tozer

Ha-ha. you might as well of asked "what is the best canopy for swooping" mate, all a matter of opinion really. The problem is most pilots at that level are either sponsored, so obviously are going to recommend their brand or have done the majority of their WS jumps on one particular suit or brand and that's why they think it is the best... I am the later :) I’ve done quite a lot of XRW and I fly Tony Suits. I own a Rebel 2, a Rebel 3 and an X3, I think the X3 is perfect for XRW. When we do our little XRW camps, I usually fly camera and my buddies fly X3’s and Rebel’s, one dude has an Aura and one dude has a Venom Power. We started doing XRW in OZ a few years ago and back then it was all about “Lift”. These days the canopies are smaller and dive more (we use a Petra 67 & JXV 69) so vertical fall rate is really not much of a problem anymore in the big suits, I even find myself arching a fair bit in my X3 these days flying beside the Petra. The hard part is forward speed, as fast as they are, the canopy’s will always fly considerably slower forward than any of the large/high performance wingsuits so the trick is to find a WS that is large but can also be flown very slow and dirty without skating around, stalling and falling out of the sky. Obviously I love the X3 for this. It has heaps of lift but also maintains its lift when I am flying it as slow and dirty as I can to match a canopy’s speed, I really feel it is perfect for XRW. My second observation from doing jumps with my mates is the Venom Power is also a fantastic XRW suit. My mate fly’s his like a rock star and is barely moving in his slot. The suit is just rock solid at that slow speed and is really impressive to watch. These are my opinions. I can vouch for the Tony Suits X3 for XRW, it’s made for it and my friend thinks the Power is also fantastic for XRW and having seen it fly a lot next to a canopy I would tend to agree. The Aura seemed to be little Skatey in my opinion and never as solid as the Tony Suits or Venom Power with XRW. I’m sure it is a great wingsuit but it seems to struggle at very low forward speeds (nearly on stall point) and gets a little hard to handle.. Food for thought, Tony has just bought out the RBird Pro which is basically a Rebel2 without a long leg wing. Apparently is has the Lift of a Rebel but because the leg wing doesn’t extend beyond the feet it can fly very slow without any troubles.. Apparently it is a dream for XRW. I know Travis Mickle has done a fair bit with it? Hope that helps.

A couple of pics of my beautiful new Rebel (3).. for no other reason than I just LOVE this suit :) Sorry to hijack thread....

Agreed. Ive done a lot of XRW jumps flying with Aura's, Rebel's & Venom Powers (i fly the Tony suits, my mates fly the others) and all suits can handle it but I would have to say that the X3/Rebel's and the V Power seem to handle the slow forward speed of XRW a little better than the Aura (just my opinion, please no death threats from the Squirrel fan-club...). I personally fly an X3 & Rebel 3 for XRW and big suit flocking/camera and find them to bloody awesome suits. Not sure why you'd only be asking about the C2 & A2 though? the C2 isn't even the same class of suit anyway. Im sure super lightweight, skygods could do XRW in the C2 but for us mere mortals it would be pretty hard in my opinion. Don't discount the Tony Suit Rebel2 (or 3...) or the Venom Power either, both are perfect suits for what you are wanting to do in my opinion :)

