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DaleH

1st Suit Purchase Advice

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I searched around a bit, but couldn't really find exactly what I was looking for.

I have 10 wingsuit jumps, all on a Phantom 1. I am renting this suit as much as possible until I can afford a new suit. I'm hoping to be able to place the order sometime within the next month or two.

My main questions is, go with a Phantom 2 or step up to the Ghost? I am 6'1" (185cm) at 200 lbs(91kg) and most of the people I am flying with are 5'8"(173cm) - 5'11"(180cm) weighing around 160lbs(73kg)-180lbs(82kg). So far the average fall rate when I am backflying or base is around 70-80mph. This is a bit fast, and alot of the time I can see them having to pull in their wings some to keep up with me. However, on my belly... maxed out it is around 55-60mph. I've read 70mph is a comfortable flocking speed?

Should I stick with the Phantom platform and just work on my piloting skills or should I step up later to the Ghost to give me more range? Thanks for any input!

Take Care,
Dale

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Speeds will come down (fallrate) and go up (forward) as you progress, and you should easily be able to get 1/3d to perfhaps almost half better scores than what you are currently getting.

Focus on the forward speed, and the downward speeds will come down as you go...dont stress it..it takes some jumps..

The advantage a smaller suit has (esp. in the early learning phase) is that you have a lot more feedback on what you are doing with your limbs and what the (relative)wind is doing with the wings.

The bigger the suit, the more work it will take to learn to fly. Especialy when learning aerobatic moves, big wings hinder you more than a smaller suit would (this is a mute point once you get more experienced..and you'll be able to flop and fly around in whatever size wing you put on).

So personaly, Id stick with smaller wings (which would have been labeled 'huge' just a few years back:) untill you know how to fly and move around in the sky a bit more.

More important..
At 10 wingsuit jumps, you'd be basing your purchase on what other people tell you works.

Fly the suit some more...maybe even try and score a 2nd hand suit (resale vallue is always pretty good if you take care of your gear).
And then, try some other suits, and feel how they fly. See what suits you.

Judging your suit choice, PF is your dealer of choice (though without doubt, other manufacturer monkeys will weigh in and yell a dozen names on suits you should buy/try).

Just jump a bit more..have fun...and spend as much time (and thus money) on jumps..

And maybe browse the classifieds and other 2nd hand suit outlets a bit to see if you can find a phantom your size maybe (btw. not everyone is american/english..sizes in cm and kg help;))

If you have any questions..feel free to send me a PM or email!

keep flying, dont forget to smile!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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That's the plan, I won't be able to order one until a month or so. At that point renting this Phantom on the side I hope to have close to 20 - 30 more wingsuit jumps. By the time it does come in, I will probably be well over 50 wingsuit jumps.

I was just curious if the Ghost would be a nice match for my build.
-Dale

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I'm not trying to start a pissing contest or whatnot with the others, but I'm curious why you're only considering Pheonix-Fly options?

/I have no dog in this hunt.
Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography

Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

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Mccordia,
Cm and Kg have been added to original post, sorry I was posting so closed minded ;).

I got stuck on PF very early on, prior to getting my license. I have just always respected how far they have come with their suits, base gear, and skills. I am obsessed with BASE wingsuit and so naturally I became sold on PF seeing Robi and James flying in numerous BASE vids. I am not discrediting any other company, I am sure alot of the suits are very comparable as well as quality, but that is the reason I am stuck on PF.

-Dale

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Mccordia,
Cm and Kg have been added to original post, sorry I was posting so closed minded ;).

I got stuck on PF very early on, prior to getting my license. I have just always respected how far they have come with their suits, base gear, and skills. I am obsessed with BASE wingsuit and so naturally I became sold on PF seeing Robi and James flying in numerous BASE vids. I am not discrediting any other company, I am sure alot of the suits are very comparable as well as quality, but that is the reason I am stuck on PF.



I didnt mean that as a negative thing...the opposite actually..

What I ment was..most manufacturers have comparable line-ups..small suits..big suits..and if you just focus on what you like (image/production quality wise) on one manufacturers line of products..you make your life a lot easier in terms of choosing a wingsuit you likeB|
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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The Phantom2 is a great all around suit

In the skydiving world it will do all you need and then in the future you could tie a tandem drouge to your ass which would increase drag and slow forward speed then in essence you would have a SM1 version 17.44.3:P



The pimp hand is powdered up ... say something stupid

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Dale,

I wouldn't worry about your backflying skills at 10 jumps. It took me an entire summer to get my fall rate dialed in on my Phantom 1, and a good number of jumps to slow it down on my Ghost. ( I have a few post on here about it).

I am a bit lighter than you but have not had many issues keeping up in a Phantom. When I did, it was all pilot error. The P2 has slightly bigger wings and much better inflation so I can only assume it will support a slightly heavier person.(have not flown one yet):(

But, overall, the Phantom has been my favorite suit in the PF lineup. It is incredibly easy to fly and is the most intuitive to learn on. If you are hurting for cash, I have seen a handful of P1's in the classifieds recently.

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If youre looking for a suit for BASE someday, I would go with the phantom2. I flew both of these suits on the same day, and I actually found the range in the phantom to be far better. It seems hard to really get the forward speed up on the ghost. I flew a skyflier3 and phantom for the most part, and now I am about to get my phantom2 and cannot wait!

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I love my Phantom II. I can float it, flock it, or fly it fast as ... well, you get the idea. I'm currently learning how to back-fly it and only recently learned how to fly it fast (also recently realized how weak I am. :$ Back to the gym ...).

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

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Thanks for all the responses! It seems the Phantom 2 is going to be the best choice. Just need to get some $'s together now!



Try a Phantom II and a Ghost (or Ghost II if it is available) before deciding if you can.
"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

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