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kkeenan

NY Times Wingsuit Landing Article

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Nice article..seems they took the effort to find other people in the field (Loic, Maria) to give comment/feedback.

The one thing that sadnes me when Jeb talks about landing a wingsuit is that time and money seems to be the issue, and not skill and effort.

Building runways/catching systems and such, sounds as much as a 'true wingsuit landing', as Felix crossing the channel under a plastic glider-plane sounds like 'unaided human flight'

A plane, a wingsuit and a skydiver should be all the ingredients needed...

I think Loic..eehm..sorry.."flying dude" (think we should stick to that name from now on:P) is the one with the most impressive skills/experience portfolio for a stunt like this.
Though probably also the one with the most realistic view on doing it, which is why its not something he's done yet

JC
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Flying your wingsuit into an airplane, landing on a $2 million specially constructed ramp or a snow covered mountain slope isn't what most people would consider "landing a wingsuit".

Skill or no skill, the closing speeds with mother earth are just too high. Hop off a 2 or 3 story building onto your chest and face for a taste of the vertical speed, then step off a motorcycle going 90mph onto your fresh bandages for a taste of the horizontal. Add them together and you get somewhere around double what nearly killed Evel Knievel a few times.

But, hey .. I could be wrong. If you try it, I'll either contribute to your flower fund if you don't make it or buy you a beer if you do. You'll probably be drinking that beer through a tube, though.

In the meantime, I plan on pulling my stopping cord long before "landing". :)
Scott

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Does anyone have the link to that video from a few years ago of the wingsuit flier swooping past the control tower and landing on the runway?

Or the name of the video so I can do a search on skydiving movies.com?

Marc

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton

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Does anyone have the link to that video from a few years ago of the wingsuit flier swooping past the control tower and landing on the runway?



Yea..I doB| 'Ghostrider' is the title...

http://bird-man.com/video/ghostrider.wmv

The guy who made it is supposedly quite awesome and really cool and stuff!
JC
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landing on a $2 million specially constructed ramp or a snow covered mountain slope isn't what most people would consider "landing a wingsuit".



we will have to disagree. :)


Rat for Life - Fly till I die
When them stupid ass bitches ask why

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I really like the sound bite where Jeb says "This will be the first time that a human being has reached terminal velocity and landed on their face at over 110 miles an hour, and gotten up and done it again. You know... that is a very special thing". Yup... very "special" indeed B|:SB|

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Flying your wingsuit into an airplane, landing on a $2 million specially constructed ramp or a snow covered mountain slope isn't what most people would consider "landing a wingsuit".

If you're safely coming to a stop from out of the air, that's a landing.

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Flying your wingsuit into an airplane, landing on a $2 million specially constructed ramp or a snow covered mountain slope isn't what most people would consider "landing a wingsuit".

If you're safely coming to a stop from out of the air, that's a landing.



You could crash an airplane on a steep snowy slope and probably walk away. It is technically a landing. But it isn't "what most people would call landing a plane."
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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While yes, I agree once any object leaves the ground (unless it is placed in orbit or leaves our plantary gravity) it will "land".

In addition, I am very certain that with enough engineering and money an arresting system and/or vertical to hortizontal forces transitional system (e.g. a slope/ramp) can be employed. But call it what it is.

It is NOT what most would consider an unaided or uncontrived free fall to horizontal landing, taking nothing away from Jeb and his attempt.
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Old Jeb Just got a full page in "Outside" magazine, with a sketch of the landing ramp...errr...tube:

http://www.dim.com/~ryoder/corliss.jpg



The wingsuit only seems to be the means of aiming here....technicaly, such a ramp could be 'landed' by a normal freefaller, as the 45 degree descent angle is something a good tracker can match...you wouldnt even need a wingsuit...

Not that it wouldnt be an incredible feat to pull off...but it just looks like the worlds biggest 'slip and slide'

Picking a lesser/flatter angle/slope (at a glide-ratio that means the wingsuit has to truly be 'flown' to 'hit' it) would turn it into something more realistic, if landing the wingsuit is really what the planning is...

Choosing a cheeper helicopter then a Dauphin (and renting it instead of buying it) would probably bring the cost down a bit as well..:P

Still...big balls if he goes through with this...
JC
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I'm really curious about the materials lining the tube and the composition of his suit, gloves, and shoes. All I can think of is how much carpet burns hurt.[:/]

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

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I'm really curious about the materials lining the tube and the composition of his suit, gloves, and shoes. All I can think of is how much carpet burns hurt.[:/]



After that illustration, all I can think of is those water park water slides...

Would still like to see Loic do this instead...

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