Hey mate. tough question that I have been wrestling over for a few years now as well, I completely get where you are coming from. I think there is possibly too much choice out there now but most options don't have every box ticked as you mentioned. I did a shitload of jumps using the CX100 until it just didn’t cut it for quality anymore against the GoPro world but they have their issues as well. So right now I am using predominantly an AX100 4K Sony handycam. It’s pretty big and cumbersome but I do agree with DSE and would prefer to only shoot in 4K these days when possible. I find it really is light years ahead of 1080 in sharpness & and color and there is so much more I can do with it later, even pulling a 12MP still from the screen grab if I’m not running DSLR and want a half decent still image… Pros of this camera: The quality and ease of use and it has a kickarse Steady shot without the rather annoying “Boss” system that kind of makes it look fake (in my opinion). To add to that it works with a Hypeye for record, although I do need to pull the viewfinder out to activate standby and hit the hypeye button to record. This works fine and after over 100 jumps with this camera, seamless. Another unexpected bonus was that I used this camera during HALO WS flights from 30,000 feet and it was -50 Deg Celsius. All I had covering it was a homemade neoprene cover and it performed like a rock star with around 2 more hours of battery left after that jump! Cons: A very large lens attachment point, I don’t know where you would get a lens to fit and if you did would it look crap? I don’t use one. I think it would be the equivalent to a .55 lens by the old scale (approx.), so it’s not super wide but I prefer that. Its size: it’s pretty big and heavy easily 2 x times a CX100, perhaps more. Think old school H1-8 size? Price, it is around $2000.. I think that is cheap as I used to spend 3-4K back in the day for a good DV camera, but in a world of disposable cameras… Personally I LOVE this camera.. Most of my jumps are doing proper outside WS camera and I want more than an Actioncam can give me and this thing produces amazing results, certainly worth the size, weight and cost. For less serious stuff or simply a backup to the big camera I prefer the new Sony X1000V Action Cam. Having said that, I only just started using it and previous used the AS100. Once again, 4K. The quality is amazing from an Action camera in my view, its only downside is the lack of steadyshot in the 4K mode which would have given it the trump card over GoPro if you ask me.. but I’m sure there are highly technical reasons that this couldn’t happen. In 4K mode it offers jaw dropping quality but only 170deg POV and no Steady shot. In 1080 it does offer a really good steady shot mode and 120 POV which I feel is far superior to GoPro in 1080. I’ve filmed both side by side and the GoPro was unwatchable compared to the Sony in steady shot mode. Anyway, my 2 bobs worth. Certainly not the solution to your problem but I haven’t found it myself really to be honest. Apart from the additional lens situation the AX100 cuts the mustard and some… if you are cool with the size… If you find the answer I’m keen to hear myself though!  I have heard of the smaller version of the AX100 4K camera? But I’ve also heard that a Hypeye won’t work, don’t know….

Really nice stuff and well done! Also, great point on WS Threads.... So conditioned to just reading brand bitching on here, it is easy to overlook new/original Wingsuit flying. What's the next step?

Cookie Fuel & Chin cup plus a few mods. Sony AX100 4K video camera Sony A7S DSLR 2 x Sony X1000V 4K Action Cams :)

Hey mate. Nice mount. Is the camera filming the visor of the G3 at all? Cheers

And anyone who can embed YouTube link for me, mucho appreciated... You were warned about my Tech knowledge, sorry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iF4f6EpRuk

