Back flying your camera suit

[SniperCJ 0]

OK, ive been tying to cultivate a good backfly position for shooting tandems and under formations and such...

I, so far, havnt been able to slow down enough in a sit to hang with a tandem.

I assume its a matter of laying back more to expose more of the wing to the relative wind, but when I did that yesterday (with a tandem) a backslid like a fiend. Managed to maintain reasonable altitude control. Is the backsliding more a wing position issue or a leg position issue (like in a sit)?

Thanks in advance.
JC

[prost 0]

What kind of wings do you have?

[SniperCJ 0]

Sorry, that might have been good info to include.

I have a Bevsuit with the large wing. Clips to the outside of my thigh, not the inside.

JC

[garywainwright 0]

The best thing you can possibly do is go in the wind tunnell in your camera suit. You will crack it in half an hour or less.
If you are moving backwards i would suggest that you are letting your feet rise above your head too much. Have a look at the pic i've (attempted to ) attach. It shows Rickster Powell flying on his back with a FS formation (at Vichy). He's only wearing a freefly suit and is staying still with that weird almost daffy like leg position.
Have fun!

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[skreamer 1]

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You will crack it in half an hour or less.

Damn, Gary, thats some serious $$$ in tunnel-time. On a slightly different note - what effect does camera-flying (wearing camerasuit) have on your freeflying? Does it improve it at all, or are the two totally non-related?

(Not really hijacking your thread CJ, I think the questions are kinda related.)

Will

[SniperCJ 0]

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You will crack it in half an hour or less.

Damn, Gary, thats some serious $$$ in tunnel-time. On a slightly different note - what effect does camera-flying (wearing camerasuit) have on your freeflying? Does it improve it at all, or are the two totally non-related?

(Not really hijacking your thread CJ, I think the questions are kinda related.)

Will

I agree, theyre related. Ive noticed that even though I'm not that great a freeflyer, my 'freeflying' type skills (sit, headdown, other unusual body positions) have improved since I started flying camera. Whether thats due to flying a camera suit or from concentrating more on maintaining the shot I dont know. Ive flubbed several exits on tandems that have been saved by some pretty good (if I do say so myself...) flying on my part.

I'll also note that since I posted this question, another (more experienced) camera flyer and I went out and faced off in a layback sit and worked on slowing down. My Pro-Track logged an average fall rate of 125. Sounds like if I work on it some more I can get it slower still. Basically I was in a layback sit with the wings pulled pretty tight. Was able to stay right with him and dock a couple of times and kept good heading control.

Like anything else its gonna be one of those get-out-there-and-practice skills.

JC

[garywainwright 0]

Hi William,
I got lucky with the $$, filming a 4 way team at Deland this year and they let me have free tunnel time inbetween them! (probably did 2 hours wearing my camera suit)
I posted a question about this in the freeflying forum. Wearing my camerasuit I'm comfortable doing anything in sit. put me in a freefly suit though and i tend to drift toward whatever i look at and really struggle to move backwards without almost tracking away!!
I can't do headown whatever i wear!!!

See ya at the AGM?

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[skreamer 1]

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See ya at the AGM?

Meet you at the bar!