flight manual video (backflying)

[mccordia 74]

Team fly like brick proudly presents!

The latest installment of our 'flying tips' videos at www.flylikebrick.com

video #4 - backflying

You can watch it online, or download it from Flight Manual

Before monday, we'll also ad video #3 - frontloops
(but that one needs a few small fixes in the text first)

We have more video's coming. Also one showing different pull-techniques. When we release them is all a bit dependant on the weather, and when we'll be able to shoot the material we need

If you have comment or suggestions for next videos.
Just send Costyn, alex or me a PM!

flock me!
This winter, we also want to organise a few small flocking events in Belgium. 17 euro jump prices, a caravan, 13k, landing in front of the hangar, and fun with the most mentaly unstable people you've ever met! If you want to join in on the fun. Drop us a line, and well try and make it something cool!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[KrisFlyZ 0]

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the most mentaly unstable people you've ever met!

Does that include me

Kris.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

That's fucking awesome, guys! Very nicely presented! Keep up the good work!

Chuck
BMCI-4

[cfalon 0]

I can't thank you guys enough for the magnificent work you produce to help us fledgings, particularly those of us who are at DZs with little to no wingsuit activity. Scott's book was good but your videos are invaluable, particularly the slow-motion aspects.

Feel free to come collect your beer upon my first succesful back flight; actually I'd love to pop across the pond and fly with/learn from you two sometime. It seems like the both of you are about the sanest of the insane or vice versa. Whether you are sane or insane, you're pretty damn funny in these forums.

Thanks again for the great work; I've got to get back to the video watching, my right hand it itching to pull my...

[notsane 0]

Very nice job! More .. More!!

[VectorBoy 0]

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Scott's book was good but your videos are invaluable, particularly the slow-motion aspects.

I must agree, This could be the biggest contribution to the ongoing education of wingsuit fliers. Its good that you guys are doing both first flights and coaching in the benelux. I love the product and the funky tunes...hit it!!!!

[Zeemax 0]

I love you long time yes? With small ponies?

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

[Winznut 0]

Nice work dudes, just started working on my backflying.

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flock me!
This winter, we also want to organise a few small flocking events in Belgium. 17 euro jump prices, a caravan, 13k, landing in front of the hangar, and fun with the most mentaly unstable people you've ever met! If you want to join in on the fun. Drop us a line, and well try and make it something cool!

Count me in...and I'll bring more!!

[mccordia 74]

And video #3 is now also online!

Watch it here

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[Waldschrat 0]

Really nice work!

[jakee 1,490]

Very nice stuff!

I'll just throw a few Q's out there - the first frontloops I tried a while back all went fine, but when I tried a backloop it was an absolute mess! Anyone else find them more difficult and do you need to be more aggressive and get more momentum than a frontloop to carry you all the way round?

With backflying, after my transitions I've been yawing/fishtailing back and forth a bit so I'm never quite sure what my heading is, and so can't stay on my back for very long in case I'm flying too far away or over someone or where ever. Any suggestions will muchly happify me, cheers!

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[phoenixlpr 0]

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With backflying, after my transitions I've been yawing/fishtailing back and forth a bit so I'm never quite sure what my heading is, and so can't stay on my back for very long in case I'm flying too far away or over someone or where ever.

This feels quite similar to back-tracking for me.
How about having a shadow or wing-man over you? He or she would navigate for you and you follow his/her lead? Is it too simple?

[mccordia 74]

Navigation:

Try to fly with your head a bit upright (like this), keep pushing the shoulders/arms down, you'll be able to fly quite well, and still look over your shoulder left and right, and see where you are.

You wont get a picture-perfect view of the area where you are flying, but if you know the DZ and surrounding area a bit, it should be more then enough to make sure you know roughly where you are...

And a small safety issue
If you are learning to backfly, and you're not sure whats happening or where you're going, make sure you dont do any practice below 5000 ft, as you dont want to be the first person to backfly into a tandem/student or other jumper that opened high.

As for someone shadowing you.
Im a firm believer in trying things that could have you alter angle, fallrate and headding in extreme ways solo first, untill you feel you can do what you want to do, without endangering the person you jump with.

But if you can fly on your back, even though you wobble a bit and move around, but you're not too much of a mess, it might actualy be good to have someone shadow you, as just looking at someone flying (way) above you, might also help you fly in a straight line. As (trying to) look around might be the thing thats causing your slipping and sliding...?
And next to that, having that person wear a camera will be grear in terms of analysing what you are doing right/wrong.

Just make sure the person that shadows you has the skills to 'find the way home' even though he's watching you. And has the skills to stay with you while maintaining a safe distance (and has the skills to get out of the way if something goes ape-sh*t)

But quite often, moving around means you're just too tense...and just relaxing is all you need to do..

(hence: dont forget to smile)

p.s.
Wow...you'd actualy might start to think I was a safe person to jump with this way huh!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[LouDiamond 1]

Landmarks make excellent reference points as does the sun and its relation in the sky to you and your direction of flight. This of course means you have to know the suns orientation to your line of flight before you roll over onto your back.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[The111 1]

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With backflying, after my transitions I've been yawing/fishtailing back and forth a bit so I'm never quite sure what my heading is, and so can't stay on my back for very long in case I'm flying too far away or over someone or where ever. Any suggestions will muchly happify me, cheers!

Similar to everyone else has said: follow a road or other straight line, only it can't be straight under you.

When you're learning to fly straight on your belly you use a straight line directly underneath. On your back, find a straight line off to the side a couple miles, you will easily be able to keep your eye on it through the transition and while on your back.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[The111 1]

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If you are learning to backfly, and you're not sure whats happening or where you're going, make sure you dont do any practice below 5000 ft, as you dont want to be the first person to backfly into a tandem/student or other jumper that opened high.

Gliders and airplanes are also risks, I spent a whole jump backflying solo once and flipped over at 6k to see a glider in front of me! Even if you're the only jumper in the sky, flying blind will always be a risk. And even if you are under a flock, don't assume you're safe because they're looking where they're going. Ever seen a whole flock buzz a tandem? It happens.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com