Hi all. I have been lucky enough to recently do around 30 Wingsuit jumps using the AX100 4K Camera and I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned so far for anyone seriously interested in this as a Skydiving Camera. Please understand that although I’ve done a lot of Skydiving and Wingsuiting Camera over the years, my tech knowledge is really quite limited. I am more of a set and forget kind of guy, although I do appreciate filming in the best quality resolution I can. DSE is the expert as far as the settings and technical side of what this camera could do without doubt, I just thought I’d share my personal experiences from using this camera to film Wingsuit Flying as there was a few questions about it on this thread. My WS Team mates adjusted the settings for me before I jumped it and I’ve done little to it since. We have this camera on loan from Sony to do a few Wingsuit Demo jumps for them and most of these are the training flights we have done and a few Wingsuit Artistic Competition jumps I also filmed this past weekend using the camera. Firstly, the size. I have it mounted on top of a Modified Cookie Fuel camera helmet and have added a few pics below of it mounted so you get an idea. For those of you who are Old-school like myself and remember the Hi-8 Camera days, it’s pretty similar to the size and weight of those. Not too bad, just don’t expect a tiny lightweight camera or even anything close to a CX100 size. If I was to guess, I’d say around 3 x times the size and weight of a CX100 in fact. Having said that, if it is mounted well on a good, comfortable helmet you should be dandy. I don’t have a wide angle lens on the camera. The thread is pretty big, but I’m sure you may find one. I prefer it as is though and I would guess it to be around .5 to .55 by the old Wide Angle scale. I would probably feel comfortable doing 4 way camera with it but getting the exit would require you to be on your game in my opinion. I do have steady shot on, it doesn’t seem to have the rather aggressive “Boss” steady shot that the PJ models had. (I have a PJ430 and always found the steady shot to be slightly behind the movement of the camera) but it does have a great steady shot mode. I have been running the camera on its full 4K setting at 25p and using a SanDisk SDXC 2 (class 3) 64GB SD card. It’s a 280MB/s card and cost around $350 Australian… damn that stung  I’ve made a quick 2 minute video of some of the footage from the camera so far. This isn’t an exercise in Video editing, just to see how the footage looks on YouTube when uploaded with their 4K setting. I’ve done absolutely nothing to this footage, simply dragged short grabs directly from the SD Card into the Final Cut Pro Timeline and added a music track (if YouTube haven’t removed it yet..). I haven’t adjusted color, or resolution, stabilization or even used any form of Slow Motion, this is as it was filmed. I wanted to see what the quality was without any adjustment. So please select the highest quality setting in YouTube (2186P 4K) and I hope this helps anyone who is wondering about this Camera. If you have an normal Aussie internet connection like me, then you should be able to view it by this time next week…. Hope this helps and apologies for the lack of tech knowledge on the camera. Happy to answer questions if I can though, I am really impressed with this camera!! I have just purchased the new iMac with the 5K screen and I can assure you that regardless of how you think the quality from this camera looks on YouTube, it is Jaw Dropping on a 27 inch 5K resolution screen Cheers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iF4f6EpRuk

Agree with both dudes above me. I hear that comment a lot these days "I want to get the first 200 jumps behind me" and I find it a little sad to be honest. Everyone is in a rush to get into a wingsuit and then become the next Base-jumping statistic. Stop and enjoy the ride man! Nearly 20 years on with thousands of jumps, I often look back fondly at some of my early skydives and still think they were some of the best jumps I’ve ever done. I know it sounds cliché, but slow down and enjoy the journey as you are learning to fly. You’ll get to strap yourself into a Wingsuit eventually and probably even get to fly some super-tight, shallow line in a valley somewhere in Europe (albeit briefly), but you will never get those early days of jumping back so don’t rush them. Soak them in.

Lol. That reply just won the Internet ! You in marketing? You should be :)

You are really comparing a fabric jumpsuit to a human child? interesting. I’ve ordered custom cars that take less time. I’m pretty sure you can build a house in less time... But hey, this is "Human flight" so you must be right... keep drinking the Kool-Aid dude..

I completely agree, but this issue certainly is not exclusive to PF or even Wingsuit manufacturers. As consumers and customers, and let’s be honest here that is exactly what we are (even though we are often made to feel that we are “Privileged” to be allowed to jump their awesome gear)…. We have being putting up with some Skydiving “companies”, their lack of service and ridiculous lead-times for way too long and its time we voted against this with our wallets. Why should we be waiting sometimes up to a year for the latest, coolest suit or rig that all of the Sponsored heroes seem to have the day they are released? (often before) When there are more options out there? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the new suits are incredible, state of the art and will rock our worlds etc… but nothing says: “extended lead-time” like finally getting your new suit only to see your Wingsuiting hero show off the new and improved model/next series suit on their Facebook page weeks or months later… There is little point to my rant other than to say I believe that these companies need to start acting like real companies and delivering above average service and accurately forecast lead-times to their valued commodities (us the customers). I own an ICT company that operates in the real world (albeit Australia…) and I assure you I would not be in business if I quoted 12-13 weeks lead-times and didn’t even come close to delivering. Either that or lose market share, as I am sure this will start happening. Already there is much chatter about companies like Squirrel & Cookie Composites because they are constantly working to go above and beyond and acting like a real company in modern times should act. Is it because their gear is better, faster, out performs other brands? Perhaps it is, or perhaps people are just over that “you’ll get it when we feel like getting it to you” attitude we sometimes feel as non-sponsored Skydivers and are voting with their wallets. Time will tell, and I hope some of these companies start putting as much money and effort into their systems, processes, staff, backend operations and customer service as I’m sure they do for R&D for their sick new product… I await and expect the flame-on from the Fan Boys and Sponsored “Athletes”….. I am NOT sponsored (nor care to be), I have multiple brands of gear/suits and love all of them. I DO however have money to spend though and how I am treated and the service I get WILL make me decide on what brand I purchase in future. Not some rock star who got a free suit or rig telling me that I need to get that one to be as cool as they are…

