Titanium_Gecko

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Everything posted by Titanium_Gecko

  1. The most beautifully inappropriate person I have ever met and one of the best bits about Skydive Langar in my 13 years. A pleasure to laugh and drink with you, Mate. See you in the next life where I look forward to flying with you! Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  2. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4345898#4345898 A link to the same comments/description I posted a while ago with pictures. Have fun! Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  3. Hi, Welcome to dz.com and the world of wingsuiting. The expert, in my experience, needs forward speed (compared to the phantoms and shadows which are easier to float in, more responsive), hence, flying with legs out and using your head as an accelerator. The position taught to me is to stand about 1ft back from a door frame, legs apart and arms out, palms facing forward. Then come up on to your toes and lean forward so your upper arms (biceps) make contact with the door frame. You want to be strong, pushing up the line of your body, from your toes up through your core to your shoulders and upper arms. Your arms are in line with your torso, a strong core, and torso in line with your legs. Your forearms and hands relaxed (not tense) keeping the shape of the wing. Flying palms down in the air (forward when lent on the door frame) you can turn your fingers to point back towards your feet to help lock your elbow strengthening the leading edge of your wing. Basically, a very flat albeit head low position - a neutral but fast position from which you can move up/down or forward/back, when flying relative to somone else. Lent again the door frame - strong legs - you can tap into that speed with your head looking down and pushing chest out/down. Looking up will lead to the air eventually hitting your chest slowing you down - like in deployment looking 45deg above the horizon as part of the good strong arch and shutting down all your wings. Lent against the door again you can cup your chest, like trying to push your sternum through back up and out through your spine to go up. You can then play with rolling your shoulders to dig in a bit more to cup more air. Everything from the waist down staying still. It's like using your torso to change the cross-sectional shape of your whole body, the wing, but need air going over the wing from your forward speed (strong legs) to do anything. Lying off the end of a flat training trolley (aka creeper pad) is another way of practicing the position that I learnt on here from Douglas Spotted Eagle and you periodically see in first flight course photos. Hope this helps. Try you tubing 'flock & dock 7 - trailer &movie' featuring me in a blue and white expert thanks to Jarno or MORE importantly 'loic jean-albert' flying down the slopes of mont blanc years ago..... lol. Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  4. Jakee, I don't disagree that there are other suits suitable for early wingsuit jumps. Having personally spoken to the author (lead author) about this in the past and what "was intended" you have; a) not wanting to have a document that is out of date within a short period, and b) a beginner suit that must allow access to canopy controls and ease/safety for landing without need to unzip. For example, short or ultra wide wings, escape sleeves or ease of reach design. Basically, not a full/intermediate wingsuit. My point -off topic so apologies- is just that UK wingsuit coaches need to be careful, in my opinion, their actions justifiable, under current association documentation. Let alone balancing this against manufacturer recommendations and their safety/experience guidance. Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  5. Hi Matt, I'm an S-Fly Instructor in the UK - I have the odd Access and Indy wingsuits for training. Drop me a PM with an email address or a phone number and we'll have a chat. Good training tools but have their limitations or odd querks so still need to be a solid skydiver first and wingsuiter second. I know the odd UK person who has brought a beginner suit from new just to learn abroad as they have low jump numbers who has then struggled to get permission to carry on back in the UK let alone the expense of a suit. I learnt on the Access myself back in 2009 before progressing to the Expert and I now fly their Verso and Fury models, by choice. I also coach with the Indy or any other suits people already own or have borrowed. Regards, Ross Edited P.S. With the BPA Wingsuit Manual limiting a sub-500 jumper (i.e. someone with a currency of 200 in 18 months) to a first flight in a beginner/tracking suit, you are limited to the Access, the Indy, the Prodigy and the I-Bird / Intro in my opinion - Any UK Coaches please correct me if I am wrong. Unless of course there is some local or informal DZ agreement (between the Wingsuit Coach and the Chief Instructor etc.) to fly something different. And Yes, the Access has an unusal arm position but that didn't stop me getting 110s out of the suit! www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  6. News on Irina (2 days ago) http://pda.itar-tass.com/en/c154/532588.html www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  7. Fly Sight data from my 4th & 5th jumps with the Fury, deliberately just working on exit, stability, turns and pull/reach rather than performance: 4th - http://www.paralog.net/ppc/showtrack.php?trackid=13202 5th = http://www.paralog.net/ppc/showtrack.php?trackid=13201 www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  8. From: [email protected] Subject: Using Protrack whilst Wingsuiting Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:00:22 +0200 Hello Ross! The old Pro-Track in SLO stops recording at 15m/sec decent. So if you fly in that ranges for more than 3sec. it will believe it is deployment. The old Pro-Track have max recording time 120 sec. The VISO and the Alti-Track set to SLO have 12m/sec. deployment speed, but keep on recording until landing. At high altitude (more than 17000 feet) the Pro-Track is les sensitive to slow falling right after exit. The Pro-Track also has a max altitude 20k--25k feet. Hope this will help you. Niels Brusgaard www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  9. As far as I know that's just the way they come now having brought 2 in the last couple of years. My eldest bought in 2001 finally gave up the ghost recently and that was a 119er www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  10. Merci, Pat. www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  11. Having spoken to Lars at L&B before about SLO, if you exceed a value of X m/s for more than 3 seconds it thinks you've pulled - nothing you can do about it. I can't remember the exact figure. Altitrack has a lower speed setting by a few mph. Material? More parapack than zp and quite different to the last 2 materials from S-Fly that I've flown. I'd have to asl Zun to be sure. www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  12. Yes - See attached www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  13. Hi B52, If I can fit it in my luggage, then yes. According to my protrack: J1: 13,000ft to 4,100ft - AVS, 55mph - Time, 110s J2: 12,000ft to 2,900ft - AVS, 47mp - Time, 134s J3: 12,600ft to 3,900ft - AVS, 48mph - Time, 122s I wouldn't hold much store in these values to start with, as there feels a lot more range left in the suit. I don't think I've got everthying out of my Verso (me) after 170 odd jumps..... I did have a Fly Sight on J2 & 3 which is currently with a friend so will post as and when. I'd just be guessing at GR and forward speed. Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  14. Welcome to Fly Your Body's skydiving version of The Core called the FURY! Did my first 3 jumps on Sataurday and feel like a novice again. As has been said before on here, Big/Mega Suit flying is a whole different ball game. My intention is to add to this post over time as I learn more about the suit and myself, so to start with: Exits felt easy out of my home Grand Caravan from being stood in the door, inside foot ahead of the outer for stability. I did make sure to deliberately tuck all the leg wing back and really wrap my arms back around my torso. Once the plane was ahead of me, opening up was as straight forward as normal and suit very stable and smooth. Leg stance is wider than I'm used to with my S-Fly Verso (I think) and toes more pointed out, but didn't feel abnormal and the tail wing has a lot of depth with its fast back equivalent. It is certainly easy to fly true and straight although my turns were a bit washy, but correctable, and need much more practice. The BOC-type pouch in the top of the rear deflector was each to reach, to get used too, and did not get knocked or snagged in the plane. I'll try to describe the action in time. However, I was very mindful of the small loop of bridal left exposed but necessary to coup with clambering around on all fours in a Caravan. The leg wing pressurisation is immense - do not be fooled by the brand....lol....and is far, far, more that I have ever experienced. I didn't manage to collapse the wing by a long shot, rather break some of its pressurisation with my knees and work really hard to drive my entire torso upwards into an arch/pitch. Again, more practice required to be able to adequately describe the movement and sensations. My terms of reference...... Excepy for 1 jump on Blade 1, Stealth 2, Ghost 3, Venom & V4 all my other flights have either been on an Access, Expert or my go-to Verson, bar a couple of T-Bird flights at FnD last year. Therefore, I read all I could find, poked and prodded what suits I could come across, mulled things over for a few months and started talking to a few folks - Massive thanks to Lurch. Then I begun preparing with a longer bridal (10ft) and a bigger pilot chute (28" F-111), reliable packing and openings and the odd in air drill such as "scrunching like my life depended on it" and leg/flat turns. So far so good..... Brand Wars Okay, so I'm an S-Fly Instructor and S-Fly pilot but that is for the love of teaching and the personnal challenge of how much I can get out out of the suit and myself. Yes, I get a discount - a massive thanks to Cathy, Zun et al. - but that's it and I'm a full time engineering consultant. There will always be a bigger, better, faster suit or person/pilot out there than me but I don't mind, I just want to fly with them all and learn something new. Next Step Easy, Perris in a couple of days time seeing as we haven't had much of a summer in the UK and flying my Verso with some of you guys. Then, once my bank balance has returned to cherry red rather than molten dedicating some time to my new toy. Let the voyage to inifinity and beyond begin (or at least 3 minutes, first, and then 4 minutes, in my twilight years, to be able to call myself a Ninja)........ Ross Fury www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  15. Fury info..... http://www.flyyourbody.com/en/online-shop/wingsuits/s-fly-fury.html www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  16. Preventing the cup??? For me there's the arm becoming "cupped" as if you start to bring your hand in to look at your alti like a flat jumper so the elbow drops back - Like the "box" or "mantis" flat position. Your arm and leading edge of the suit then cup the air at the elbow, dirsupting the shape of the leading edge and affecting the overall performance of the wing. Having your arm/wing out completely and finding a way of locking out your elbow (e.g. fingers pointing back) or simply rolling it over helping to create a stronger leading edge, in my opinion. The S-Fly suits or PF Shadow flown palm down, the former with a lock, and the PF Phantom or BM Blade the latter with a roll so that again you are working your shoulders and upper arms with hand, elbow and shoulder in line. The forearm, wrist and hand more relaxed supporting the shape of the wing. Ross Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S_pZo903d0 Between about 5min to 6m10s, you'll see a couple of different Indy novices. Before