mccordia

My latest video, with flights in Ukraine (short bit, dont blink or you miss it:)) all kinds of EU countries (and even a short second of USA) Hope you like it! My other idea for the title was: Dont try this at home!

Hi 'plankton', sorry for my lack of Russian, but Im just reading all this through google translate The Phantom problem you showed (lower pressurisation) was the reason the inlet system changed for the newer versions. Though not that big an issue, it is something a rigger could fix, by installing a small 'cup' over the inlet, resembling the inlet system on the Phantom2. Even just a 5 cm piece wil work. As the the Blade, yes, it also has an inflation problem on the legwing, that can be really annoying. But our past efforts to try and change anything in the design on that suit (and who designed the suit in the first place) is not something to be discussed publicly. Im no longer involved with birdman, quit the company for my own reasons. And was later (afterward) asked to joing PF. And more than happy I did..

Most suits from FlyYourBody require a lot of tension on the wing to be flown without high frequency in the tailwing. This works fine on smaller suits such as the S-Fly as long as there is decent sideway tension maintained in the legwing, but on the bigger S-FlyPro (and even on the normal Sfly at times) the inadequate inflation shows up, in form of flapping of the tailwing. This is also a problem (be it by different cause) with most BM suits. The intake not being positioned in a way where it forces air into the inlet, yet placed paralel to the airstream. The ram-jet intakes on PF and TonySuits wingsuits are much more effective in creating a high cell pressure. Not only does it prevent flapping, but it also takes away a lot of muscle strength needed to open the wing on the suit. Higher cell-pressure=less force/muscle needed to create a proper airfoil/optimal wingshape.

Here is out video from the Wingsuit Competition in Italy past weekend! Lots of room for improvements in flying accuracy and speed of docking, but very happy still! Enjoy!

Uploading the video from FlyLikeBrick in about 2 hours...

More recent FlyBy adventures..

Its okay to write in Russian.I use google-translate to read...(but type in English to prevent sounding like a Russian retard ) Cant wait to see all you guys again in a few short months!

Its actually better to NOT have the canopy in brakes and preferably do this NOT with tandems, but with normal/smaller canopies only! (and someone who FULLY understands the risk, and not a Tandempasseger/tourist) The more speed the canopy has, the less of a difference in speed there will be between the canopy and wingsuit. And thus, more time to react. ALWAYS make sure you have room for a canopy making un-expected turns, so you can bail/abort your flyby. Also take care in the approach direction (see attachment) -Flying WITH the canopy (same direction) means the speed difference is smallest, and the canopy (if canopy pilot KNOWS!) can not accidently fly into your flightpath (also! Keep enough distance in case he/she doesnt see you) -If you approach the canopy from the side (45 degrees or more/less) you have to really judge how far the canopy will fly forward. If the canopy is still in brakes, and releases those, it can suddenly move forward faster. And its always difficult to judge from far. So its possible for the canopy to accidently move into your line. With dangerous (DEADLY!) collisions as a result. If you have at least 100+ wingsuit jumps, its okay (but still a risk and added danger) to do flybys up to +- 200 meters. Anything closer can be done (with LOTS of practice) but this is a stunt. And should only be performed if its within your own experience level. Clouds or any conditions influencing visibility should also strongly be avoided. NOTE/DISCLAIMER This is all just information based on our own experience flying wingsuits, and should NOT be treated as instruction. We can not accept any responsibilty if people choose to participate in canopy flybys, that is 100% your own action and responsibilty.

Canopy flybys can be great fun, and executed safely by an experienced flyer. But one should attempt a canopy flyby, without knowing how to fly a wingsuit properly, and knowing the recovery arc and precision with which you can fly the suit. A lot of flybys, can be (due to bad skill/judgement) more like Dive-By's...falling past a canopy close, but not really in controll and flying the wingsuit near its efficient level. If you want to go for canopy flybys. Wait till you have at least a couple of hundred wingsuit jumps. No low experienced flyer should attempt this, as you are endangering yourself, the tandemmaster and the passenger otherwise. And (much like proximity flying in basejumping) dont start off going for a 1 meter pass. Start flying by at 200 meter distance, and work it closer to +- 50 meters or so over a couple of 100 jumps. And once you get that one down in terms of judgement and accuracy, closer starts to become possible. But at that point it stops being a simple skydive, and should be labeled a stunt. So not something you want to do without prior planning. ever..

We are organising the wingsuit competition again. 2 performers, 1 camera flyer. Inititial details are now online at wingsuitcompetition.com.

Just a small (again English, sorry) addition to this topic. If you look at the video from last years wingsuit boogie at Boroyanka, you will see many people flying in the same red/white/black wingsuit. This is a suit made for someone of +- 85 kg/ 1,85 in length. But in the video you see people ranging from 1,70 to 1,90 wearing the suit, all with different weight/size. The fit is not perfect on everyone. But it does show there is a lot of room for different sizes within one suit. If you buy a suit 2nd hand, any rigger will be able to sew/cut the suit a bit to make it fit your size perfectly. If this means you save a lot of money (compared to a new suit) which you can then spend on jumps...thats always good!

In 99,9% of the casses, a match in height and weight means the suit will fit as well. Most people have normal proportions. Only when your body has an abnormal shape (really long arms/short legs) a suit fit can sometimes be less optimal. But even then, it only takes a rigger a few simple actions to make the suit fit you perfect. http://flylikebrick.com/forsale.php (also a nice source of 2nd hand suits)

Its do-able, but not advice-able.. And only if you are sure the sky is clear of tandems, high student canopies and/or other wingsuits. Experience or help in the form of a GPS is definately recommendable, unless you want to find yourself lost or above an unfavourable landing area.