pgpilot1

Matt Hoover, your concerns are addressed in the pdf linked above. I am mainly replying to your post to clear up the fact that Jeff Nebelkopf's Escape Arm innovation was just that - innovation. Comparing the Prodigy to the wingsuits he designed with said innovation makes it seem like you're just searching desperately for shit to disagree with. That is not the best way to use a forum.

There is a lot of misinformation in this thread, posted anonymously. But there are also some valid concerns. Unfortunately we don’t have time to monitor the forums so if any SQUIRREL customers have questions, email or call us and we will answer the phone and/or reply the same day, as always. Real people with real issues get real and immediate results by contacting us. We personally answer the phone and emails every day of the week and we tend to have answers to every possible problem you can come up with relating to our products. Zips: We skydive our wingsuits much more than we BASE jump them, and after tens of thousands of jumps on the innie-outie system we have never experienced an actual issue in flight or had one reported to us. While in the plane, in a seated position or while hunched over, yes the zippers may spread apart. Checking your handles prior to exit is a mandatory part of your pre-flight procedures. While in flight or while under canopy, when it matters, the zippers on a properly-fitted suit will always align and leave the handles exposed. Therefore, if you pre-flight and your suit fits then the system will work for you the way it works for us, which is quite well. If you are a customer and you are not experiencing this, then we will modify or replace your suit immediately, as always. It’s that simple! If you want to change your innie-outie system for whatever reason, then there are permanent mods which guarantee that zippers do not move out of position. The following link contains detailed information on a mod which will stop all unwanted movement of the zip sliders. The suit can still be taken on and off, as normal. If your Tony Suit uses YKK 10C Locking Zips, then this mod may also be a viable fix for it. Click here for more info, the mod is described at the end: www.squirrel.ws/zipperstuff RAD System: The concept of being able to reach your risers/brakes without unzipping or cutting away was initially conceived by Jeff Nebelkopf. He incorporated it into Tony’s suits and it is an important feature. Obviously, we now use something similar and it works fucking great https://vimeo.com/102553917 If it’s not working well for you on your SQUIRREL wingsuit, then either the suit doesn’t fit you right, or you are doing something wrong. Either way, we’ll be happy to fix the issue for you immediately. Just shoot us an email and we will reply the same day, as always. Or, hey, maybe pick up the phone and call us. Funk Thumbloops: The thumbloops on the Funk are for added control, in flight. The manual describes the best practice for combining their use with the RAD system, etc. So, RTFM. Did I miss anything? Let us know, by contacting us directly, if you have questions about any suit we make. We do have answers. -Matt www.squirrel.ws

Martin, I totally agree with you on that. The rest of your message makes it sound like you don't understand what happened here, which I think is clear from the thread above. We did not create the site. And, for the record: If anyone in the industry can take a joke, Squirrel can. Send us your best. Cheers, -Matt

Yes, umm, I think there might be a slight language disconnect here. Your message above was not at all sneaky, it was obviously directed at me so obviously I replied to you (in private, out of respect, first). This is a very bizarre exchange and I don't know you very well, apparently, but I can only assume that you are under a great deal of stress right now. I'm disappointed that you don't want to have an honest line of communication with us but... no worries. All the best, -Matt

