A few questions from a soon to be Birdie

[CarloC 0]

Hi Guys, i did a few searchs but did not found anything that could really help me, so a have a few questions for you guys...

1. I want to buy a used Classic 1, its really old school, but i cant find any references about how the price range is for this model. Can you guys give me a ball park? If the price is ok, its worth buying a old sytle suit like the classic 1 at all?

2. I´ve seen in this forum that Wingsuits and Elipitcals are a No-no. is that really true? I jump a Stilleto 120 loaded about 1,5 and always had sweet on-heading opennings.
Should i use another main on the wing jumps? or can i use my stilleto? I really dont want to buy another main or borrow another rig everytime i want to do a wingsuit jump.

I think thats about it, thanks in advance.

Later

[nathaniel 0]

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2. I´ve seen in this forum that Wingsuits and Elipitcals are a No-no. is that really true?

Some people combine them but as a newcomer you can expect to spin up and chop a lot. Is that worth $500 to you? That's how much you can find a beat-up old square for. You might end up spending a fair amount on reserve repacks anyway.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[avenfoto 0]

classic1, used, 250-400dollars. max.

find a better suit, youll have more fun.

[Stuuu 0]

Find a GTi if you can- better suit with more range than a classic. GTi will last longer and be more fun in the long run.

[TheCaptain 2]

Generally speaking, when one starts wingsuit flying their deployments may be less then optimal as you are learning how to deal with the extra fabric during the deployment sequence(plus learning a different way to pull all together). Also in most suits (minus the new Tony suits, and the Phoenix fly Prodigy) you can not reach high enough to unstow your brakes without either unzipping or pulling the cutaway for the arm wings. All that aside it is a personal decision and I have seen some start out with elliptical and be fine (no cut aways) but the safest choice is a canopy that flies well in line twist.

Kirk
He's dead Jim

[MarkM 0]

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2. I´ve seen in this forum that Wingsuits and Elipitcals are a No-no. is that really true? I jump a Stilleto 120 loaded about 1,5 and always had sweet on-heading opennings.
Should i use another main on the wing jumps? or can i use my stilleto? I really dont want to buy another main or borrow another rig everytime i want to do a wingsuit jump.

There's a lot of experienced wing suit guys that jump smaller and more highly loaded canopies than what you are. But a big problem is that when you're just starting out flying a wingsuit, you may end up having to relearn your body position on deployment.

That can put you into spins and cause chops with a small elliptical. So it's not recommended to combine the two at first.

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

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But a big problem is that when you're just starting out flying a wingsuit, you may end up having to relearn your body position on deployment.

That can put you into spins and cause chops with a small elliptical. So it's not recommended to combine the two at first.

Amen to that. I fly a Sabre2 210 (a huge canopy, weighted at around 0.9) and I've had two chops due to line twists. The first was at about 60 wingsuit jumps, the second was at 70. I still consider linetwists a pretty common occurrance (usually, I'm saying out loud, to nobody in particular, "Awww, line twists again?!?!").

If it happens on my 210, it can happen on whatever the original poster is loading at 1.5.

[millertimeunc 0]

I'd say if you can find a different canopy, forget the classic, gti, or prodigy, and go straight to a phantom. Better performance than any of the other 3, easy enough for a beginner, and I actually found it easier to fly than the others with better range. YMMV, so make sure you get instruction.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[peggs82 0]

Echoing what most here are saying.... Here's my take...

Suits - don't know about the deal you have going for the classic, but there are better suits out there with good deals to be had. My only problem with that however, is fit. A ill fitting suit can suck all the fun right out of your wingsuiting experience. If your spending around 400...I would say spend the extra 250 and get a TS Intro. The buy back program gives you credit towards your next Tony Suit when your ready to move on...

Canopy - I fly a Katana 97... Chuck flies a Sabre 2 97...there are others with small very spinny canopies. Can it be done? Yes.... Would I let you do it while your learning?...No

If you look around, there should be some appropriate gear around. I understand that its a pain...but so is climbing trees for your main and free bag. At least get a good amount of jumps before moving back to the Stiletto. Sabre1's can be had for a steal here in the classifieds, and they are great for wing suiting.

[jakee 1,255]

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classic1, used, 250-400dollars. max.

$400?? If anyone I knew paid $400 for a Classic1 I would be forced to smack 'em upside the head and laugh for a very long time

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[jakee 1,255]

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Amen to that. I fly a Sabre2 210 (a huge canopy, weighted at around 0.9) and I've had two chops due to line twists. The first was at about 60 wingsuit jumps, the second was at 70. I still consider linetwists a pretty common occurrance (usually, I'm saying out loud, to nobody in particular, "Awww, line twists again?!?!").

This is not a dig at you at all, but get some coaching. Seriously. That should not be happening!

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[VectorBoy 0]

Depending on how involved you want to get in wingsuiting: a handful of fun flights a year but not your main discipline then a classic 1 you pay $250-$300 for will be fine.But if you get hooked and addicted and you start hitting events it will become limiting very quick and you will end up with something with more range and keep the classic to loan out or let it go.

