What is a "perfect" flock anyways???

[KrisFlyZ 0]

That is my opinion. Didn't ask anyone else to follow it. there ya go .

[notsane 0]

Turbulence can be a major complicating factor. I lead large flocks a bunch, so chances are what I'm feeling isn't due to other flockers. But I remember a specific instance where I was leading a 20 way and suddenly it felt like I'd driven off a cliff. All of us went over that "cliff", but not at the same time. It put quite a ripple through the formation.

[VectorBoy 0]

As I never had the chance to feel such turbulances a part the burbles from another flyier, I would be interested to know more about this phenomena

Well air, just like water, moves. Its a well known fact that Elsinore is right on the path of a very well trafficed Jet way. Tip vorticeze (spl ?) from the heavies can linger until they disapate, currents from the Ortegas or the Canyon lake areas have an effect on the air that will rise as the vastly cooler air of the valley warms up with the rest of the area as the day goes on. I felt the group fly through some of this stuff in the noon flights. Come and jump in the summer it is a blast.

Although typically these effect the flock as a whole but how those in trail over react to the pitch changes demonstrated by the lead can produce quiet a change.

But there was 1 or 2 instances of turbulence blaming when the air was in fact smooth. It was all fun.

[DSE 3]

I have images of me flying smoke behind another wingsuiter in a large suit. The smoke curls over my head. One person was of the opinion that I'm stalling the suit. I did two more jumps with no one in front of me, and no matter how deep I stalled the suit, I could not get it to behave the same way. Could not get smoke to roll over me (I'd really like to, for a photo idea I have).
In speaking with an aerospace engineer who was at the 71 way, and showing him the photos, he expressed an opinion that the way the airflow was being interrupted by the guy in front was what allowed the smoke to roll forward. I had plenty of my own air...
As far as the 71 way...I was half way back, using Grey Mike (Row 3), Jeff N (Base), and Justin as my sight lines/base. It was easy to see (and feel) the ripples growing larger as the waves came backwards.

[lurch 0]

I remember that 20-way, I was 4 or 5 slots back and saw that wave coming as each bird fell a few feet in turn when they arrived at that exact point in the sky. It looked and felt like we were all falling off a step somehow. I've always wondered about it, what it was. I always figured maybe it was a wingtip vortex off a passing airliner a few miles away... I once saw such a vortex line drawn in fog at ground level during takeoff and the vortex tube itself just kept slowly travelling down the runway for quite a few minutes after the plane was gone until it was too far away to see. Given how tightly it stayed rolled up I think it could have travelled much further than I saw it go. It rolled down the length of the runway and didn't even look like it was beginning to dissipate when it went out of visual range. It was quite beautiful and an amazing demonstration of physics.
-B

Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

[Costyn 0]

Quote

Attached are some photos of various big ways from the past 4 years, please post the others that are missing.

I will avoid the political hot potato of the 71 slot perfect or not - once all the photos are released to the public that question will answer itself.

James, although we don't have the final pic from the 71-way, you might want to try the 36-way diamond that flew at the center of the formation in Elsinore against your standards. It looked very good on every jump.

See this pic from Matt Hoover's collection.

And another one

Cheers

Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

[skyjumpsteve 0]

It was a 35 way "diamond"...if Jeff had been born in 1970 it would have been a 36 way ;-) In the second pic Scotty flew in at break-off to make it a 36 way.

[chrisgray 0]

That 35-36 way Diamond was an awesome sight. On almost every debrief when the wings detached for breakoff and it left that amazing diamond the whole room would burst into cheers. Simply badass.

I am proud of us all for what we have done.

WSI-6 / PFI-55
The Brothers Gray Wingsuit Academy
http://www.myspace.com/cgwingsuitpilot
http://www.myspace.com/thebrothersgray

[VectorBoy 0]

I can't wait for the bigway sequentials, 20+. Avery is going to have to buy more radios.