Great day of flying :)

[SPAWNmaster 0]

Just thought I'd post this tidbit-

Made it out to a local DZ today and had an absolute blast with my suit! Maybe the warmer weather, cool crowd, or something else but my wingsuit flights were just so much more enjoyable than they have been all winter!

I feel like today in particular I'm really starting to that sweet spot down. I've been just jumping solo the past 20 jumps trying to nail my max flight position for speed and today I could totally feel the wind and felt like a rocket!

Just felt like sharing!

-new bird

[Sangi 0]

What suit are you flying?

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[SPAWNmaster 0]

GTi,

What a great day that was this weekend...could really feel the forward speed with more wind rushing from the front and over me than from under...an amazing feeling.

[Sangi 0]

181 jumps in 1 year and you're already flying a wingsuit and doing from what it seems a stable headdown...

You must be really damn good..

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[DSE 3]

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181 jumps in 1 year and you're already flying a wingsuit and doing from what it seems a stable headdown...

You must be really damn good..

IMO, that's something to be concerned about, not complimenting. But, the jump number discussion has been raised ad nauseum here.
Head down can be learned in a tunnel. Wingsuiting, canopy, traffic awareness, landings cannot.

[hjumper33 0]

Hes damn current though. Keep flying and using some common sense and youll be awesome.

[mnskydiver688 0]

181 in 1 year isn't all that much. How many months are we talking? Jumping around between disciplines isn't really productive this early in a jumping career either. But what I do I know, I didn't start wingsuiting until well after 200 jumps and I stayed in the loser RW discipline for the first 300 or so jumps.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[Sangi 0]

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181 in 1 year isn't all that much. How many months are we talking? Jumping around between disciplines isn't really productive this early in a jumping career either. But what I do I know, I didn't start wingsuiting until well after 200 jumps and I stayed in the loser RW discipline for the first 300 or so jumps.

It doesn't mean some people are not good enough to do that

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[DSE 3]

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It doesn't mean some people are not good enough to do that

Not to beat a dead horse, but that is a scary way to be thinking. At least a quarter of the people in the Incidents forum thought they were "good enough to do [insert action here] +that." A few get the opportunity to try again.

to the OP, glad your wingsuit jumps are successful and fun so far, and hopefully you gain enough experience so that when things do go to sh**, you'll know how to manage it, regardless of the discipline.

[Sangi 0]

You're talking as if there are no talented people out there at all..

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[The111 0]

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You're talking as if there are no talented people out there at all..

No, he's talking as if safety matters more than any of the other "how good I am" nonsense.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[hjumper33 0]

I always wonder if there was another arbitrary number set, if people would quote that as well. If the USPA said 100 jumps before wingsuit, would 150 jump wonders then have enough and be left alone? When reserve repacks went up to 6 months, was it because the became safer, or when D licenses went from 200 to 500, were they then worse at 201 than someone with 250 and a D? It all, once again, comes down to comfort, ability, and experience. Should someone go flock, backfly, and induce flat spins at 180 jumps, probably not. Can they fly a wingsuit and not kill themselves? If they are going to try it, id sure as hell hope so.

[SPAWNmaster 0]

1) I don't claim to be anything, but I do like to skydive and try to keep my risk level within my comfort zone.

2) I kind of had a feeling I couldn't get away posting a "hey what a great day" thread without the regular dz.com bullshit.

3) some say I have a good head on my shoulders and some talent, haven't had anyone comment on my progression in real life as unsafe but what do I know -- I'm just trying to stay alive, while pursuing various disciplines to the best of my ability.

4) 14 months, and I'm actually a pretty "casual" skydiver.

-Maybe this thread should be locked before it turns into a carbon copy of every other argument on this site.

[Butters 0]

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1) I don't claim to be anything, but I do like to skydive and try to keep my risk level within my comfort zone.

Right on.

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2) I kind of had a feeling I couldn't get away posting a "hey what a great day" thread without the regular dz.com bullshit.

You can, when you see it, skip it.

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3) some say I have a good head on my shoulders and some talent, haven't had anyone comment on my progression in real life as unsafe but what do I know -- I'm just trying to stay alive, while pursuing various disciplines to the best of my ability.

Right on.

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4) 14 months, and I'm actually a pretty "casual" skydiver.

Current, confident, and comfortable.

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-Maybe this thread should be locked before it turns into a carbon copy of every other argument on this site.

