First flat spin with tumble

[cfalon 0]

It was bound to happen and I'm somewhat glad that it did so that it's done and over with-my first flat spin!
In previous flights I had been practicing my right and left hand barrel rolls which had gone just fine (thanks to Team FlyLikeBrick's video manuals). On my 35th wingsuit flight-I fly a GTI-I decided it was time to try and turn it over on it's back. After doing half a barrel roll, I opened the wings and Holy Shit, I'm heading straight down, picking up speed and going totally out of control! (I think what happened is that I did not close my leg wing on the roll and it sent me head down-suggestions welcome). So there I was in a tumble, feeling totally restricted by he suit, but ended up belly to earth yet now in a flat spin that, just as I've read, starting winding up like a top with at least 3-4 quick revolutions that had my brain simultaneously thinking, 'ball-up' and 'start looking for them cutaway handles', when to my total surprise I was out of it and once again flying the friendly skies.
I'd like to report that I knew exactly how to correct the flat spin but in reality I haven't the foggiest idea how I actually got out of it. Since I have a limited number of overall jumps and not that many wingsuit flights, I do know that my body really wanted to act like I was in RW and just get stable. Was I just lucky and having experienced zapping out in RW dives in the past, by not panicking, realizing I had plenty of altitutde (10,000'), trusting my body and not so much my mind to get me out of it. Or was I foolish by not immediately recognizing the quickly worsening situation I was in and 'balling-up' or 'cutting away'?
To my surprise I did not feel fear or panick when this was happening; having read and viewed everything I could on flat spins before I took my FFC I thought I'd, at a minimum, die of a heart attack if I ever went into a flat spin. Once out of the flat spin I felt very disconcerted about the whole ordeal as in WTF!!!
It's been a while since there's been a thread concerning flat spins in this forum. I'd love to hear other's tales of woe, ass-chewings, sympathy, etc. for the purposes of learning. As I said above I'm actually glad this happened so that I could experience it, live through it, and learn from it.

And no, this first does not mean beer, and yes, I'm going to wait for Team FlyLikeBrick's video manual on backflying (please hurry boys). In the meantime, I'll await replies to this thread and go back to swooping clouds.

[mccordia 74]

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I'm going to wait for Team FlyLikeBrick's video manual on backflying (please hurry boys). In the meantime, I'll await replies to this thread and go back to swooping clouds.

We'll get right on it this weekend!
Its been a few weeks without an update due to 4boogies in a row (cochstedt, Flevo, Texel, Moorsele) but we're back on it!

Glad you enjoyed our previous ones!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[Costyn 1]

Good to hear you found our videos useful. Now we know we didn't put them up for nothing.

As for flat spins, I've had a number of situations where they started up, but I've always sort of stopped them before they got worse by balling up. In my experience, a flat spin happens when I'm trying some manuever or I fuck up an exit (like I did in Cochstedt once - it was an impressive exit spin - Jarno, maybe you can post the footage some time). It feels like the suit is flying you and suddenly you don't need to stretch out your arms and legs because they are being stretched out for you.

So, my advice is: next time it happens, don't wait for it to sort itself out, just ball up.

Cheers,

Costyn.

Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

[nathaniel 0]

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spin happens when I'm trying some maneuver or I fuck up an exit

I've seen this one happen a few times, esp on a plane like an otter with a side door and the victim goes out toward the middle or end of the group, so that the base of the formation is behind when the victim is exiting. If the victim cranes his head to keep an eye on the base, the shoulders come down and the jumper winds up corkscrewing into a spin as soon as he exits. Losing sight of the formation as he tumbles a few hundred feet below them.

Lesson: keep your head high and shoulders square when exiting a side-door.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[MarkM 0]

I'm wondering if being belly to earth is what may have stopped the spin for you. Whenever I get into a spin anymore I pretty much twist opposite of the spin and flip over to belly to recover.

Has anyone ever been in a sustained flat spin, belly to earth? Every bad spin I've seen has been back to earth and I'm curious if there's a reason why.

[Pendragon 1]

Wingsuits are inherently stable when on your belly. Shape of the wing - and also you and your rig. Bit like a train on tracks.

I presume you can track on your back (sans wingsuit?) Don't you find how much easier it is to go around in circles? How much finer the balance point is? How "skiddy" it feels?

There's your answer.

Richard

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

[The111 1]

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Wingsuits are inherently stable when on your belly. Shape of the wing - and also you and your rig. Bit like a train on tracks.

I presume you can track on your back (sans wingsuit?) Don't you find how much easier it is to go around in circles? How much finer the balance point is? How "skiddy" it feels?

I don't think I agree, Pentagram. I think the reason we are more stable on our belly is (1) we have much more experience flying that way, so more skills and (2) we have a better visual reference - the earth - which is more natural compared to our normal life.

You may have a point that some wingsuits are more stable on the belly (since the inflation adds stability), but the tracking example supports my argument, I think. The human body wasn't "designed" to fly up or down. It's easier belly down for mental reasons, not physical ones. Here's an even better example. I never learned to fly headdown, and found it much harder than sitflying. But I have heard that it is actually much easier than sitting, once you get your brain oriented right. And it makes sense, it looks much more stable and natural (like a lawn dart) than a sit. Yet it's more difficult for most people to learn.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[RayLosli 11]

I have been reading this a couple times. Especially on the belly part of the recovery. I have had a couple of flat spins. I have found it difficult to correct quickly on the belly. I found it much easier for me to just flip on my ass & back and stop then flip over to the belly to fly again.
I used to do a bunch of skysurf for a few years and being unstable and spinning does not really feel that unnatural. For the most part skysurfing was trying to get spinning unstable then recover.
The last flat spin I got into on WS was just a few weeks back when I funneled on another WS back when we were screwing around. I relaxed and played with the flat spin on my belly for a few to make some attempt to counter the spin then flipped on my ass and back and it stopped quick. I found it easy to counter the spin and it was pretty stable on my back then just flip back belly down and fly.
Maybe I guess it is what you trained in the most that you will revert back to. When it comes time to do recovery moves ?
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