wings suit - where to start

[sky-pimp 0]

hi just a newbie asking a question ...

got my eye set on a bit of bird man , but what skills should i have under my belt before i go down that path and what suit do ya start with i've read about these tracksuits with air pockets in them !! (pressurized http://www.pressurized.at/pants.html )

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[unclecharlie95 3]

Birdman is a brand name, wingsuit flying is the name of the discipline

If you do a search on the forum this has been discussed many times
Like these:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=166995
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1044887
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1224443

For suits check out:
www.bird-man.com
www.phoenix-fly.com
www.matterclothing.com
www.flyyourbody.com
www.pressurized.at
www.jii-wings.com

Maybe its worth making an FAQ Getting in to wingsuit link at the top of the page?


Long flights

James

BASEstore.it

[Pendragon 1]

I guess you jump at Langar, so talk with some of the Birdies there.

It certainly helps to be proficient at the following:
- Tracking
- Back flying (good recovery position should you get into difficulties...)

When tracking, make sure you have good awareness, both of the heading and your position over the ground. Practise exits in the track position, with both arms by your side and your feet together. Experiment with putting your arms and legs into a wingsuit position after exit.

Another thing you can practice is a wingsuit pull; it is different as you need to reach back with both arms. Exactly how you do this is up to the individual. Speak to a birdie to find out. It's worth trying after any jump, ready to build up some muscle memory.

For a suit, you won't want anything with wings that are too large, they are less forgiving for beginners to launch, and more difficult to fly and reach for the pull. Excellent first (true) suits would be:

- Phoenix Fly Prodigy (comes in 2 halves)
- Birdman GTI
- Birdman Classic (although don't buy one!)

I would even add the S-fly Expert to that list as it's also easy to fly.

In addition, there are other suits, like the S-fly Access which are also great as an introduction, as you can just let go of the wings.

Personally, I was in Eloy, very current, did about 8 jumps on a Classic 2 then jumped a Skyflyer. I certainly wouldn't recomment a Skyflyer for you first few jumps though!

You need 250 jumps in 18 months (or 500 total) for the UK. It is a guideline, but no CCI would ever let anyone with lower experience levels than this jump a suit unless they had wingsuit experience gained elsewhere (US, Spain...) Don't think you could go somewhere, do 5 jumps and come back and fly a suit if you are under the BPA recommendations though. If you came back with 15 or so, that would be a different matter however.

Hope this helps!

Richard

--
BASE #1182
Muff #3573
PFI #52; UK WSI #13

[mccordia 74]

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Birdman is a brand name, wingsuit flying is the name of the discipline

I think to the majority of the (whuffo or non-wingsuiting)public it's stil birdman flying.
I can see (brand-wise) why it's less interesting to you, but I think that most people (outside the dicipline) see birdman as a type of jump, as opposed to the manifacturer..*runs for cover!!!*

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[gus 1]

Hi James,

You have a couple of wingsuit instructors at Langar (Craig Poxon and myself) and a handful of experienced birdy people, feel free to grab someone and pick their brains for a bit.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[unclecharlie95 3]

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I think to the majority of the public it's stil birdman flying.

I agree, a good example of a proprietary eponym.

BASEstore.it

[pbla4024 0]

We should come with some new name. What about "jumping-from-planes-and/or-cliffs-in-funny-pinguinlike-suits-Fido-looks-so -good-in"?
Ps.: It is "letadlo-skalo-srando-tucnako-obleko-skalo-Fido-enonuno-skakani" in Czech.
Pps.: Could somebody translate it in German?

Fido

[mccordia 74]

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I think to the majority of the public it's stil birdman flying.

I agree, a good example of a proprietary eponym.

I don't think so..
Bird-man inc. didnt come up with the name.
It was a dicipline called 'birdman' first and then became a brand-name.

And if the current trend of calling everything 'birdman' originated from robbert and jari's combined effords in pimping birdman as a company from the beginning, or orginated with the 'birdman pioneers' is what determines if its proprieretaerepetyy epoxy

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[unclecharlie95 3]

I disagree but I still love you Jarno

BASEstore.it

[KrisFlyZ 0]

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Maybe its worth making an FAQ Getting in to wingsuit link at the top of the page?

There was talk about this recently on other threads as well. I have left it for someone with better writing skills than me to take up.