But then how will people give you positive remarks and criticism? Remarks like, that rocket feeling is fantastic. Criticism like, it's easier (and better) to find the sweet spot flying relative to someone else.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[DSE 3]

or like:

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to the OP, glad your wingsuit jumps are successful and fun so far, and hopefully you gain enough experience so that when things do go to sh**, you'll know how to manage it, regardless of the discipline.

But don't expect any happy clapping for someone putting on a wingsuit at 150 jumps. There are reasons for the milestones. Some just feel they're more "speshul" than others. Then there are those that [url "http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3535071;#3535071"] "get it."

[Butters 0]

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to the OP, glad your wingsuit jumps are successful and fun so far, and hopefully you gain enough experience so that when things do go to sh**, you'll know how to manage it, regardless of the discipline.

That is also a good response. As far as milestones, they should be based on skills instead of numbers. After all, there are "speshul" people who have the minimum skills sooner than others ...

PS: Are you suggesting that I don't get it?

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[DSE 3]

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That is also a good response. As far as milestones, they should be based on skills instead of numbers. After all, there are "speshul" people who have the minimum skills sooner than others ...

PS: Are you suggesting that I don't get it?

Get off your defensive horse. I don't know whether you "get it" or not.

Skills in any sport that isn't tightly regulated cannot be based on ability as much as experience. Statistics can't prove that someone is or isn't prepared for XXX activity at XXX jumps, but it goes a long way to improving odds.
I'm sure the OP is a very capable skydiver. I've read his posts where he says reading books gave him a leg up on everyone else in his class, and his posts on freeflying, rigging, canopies, etc. He's obviously very excited about the sport. That's GREAT!
The problem isn't the onesie-twosie guy that goes out in a wingsuit before he's got the experience or numbers. It's the guy that comes to the internet and brags about it, helping set up the "I've got mad skillz, I'm current, confident, and comfortable in a skydive, so rules don't apply" mentality that less capable but equally egotistical and enthusiastic people will read and embrace.

If you don't want the "usual dropzone.com bullshit" over ignoring recommendations, then don't come to dropzone.com and boast about ignoring recommendations.
It's really a pretty simple concept, no?

[Butters 0]

Who's boasting about ignoring the recommendations? I was trying to give positive remarks and criticism.

PS: This isn't elementary school where someone holds your hand while telling you what you need to know and what you can and can't do. This is skydiving where you are responsible for your safety. If reading a forum makes you feel safe ... YOU'RE AN IDIOT.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[sdctlc 0]

I am responding to this as a general point and not to any specific poster:

Wow, coming into this thread I was looking for a I had a Great Day Skydiving and BAMNNN Look what happens! I am glad the OP had a great day flying... Separate from that and on to the lines being drawn, the minimum commonly accepted requirements fall to 200 jumps in 18 months or 500 total jumps.. This is not a hard concept. I also don't think that it is asking too much when you consider the incidents that have happened over the last year all involved low time skydivers with well under those min's, all VERY close in experience and that being nearly 1/2 of what was being asked of them from the accepted community recommendations. Whether they had Mad Skillzzzzz or not, the end result was very sad.. I am done going down that road but use it only as a reference point that shows some statistical commonality, not just outliers..

The more pertinent topic that has been talked about before is that there will always be people that start or want to start early. Most of the time I am guessing they will be fine. Very similar to flying a HP canopy, when it is good it is really fun and we can all hoot and whoop it up on the 99% of the time it is that way.. The trick comes in with the 1% or less of the time when it does not go right. When that happens the only thing that you can pull from is your experience and how to react to situations after correctly identifying the problem. Things will happen faster when you add more variables and smaller room for error and that is why I think a WS to HP comparison is a pretty good one. I don't have a issue with the min's as they in line with the previous 200 jump D-license USPA had, and obviously the manufacturers generally feel the same way if you look at their suggestions. Could it be less? Should it be more??? You can probably make an argument either way but in most cases 200 is a good min starting level.

The big point to probably reflect on is that in most cases people are fine with these numbers and they have become accepted. With that acceptance the benchmark has been set and not following them is going against the accepted grain. Sure that works for some but don't don't get upset if it is broadcast in a public forum and all of a sudden you have people saying something against the broadcast action. This sport is self regulating but many of the regulations are borne from hard lessons learned over time and apply to "most".

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"