Basejumper.com

Hey I have an idea-- let's pretend like making a giant, elaborate landing pad in one fixed location is a huge step forward from being able to experience human flight with nothing but a 10lb piece of nylon on your back which allows you to fly and land anywhere you want. This is so futuristic man! I mean, we could have giant piles of cardboard over the entire earth so we can fly and land anywhere without the ridiculous inconvenience of a light weight, low profile backpack on our backs.

Jesus, anyone else not even a little impressed by this? It honestly seems like a huge step backwards to me.

Jesus, anyone else not even a little impressed by this? It honestly seems like a huge step backwards to me.

Jesus, anyone else not even a little impressed by this? It honestly seems like a huge step backwards to me.

But I'm inclined to believe this stunt will do little to advance our activity...

It honestly seems like a huge step backwards to me.

With that said, I see this as more of a stunt. And if it's viewed as nothing more than that, I can allow myself to be somewhat impressed, in that a human being is daring enough to dream, and daring enough to explore uncertain boundaries, which is a spirit largely lost from society today.

"Gary said he would wear a parachute under his suit as back-up - telling us that it was vital in case there was a freak gust of wind."

My only question is what is wrong with a long glacier, like Mt. Blanc in France or some other. Seems like a more forgiving landing area...

Me too. Very curious as to how this will go.

One thing that will always inhibit us from truly landing our wingsuits wherever we want is the fact that our bones are not hollow like birds' bones. Even if we become highly skilled and anorexic skinny like the nordic ski jumpers who most impressively fly their bodies, our skeleton and the amount of water our bodies carry will always weigh too much for the surface area that we are able to fly in the form of a wingsuit. As wingsuits grow bigger and bigger and we use batons etc... to increase surface area, we evolve further and further toward an item that already exists that can be landed: the hang glider.

I believe that for landings to occur without arduous and expensive catcher rigs, the line will be blurred as to whether what is being flown is a hang glider or a wing suit.

Well, for one thing, southern boy, glaciers are usually pretty effing rough and in most cases, not steep at all.



To me the primo landing zone at this stage of wingsuit landing development is on a speed skiing run: groomed to great smoothmess and extremely steep. People ski those slopes at 150 mph+, so landing a wingsuit on one at <100 mph should be pretty doable, especially with some sort of runners on the front of the suit.

Simpler, safer and less expensive than Jeb's plan, more elegant than the box pile.

JT, WTF, monn? Why haven't you already done this?

44

Since a wingsuit essentially is a 2 kg fighter-jet (with no motors, landing gears or weapons) I think the best way to land it in a short distance will be like landing on an aircraft carrier. Mount a hook to your leg and catch a brake-line, then quickly move your elbow and hands into the landing-gear position. Fit a large skid-pad on the forearms - these also act as a rigid leading edge in flight. What can possibly go wrong? Trust your rears, never give up the gate. Safety third.

Well, for one thing, southern boy, glaciers are usually pretty effing rough and in most cases, not steep at all.



To me the primo landing zone at this stage of wingsuit landing development is on a speed skiing run: groomed to great smoothmess and extremely steep. People ski those slopes at 150 mph+, so landing a wingsuit on one at <100 mph should be pretty doable, especially with some sort of runners on the front of the suit.

Simpler, safer and less expensive than Jeb's plan, more elegant than the box pile.

JT, WTF, monn? Why haven't you already done this?

44

The old land a wingsuit on a speed skiing slope idea... THere are many flaws to this totally survivable plan.

1) a wingsuit is the exact opposite article of clothing of a speed skier's suit. a WS creates too much drag for going fast down a speed ski slope. I have skied in a wingsuti and it gets squirrely at high speeds. any assymetry will spin or tumble the person going for it.
2) sliding on snow that fast burns skin
3) belly sliding gives zero suspension, could break spine. If you watch a bunch of speed ski videos, you will be amazed how much they use their knees.
4) flaring a wingsuit out to slow down changes angle of attack such that you are more head high than the hill, your body will scorpion on impact

I would much rather biff into a bunch of powder snow, and that is totally doable, match the slopes when the snow is ultra deep and just go for it and tumble like hell. you could get away with that and somebody will someday, but as a skier who has tomahawked down 1700ft of swiss mountain in 2010... I avoid a repeat of that act.

http://xcweather.co.uk/forecast/oxford

Been like this pretty much for the last 8-10 days.


Laters

Julian