Another Question if you will?

[jumper03 0]

Okay, this one will probably get me in trouble and if it's out of place, SM1 can yank it or let me know and I'll yank it.

But the question arises from several things I've been reading here - 1) the jump # recommendations put out by BM and 2) the helmet thread - where there are recommendations but people still choose to do what feels good to them.

So BM recommends 200 recent jumps to go with a BMI and 500 if you wanna fall out of the nest by yourself.

My question is - what jump # were you when you started flying the suit and whether or not you went solo or flew with a BMI OR with another wing suit jumper. I realize this might be sensitive to some, but I want to get a handle on what people are doing - seems to me the flockers are an independent bunch!

Thanks for all the info you guys are putting out.

Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[dragon2 2]

jump# 413, 190 jumps/last 12 months, had BMI instruction, did a couple of jumps doing BM excercises without the suit, my first flight was with an experienced wingsuiter, my 2nd with a slightly experienced wingsuiter, my 3rd with a first-time wingsuiter, and I wear a helmet

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[TB99 0]

My first jump was at jump #205 with my BM-I buddy Chris. I scared him on that jump, lol, but the jumps got less scary as I went along

Trailer 11/12 was the best. Thanks for the memories ... you guys rocked!

[gus 1]

A little under 400 jumps and probably less than 200 in the previous 12 months but it was at the end of the summer so I was nice and current.

I was briefed up by a guy that I'd met in the bar the previous evening! He had about 30 wingsuit jumps but at the time that was about as experienced as it got at my home dz.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[kevin922 0]

Quote

A little under 400 jumps and probably less than 200 in the previous 12 months but it was at the end of the summer so I was nice and current.

I was briefed up by a guy that I'd met in the bar the previous evening! He had about 30 wingsuit jumps but at the time that was about as experienced as it got at my home dz.

Gus

Did he have a spare wingsuit or something?
Or just let you use his

[gus 1]

Quote

Did he have a spare wingsuit or something?
Or just let you use his

He had someone else's spare suit who was, luckily for me, happy to let me jump it
Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[cpoxon 0]

Quote

He had about 30 wingsuit jumps but at the time that was about as experienced as it got at my home dz.

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[murrays 0]

I had about 2190 jumps, and about 40-50 in the previous 12 months, when I did my first WS jump. I read the manual several times and got LOTS of great advice from the people on this forum. One of my fellow jumpers who had 5 or 6 demo WS jumps briefed me and checked my rigging of the suit and rig before I jumped it.

I was nervous on the way to the dz but very calm once we went over everything and got into the plane.

No problem with any aspect of that jump or the few subsequent jumps. I think that more jumps and time in the sport makes it a lot easier.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[Deuce 1]

I got 7 jumps over 2 weekends on a borrowed GTi and was flying the suit well right out the door the first time. I got docks on flights 2-7 and I flew with another experienced jumper (2000 jumps, over 100 on his classic) on each of them.

My first flight on my S3 was out of a Cessna, and that exit really had my attention. If I hadn't had the GTi experience it would have been very likely I'd have had a malfunction. As it was, I had a stability problem I was able to resolve. The thing flies like a fighter jet to the GTi's P51.

The S3 is a whole 'nother ballgame.

[gus 1]

Quote

There may have been one person with more than 30 jumps but he's the dangerous type that encourages you to huck yourself off fixed objects and buy small skydiving canopies. Strangely enough that's why I like him now!

So 'fess up Mr P, I don't know the story of your introduction to the nylon crack.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[PhreeZone 20]

I had 545 jumps, probally 80 jumps in the 3 months prior and about 200 in the last 12 months. Stupid winter slows you down a lot.

S1 was the BMI for me after I drove the 9 hours to Raeford for the 4th of July weekend to fly a suit. My first flight was a 4 way of me, Jari, SM1 and Monkeylip (also on his first flight). My first 3 flights were a 4 way, a 6 way and an 8 way. I bought the Classic2 that day, put 72 jumps on it before my S3 came in and then I've done 27 flights on my S3. Not bad for 5 months.

I taught Spy38w when I had about 40 wingsuit jumps and he had about 300+ jumps. Jaco212 learned at about 290 jumps from me after I had about 90 WS jumps.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[cpoxon 0]

Quote

So 'fess up Mr P, I don't know the story of your introduction to the nylon crack.

