frontloop33

Hi, after my first flight course I had lot (approx. 50) flights with my Prodigy 2. They went quite well. After that I switched to an used Phantom 2. There the flights were ok, too. But now I've bought a new Piranha 4 and it doesn't feel so well at all. The suit fits, I got pressure on my booties on the ground. But in the air, it seems, that I'm stalling my legwing. No pressure at all. Sometimes it feels like there was no legwing at all. The flights are also quite unstable (wobbling from front to back or from side to side). However, the plain data doesn't look too bad: Glide ratio: 1,8 Airtime: about 120 seconds between exit (13.000 ft) and deployment (about 5.000 ft) Distance: approx 3 - 3,5 miles horizontal speed: 94 miles/hour vertical speed: 55 miles/hour. Any suggestions? What might I be doing wrong?

Well, I don't mean to step up right now. It's more a general question, if I ever should step up with only 20 flights a year.

well. I decided to skip this "opportunity". I'm still not sure what wingsuit to buy. I'm only doing about 20 - 30 WS flights per year (40 - 50 skydives total including these flights). So I'm not sure if suits like Havok or Funk/ATC are and always will be too challenging for me, even if I have 100 WS jumps (total) in 3 to 4 years. Should I just stick with entry-suits (swift/Phantom/magister)? Or can I step up to intermediate suits?

Hi, someone offered a Phoenix Fly Havok (original, not Carve - built in 2014), that's still quite new (low jump numbers). Would you buy it or go for a newer wingsuit? Price is about 500 $

Hi, I've been jumping my PD Sabre2 170 sqft (loaded at 1,2) for about 400 jumps now. I'm doing 50 - 70 jumps per year. Last year, my rigger suggested a new lineset for this year. Based on the 350 jumps I've done so far. I'm not really sure, if I really need new lines. The current ones (micro) look quite nice, I've not noticed any change in openings, flight / flare. And also PD says, that there is no "magic number" when lines should be replaced. What do you think?

I think there is way to go until electric aircraft will be usable. On flyer.co.uk they say, that the range of the electric caravan is about 105 miles. If I compare that to our Pilatus Porter, we need about 27 - 30 miles to get us on height. So lets say 40 miles per load (the plane has to get back on the ground). Therefore every 2 - 3 loads a recharge is needed. I doubt that this is done in a couple of minutes like on conventional planes...

How about using two audibles (Solo II or something like that) and no visual altimeter at all during freefall? So just a wrist-mounted altimeter for canopy ride?

Hi, I want to buy a packing mat for my Sabre2 170sqft. Can anyone tell me the size, this mat should have, so I can put my whole gear on it while packing? (I could measure, but maybe anyone knows this heart). I would say, it should be about 6 meters (20 feet long) [124 inch / 3 meters length of the lines, 1 meter (3 feet) container + risers, 2 meters (6 feet) canopy itself] and about 2 meters (6 feet) wide. Can this be correct?

Hi, I've done about 100 flights in my Prodigy 2. I know, the Prodigy is a very small wingsuit but I really feel comfortable with it. My exits are good and clean, my flight planning is good and compared to the Paralog performance database https://ppc.paralog.net/selecttracks.php?select=equipment my performance is also quite good (I manage a glide ratio of about 1:1.5 up to 1:1.8 - 1,5 meters forward for each meter downward). So now I'm thinking about upsizing: The DZ's where I usually jump are kind of small with not many wingsuiters around, so I'm focusing on performance and not so much on flocking with others. Is the step up from my prodigy to an intermediate suite like the Squirrel Funk 3 or ATC too big? Or is it ok? And should I choose a suite with grips (ATC) or a gripless /hands-free (Funk 3)? What are the advantages/disadvantages? I think, the performance might be better on a suite with grips (ATC) but pulling might be easier/safer on a hands-free suit?

Hi, has anyone used (successfully :-) ) an smartphone as a gps-logger/tracker? (like the fliysight-gps?) Does it work (is the gps-sensor inside a smartphone good enough)? Which APP can/should be used?

Hi, I'm fairly new to wingsuit flying. My flights so far have been at several "large" dropzones, where there is a lot of open space available. Next weekend I'm planning to visit a smaller dropzone, and I'm a bit concerned about my flightplan: On my FFC I've learned, that I have to keep out of the "red zone" (the zone, where other skydivers (ff, rw, and such) are flying). To stay out of that zone, I have either to cross a river or to cross some power lines, a small strip of trees and an train line. So, what do you suggest? Cross the river, cross the other stuff (trees, power lines, train line) or skip wingsuiting at this place? Edit: On my FFC I also learned, that wingsuiter 1 goes "right", wingsuiter 2 goes "left" and so on (or vice versa), to get some separation between the individual wingsuiters. On that dropzone, there are almost no "outs" across the river, whereas there are plenty "outs" across the train-line. So, I would prefer to cross the train line, but how do I coordinate that with other wingsuiters on the same load?

