stevemeg

If you're racing down a slalom course created by helicopters that suspend the "gates", you have to be able to see the course to spot. If the skyvan is flying in the same direction you are going to fly your wingsuit, you can't see the approach and you can't spot and you can't exit at the right time. If the skyvan flies along the course the other way, you can see the entire course before you exit but, a standard wingsuit exit will mean you're flying under the skyvan away from the course...you'd have to turn 180 degrees to approach the course. This "backflip" exit means your line of flight is opposite the skyvan and appropriately toward the first gate. Never personally competed but I believe this is the reasoning.

+1 on the psycho pack...at least for my Sabre 2 (can't say how it would work for a smaller, more high performance canopy). EXACTLY the same flaking and line organization. Only difference is you roll it (after laying it down with a twist) instead of S-folding it. I was never good at the pro pack. Psycho pack gives me better slider control because the slider is trapped under my knee the entire time, easier to get into the bag because the pack job is tightly contained in the top skin. This is particularly true for a new, slick canopy. I suppose it's not for everybody but, if you're having trouble with the pro pack, consider it as an option. It's not that different. I think people are reluctant to try it because it has such an unfortunate name.

Related question: I have a Neptune II. Out of date, I know. But it generally works great. The problem I have is, if I'm out for a longer ride in my wingsuit, I can get my fall rate slow enough that it thinks I did a hop & pop. It records the whole thing as a canopy ride. Called the company- Neither the NII or the Neptune III has a "wingsuit setting" that will accurately record flight (freefall) time (from exit to deployment) if you're falling too slow. Anybody know of an audible that will work with a very slow fall rate?

Are you by chance a reporter / investigator / cheesehead? Nope. None of the above. Just a simple country skydiver who saw a near collision at the DZ and wondered if the reckless canopy pilot would have to answer for it if he had hurt the other guy.

Thanks for the replies. And for those of you who think I'm a lawyer trolling (private messages), I'm not. Just curious about the question. Thanks!

This isn't about a particular incident but about incidents in general...so if it needs to be moved to another forum, OK with me. What happens after a collision? Meaning...if one jumper hits another in freefall (or under canopy) and the 2nd jumper dies or has an injury, is the first jumper charged with a criminal act? If you unintentionally run over somebody, you might be charged with vehicular homicide or something like that. I ask because I never see anything about criminal charges in these forums or in the referenced news reports. Are there ever criminal charges after a skydiving accident?

I have a Neptune 2 that I jump with and I have a question. Since I've been working on my wingsuit technique, trying to fly longer (fall more slowly), I started having jumps where my neptune records something like 16 seconds of free fall when it's actually 150-170 seconds. It records my freefall speed as 35 mph. So here are my questions: Is 35 mph as low as the neptune will record? Is freefall speed even accurate in that range? I assume the problem (not recording accurately) is that I'm falling slowly enough that the neptune doesn't recognize the wingsuit flight as free fall so it doesn't record it. Is there an update that will allow it to record freefall time (exit to deployment) on a long wingsuit flight? If the Neptune just won't do it, what audible/freefall computer will? Thanks

This heads up display looks interesting. http://www.dropzone.com/news/Press_Releases/In-Flight_HUD_to_Assist_Wingsuit_Pilots_824.html But I don't get it. It seems like the display is too close to the eye to focus on. When I wear ski goggles, I can't focus on the foam on the bottom edge of the goggle. You can see how it fits in the goggle about half way through the video (at 1:52 in the demo video here: http://labs.reconinstruments.com/). I'm reluctant to drop $400 on it and find out I can't see it. Anybody know how this is supposed to work?

I had the same problem. Had my rigger sew an extra layer of webbing onto the leg strap. Increased the friction. problem solved. Can't even see it.

For insurance that will get you home, try www.medjetassist.com If you're in a hospital and there is a runway, you make one call and they will come get you. It works any time you're more than 150 miles from home. No, I don't work there or own stock.