mccordia

With some rigs the handles can get close to being swallowed. In this case, contact the manufacturer and the suit can be adjusted (hole moved down by +- 10 cm) to prevent this from happening.

Here is a short trailer for a new video Im working on, showing some dynamic flocking and camerawork. Hope you like it! https://vimeo.com/46639942

Small secret: There IS no flatspin. The thing everyone calls 'a flatspin' is actually 'you are not doing the right thing to get stable again' and than putting a horror name onto it. Its just normal instability, that people dont fix quick enough. Anytime somebody tumbles or spins and doesnt get stable in a second they start crying 'flatspin' Train acrobatics, train backflying, train loops, train rolls...and you will never call it a flatspin..you will call it 'having fun'

FlatSpin Recovery Techniques

In situations where AAD is needed, a Cypres will work (jumper not capable/unconscious) and any wingsuit will fall faster than 78 mph down (activation speed). In situations where the user WANTS to fool the unit, he or she can fly through activation speed at lower speeds easy. But the reason why AAD is present, is still valid. In USA a jumper hit the tail of the plane and died 2 years ago. The AAD fired and made for recovery of the body under reserve. Still no difference for the user, but a big difference for the family. And there have been cypres fires on other wingsuit jumps as well after collisions in Italy.

I am one of the two appointed wingsuit advisors for the IPC Wingsuit workinggroup. And though I can not speak from the chair of IPC, I can tell you what has been done so far. For a look into some of the developments, you can see some of the documents I proposed here. Any standard submitted wil also need at least one year of testing, before going into practical application, so by current timeline (and best possible progres) 2013 will see the first possible accepted wingsuit judging standard. In case not all current problems with various judging systems can be adressed, and a 100% flawless, always correct intepretation of results is possible, longer devlopment could be needed. If you have input you'd like to see, or idea's on other possible judging methods, or improvements on the document posted here, feel free to email me at jarno@phoenix-fly.com and Ill forward your input to the IPC workgroup. Like FS and FF, (in my view) records should show the best possible, flown by the best people in the sport, at a high level of exelence that makes us all aspire to and train for. I think current bigways are a good step in the right direction, but personaly would love to see a record standard be a lot tighter, closer (and probably result in a first 'world record' of a much smaller size). I would strongly advice against any 'emergency resolutions' and instead trust in the development of a meaningfull, correct and worthy record standard that can stand for years. That said, I think russia has shown incredible steps the last years in quality of the bigways. Not going bigger and bigger, but instead tighter. I dont know this years plans, but I would love to see a formation the same size, but trying to fly it even tighter. Striving for exelence, instead of bigger and bigger numbers.

Compared to the USA bigway formations, the Russian formations actually show progress. The USA ones just show increase in size, where-as you guys REALLY improved the tightness so much over the years. Incredible to see! Cant wait to see what you guys are able to do next year!

Nice flying guys! With the circle system, you can make the circles smaller and smaller, untill they have everyone in (Red=Out). Out comes a vallue. So you can say> we flew this formation with this tollerance level. If you do another 36 way next year, you can do the same, and compare results and see if one has a higher accuracy (smaller circles) than the other one. We will also try and see if we can add a measurement unit (say, size of a rig) to get accurate/real distances between flyers measured..

There was no booking made for the event by anyone. So we sadly couldnt organize the event. But we did hear some wingsuit flyers from Holland and Estonia had some nice flocks at the dropzone for 2 weeks in a row.

Last weekend Werner flew his Venom in flocks with speeds of 60 to 90 km without problems... Werner is a light/tall person, but didnt strugle. Takes practice and skill...but these suits being comparable in size, shouldnt be an issue.

Though fun for long solos, these big suits are very sloppy to fly at their maximum efficiency, and in flocking actually are dificult to fly at speeds better than whats currently the standard. Seeing videos of people flocking with suits such as venom, xbird etc etc. it usually results in flocks of only 45 to 50 mph. Flying better makes close proximity and manouvering hard to impossible. I predict the year of dumbing down. Less focus on skill...more focus on compensation for lack of skill with surface area..

>PF + Tony = monopoly and higher prices Actually both seem to make suits for the lowest price they can. Last time I checked, neither Tony or Robert was driving Ferarri or Lamborgini (unlike some Russian skydivers Ive seen ) If there is anything Competition does, its lowering prices. To stay competitive with the other brand. Regardless of outcome, customer always wins..

New video on the Phoenix Fly frontpage, with Venom and V4 footage...

It is fun to see two suits arrive at close to similar wing design, without input from eachother (neither tony saw CCPF suit before, not was Xbird or any similar suit designed when this suit was made). But of course, yelling 'copy' and 'brandwar' is an easier way to please to crowd. Some vallue sensation higher, and compare two products of which neither has flown in comparable enviroment/setting/pilot Most skydiving diciplines have serious discussion...wingsuit always goes more towards hollywood trash magazines with gossip and screaming girls

Its easy to have suit designs end up similar. Even though most times the designs are not influenced at all. Draw 10 'big wings' around a human body, and most shapes will end up similar. This is a suit made by PF as a prototype for big wing flight back in 2009 (CCPF) which featured wings bigger than the current Venom/Xbird/Apache or other suit out there. Customer safety, made this stay 'prototype' (massive delays in pull, slow in handling and flying, pull presenting potential problems for less experienced flyers)