As far as the stiletto, some guys get away with it, it just depends. But there is nothing like a docile 7-cell deployment after a wingsuit flight. I just saw a triathalon 135 ( hybrid) for $350 in these classifieds. I've got plenty ( mostly) eliptical wingsuit deployments and switched to a tri a couple months ago and dig it.

[mccordia 73]

I still believe firmly that any guy or girl with some experience in flying with a classic as a base in a formation could give a lot of people a serious run for there money in their tent-sized suits.

Its harder,and takes skill and effort, but a lot of todays flocking can still be done in a classic.

Sure..X person will chime in with 'at X boogie in 200X we did this and that and it rocked' but most fabric out there is still freefalling...

J (drunk in Ukraine:)

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[VectorBoy 0]

Well the reason for that is so that the classics can still be in the flock.

[CarloC 0]

Thats pretty much what i want right now, a few jumps a month. My main focus is Freeflying right now and Wingsuit flying would be another way to have fun.
Im in the process of buying a second main anyway. At first it would be another eliptical, but i will make a few flights with this classic 1 using a friend´s rig that has a Pilot 168 in it, if i get hooked i will buy a cheap W.S friendly canopy, such as a Triathlon or a Pilot.

The friend im planning on buying the classic 1 is asking 400 bucks. NO WAY !!!

If i like being a bird, i will invest in something more modern and with a nice deal, there is always one in the Classifieds.

[VectorBoy 0]

$400 for a classic is a bit steep regardless of how good the condition is. Typically $300 is ceiling on the classic 2, the single zipper 1 should be a little cheaper still.

[QuietStorm 0]

All the advice my fellow birds on canopy types rings true.

Highly loaded "twitchy" elliptical canopies on wingsuits are a chop looking for a place to happen. You can't fly the canopy opening. If you are just slightly off heading during deployment in wingsuit flight you will spin up. Can you do it? Sure but this past weekend at Elsinore I watched Johnathan Tagle; one of the best canopy pilots chop his Velocity while flying his Birdman S6. For three years I have attended the winguit seminar by Scott Campos at the Eloy holiday boogie and the number of video footage collected of spun up elliptical canopies deployed from winguits grows every year. I will chop if I absolutely must but knowingly putting myself into a situation where I a main canopy chop is assumed is not part of my operating procedures.

I have had great success with my Talon FS container bottom corners "unstitched", 9 FT bridle, and lines stowed up packjob. The long bridle really gets my PC out of the burble, the deployment bag comes off my back on a clean 45 degree angle, and the openings on my Spectre 170 are consistently on heading and smooth. Occasionally I have 1 or 2 line twists but my hard riser inserts negate their effect. I even use this pack job belly or freeflying with no deployment issues. Many folks fly wingsuits with standard container configurations. However, before I made these modifications the deployment bag never came out my container clean and the Spectre 170 opened rough and with many, many line twists to kick out of.

As far as winguits go; I really like to freefly as well but having to lace my wingsuit back and forth on my rig got to be a hassle. I really like how the Tony Wingsuits zip on and off your rig fast ( under 1 minute ).

From what I have seen so far the Tony Intro suit has the same wing surface area as Birdman GTI or Firebird. I have flown with folks in this suit and it flies well.

Tony Suit also has a wingsuit buy back program for the Intro. For the same amount of dollars I see being discussed on this thread you could get a new Intro, measured to fit you instead of somebody elses used wingsuit that may not fit as well. When you are ready to move into a higher performance suit Tony Suits will buy it back from you with credit toward your next wingsuit. The details are on the Tony Suit website.

I

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Hey,

Just some input about canopy as I don't feel confident commenting on the differences between suits.

I spent 3 weeks in Florida this Christmas and got a chance to do my first wingsuit jumps with Jeff Nebelkopf. I jumped the Tony Suit Intro and loved it. I now own a Tony Suit Raptor and love it.

While I was in Florida, I demoed canopies as I did not feel confident jumping my Cobalt 105. I jumped a Sabre2 135 and a PD Optimum 143 for a few jumps. Each canopy had at least one opening that I had linetwists. No chops, but it just goes to show you that as a beginner, you will have twists. Are you confident that you can get your arms out of your suit before you go busting your hard deck in a violent spinning mal? What if you have a toggle fire and your arms are tied in your suit? Scary...nuff said.

My regular wingsuit canopy now is my Spectre 120 which I bought specifically to jump my WS. After about 15 jumps with the Spectre and my Raptor, I have not had any linetwists yet. The Spectre opens beautifully. Now don't get me wrong, a toggle fire on the Spectre will give me a pretty thrilling ride, but I am much more likely to get out of it than if I was jumping my Cobalt, or a Stiletto.

That;s my opinion, but keep in mind that many people jump elliptical, and many jump tiny crossbraced canopies too.

What's it worth to you?

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

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This is not a dig at you at all, but get some coaching. Seriously. That should not be happening!

And miss out on all the fun? I think not!