VectorBoy

Yes this is the pic I was talking about. You can look close at the right wing where the guys have "Tufted" the front of the chord with little strips of yarn. Maybe I should put a yaw string on my A3 visor to make sure I'm not slide slipping in my bird-man suit. Glen.

Yes I do have this pocket, but isn't this the absolute center of our burble= lowest pressure? Glen

I don't have one yet, but I know I have to get one now. Question is where do you keep your protrac on your wing suit so that it reads accurate? And no I can't afford to by two, place them either side of the helmet and average the readings. Glen.

Good Question and thats one I didn't get to ask JC. I haven't seen that pic in a long time, sorry no links. Glen

I don't know if this is what you are referring to but I did see JC flying a straight constant cord wing that had a pivot point mount coupled to a belt that the jumper wears. A U shaped bar comes off the leading edge on one side and crosses over to the other side about shoulder width. Steering is done with this kinda like tilting a " boogie board". Since there was actually a picture of him exiting the skyvan on the archive page with this device I don't think I'm spilling any beans on secret wing R&D. Glen

Four wing suit deployments on my Cobalt 135 @1.4, 26" kill line PC, one grommet faceing reserve the rest facing the BOC. Four on my Cobalt 120 @1.6, 23" kill line PC, Grommet facing closing loop. Only one vicious line twisting spanker on my 120 due to deploying head low. But the 120 just flew fine and untwisted effortlessly. Glen

I have packed my D bag both ways when jumping the bird suit. But now I want to know how YOU guys are packing for bird man deployments, standard gromet up or gromet facing bottom of rig? Any potential downside? Thanks in advance, Glen.

I was a private pilot at the time and deciced to "experience" jumping out. I was trained to fly by wannabe bush pilots so aerobatics and otherwise extreme low earth, short and soft field landings, Bob Hoover air show flying was the norm and I ate it up. " how scary could jumping out be?" Got trained up for some static line, sucked it up all of it. Practiced some exits out the Cessna and the PLF's no prob. Riding up to Altitude seeing the jump master do a small prayer thinking "whats his problem?" NEVER thinking twice about it. Climbing out on the wheel and strut ( bare in mind after many flights in doorless planes and Helos, I'd allways wanted to do that) still not even a bit of fear. I look at my JM get the thumbs up, jump , arch and Wham! I was for that split second scared shitless ." What have I done?" Under a perfect round main half a second later I knew I would be back for more! That sensation of freefall then deployment haunted me for years after, I had to have it regularly. Kinda like feeling the surf after spending the day at the beach.

Very well said buddy. Glen. We'd probably find out french fries kill more people than guns.

In my limited experience I would have to agree with Phree. I demoed both canopys in the 135 size. The openings on the Sabre2 were very good but not as sweet as the cobalt ( I like long & soft). As far as speed, I flew the two on different days and conditions. The turns on the cobalt were faster with a more precise response without any signs of oversteer. I could get it to dive longer and faster and also fly flatter braked turns I also like the flare better on the cobalt. People say the sabre is semi elliptical and the cobalt fully elliptical maybe one day I may just lay them down and compare their planeforms. I do like both very much and ended up getting a cobalt, No regretts. Try them both and tell us what you think. Glen.

Seriously though, big, tall clouds are VERY cool to fly in and around. Too bad you guys didn't get to jump with Jari; he completely rules the skies. I think Jari was set up to do most of the Flocking with the already experienced flyers. Since there were enough instructors to take all of the first timers up on two ways within the span of a few loads, it would have been interesting to see how the new guys would "tricle up" to be on bigger flocks with the big boys. Sunday was a total teaser with just a bit more blue showing between the brocken clouds there would have been many "corridors" to stay legal and provide for some beautiful reference. Our loss hopefully next time Glen

Due to bad weather no loads on Saturday. A few hop-n-pop loads on Sunday, one even featuring an experienced suit flyer. Only one load to full alti that Jari and some of the guys were able to get on but not one new suit flyer got to fly with an instructor. Energy was positive. There was a good turn out, plenty instructors available, several new guys with their own suits, and a handful of anxious newbees purchasing some of the Demo suits. Plus just about every veteran wing suit flyer from the region. Several of the local instructors would make themselves available during the week through the weekend hopefully the weather will get better soon. Glen.

Skeerdy Cat, skeerd of night jumps, skeerd of CReW and now you are skeerd of your first Birdy-man jumps. Whatya skeerd to talk to girls up close too? Skydivers aren't sposed ta be skeerd all the time. Stop that negative energy will ya. As fer looking cool in your suit, with all the downtime this weekend I was asked by a tourist couple to pose for a picture with them. Imagine a pic of me in my bird-suit holding hands with grandma and grandpa now thats COOL................Glen

Congrats young lady, that didn't take long now did it? We are proud of you! Ok back on tread Glen/ Power plant control room operator ( kinda like Homer Simpson ) But instead of watching my screens I'm posting here DOH! Melt it down babie!

