kevin922

What are you doing to calculate freefall speeds?? this kinda blows that the device isn't working right.

This weekend I did a "performance" jump (i.e. straight shot back to the dz 3 miles away)... the jump lasted 213 seconds from 14k down to 3,500 or so based off the video, however the neptune n3 (V 6.0.3 a) showed it as a 10 second dive with a deployment of 12,500 feet. I got out at around 14K so i'm assuming i was hitting some of my slowest speeds around 12k. According to Alti's site this is the most recent firmware. I didn't have any other audible or recording device. For those who are getting super long times and low fall rates, what devices are you using that reliably record the data?? Kevin

No kidding.. and I seem to recall the S1's small leg wing made for some interesting flights on that suit... ahh back in the good ole days.

ok i'm confused. What the hell are they doing? At first I thought he was roped to another base jumper who deployed a parachute and suspended the first.. was expecting the first to cutaway and do another jump (now that would have been cool). So is it attached to the exit point and he just hangs from it once it is taught? How does it slow him down without jerking him? how does he get off the end???

yeah.. the majority of my base PC jumps were solo or small ways where there was no bumping and grinding going on. So I'd tend to agree with this as well. I have stopped jumping it as I do feel that the risk does not outweigh the rewards for using it anymore. It was my belief in the past that due to the "huge" wing of the s3 (keep in mind I was jumping wingsuit back in 2001 / 2002 when they were realtively new) i felt it was safer to use the base pouch. I don't recall what year the S3 came out, but I had one of the early ones I think.. 2003? Kevin

just to jump in and throw my 2c's in... i've got at least 75 - 100 S3 jumps w a pouch... 0 base jumps with it, all skydives using a TSO rig (but that really is irrelevant). It can be used safely for skydives, but I highly recommend only doing belly flying with it. The other concern is exposure to relative wind while standing in the door of an AC. Not Having PC properly shoved into the pouch can cause a little of it to catch wind and get pulled out causing a premie... this + standing in the door is a bad situation for all. If you're going to jump it check it numerous times as you're practically sitting on it while in the airplane, and moving around can cause it to move in the pouch -- possibly out of the pouch.

Hmmm.. i wonder if I can knock my tandem rating out if I come down there....

Just so i'm clear, we're all in agreement that the FXC 12000 is the best AAD right?

My cypress will be un-airworthy in a year due to age. I'm looking to replace it with something... I haven't kept up with all the AAD technology out there, last I was keeping up was when the Vigils were mis-firing in airplanes... 99% of my jumps are wingsuit jumps if that makes any difference. Keeping cost, maint, and features in mind.. what are the pros/cons of the various AADs out there?

I may be down once more before I move.. I just recently sold my plane so it'll either be this weekend or next that i'll be down....

So I just recently watched the Miss CA tandem jump, and the ads they put before the jump are boasting about the jet they have. When is the last time that thing flew? Is it still operational, can you still jump it?

I guess i don't know what FB stuff you're talking about. Is this for proximity flying or something else??

Bird has some talent..

Ditto.. can't believe its been 7 years.

I should be up and running in the ATL area late summer if you haven't had the training by then hit me up - i'm a BMI and have numerous demo suits. Kevin

DSE, what do you think of the new ContourHD 1080 which is configurable? here

My prodytter got replaced recently, it had 570 of my 600ish jumps on it.. so just for the heck of it, I divided mytotal freefall time by total jumps and my average across 570 jumps, 1 minute 40 seconds freefall per jump. Not bad considering about 200 of those are non-wingsuit jumps. What does yours come out to ?

Demoing suits is great, but you really won't get a good feel for the suit with just one or two jumps.. each suit's characteristics could be drastically different.. i'm learning that between and S3 and a Phantom 2 there is a huge difference not only in optimal body positions but how physically different the suits are flying.. anyway, i know that doesn't help a lot.. i like my phantom 2 :) I have jumped some s-fly suits, but didn't get enough jumps to really know how to fly the thing to its limits.

Well I have about 5 jumps on my new phantom 2, -- unfortunately 4 of them were solos as there were no other wingsuit jumpers until my last jump... When I jumped with the highly experienced S3 pilot on my last jump he could not stay with me speed or descent rate wise.... the Phantom freaking FLIES. Now one thing I can say is on my S3 I can build speed and pop the wings and feel myself "going up" or at least slowing down considerably.. i don't seem to feel that as much with the phantom, though again I only had one jump with another person so my ability to judge proximity is not there.. I would probably end up flying my S3 with any students I have as the range on it is excellent for student operations. Don't like there are no pockets on the phantom like on my s3.. i don't typically wear a helmet, so my ditter was usually in the inside pocket of my S3... along with ear plugs and sometimes an mp3 player. Will have to add after the fact I guess. Kevin

Have dates been set for FND 2010 yet ?

Yeah I tried it with the rig too.. it fits, like a glove. :") Kevin

After a quick response from the wingsuit godfather, it sounds as if the cutaway cables need a spritz of silicone spray to fix my issue. Anyone know where to get that? Walmart?

Well after 6 years of no new suit, i've added a new Phantom 2z to my fleet. Still plan on jumping the original silver bullet (s3) but look forward to trying the new generation silver bullet out! Question for those of you who have this suit.. have you found the cutaways are very hard to pull ? I've found the way they are routed, when your arms are at your side to grasp the handles it creates a near 180 degree "kink" in the cable which does not allow the cable to easily feed.... not that I use my wing cutaways... is there some different pull position for your arms? suggestions?

Yep I'm in OKC and i'm a wingsuit instructor with demo suits. When I do go jumping I fly down to Dallas, usually on a sunday.

I'm glad i got to hang out with Rob again at FND.. i'm so sorry for the loss, this blows.. Kathy you're in my prayers.