Hi all, I've yet to see anybody post a review or opinion on the Tonysuit Rebel2? (Thanks again Lurch for your help mate). Just keen to hear if anyone else has any incites? I'm looking specifically for XRW use and wanting a comparison to the X3 if anyone has one. Thanks in advance.

Hi all, Firstly apologies if this has been asked before. I am working work a small group of mates in Australia on some XRW at the moment and everything is coming along swimmingly but I am finding that I would really like to know the best ways to get the most lift with the least amount of forward speed from my suit and everyone has a different opinion. I have a new X3 to which I have put around 25 jumps on now and have played with a few flying styles to gain this but I thought asking you lot might give me some tricks I hadn’t thought of yet? I’ve done a little over 600 Wingsuit jumps to date but most have been with a Ghost 3 and obviously there is a massive difference with the X3. Bear in mind that there are probably only 3 or 4 Apaches or X3 suits in Australia at this stage and around the same number of Venoms (that I know of) so there isn’t that much of an experience base to learn from down here. My aim is to gain Max Lift and reduce my forward speed at the same time and I’m looking for tricks with shoulder rolls, position of legs or even the way the grips are held that might help with this? Any advice would be great  Also, I’m getting very tired very easily…. Don’t get me wrong, I train at the gym 5-6 days a week and have done for years. I would consider myself quite strong for my weight (I’m 75 kilos and short) but most of my gym training over the years has been quite heavy weights and low reps. I have also been doing Russian Kettle Bell training for several years now but even that has leaned more towards heavy weight, low reps. My question is, does everyone else get absolutely buggered after a 3+ mins flight? My shoulders are burning and I don’t think that they should be. I either need to change the way I hold the grips and fly my suit or do some specific weights or resistance training or both. Like I said, I am quite strong but generally only for short bursts. Anyone have any tips or conserving Shoulder energy throughout flights with big suits (and I am flying with the pressure zips done up already), yet still maintaining lift? And or has anyone discovered a really good Wingsuit flying specific workout? A lot of questions I know. Thanks in advance if anyone can help. Cheers Paul

Wow, I guess you really told me then they? Give in to my emotions when I talk? how about practising what you preach champ. So being in the Military makes you an instant expert on Gun Control does it? Oh, and to answer your question I was in the Military for around 5 years, not that it matters one little bit. How stupid I was trying to “discuss” merits of gun control with Gun crazy Americans, like trying to convince a Fat chick that Diet Coke won’t make her Slim…. I have generally found most Skydivers around the world to usually be a little more open-minded than the rest of community but I guess there are exceptions to the rule. Have fun guys.

