gzimmermann

Were there wingsuits without zippers in the past?

Spot, could you please post the exact rules (3K-2K window?) and times of the competition so that we can watch on live stream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/performance-cup-wingsuit-competition-skydive-elsinore while working / being bored in grey clouded Europe? I am so sad I cannot be with you all and wish you a FUN, CHALLENGING and SAFE competition!!!

1. Mistakes while repacking skyhooked rigs happen. I can prove it with the attached picture, red Skyhook lanyard missing after repack. Please see posts 116 and 121 in thread http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4114143;page=5;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; 2. I would not like to miss my Skyhook despite. I have had two cutaways within 6 months due to a spinning mal. First one with the red lanyard, did not even notice going in free fall after cutaway. Ironically the spinning mal MIGHT have been caused by a flap lock of my Icon rig (before the modification). Second one without the red lanyard, just RSL or me pulling silver. Got unstable and had line twists in the reserve. Ended well too. Not sure if I was relying on a Skyhook opening though, but that's another story. My bottom line: Know your gear, check what can be checked visually after the repack. Do your EP as learned (stable, pull silver) no matter what your rig is equipped with.

If you are German and have your domestic address in Germany, then probably yes. There are conversion rules for USPA licences at least in Switzerland. But unless you have more than 500 jumps you would most likely go through the full licensing process. You will probably be in student status here with just the A-license. I was even with the C-license until I passed the proper theoretical and practical exams to get THE Swiss license. It was kind of funny though. In May i had about 300 jumps and the Instructor had to check my gear before doing the final RW test and accuracy landing. Fortunately I passed and made the sunset load just afterwards in my wingsuit...

Those aren't flat spins, they're tumbles. The camera screams: "Prop.....", but he does not listen.

Thanks! And I noticed a few more things in this thread: 1. James did not get bashed so far. He could have been beaten though, upsizing in suit and not really getting the handle.... 2. Spot has a good day. 200 bucks worth in remote consulting and learnt instead of learned because of a Brit asking. Very sensitive, i was questioning myself already on correct grammar recently. 3. Small suits ARE sexy. I will probably get a Shadow soon to get rid of the wing handle thing while playing around with other Shadowers ;-) Edit to add: no brand war at all!

I think I understand you rather well and can only recommend following the hints here. DSE's lines are worth it, one by one. I started with a Phantom2 and got my own Ghost3 at around 100 jumps. My first 2-3 jumps on a test suit where not very stable too. However I did find the handle at pull time by making a hard angle with my right hand over the wing always. It is important to practice on the ground and not panic if you need two attempts later on. Better two attempts but still stable at pull time with the bigger suits. Besides: I felt it more rewarding to continue with the Phantom2 and really work on my body position, maxing it out to 150 secs or even more, docking, precise flying with a buddy, first acro..... Out of 190 jumps I have about 15 with the Ghost (and loved them too!), says it all. I don't fall low in formations anymore (I am 6.3, 220 exit weight) with the small suit unless I made a mistake myself.

So 9-30 it is! Thanks for the summary to Lou and DSE, others for sharing their insights!

Thanks for being specific and pointing to risks of a very long bridle! I am also looking forward to my semi-stowless bag which is on order. Regarding Swiss rules for WS: We also have the 200 jump minimum. At my home dropzone there is currently no coach available with a manufacturer rating like PFC. Newbies get introduced by jump instructors (with some WS experience) to the basics and then they are sent up for their first jump. Compared to what we did: Ground school I observed was much shorter but seems to cover the basic safety aspects. And I would mostly miss the video debrief which is not available if there is no coach jumping with you. I recently had a conversation with a candidate whose rig had a non-colapsible PC and the jumpmaster/instructor pointed to this rule. Generally the rules to get the license (there is only one, not A-D) are stricter and it takes longer (being under observation in student status) to achieve it. http://www.swissskydive.org has all the rules and manuals. There are no specific limitations for wingsuiters, none at least where I jump which is also a pretty busy airport. Just the common sense to fly outside of the jump run, like at most DZs.

Jarno, you sure have much more experience than I have. But so much for sure for guys doing conventional, not full flight pulls: I feel slight delays with my longer bridle, larger PC equipped Icon on the Ghost3 but not on the Phantom. A close friend with a Vector without the WS mod has had some hesitations already with the Phantom. Bottom line for me: A slightly longer bridle and 30-31 PC (possibly open corners on the container) can only help and do not harm even for belly and freefly jumps. What do you experts recommend re bridle length an PC size? Add: DSE already gave a recommendation. However, the UPT staff asked us explicitly about length and size (...) when ordering a rig with WS mod recently. Furthermore at my home DZ in Switzerland we do not let people do WS jumps with rigs having no kill lines, collapsible PC.

LOL! Would like to add: As long as your body position at pull time is horizontally aligned.

