now it's common for many new skydivers to travel to a tunnel for an AFF jumpstart. Most training questions are often occuring in this forum. And most instructors pay attention to this forum. So that's why I am asking here in General:

Are any people on here considering combining wingsuit tunnel+jumps for wingsuit training?

[dthames 0]

I consider the following tasks as critical for skydiving in a wingsuit.

1. Safe and proper exit from the aircraft.
2. Proper navigation away from the jump run, to a planned deployment area.
3. Save and proper deployment at the planned altitude.

My opinion is that these tasks/skills need to be primary and flying skills more secondary. That being said, tunnel time might work out better to be done after some knowledge of what you don't know has been gained.

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

[Thijs 0]

Yes, definitely, even when other people consider me to be already an experienced wingsuit flyer.

There is a bunch of stuff to learn and try in the tunnel, especially regarding perfecting precision flying. I was always told the tunnel can be a confronting experience for experienced people
Starting there will definitely give you an advantage over people who have/had to learn everything by jumping.

If we just look at what the tunnel has done for freeflying I'm sure we are going to see a huge rise in the skills of wingsuiters in the next few years.

[Thijs 0]

dthames

My opinion is that these tasks/skills need to be primary and flying skills more secondary. That being said, tunnel time might work out better to be done after some knowledge of what you don't know has been gained.

A person who already has the flying skills, will be able to focus better on those tasks, than someone who has no previous experience.

This weekend at my DZ there was a first flight student who was spinning for the most part of the jump. If you can't get the flying right, then navigation and deployment will probably also not be a great success either.

Of course regardless of how much tunnel experience someone has, they should always get the proper skydive training before starting wingsuit skydiving, and gradually built up their skills.

[mdrejhon 8]

Damn right, exactly!

That's why I said tunnel+jumps.

There's unamious agreement that tunnel alone won't make you a good jumper. Most of us now already agree that tunnel+AFF/ISP is generally better than AFF/ISP alone. And tunnel is now a good component of freefly training.

This is potentially no different: Imagine, basically, someone who already has 500 or 800 or 1000 jumps, but is now interested in tunnel-assisted wingsuit training.

Wingsuiting is something I want to take up in a couple to three years, and by then -- there'll already be knowledge on whether tunnel is a huge boon (or not) to wingsuiting, much like it was for tunnel+AFF.

People used to (and still do) fly far away to get to a tunnel to help enhance AFF/freefly before SkyVentures were within driving distance. Likewise, in a similar fashion, I'd want to fly to Sweden (when I feel ready to commit to wingsuit, about 2020-ish) to get some wingsuit jumps+tunnel training since it appears to economically checks out (at Canadian prices). Assuming that by then, there's been rave reviews (by trusted jumpers) for a training progression...

Also, boomerang back to original question:
Anyone here considering tunnel+jumps for learning to wingsuit?