Dude, I get your point but can you even acknowledge that it’s all getting a little bit out of control? There is more crime: let’s get MORE guns!! Kids being attacked at School or in the streets: Let’s give them guns! Where does it stop? How crazy does it need to get? who gets to decide who is mentally stable and mature enough to have the guns and use them responsibly? Can you at least admit that there are a LOT of people out there, possibly your own neighbours that although they aren’t "Bad" people they really shouldn’t have a gun.... I mean we all know a lot of people who are a little simple or nuts or dumb that (over here in Aus at least) I am personally kind of thankful that it is at least very hard for them to get a gun. Every day (even in Australia) we hear news of pissed off Psychos getting out of their cars and bashing someone enough to put them in hospital simply because they might have accidently cut them off in traffic. There are way too many people out there today who have very little self-control and snap when they are angry or stressed. Do you really want these guys having a gun? How do you know who is capable of doing what when you issue them with permission to get a gun? I’m not saying Ban the guns. What I have yet to see is an intelligent answer to the big question: How do you decide to gets them? It’s all good and well to say the innocents need to be armed to fight the “Bad Guys”, but in this day and age with some very broke and desperate people out there, who are the “Bad Guys”? This is not the wild west anymore where the Baddies basically had a badge saying I’m a “Bad guy”.

No I do not think that Lisa. But NOT having Guns in the house might actually limit the options of the mentality unstable types should they go off the deep end…. But what do I know, I come from a country that doesn’t have a mass shooting every month or so, you guys are the experts..

Gee, lucky she had a gun in the house! You Gun freaks must be right after all, lets arm everyone and then everyone will be safe! It all makes perfect sense now! I just hope that neither of this ladies kids who have grown up with guns as a very normal part of their lives (Hell, she might even teach them to shoot when they are old enough if they are good and eat their veggies!) don’t grow up to be loners, slightly awkward and even perhaps a little bit Mentality unstable and feel the need to take out their aggression & anger on innocents in a Shopping Mall, Cinema or School…… Nah, that will never happen….. Arm everyone!, still the best solution! In fact I think it’s time everyone had Grenades in their home as a means to “Protect themselves” isn’t it? Surely the Constitution is due for an upgrade?, Military Style assault rifles just cant cut it anymore against the Bad Guys. America, F….. Yeah!!

I read with sadness so many of the comments that come out from some Americans after one of these tragedies and they sicken me. Seriously do some of you have any answers to these problems other than "We need more guns" or "we need more God"?? I can’t understand the logic?! Nutcases (mentally disturbed people) who have easy access to guns WILL kill more & more people! So doesn’t it make sense that you try and make it harder for them? Even at the risk up upsetting your ridiculous Constitution that has bugger all relevance today?!?! Do you really need 4-5 guns in your house to “Protect” yourselves? Do you really need a slightly tamed down military assault rifle to “hunt” with? Is having the “Right to Bear Arms” so important to some of you that you consider 12000+ deaths a year an acceptable loss to keep such a right? And "Absence of God"!? Are you all crazy? More people have been killed over some idiots belief in their Imaginary Friend in history than for any other reason and some of you still believe than this happened because there was an "Absence of God in the Schools"? Unbelievable…… You are supposed to be the most powerful nation in the world, start acting as smart as you are supposed to be and Evolve!! (note, only directed to the less intelligent people of the US who keep saying the same things every time this happens. The rest of you know this doesn’t apply to you).

Yawn...... So what are you saying Jeb? That we are all going to die someday? So we might as well die doing something we love?...... Bit of a tired old sales pitch isn’t it mate? We have all heard it a few times now (pretty sure they said it on Point Break as well ). I for one would prefer that we focus on the positive side of our Sport/Sports instead of constantly reminding the Media of how close we are to Dying.

Phoenix Fly: Phantom 7 Ghost 9 Vampire 11

What a suit!!!! I just finished a week doing outside camera on the 5D/Soulflyers Wingsuit camp here in Australia. Did 30 jumps filming the awesome jumps Fred and Vince thought up. Over the top, off to the side, on my back underneath, this suit has the goods. Not really into solo flying so couldnt comment on its real performance and stats. what I can say is I was flying with every suit from a V3, Blades, Sfly etc and it had no problem matching or passing any of them. Yet it still seems quite agile when doing barrel rolls or back flying. nice one PF. I love it :)

I just had my new Ghost 3 delivered the other day and Ill be jumping it this weekend. Holy Shit!! What a Wing this sucker has

Sweet! Ive been waiting for someone who has flown one