ManBird 0 #1 September 30, 2003 Understanding the BirdMan Skydiver and Flight Plan by Scott Campos, BM-I A must read: http://www.bird-man.com/index.asp?n=article&a=id&v=88"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #2 October 1, 2003 EXCELLENT article! Very nice job Lou!Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #3 October 1, 2003 Very nice Lou! Umm so much for editors... Maybe this will serve to educate eh? xoxo BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blair700 0 #4 October 1, 2003 Nice one Lou... he he hehehe he ...he said plethora ... You ROCK dude! Blair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #5 October 1, 2003 The explanations of how it was done at WFFC and for multiple groups was actually new to me, and would have been very useful in the past. Down in DeLand, I was still in flight, heading back to the DZ, when two four way groups dropped right in front of me. We had a plane about 90 seconds behind us. Had this communication been there, and had I exited first, I wouldn't have put myself in that situation. Whenever we've had two groups of wingsuit flyers on the plane, we ended out just combining the groups, which wasn't always the best idea (ie, putting new birds in large groups). With the exception of a handful of spelling and grammatical errors (sorry, my Mom was an English major I won four spelling bees in grade school, so I'm a stickler), it was an excellent and informative article that should be read by everyone in skydiving, whether they fly a suit or not, or have suits at their DZ or not."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #6 October 1, 2003 WFFC was actually a very special event in that typically you don't have this many jumpers and different aircraft groups from different organizations ( with their own staff, procedures and individual manifesting) working together on one big temorary DZ. On the first day of the event I asked Brian Burke if they had any special procedures for wing suits , and there weren't any. So I just told the arizona otter pilot that I was going to fly opposite his descending pattern. We both liked that. Brian came by the birdman inc booth later and asked that their instructors come up with a uniform procedure for wingsuit flights and a briefing for same. With three or more parallel jump runs ( and the pilots didn't know which until after their turn to final ) and tight aircraft spacing and shifting winds Our worst nightmare was an exit from one aircraft to have an intercept with another aircraft 1000' below and a quarter mile behind on an adjacent run. This exact thing happened on a 6 way. Skymonkey1 spotted it while the door was being opened and yelled out the warning. The base didn't get it and proceeded to fly that way until the rest of us could get up there and fly them the other way. Thank god we 1 Saw it first 2 Weren't preoccupied first time jumpers. 3 A skyvan just approaching the start of its jump run with its door open and an aft CG didn't have to peel off a jump run. It was a very crowded place. You absolutely could not open above 3000' and you didn't want to track too much or you may be joining the trackers in the other RW formations coming the other way. This was the reason that the BMIs increased the minimum jump numbers for first timers. If you were turned away sorry but there was a good reason. Your first wingsuit deployment is so much smoother if you are not "threading the needle" through formations. Wingsuits really had it made at WFFC. In that we could fly away from and deploy away from the fracus, if you were a heads up navigator and knew where you had to be at all times to be safe. By the end of the event and more people were use to seeing wingsuits it was much smoother. Pilots were asking which jump run we preferred and briefed us on trailing and adjacent aircraft. We need to strive for this kind of coordination. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #7 October 2, 2003 QuoteWe need to strive for this kind of coordination. I agree completly and it was the events at WFFC and my involvement with Brian Burke and his willingness to work with Birdman that made the whole time go as smooth as it did. I was glad it worked out and thought it a good idea to pass the lessons learned on to others as it seems to be a reoccuring topic be it new birds or birds on new DZs who have never had wingsuits. Without a doubt, wingsuits will continue to have more and more of a prescence on DZs around the world and there isn't an excuse why everone shouldn't be informed or at least have a place where they can turn for such information when they have questions. That's what makes DZ.com a great place. We have a great deal of knowledge and experience all in one place for the world to see. I plan on writing another info paper on more advanced Birdman topics that up and coming birds will no doubt have questions about as they progress in the addiction. As much as I like passing info on to people at Boogies there is no way I can talk to as many people at a Boogie as I can through a paper. Now all I have to do is find the time to write it and get it to you the addicts"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leroydb 0 #8 October 2, 2003 nicely doneLeroy ..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vallerina 2 #9 October 2, 2003 Thanks! I really enjoyed reading that, and I will have some questions for you later! It's fun being a complete newbie again!There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #10 October 2, 2003 Two words, monkey lip: SPELL CHECK. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #11 October 3, 2003 QuoteTwo words, monkey lip: SPELL CHECK. MWAHAHAH! too funny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #12 October 3, 2003 ensure: To make sure or certain insure: To buy or sell insurance"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #13 October 3, 2003 OK geniuses, I made a few spelling mistakes in my haste. But you know what you'll get? OVER IT It's all good"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
