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ChrisG

Wingsuit deployment techniques

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Thought I'd try this here, since the wingsuit thread was removed from Swooping and Canopy control. ( I think because I dissagreed with a moderator)
A lot of talk is going around, saying that you need to open up the bottom of the container, to allow the bag to come out easier. This is probably necessary if you pull in full flight, like the Bird-man manual says to do.
With all due respect to Yari, I think pulling in full flight is a bad idea for a number of reasons.
1. Ever had a hard opening? If this happens while in full flight it WILL jerk your body forwards very fast and make a hard opening even more painfull. Once I thought I would actually flip between my lines. Just look at the angle your body is, compared to the 45 degree angle that the pilot chute comes off your back, and you can see how this could happen.
2. In most the deployments I've observed, the bag drops down after it leaves your back. I have seen bags below peoples feet before. Because of gravity, the pilot chute cannot hold the bag in a straight line off your back. It creates around a 20-30 degree line from pilot to bag compared to the angle of the canopys lines. When I was pulling in full flight, the bag hit my foot once. This is not good.
3. In full flight at pull time, your legs are straight out and pulled together, and your hands are near the bottom of the container. This has a natural tendency to direct you head down. If you have ever tried to fly in this position without
a wingsuit, you know that it is very difficult to stay in a level attitude with your legs and arms in that position.
Heres my technique;
I begin my sequence at 3500 ft.
I close my legs and bring my knees in so that my upper legs are at a right angle to my body, while I place both hands on my backpack. I take a couple of seconds to make sure I have a good grip on my handle. This position immediately slows my forward speed and increases my vertical speed.
I then throw my pilot bringing both arms out, then quickly bring both hands to my harness right below the 3 rings , and stick my elbows out a little.
This faces me directly into the relative wind, and the pilot chute and bag are coming straight off my back. I know this because in this position it is easy to look at your bag as it comes off. Just like an RW dive. I feel I am in a much better position if I have a hard opening, also I think it is easier to fly in a tuck position than a stretched out position. ( less chance of going unstable).
My rig is not modified in any way, and since I started this technique I have had no problems.
Other experienced bird men I've spoken to ( but not all)
do some variation of this.
So, bottom line here is , You do not have to get your rig modified for your bag to come off properly, you just need to be in the proper body position. Its easy!
Any comments?
Chris Grenner D-7250
230 wingsuit flights

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