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discovery4

WS is my goal! Best way to get there?

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I just recieved my A liscense yesterday but my goal is to start flying a WS as soon as possible. It's why I started skydiving. I know I have to have 200 jumps before I can take a first flight course but what can I do now that will help me prepare for a WS. Would a tracking suit be a good idea?

I read a post I found through a search that said: practice exiting with arms in front with elbows folded while facing the wind; practice the posture of flying with a WS; and practice pulling as though you have a hacky on both sides. Is there anything else?

There aren't any WS flyers at my DZ. How to I go about telling everyone that I'm more interested in practicing for a WS that doing RW or FF? Should I use my jumps to practice for a WS or would it be just as beneficial to do RW for a couple hundred jumps?

Thanks!

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Skip the tracksuit, put your money in jumps jumps jumps. Preferably group belly dives at first, throw in some solo sitfly dives later on. The group belly flying will help you in numerous ways, also make sure you are very current (say 200 jumps in 1,5 years) and 500 jumps is better than 200 so don't focus all on that jumpnumber. It also helps to fly a forgiving canopy (up to sabre2/fusion) at a reasonably wingload and learn that canopy inside and out (vs. jumping a fairly new to you and/or a fairly high performance canopy on your wingsuit jumps).

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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The 200 jump minimum gives you time to become a well rounded skydiver. Do it all, RW, FF, and lots of tracking. By knowing how to control you body in all modes of skydiving will put you at an advantage when it comes to learning how to fly a WS. It will make you more aware of how body movements dictate how you fly. Lots of tracking is always a good idea, but do not limit yourself to just tracking dives.

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At the moment, the most worthwhile thing is to work on becoming a better general skydiver, in whatever jumps you're doing. It'll definitely help if you do a reasonable amount of tracking, both maxed out solos and group jumps, but there's really, really no need to focus on it to the exclusion of doing anything else.

Whatever type of jumps you're doing at the moment, whether RW or FF or anything else, as long as you're concentrating on learning and getting better at it, will be useful experience on the way to wingsuiting - and you'll get to experience more of the diversity of skydiving as well (and you might well find that you actually really like one of those other disciplines;)).

(Practicing WS style exits and pulls will probably help you be more comfortable on your first WS jumps, but no need to worry about that until you're almost ready to put the Ws on for real)

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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(say 200 jumps in 1,5 years)



1.5 years seems like a long time for 200 jumps. I was hoping to do at least 10 jumps a weekend pretty much every weekend. Of course, there will be weather days but, is 10 jumps a weekend too optimistic?

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It also helps to fly a forgiving canopy (up to sabre2/fusion) at a reasonably wingload and learn that canopy inside and out (vs. jumping a fairly new to you and/or a fairly high performance canopy on your wingsuit jumps).



High performance canopy flying is also a goal of mine but it seems to be farther down the line. Right now I'm on a Spectre 170 @ 1/1 and I'm just working on my landing pattern and learning as much about the canopy as I can up high.

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Ive seen new jumpers going at it quite hardcore, and doing a load of jumps every weekend. Next to some holiday weeks, tunnel time etc and passing 200 jumps in less than a year, while ALSO (most important) boasting quite a bit of skill in terms of awareness and flying.

Money is the limitation for most. If that isnt the limitation, doing a month of fulltime jumping on a big DZ could get you past the required bare minimum (read: more is NOT a problem, and for sure, recommendable).

Every bit of experience gained in CRW, FF or FS/RW will benefit your WS flying later-on. So make sure you learn as much as you can, to get a head start in wingsuit flying.
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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i agree with what everyone else is sayin, but i also reccomend going out and doing quite a few tracking dives on belly and back, learn a good back track and it will come easier. find a dz where other birds jump once you have the minnimum #'s and get a good first flight instructor, do the first flight course, and dont stop!
Flock University FWC / ZFlock
B.A.S.E. 1580
Aussie BASE 121

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but i also reccomend going out and doing quite a few tracking dives



If you learn FS or FF, those should come included at the end of EVERY jump.
Aside from being good at 'holding a static body position' most flyers Ive seen who did the whole 'focus on trackingdives' pre-route didnt impress me a whole lot in general awareness and/or skill.

The first few jumps in a wingsuit are not about performance. They are about safety. Once flyers get that part, the performance in a wingsuit, is best learnt, flying a wingsuit...

And from that point on, in both formation flying and solo performance flight its usually the jumpers with a more all-round background that shine.

Learn to skydive...dont focus on one minor aspect, thats not as important to learning to fly a wingsuit, as most new flyers want to make you believe..

Fly the body!
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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Should I use my jumps to practice for a WS or would it be just as beneficial to do RW for a couple hundred jumps?



Learn to fly on your belly well. Do as much RW as you can with others. Don't waste many jumps on solo stuff, save that for "special."