So much for Spot's bet and the brand war :-( what do we have so far: hips up, balls up, de-arch... All pretty much the same. Plus Butter's nuances with horizontal approach. Anything else?

I do what you taught me a year ago: lift my hips a bit and make sure to just turn and not lift my head. Works pretty well, also for transitions. Not much different from RW belly best practice btw. Edit: Spot, did someone hack your account?

What does this have to do with the thread? There was at least a video debrief available from the so-called FFC...

I've asked for the same thing ... something with the ergonomics of a Phantom 2z but between a Phantom 2z and Vampire 3 in size. However, Robbie (and the other designers, testers, ...) fly more than I do (and have a business to run) so it will take more than a couple of us to make it worth it to produce. About 170 jumps on the P2 and 20 on the G3: That's what we need!! Robi, Jarno and PF team???

Agree completely with both of you. But please let us not blame Jarno, wingsuitnews.com for this. He just posts cool stuff onto the site. Plus: I still know about some DZs doing short ground school and sending their FFC students up in the air on their own...

I am not pointing to the incident itself, just my posts there with pictures regarding the missing red lanyard. I had my second cutaway a few days after these posts, without the "Skyhook functionality", just RSL or me pulling the reserve (I pulled both handles of course and lost them because of line twist in the reserve).

Ok, maybe Bill Booth should step in here :-) I may be wrong on some terminology. Skyhook is for sure a Reserve Static Line. In addition to just pulling the reserve pin (white lanyard) it also has a red lanyard connected to a "hook" placed in the middle of the bridle of the reserve canopy. Can we agree on this?

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4114143;page=5;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; Skyhook is not just an RSL. It has an additional red lanyard connecting the "skyhook" located in the middle of the reserve's bridle in addition to the white, regular RSL lanyard going to the reserve pin. "May the faster one win" is the concept. But who am I to tell here...

Now how simply put is that!! I have done two cutaways in the past 10 months. Both with the same rig, first one with skyhook, second one with missing red lanyard and "only" RSL. It makes a BIG difference, I can tell you. I fully agree about everyone educating themselves and taking a decision of getting a rig WITHOUT, WITH RSL or WITH SKYHOOK though. It is 3 options, not 2. Edit: 1. Do you want to control your reserve deployment completly on your own and make sure you are stable after cutaway? Then neither RSL nor Skyhook. 2. Do you want to have a connection between your cutaway main and the reserve deployment by default to possibly save altitude before reserve deployment? Then RSL or RSL with Skyhook. 3. Do you want to have your cut away main pull-out the reserve and make the reserve deployment even quicker, possibly saving more altitude and avoiding you getting unstable before the reserve is out? Then Skyhook. But this has all been said and discussed a hundred times and pros and cons have been pointed out too. It is just not the same: RSL and Skyhook.

I am sort of shocked and have tears in my eyes! I never met Robyn in person but had some fun and interesting exchange with her when she bought my Pilot canopy recently. Only 2 weeks ago she was asking me about having too hard openings with it and I was giving my best assuring her that I never had issues with the Pilot and commenting on her (extensively described) packing methods, attempts to make it better. I DO hope that she enjoyed the few jumps and canopy rides despite and very much regret not having jumped with her in our both beloved Elsinore! So sorry we have never met really and so sad you are no longer with us! Condolescence to the family and friends and all the best to her kid! Fly free Robyn!

As stated above: It is a BSR and coaching to get into wingsuiting is crucial. You may be accepted by a serious coach with say 200 jumps in 20 months or 190 jumps in 18 months provided they feel you have done your job before and proof to be capable. The other point is: Skydiving in general and wingsuiting especially are serious sports and disciplines which you can't just do like "having a motor cycle in the garage and drive it occasionally" or "learn to kiteboard and do it for one week per year in the Caribbean during wintertime". It is not cheap, will need a lot of time and energy as investment to be safe and rewarding enough. But I have to warn you: Once you start the journey with an AFF course you risk to fall in love and get addicted. It could be life changing :-)

Mine has it: Longer bridle and larger pilot chute. Plus different, open corners on the main deployment container part although I have not compared to a regular Icon yet. Just to mention: Even if it is not on their order form you can have the same mod from UPT for the Vector.

Just looked at the screen print, numbers about: Exit 13500, Pull 3500, net 10000ft 175 sec, around 3 minutes Average glide ratio about 2.6 in the first phase Impressive for me, especially when Jeb says it was one of his first jumps with the new suit.

Exits with bigger suits could be a good topic for the next flylikebrick video and for a 201 pf course. Many of us P2/T-birds would appreciate guidance compared to what we did so far after our first flight courses Edit to add: 202, recovery techniques (hands on your but, arch, thx Spot) and AGAIN 203: navigation, pattern and watch out for fellow flying objects and tandems landing with you AND my absolute 001: don't just dress in a WS and jump your 201st without a course.