Kris.

[mccordia 74]

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I disagree but I still love you Jarno

I thought proprieretaerepetyy epoxy was when a brand-name became the common name for a range of products (such as paracetamol, luxaflex etc.)

Am I wrong when I say that the 'dumb-peoples' naming of the dicpline 'birdman' comes from the orginal birdmen ('the Yorkshire Birdman' etc?) and didnt orginate with robbert and jari when they came up with the name for their company?

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[unclecharlie95 3]

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Am I wrong when I say that the 'dumb-peoples' naming of the dicpline 'birdman' comes from the orginal birdmen ('the Yorkshire Birdman' etc?)

Yes, because at that point it wasn't a discipline IMO.

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and did originate with robert and juri when they came up with the name for their company?

Sorry I just re-read your post, yes the origin IMO was from the BM brand.

But this is just splitting hairs, lets go "Rollerblading" instead ;)

BASEstore.it

[The111 1]

Did you fix one of his typos and replace it with another?

This place cracks me up!!

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[unclecharlie95 3]

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There was talk about this recently on other threads as well. I have left it for someone with better writing skills than me to take up.

any volunteers?? Me and Jarno could do it together?

BASEstore.it

[TomAiello 26]

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any volunteers?? Me and Jarno could do it together?

If you write it, I'll xerox it and distribute.

Seriously, though, I'll get it posted to the top of the forums. The top of page link sets seem to have disappeared, so it may have to wait for them to come back before it becomes more than a sticky at the top of the forum.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[mccordia 74]

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Quote

There was talk about this recently on other threads as well. I have left it for someone with better writing skills than me to take up.

any volunteers?? Me and Jarno could do it together?

I'll bring the beer, you bring the PF stickers

But I think this could be a great startingpoint?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingsuit

But in terms of the brandname...I was just under the impression that wingsuit flying was already known when Patrick was still at it, and that people where already calling it birdman flying back then. I just thought I had heard it refered to by people as 'birdman' before it became a commercial dicipline...

btw. I recently found this cool site on Patrick, which has his great airplane re-entry video (is it available in a resolution in which you can actualy spot what is happening btw?)

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[unclecharlie95 3]

cool, me and Jarno are on it!!

BASEstore.it

[mccordia 74]

In all seriousness, I think a big search-cut-paste-and-edit of all the posts that have been made in the past to topics such as these will get us quite a complete list of information for a sticky topic such as that one..

I think some info on 'preparation-jumps' for people 'wanting to get into wingsuits when I have enough jumps' will be especially nice...


p.s. Don't know if me writing anything is at all that good an idea...seeing I need 29 edits to get one post free of zpelling errors haha

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[Zeemax 0]

if you write it, i'll proof read it

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[sky-pimp 0]

so birdman , wing suit , or penguin legs .... we all know what its about ....

anyways 'birdman' sound cool , weather its a brand or not

thanks all , and that link to the video ,, very impressive

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[SCARYPERRY 0]

think of windsurfing, was a sport with a sail and surfboard, mfg called thier product windsurfer!!!,And the rest is history...bottom line is that we are flying across the sky,not falling

Only he can be happy,who can make his the present hour,for today he has lived

[skyflyingbecca 0]

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any volunteers?? Me and Jarno could do it together?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you write it, I'll xerox it and distribute.

Quote

if you write it, i'll proof read it

I would be more than happy to help as well! I am not the best writer, but I am always catching typos and grammatical errors in books and it annoys me to all hell. Yeah, I'm a dork.

"I know it's friday night, but come on. Surely there's something better to do than yell at people on the internet?" - Tom A.

[unclecharlie95 3]

hired!!

BASEstore.it

[Trae 1]

in reply to "what skills should i have under my belt before i go down that path "????
........................................................
Prerequisites???
(1) It's a sure bet that most wingsuiters cut their teeth flying using daddy's, mummy's or some-ones umbrella,&/or a small cape and a handy first floor window exit point.

(2) All of us that survived the ground strikes went on to PLF's and then butt-slides.

(3) After jumping up and falling down lots ......still believing that a person can fly

Last prerequisite

...

[The111 1]

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Last prerequisite

...

Are you trying to say that being a schizo is required?

www.WingsuitPhotos.com