that some of the same guys in the Access. First rocking a bit, head up, air hitting the chest with bent legs and arms starting to come in like a flat jumper (admittedly waiting for pull time). Second flying really flat, head low with lots of speed. Some of them were really quick on the camp straight from the door...lol. Anyways - Door Position II.... You can expand your position practice to include pusing down and pushing up with your chest, without moving the rest of your body - Really pushing your sternum down or back up into your spine. This changes the cross-sectional shape of your body (i.e. side view), which with your forward speed through the air gives you the ability to pop-up or move down relative to someone as shown by some of the beginners. You can also practice flat turns, such that in the air looking ahead of you to the horizon you scan your eyes/head around to start and then, if necessary, push down with a shoulder L or R to go L or R. In the door frame you can feel just pushing a shoulder in without moving anything else (i.e. you are still flat with every thing in line "working your arms" and "working your legs" and core). Misc..... You'll see a bit of flexing from the middle, like using a mono flipper I surpose, in some of the other clips, which you can manage by really trying to work the suit shoulder to toes through you core ~7m30s Ditto a bit of leg waggling at the knees or toe flicking at the feet, which along with all this things about arms, core, legs and even head are related to proprioception (i.e. awareness of where all your body parts are in relation to each other). Everyone's body awareness is different and not dependant on previous skydiving experience in my opinion although helpful. For example some people will automatically lock out their legs when they point their toes others will need to made a concious decision to lock their knees to get and keep a straight leg. Hence, the combined use of ground exercies (just like repetition learning your original skydiving drills) and lots of time in the suit are really important. Let alone taking the time to relax/breath in the air and feel how your body is flying and "work" your body's muscles. Ross Edit - Typos & Gramma. www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  18. Will post a Fury review when mine arrives www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  19. See attached photo to describe this Door Practice Position. Cheers, Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  20. Porto, +1 to everything DSE said - I went through the same thing in the Access in 2009. Take a moment to breath and relax in flight then think "work your legs" and "work your arms" (i.e. shoulders and upper arms only) - Your head is the accelerator (downwards) and key to forward speed. An alternative to the "creeper-based position practice" is as Zun would show you and I have used teaching with the INDY is as follows: 1) Stand facing an open door way with your feet about 12" back from the door sill 2) Legs apart as if in the suit 3) Arms out as if in the suit with palms facing forward 4) Stand up on your toes 5) Lean forward towards the door frame such that it is your upper arm resting on the R & L verticals of the door frame 6) Check that your arms are still in line with your torso and torso in line with your legs. You should be working you core/stomach to help hold you in a board like position, pushing up on your toes with straight legs, BUT ultimately your head is lower than your feet. And your chest is a bit pushed out or rather down in the air. In the INDY you have the large diagonal zip, which you should be able to feel/see the tension on (in the air and on the ground) when you work your whole body from toes to shoulder. Other point to note: If your core/stomach is a bit weak (just you not working it rather than stength capability), you can get your pelvis moving around in the suit causing a bit of washing from side-to-side in the air. I'll try and upload some photos in a bit. Edit - You are in my opinion trying to be flat, in line and head low and don't what to get into the habbit of becoming de-arched or cupped as will loose forward speed making it more difficult to fly with others. Enjoy www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  21. English Version..... http://www.flyyourbody.com/en/online-shop/wingsuits/s-fly-fleet.html "Fleet" as an evolution of the "Elite", which replaced the "Profly". "Fury" is the skydiving version of the "Core" (i.e. no built-in BASE rig - My letter to Santa has already been posted! www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  22. Nice one! Ta Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  23. Will happily settle for measurements in things like "width of smile" or "length of time grinning after the jump" etc. www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  24. Do please post a review etc.? Cheers, Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com
  25. In lou of anyone else chipping in.... I haven't flown the Elite but do have 450+ jumps on the Access, Expert & Verso, combined. I would say B52 is right about pressurisation/fatigue versus suits like the Phantom and Shadow, of which I have tried the latter once and flown/coached with the former. However, the S-Fly suits are meant to fly faster with more tension and you get used to it...lol. I could fly my Expert with most flocks after a few hundred jumps but found I could not float (i.e. slow vertical with slow forward) as well as others or be as responsive (i.e. such quick changes in pace or atlitude). I suppose you could say it was harder for me to fly with others than it was for them to fly with me but I put a lot of that down to my own skill level at the time. The Verso gives me all these and much more, which does have a airlocked leg wing cell like all new S-Fly suits, as far as I am aware. I would expect the Elite (AND Verso) to be capable of a lot faster forward and, hence, slower downward than this: http://www.paralog.net/ppc/showtrack.php?trackid=12960 Ross www.gathhelmets.co.uk www.flyyourbody.com