Wingsuit fall rate?

[Cerebrus 0]

Actually I've heard it referred to as "glide ratio". Anyways, how fast do you fall if you're making your body least resistant to falling (hope that makes sense heh...) - as in not straight down/up.

I'm new to skydiving, but wingsuit is my longterm goal so I was just curious. I've seen vids where it looks like people are actually going up and aren't falling at all.

[mccordia 74]

The videos where people are going up, are just filmed by someone falling faster. Though flaring a wingsuit and falling close to zero mph, much like flaring a canopy is possible, quite often people fall quite a bit faster.

Where normal freefall is around 100 to 140 mph, a wingsuit can fly at anything between 30 and 80 mph on normal jumps.

This downward speed is called the fallrate.

The glide ratio (sometimes also referred to as L/D sometimes by people who like showing off complex theories and language) is something completely different.

Simply put, its how well a wingsuit is flying. The Glide Ratio shows, how many meters a wingsuit travels forward for every meter it does down
Depending on the size/model wingsuit and skill of the user, this can be anywhere between 1:1 and max out at about 3:1 (which means, 3 meters forward for every meter you fall).

But strength/stamina comes into play greatly here. On short basejumps (for a variety of reasons) people can fly greater distances, then for a full 2 to 3 minute skydive out of an airplane.
On dives out of airplanes, glide-ratios around 2:1 are possible for good flyers. But having a strong wind in the back, like under canopy, can of course greatly help in getting better distance.

With a wingsuit, you can actually choose to fly for either maximum freefall, or maximum distance.

Comparing it to a canopy. If you fly with your toggles down, your canopy will fly slowly, and it will sink slowly. So you will stay in the air really long.
If you dont use your toggles, and let the canopy fly, you'll go down faster, but you will also fly further.

In a wingsuit this is the same. When you fly the wingsuit a bit 'flaired' (which is usually a bit head-high) it doesnt travel so far, but it uses all lift to stay up in the sky. Giving you maximum freefall time.

When you dive a little bit, all the lift is used to actually make you travel.
Which means the freefall times will be a bit shorter, but you will be flying much, much further.

So to summarize..

Fallrate and glideratios are two different things

One is the speed at which you travel downward.
The other is the combination of your forward speed and downward speed/travel.

If an airplane is flying really fast, it is possible to get so much lift from the speed/throw of the aircraft, you CAN actually climb/win altitude. And not fall at all.

Here is an example where the plane is not diving, but the wingsuit is climing

http://www.flylikebrick.com/playmovie.php?id=37

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[skyjumpsteve 0]

Nice explanation Jarno for a question that is asked a lot. How about adding that to the WS forum FAQ?

[jojo0815 0]

Hey Jarno,
what type of WS did you take out of the skyvan in that clip?

[2pac 6]

Quote

http://www.flylikebrick.com/playmovie.php?id=37

Holly shit ... that was nice

www.slobodanpad.hr
www.skydiveadria.com

[chrisgray 0]

High Speed Exits are a lot of fun.

Last one I did was at Skyfest 2007 from a skyvan. Exit speed was 135 kts.

Can't wait to do it again.

WSI-6 / PFI-55
The Brothers Gray Wingsuit Academy
http://www.myspace.com/cgwingsuitpilot
http://www.myspace.com/thebrothersgray

[Cerebrus 0]

Quote

Here is an example where the plane is not diving, but the wingsuit is climing

http://www.flylikebrick.com/playmovie.php?id=37

Wow. That was insane... is there no concern that the guy could hit the back of the plane? I mean he SHOT up.

Crazy stuff man, and thanks for the explanation too.

[VectorBoy 0]

Show them the picture that you took looking down into the cockpit from above after nearly overtaking the van Jarno.

[pashakiev 0]

Excellent explanation of things. Thanks a lot !!!

Less Bitching / More Jumping..... Please?