I got an Idea. All straight coulpes meet at the gay bath houses on tuesday. The cops will never look there. Glen.

Hey lisa are you peddlin DZ.com shirts directly ? If you are I'll git one from you this weekend @ the DZ if that helps. I'll be with bird organizers.....Glen

Everything about how it flys. Make sure my brake lines are untwisted. I either do barrel rolls or riser games. Always looking for traffic and the evil dust devils. Sometimes I float in rears and try to maintain altitude for as long as I can. Doing braked turns and checking my ground track for winds.Being in the second 3-way out of a full otter last week, I was in light lift for long enough for everybody else on the load to be on the ground before being at my 1000' key point and turning my full attention to landing. Do you Soar? Glen.

I thought all canopies leveled off with induced speed unless you fly the round out with various amounts of maintained front riser pressure and harness input followed by a little bit of rears or straight to toggles transition? Glen.

Hey Viking although I didn't see you land when you were out at perris and can't comment on your flaring style. I think you will be ok. specially down at Otay, thats practically sea level. During my AFF they had me on 290's down to 260's and finally a 235. In the following 15 jumps I was on 235's 200's and 190's , and I couldn't tell the difference between any of those untill someone slipped in a ZP spectre 190 ( @1=1 on me ) and said this one is going to open much slower, you make like the flare better too. You have got more jumps than I did and should have better conditions than I had to work with. Don't worry you can handle it. And I could recommend going to a modern ZP fabric canopy ASAP dude, its much better all around. Glen

Chuck what size pilot chutes do you use? Glen.

Jack is back (nicholsen from the shinning voice) and coke.......Glen

Ok I was really asking for my greedy self. I have a cobalt 120 @ 1.6 and I'm looking for a little more. Would the H-mod do it while still giving a margin of the standard 120 approach and flare? No one is pressuring me to downsize. In fact nobody cares but me. A while ago when I was demoing,renting and borrowing any main I could get my paws on in several sizes. I had a dubious flirtation with a cobalt 120 that would do perfect and effortless barrel rolls. I spent a few good days deploying at 13K and just really playing hard with that main and loving it! That canopy was just about new, maybe a handful of jumps. I have since acquired a cobalt 120 that opens and flys great but it isn't the same. Someone might say its perception and it is all in my head. Other people I have discussed this with say its a result of hand workmanship at Attair, no laser cutting. I do believe it is night and day. Although my new main had about 50 jumps on it when I got it and had its brakes lengthened 1" by its previous owner, I don't think these are reasons enough to account for the difference. I thought about the H-mod but if it really isn't noticeable on a 120 @1.6 I could just save that cash for more hop& pops from 13K. I do know its kinda silly to alter a product that performs wonderfully. I may sacrifice one facet to strengthen another. Thanks for indulging the curious. Glen.

[Just a guess, but I bet you would probably have to get a smaller container if you go down two sizes to the 105.I would just keep your current main and work on your canopy skills until there is nothing else to get out of it, then consider trading down to a smaller size. Chuck Blue D-12501 Team Atair Swoop Instead of downsizing down the road. Would getting his main H- modded after he puts on 100-200 jumps on it fulfill him? Does the H-mod do as much for a lighter loaded main as a heavier loaded main. It is said flys one size smaller, flares one size bigger. Is this true across all loadings? Just curious. Glen.

[I'm tired of watching new jumpers go off to the dark side without ever giving RW a chance. Maybe the dark side isn't sooooo dark after all! We must have a lot more love to share. Why just this last sunday while going up on a solo Fast free fly ( something you can't do in RW) I picked up a curious stray, oh and where were you then*. Oh and you should see their log book entries after they get touched by the darkside." Dear diary I have been awakened by something amazing deep inside". hell, we the deciples of the dark even shared a hybrid co-mingling with some of the belly brethern. I would even fly with you even if I have to dress skinny suit big helmet no prob, just ask linda I was there, where were you*. I agree the walls have to come down......Glen. * I know what you did last Sunday.

Almost all of the very experienced Free fly guys (Flyboyz and whats left of the teams at Elsinore)use a pullout, so do the team extreme canopy guys. Its mostly about not haveing a premature PC out. Although I heard JC discribe it as an out of sequence deployment with your container open without your PC fully inflated at full bridle stretch. Its all about how you will use your gear. When do you want the most protection?.Glen