Keep your eyes open, listen a lot. Don't worry about WS exits for a long while. You might even teach yourself bad habits if you start too early and without instruction. I found a place on the web that describes open heart surgery, but I'm not about to start practicing on myself or others....:P

Slowly, deliberately. Make a plan, work the plan. Enjoy the hell out of the sky for a while. Worry about the wingsuit when you're past the 200 jump threshold. You'll enjoy the next 175 jumps more.

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***I found a place on the web that describes open heart surgery, but I'm not about to start practicing on myself or others....:P



Love that!

Thanks for everyone's input

especially mccordia and DSE
What you guys said really made sense and hit home for me.

Also, thanks for nobody bashing me for asking about WS just off of student status!

Thanks!!!!

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Just to sort of echo what the others have been saying... learn to just enjoy being in the sky. I personally come from a freefly background, and I've found that it serves me well when I tumble out of a King Air door and *cough* wind up in a funky body position. Being on my head in a slight spin is no big deal because... well... I've done it hundreds of times before. :S:) YMMV

But, regardless of the discipline you choose, just enjoy it for what it is. Each one will teach you body and environment awareness in their own ways. Each one will be fun in their own ways. That's one of the great things about skydiving... the variety and neverending challenge. So stop and smell the roses as you make your way toward your ultimate goal. B|

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All good advice. I'll add this, for the jumps from 120 or 150 up to 200, work on tracking like crazy. When you get into this jump range a tracking suit could be a good buy. Go on tracking dives, solo track and then lead track dives and work on tracking. Work on flight patterns, winds aloft and it's influence on you, deployment locations. Watch the line of flight, watch the tandems and other jumpers as you track, watch the plane. Work on tracking, practicing wingsuit exits and pulls will help for when you get to the wingsuit - talk to a ws instructor when you get there.

Wait until you are headed towards the 200 jumps as I said above, do RW, freefly, work on canopy flying and accuracy and jump with friends now and learn as much as possible.

Best student I ever taught to fly wingsuit came to me with about 70 tracking jumps, had his own tracking suit that he built from rain gear from wal mart or kmart or the like. Discussed winds, jump run, exit, flight pattern and deployment etc. He flew it perfect in his track suit and I flew next to him in a vampire, took him up with a w/s for his next flight after groundschool. It was as if he was flying a wingsuit all along. Preparation really makes a huge difference. I used to run about 1Min 29 sec on a track in Birman Pantz and a long sleeve shirt - can't imagine what could be done in a modern tracksuit. Didn't have gps back then but could cover decent distance, there is plenty to work on before jumping ws.




Walt

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All good advice. I'll add this, for the jumps from 120 or 150 up to 200, work on tracking like crazy.



One should work on tracking on every group jump.

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I used to run about 1Min 29 sec on a track in Birman Pantz and a long sleeve shirt



I can do better than that in a tight RW suit :o
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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Its a shame people link performance to 'a good first wingsuit jump'.
Though a nice bonus, its not the aim, and Id much rather see someone with a good allround experience (and a bit more than the bare minimum).

The best way to prepare for wingsuit flying, is NOT doing anything, and learning to skydive well with other people in the same airspace.
It teaches you more about safety, levels, relative flying, closing speeds, exits and tracking performance (after each jump, seperating) than the dozens of wasted solo jumps some recommend.
Learn to fly your body, and learn to fly it well.

Dont do that by laying there in a single body position for a full jump, and for sure, dont teach yourself bad habbits that will hinder your flying more than it will help.

Fly..
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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The best way to prepare for wingsuit flying, is NOT doing anything, and learning to skydive well with other people in the same airspace.
It teaches you more about safety, levels, relative flying, closing speeds, exits and tracking performance (after each jump, seperating) than the dozens of wasted solo jumps some recommend.
Learn to fly your body, and learn to fly it well.



What he said.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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Its a shame people link performance to 'a good first wingsuit jump'.
Though a nice bonus, its not the aim, and Id much rather see someone with a good allround experience (and a bit more than the bare minimum).

The best way to prepare for wingsuit flying, is NOT doing anything, and learning to skydive well with other people in the same airspace.
It teaches you more about safety, levels, relative flying, closing speeds, exits and tracking performance (after each jump, seperating) than the dozens of wasted solo jumps some recommend.
Learn to fly your body, and learn to fly it well.

Dont do that by laying there in a single body position for a full jump, and for sure, dont teach yourself bad habbits that will hinder your flying more than it will help.

Fly..



That's what I meant in my post but you said it much better :)

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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Discovery4, congrats on getting your A!!

One thing I would recommend is troll around the web for all information and discussion of wingsuit flying you can get your paws on. The more informed you are in regards to this quickly evolving sport the better prepared you will be when you're ready to jump a WS.

Oh, and enjoy your next 200+ jumps, no need to rush into anything!!!
Base # 942
The race is long and in the end, its only with yourself.

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