“DSE” is a highly dependable source of negativity! Hi Jeannoel, I sent you a private message and an email but did not get a reply so I am writing to you here, even though I do not agree that this is the proper place to discuss these things. I am not sure that airing a list of complaints on a forum is the best way to manage relationships between companies, even if at the end of your post you say that you want mutual respect. The website thing - if I could remove that website right now then I would. I did not do it and I am very sorry that it offended you. For the record, I don’t support it. There is not much else to say about that. Products - You make excellent products, and people seem to think that we make some good stuff as well. As for the load test, our harness has been tested not only by Para-test, but also in the USA by other independent companies. We have brought every individual component to failure to determine its strength and we have tested the harness as a whole, multiple times, and were unable to fail it using any system available to us. We know for a fact that it is stronger than a lot of gear out there, and I know for a fact that many other products on the market will not stand up to the same testing and I am very surprised that you would want to bring this up. Brands - Every brand has appropriated design concepts from other brands. Adrenaline has as well, and this is normal. We of course used our favorite equipment as a reference when developing our products. Candidly, nothing that you make was our favorite and therefore nothing you make was referred to in our development. We really prefer other stuff. We did, however, want to be sure that our chest strap would be strong and durable, and that our pin cover flap would be tight and secure, after seeing issues with other equipment, see: http://www.basejumper.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=2966064;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;. And https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQb8pmAPpqE&feature=youtu.be. I agree that we should try to focus on respect and constructive discourse. I am 100% supportive of this idea. We can be competitive and kind at the same time – it would be better for us, the sport, and the community. You received an email about this a couple of weeks ago and I hope that we can meet one day soon for a beer and to discuss the many ways that we can help to support BASE in a positive manner. I agree with you that it is beautiful. It has been a sad and serious week for us here. I don’t think the timing of this was good, and I understand that you, too, lost a good friend and must be under a lot of stress. I am deeply sorry and extend you my sincerest condolences. I remain available to you by email and skype, you have my info, please contact me any time. -Matt

Times are changing in the wingsuit world. There is a new generation of pilots who are not like the old generation. Suits have changed a great deal in the past few years, and as designs have advanced, so has pilot skill and awareness. Some newer suit designs are also safer than others – the Swift, for example, is designed without the need for cutaway arms and the BOC access is cleaner than just about anything out there, in our experience. Out with the old, in with the new! “DSE” references certain “beginner” suits which I personally, as an experienced wingsuit pilot, would never jump because I would be scared to not access my toggles immediately after opening without unzipping or cutting away. There are tons of things about other wingsuits that I find to be very bad. That’s why I started a wingsuit company. But I am not going to go comment on the threads which cover other people’s products. As “DSE” says, everyone has an opinion. I agree, and it’s amazing to me that he stated it without any apparent irony considering that his damning review of this suit is just his opinion, which is no more important than anyone else’s here. He is not a pilot of exceptional skill or experience, and there are other people who have commented in this thread already who are more qualified to review a suit. But, he is right, everyone is entitled to their opinion – the reason I am now commenting here is because I believe that if a person repeatedly diarrheas focused negativity, there is no benefit to anyone. Just a lot of stink. A few years of wingsuit coaching does not give anyone the right to judge the Swift for anyone but their own students. “DSE” expresses his opinions as a person who has been a representative of Phoenix Fly for many years, and a person who has demonstrated hostility towards the owners and friends of Squirrel since before the company existed. Your opinion is the only opinion that matters, to us and to you. You, the pilot, should choose your first wingsuit purchase based on your own research, and advice from your instructor and your experienced friends. I doubt that anyone’s mind has actually been swayed by the ranting in this thread, but I just wanted to make that obvious point. When we released the Swift, we were well aware that it featured more surface area than other suits in the same category. The vast majority of beginner jumpers will do just fine with the Swift on their first flight, and the feedback from our customers so far has been overwhelmingly positive and stoked. We have no interest in selling tiny suits that any qualified pilot would grow out of in 3 jumps. It is much smarter to rent for a few jumps than it is to buy one. If, for whatever reason, you feel that the Swift is not right for your very first jump, then we fully support you in this decision! “DSE” is correct when he says that not all coaches are qualified to teach either wearing or following the Swift. We didn’t think this needed to be pointed out, but we have now amended the text on our website. Also, we have heard that he has banned his students from using the Swift. This is a moot point, however, as we now strongly discourage anyone flying Squirrel wingsuits from seeking instruction from him. There are many other excellent wingsuit coaches in the US, and we will be happy to provide references to our customers. When we get an email or phone call from our customers and friends telling us about their first flights, or the best flight of their life, or of some adventure that they completed with their new Squirrel suit, it makes it all worthwhile. Thanks to all of you who have written to us to tell us about your flights with the Swift and with our other suits. It is very motivating and we are so damn stoked to be a part of the community in this way. Just my opinions. Sorry about the long post. Have fun up there, -Matt Gerdes www.squirrel.ws