Hi, I've got the chance to get a quite new prodigy2 - suit for a really decent price. The thing is, that some people I've been talking to, don't consider the prodigy2 as a "real wingsuit", since the wings are quite small and it is not a one-piece-suit. And also the performance seems not to be comparable to a "real (beginner) suit" like the Phantom edge. So, what do you think? Can I use the prodigy2 for - lets say 50 - 100 flights, and go straight to an intermediate suit like the Magister or havok carve (both: phoenix fly) or should I skip the opportunity to buy the prodigy2 and try (which might be really hard) to get a "real suit" (phantom2, phantom3, or something like that)?

Hi, I've read many times, that you can't use a freefly-legstrap-bungee on your gear when you want to fly a wingsuit. I've never tried/worn a wingsuit, so can somebody please explain, why's that? Just by looking at my gear with the legstrap-bungee, I just can't imagine where the problem might be.

Hi, I'm wearing contact lenses and have tried several goggles like the ones from Akando and the simple ones from Kroops. As a helmet I wear a Bonehead Guner. My problem is, that whenever the air flows towards my forehead, like when tracking really steeply or in a head down position, wind is blowing somewhere through the goggles and my eyes start to water. This is quite risky, because I can't see anything. Does anybody have a similar experience and maybe some suggestions? I'm thinking about getting a full face helmet, but I really like the wind in my face.... So, if a full face helmet is the only sollution: Should I get a Parasport Z1, a Sky System Oxygn or a Sky System Factory Driver?

What's wrong with a "tandem-style" butt landing? Like using your feet for a first contact and to absorb the force and then sit on your butt? Seems better to me than doing a way-too-fast PLF and a nice faceplant. Using your butt for a first contact (instead of your feet) is - of course - not very wise.

Hi! does anyone know what is the safest option to mount a Gopro on my Bonehead Guner? I already got the cutaway for the helmet, but I'm still a little unsure which way is best to mount the camera. Just the pads that come with the GoPro seem to be a little loose but screwing a mount to the helmet seems - on the other hand - a bit too tight (it will not break when it has to). Any ideas?

Hi! does anyone know what is the safest option to mount a Gopro on my Bonehead Guner? I already got the cutaway, but I'm still a little unsure which way is best to mount the camera. Just the pads that come with the GoPro seem to be a little loose but screwing a mount to the helmet seems - on the other hand - a bit too tight (it will not break when it has to). Any ideas?

Speaking for myself: I've bought a new rig for about 6.000€ So far I've done 173 jumps, so it's about 35 € per jump at the moment. If I do 100 jumps per year and I can use the rig for 10 years (usually a lot more!) it is 1000 jumps and 6.000 € for the rig. I have to add about 150 Euro per year for maintenance. So it will be about 7,50 € per jump. If I can use it for 15 years (and 1500 jumps) it will be 5,50 € per jump.

Hi! I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me, when it is better to own your own jumpship instead of rent/lease one. Is there a rough number of loads/year, jumpers at your DZ or anything else that can give an indication? Lets say, if there are 1000 Loads per year at a DZ it's (mostly) better to rent a plane but if there are 5000 loads/year it's better to buy one? I know, it depends on the size of the aircraft, the available number of jumpers (there's no need for a caravan, when there are only 10 jumpers at the DZ). How about a Cessna 206 or something like that?

Yea. The landowner can still be pissed but it's more likely that he will accept your apology and everything will be fine.

I'm doing really fine with your number 4 - the blue/purple freefly-handle

IMO far worse: A low speed mal like a line over. Let's say your are in the saddle just a little higher than the AAD opening altitude (at about 1000 ft). So you are under one canopy that starts to spin (line over). What to do now? Cut away? to low Try to land the main? Spinning to fast Firering your reserve into a spinning main? Only option but not a very good one..

Hi! I'm going to Australia for a holiday trip. Can someone recommend a DZ in South Australia, New South Wales and/or Victoria? I have to rent the gear (I'll contact the DZ) and I'll just bring my logbook, my licence (german) and my proof of third party liability insurance (1.5 Million €). That should be enough, I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N65ALqiBW_o not skydving but paragliding. It's not always fun to fly with eagles.

I've been to this tunnel in March this year. I was a student at this time. Just walked in (before noon, but i don't remember the day of the week). No other customers in sight. I told them, I'm a skydiver but with very little freefall time and booked the returning-flyer package (not the beginner-package even I've never been to a tunnel before) They show you a video about how to behave inside the tunnel, they give you your gear (suit, helmet, and stuff). And then your coach (mine was an experienced skydiver from India, but I don't remember his name) talks to you about what you want do do/learn. We started with basic belly flying. After that turning on the spot, going up and down and for final: side-slides. At the last 2 Minutes we played a funny game: I was belly-flying and my coach was standing on the net(ground). He tried to hit my helmet with his hands and I tried to avoid him by going up/down and to the side (side-slides). Very good experience. I just booked 10 Minutes (5x2min) but it was ok. I felt more like a friend than a customer to my coach. Cab ride from downtown/oldtown Dubai is about 30 Minutes and not very expensive (I think about 40 AED one-way, but I'm not sure about that)