Had wanted to do it since I saw the video of Patrick flying back into the Porter. Waited till I had 500 jumps, and did it on my 505th, on the 1st of July 2001, in an incredibly tight original Classic, with Tim Porter giving me instruction. Believe it or not, it was a perfect spot! My next jump was on my own GTi

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[crawford 0]

Hmm, lets see, my first BM jump came at jump #860, A friend that owned a GTi approached me as I was leaving the DZ and asked me if I wanted to try it out and I graciously accepted. I had no instruction aside from him saying "When you are ready to pull, just go into a really fast track and dump pulling both arms in." As I was going up to altitude, you couldn't have pulled a needle out of my ass with a tractor, the pucker factor was huge. The exit went well, the flght went well, but the deployment, surprisingly enough, wasn't bad at all. So when I got down to the ground, (*After breakin' his arm zipper) I was pretty much hooked, so the next day, I ordered my very own GTi. I put about 30 or so jumps on it and began having canopy issues so I sold it. But it didn't take long to crave the feeling of flight again, so I traded a dude out in California a canopy for a Skyflyer, and the rest is history.
I am not very proud of how I came across this new addiction. I strongly urge people to get proper instruction before attempting a WS jump. It could have been a lot worse than it was, but thankfully, I made it out ok. Once I talked to someone about how to actually handle these suits, it went a lot better for me.

"Sure, those Golf Carts may look all warm and fuzzy, but they WILL take a chunk out of your ass!"

[vesatoro 0]

A bit over 1000 jumps, solo, with the original Classic. Year was 2001 and one guy just quickly showed how to attach it to a rig, how to pull and said: have a good flight. And I actually did have.

Vesa
BMCI

"Fear is the path to the Dark side"
(Master Yoda)

[kansasskydiver 0]

never jumped one, but i'd say 200+ jumps MIN. I lost a close friend of mine on a suit and think it may have been due to inexperience etc. Don't need to see another person get hurt or killed. Take your time, there is always sky to play with another day. I'm sure ash wouldn't want you hurt either, so just take it slow please

<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist!

[leroydb 0]

jump#203(?) with a classic

made 60? jumps on it then moved to a SF3.

Always wore a helmet or the french hat thing...

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[kimgriffin 0]

About 2000 jumps back in 1999. I had a such a vivid dream about flying the suit (since I had seen it in DeLand) so had to try it, even though I was a 4-way person. Yes, I did a FFC - I got lucky to learn from and fly with Jari.

Soon after, I started working for BM part time so I could pay for my ClassicI.

Now, I would prefer to teach a heads-up person with 200 current jumps who is a sponge for info as compared to a 5000-jump sky god who knows it all. The ego will always get in the way of learning.

~Kim

[billvon 2,991]

First jump with an old wingsuit was around jump 1000 - it was an old thing made of yellow canvas and webbing. First jump with a "real" wingsuit was at jump 3450. Kim G taught a quick first-flight course (thanks again Kim) and I went on my own. First RW (with another new jumper) was after 5-6 wingsuit jumps.

[blair700 0]

First WS jump was on my GTI, at just over the 500 mark. Had FFI from SM1, but made my maiden flights as solos at my home DZ because the weather hosed us after the course. I was fairly current when I began, but would have preferred an in-flight instructor along for those first few. Had 20 or so before I was able to flock with anyone, and THAT is the bombdiggity yo.
Later
Blair

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I had a bit over 2000 skydives when I made my first wingsuit flight. It was at the CSS Easter Boogie in 2000. It was on a GTi and Kim Griffin showed me what to do

[petetheladd 0]

First jump was on a classic at about 800 jumps.

I was in the pub talking to a fellow skydiver when it emerged he had a wingsuit he rarely used - well after a few more pints It was agreed I could try it out.

He briefed me throughly on procedures, showed me how to hook it up and had me do a practice pull with stripping away the wing release.

Did a track jump as if I was wearing a suit and then jumped the suit afterwards.

I'm still jumping his suit today(I owe him a few more pints) but I am ordering a GTI for the new season.

Yes, I have resisted the - I'm so cool - factor of the SF3

I have always worn a helmet for my dives.

Suit was a little tight length-wise and my biggest problem has always been getting the booties on and off my feet

No, Not without incident

[joboulay 0]

First time i had 1400 and it was with a Classic I and i was all by myself (Beside the breefing from Mario Richard) That was it.... I was hooked....

I jump, I live, I love. Ourson #1 Ordre des Ours Polaires Volants

[YM4 0]

I lost my wing-ginity on a classic, I had over 2,000 jumps and this was in feb 2002 at the Puerto Rico Freefall Fest.
It was a coach jump with Jari.

I don't regret doing a coach jump with my experience. I was trying something new and I wanted to do it the right way.

Im a BMI and I follow the Birman Flight Manual but I reccomend doing a coach jump with a BMI wether you have 250 or 2,500 jumps.

Anyways....

......It ain't the same flying solo.


Blues

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight,
It's the size of the fight in the dog!"

[maretus 0]

I had some 500'ish skydives when I made my first flight, I was briefed and taught by BMCI Vesa. Suit was classic2, made some 20'ish flights with classics before moving to my Skyflyer "2". (Yes it is 2 indeed since it is a prototype suit for S3 bought directly from Jari).

http://www.ufufreefly.com

[skybytch 273]

First wingsuit jump at about 950 jumps, 75-80 in the 12 months prior, WFFC '03. Chuck briefed me then I jumped with phreezone and VectorBoy.