LetsGoOutside

Perfect way to put it. From what I've seen, I'd say almost always the prior (maybe a combo of the two). it depends on the definition of "incidents". If you initiate the turn at a proper height, but flare late, you might get beat up, but probably won't have enough force/direction to sever anything major internally. With a low turn, sometimes even throwing on the brakes early won't be enough to give you the flat angle and slower speed necessary to walk away.

Yeah, basically. The same goes for a hot vs cold day. My turns start about 100' higher in the middle of Summer than the start or close of a season at the same DZ. Neptunes are handy for this, as atmosphere is taken into consideration when they calculate MSL. It's not entirely precise, but when my Neptune is reporting a MSL 200' higher than the reality because of the atmosphere and temperature, I make sure to start that first swoop of the day cautiously high.

Because it's a really damn fun parachute to fly.

Wow, this thread really spun out of control. Remember, we're here to learn from this incident and identify the cause. You can't just blame "swooping", because we may as well just say "skydiving" or "going outside" or "being born" or "existence". We all have different risk tolerances. Just because you don't think swooping is worth the reward, doesn't mean the next guy will agree with you. We all draw our lines in different places. Thousands in this sport qualify the reward from swooping as being worth the risk, and the vast majority of these folks proceed with great caution. For those that do swoop and do so competitively... If you're at a high elevation DZ and don't have much competition and/or high MSL swooping experience, bring plenty of extra jump money and show up with plenty of practice time. If you can't afford the time/cost of ramping up in this area ahead of a comp, maybe you should use your travel funds on more practice. I know of at least one canopy pilot who moved to Colorado pretty much specifically to fly/practice at a higher MSL. That's quite a level of commitment, but something to think about.

After swooping competitions were held in Colorado and we started seeing records get shattered, I think people saw high MSL swooping as an *advantage*. More speed, more distance, more everything comes out of your swoop. But that also means an extra level of practice and caution, and higher turn initiation to safely take advantage of these bonuses. It sounds like those didn't take place with the deceased and injured jumpers. Not that these folks aren't safe jumpers, but that they didn't go that extra that you need to safely swoop at these altitudes.

Of course! Disciplines in skydiving don't really survive unless a lot of folks get involved. Freestyle and skysurfing dwindled with their two-or-so person limits, while freeflying and swooping blew up with formations and spectators, respectively. Likewise, wingsuits were just a rare thing for the dropzone oddball or BASE jumper until people started flocking. And flocking is what will keep these things around for a very long time. The more the merrier...

Anyone tested/flown one? https://store.bird-man.com/webshop/flight/products/WINGSUITS/Blade

Can we turn this into a brand war already? CONGRATULATIONS! Great work.

Great news! I hope they suffer. Bastards...

Not applicable to those without a vagina.

Woohoo! That was my quote. :D

Way to generalize. A group of Finns flies dirty together on one video. So this is American... how?

Skydiving or speedflying?

1. How does one become interested in the sport of Wing Suiting? How did you start? Forced at gunpoint. 2. Has your view of the sport changed since you have become involved seriously in it? Nope. I still think we're all assholes. 3. Is there still fear before you jump or are you confident in your abilities? Sorry, what was that? Was just flexing in the mirror... 4. Do you have friends or family who oppose to this risk taking? Yeah, I know some pussies. 5. When in the sport did you realize you were hooked to this rush? After the first time? I can quit anytime. I swear! 6. What’s next? Is there anything crazier you want to try? PCP. 7. Have you ever had any close calls with disaster and if so how did it effect you? Yes. It made me a skydiver. 8. How much does it cost approximately per jump? Is this a financially tough sport? When you add up the training, gear, flight, hookers, blow, and flamethrowers, it gets pricey. 9. How long do you hope to continue jumping? Are there any age restrictions? 18 in most states, depending on who you bribe. 10. How many times a year do you usually get to jump? 10,000,million 11. If you could describe wing suiting in one word what would you chose? Insecurity

Ha! What the heck?

I actually apply trig/physics on a day-to-day basis as natural user interface and physical computing developer, so I've had the joy of seeing theory manifested into reality many times over. Unless you're actively working in the field, why crunch the numbers? You've been discounted on here numerous times by those who actually design, cut, sew, and fly. What's theory without experimentation, evidence? Nothing. I really don't see the relevance here. Flying on experience, instincts, and a clear mind is the way to go for both reward and safety, IMO.

Hey, what formula do use to calculate how fun a suit is to fly? Some people like an intense flight. Some people like to hang and take it all in. These numbers are all irrelevant when it comes down to just enjoying your flight and finding your preferred mode. Personally, I'd exchange some time and distance for a more intense flight. I only care about the sound and feel of the air and the speed at which I watch the ground go by -- not what was logged on a GPS. But big respect to those aiming to push the stats. To each their own.

Nice. One of my favorite spots. I need to get back down there soon. As far as the rest of this discussion goes... to each their own! We very high winds (25+ mph on average) down 50° slopes here in Oregon out in the gorge. There are also some 30° slopes with about half the wind a bitter further away. It's best to take a different wing to each one. It's good to have both!

Like this... sort of a pull out and back a little for me usually.

Best frame grab ever.

Anyone can land a wingsuit without a parachute... once.

I've found it best to fly through the opening a bit and stay on heading until you feel the snatch force. From there, keep your knees together and stay symmetrical facing the same heading to prevent turns and twists while you get your arm zippers. That doesn't mean to stay in full flight or burble your PC, but just try to keep enough forward momentum going to promote an on heading opening. You can't control the risers with your hands through the opening, but you can achieve a similar effect with this technique. Heading and symmertry are key. Body position matters far more than packing, but you could try leaving the nose exposed (don't cover with slider or stuff into pack job) and don't roll the tail. But like what was just mentioned on here, results aren't going to be entirely consistent (but should be closer to what you want). It's better to rely a good body position through any duration of opening than it is to hope that you packed a quicker one. In fact, if you read PD's manual (i know you're on CF2), it actually recommends you have forward speed through your opening even without a wingsuit. Makes sense.

That was the 2000 Fuck Parade in Berlin, a significantly less attended spoof version of the same city's Love Parade. Folks get together, get twisted on god knows what, and listen to really ridiculous music turning the streets into surreal scenes like this. Recommended... ?

Just for the sake of being bitchy, but shouldn't the claim be "turbulence is reduced"? Since laminar flow can't really be achieved with a wingsuit, only turbulent flow is applicable. If it were laminar airflow, the air particles that hit the front of the wing would meet back more or less exactly together once the wing has passed through it (like a marble descending through a glass of water). The most efficient wingsuit wings still produce a ton of turbulence. Just sayin'...

If you still have it, stick with. This suit is just fine on flocks.