Can "husky" shorter people fly WS well?

[DShiznit 0]

I've always wanted to fly WS and am a few jumps short for the time being, but will eventually get there....

I've noticed that tall and skinny is the optimal body type to fly wingsuit, however what about us not so tall, nor slender ones?

I'm 5'9" and weigh about 195. Just curious if there are any medium/larger types that can hang with the skinny guys....

[Skwrl 56]

Have you ever met Scotty Burns?

Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography

Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

[SuperGirl 0]

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Have you ever met Scotty Burns?

damn, you beat me to it.

[BenediktDE 2]

I am over 100kg (~230lbs?) without gear. You are just a bit faster - like a small plane with a big engine - a sports-plane! Faaaast :)

And the sky gets dark when we open our conpies loaded under 1.4 lbs/sqft. ;)

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.

[SPAWNmaster 0]

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I've always wanted to fly WS and am a few jumps short for the time being, but will eventually get there....

I've noticed that tall and skinny is the optimal body type to fly wingsuit, however what about us not so tall, nor slender ones?

I'm 5'9" and weigh about 195. Just curious if there are any medium/larger types that can hang with the skinny guys....

something to think about is how you will load your suit -- similar to loading a canopy...higher wingloading = higher speed. you may not float like a butterfly when you start gliding but you'll probably haul ass in the right suit :D

edit to add:

and with good flying style + body position ;)

[DShiznit 0]

Don't know Scotty, but I do appreciate the responses. I'm sure that body type plays a decent part of how you can fly just like any other discipline, but didn't know to what extent...

[bdrake529 0]

Weight may be a "gravity engine" due to wingloading, but let's not forget drag. Those with more, uh... streamlined... torsos, have an advantage. If you can't see your toes, neither can the wind.

Brian Drake

[DShiznit 0]

I'm young(er), it wears very well...

[Bill_K 0]

I'm 5' 8" and 195 myself. It's a journey learning to fly with the other guys. I had some good jumps and some not so good jumps in PR this year, but I saw improvement every jump! I've fallen out of many, many flocks and watched them fly away, but I learn something on every jump. I also get comments from others who fly with me that when I'm on, I'm FAST! That said I want to lose another 15-20 lb just to make my WS stuff better.

[dzjnky 0]

Just as you have probably discovered in your RW work, size can be an advantage or a disadvantage. Need to swoop down to a formation??? Size is an advantage. Need to slow down to match speed with a slow-falling, large formation? Size is not so helpful now...

Things are very similar in wingsuiting... I am 6' tall, around 225 lb before gear. I will let others comment on how well I fly, but I do know that the tall skinny folks do have an advantage when it comes to very slow fall rates. But when it comes to forward speed... that is where my natural advantage shines. My larger size also drives me towards larger wingsuits, just like it drives me towards the larger canopies. With the right equipment and the right skills, you will do just fine!!! Your learning curve may be a bit steeper than others (just like your flight path), but you can figure out how to fly YOUR body, and have lots of fun doing it!

[voodew1 0]

Some can but your fat ass won't
love
Voodew

Did you get your rig yet?

The pimp hand is powdered up ... say something stupid

[DShiznit 0]

so the consensus seems to be...

mass = speed :)

I'll figure it out sooner or later..... or after another 75ish jumps....

[DShiznit 0]

I feel the love, bro.... too bad I can't learn from you... I'll settle for someone who really cares...

rig will be complete and I'll be current in a few weeks. check your email.

[BlindBrick 0]

I'm 350 lbs exit weight and 5'11. My descent rate in my Super Mach is about 120 but my forward speed is screaming.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[hallux 0]

apparently it is possible. I know of at least one chunky injun that has pulled it off.

[DSE 5]

Yep, it's possible! Having a bigot toe stuck up your ass helps you float a bit though.

[kallend 2,027]

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I'm 350 lbs exit weight and 5'11. My descent rate in my Super Mach is about 120 but my forward speed is screaming.

-Blind

Sure!

(This thread is becoming the fat bastards' and fat bastard wannabes' confessional!)

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[KrisFlyZ 0]

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I'm 350 lbs exit weight and 5'11. My descent rate in my Super Mach is about 120 but my forward speed is screaming.

-Blind

Sure!

(This thread is becoming the fat bastards' and fat bastard wannabes' confessional!)

Admit it! You're just jealous

[BenediktDE 2]

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I'll figure it out sooner or later..... or after another 75ish jumps....

And here it come - the "are you really ready2-question: Did you do your 127 spread over the 5 years in sport, or in the last year?

If you start wingsuiting with 200 jumps it would be good if you did these in the last 2 years.
I started with 198 jumps in 3 years. - I would be a better flyer today if I had done 100 more RW jumps and 100 less wingsuit jumps.

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.

[VectorBoy 0]

(This thread is becoming the fat bastards' and fat bastard wannabes' confessional!)

[keithbar 1]

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I'm 350 lbs exit weight and 5'11. My descent rate in my Super Mach is about 120 but my forward speed is screaming.

-Blind

DAMN! I've found my w/s base. we need to flock together.

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[bodypilot1 0]

This is well worth repeating, to the jumper wanting to flock in a wingsuit.

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"I would be a better flyer today if I had done 100 more RW jumps and 100 less wingsuit jumps."

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[hallux 0]

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Yep, it's possible! Having a bigot toe stuck up your ass helps you float a bit though.

[DShiznit 0]

To be honest with you, all of those jumps were within a two year span - three years ago...... I haven't jumped in over 3 years but will be starting again as soon as my new gear gets here this month.

I'm in no rush to start WS, but it would be nice. I'm not saying jump number 200 and on will only be WS, but living where jump weather is 6mo a year and also having a family, it'll probably be a while....

[scottygofast 0]

Take your time and dont be in a rush, wingsuits will be here when your ready for them... but when you are, mass does equal speed, but knowing how to use that speed to gain the lift and get to where you want to go, as well as bleeding off the proper amount of momentum, is key. big guys need extra speed to maintain lift at flocking speeds... the trick is all in technique. im 5'7 and 200 before gear, and before camera gear. i fly a supermach, and it works well for me.. in certain modes of flight i can get into the teens for doward fall rate while coming into a stall from fast forward flight or more vertical flocks, but it takes a long time to get there... practice makes perfect~

Im makin fat sexy again~

Scotty

Z Flock #11; Muff #1909; PFI #15, USPA Lifer
Commercial Multi-Inst. Airplane/Rotory
www.flyteskool.ws Aerial Photography