My "pre-second" wingsuit flying experience
www.youtube.com/watchI went to the biggest boogie in Houston, Texas, called SkyFest. One of the wingsuit vendors offers free wingsuit flying coaching. It requires you to have at least 200 jumps and take about 20-30 minutes class before you can go up with a coach.
It was a great opportunity for me because wingsuit flying requires a special jump suit (wingsuit) and it’s not that popular yet. I do not have an "average" skydiver size. It’s hard for me to find a suit that I can use in the normal days. (It’s important to have the skydiving gears fit you correctly, expect very few items, such as altimeter)
The most difference between RW/Freefly and wingsuit flying is when you deploy the chute, you need to use both hands to clapse both wings. Otherwise, you can end up with a spin, which will cause a malfution called line twist.
We jumped out from a skyvan, which is a tail-gate airplane (see the video). Therefore, the exit was smooth. Hop out, clear the door and open my wings. Some people can actually open the wings and be able to fly above the airplane.
I did 3 pratice deployment touch right after I got stable (you can see it in the video). I need to first bend my knees, put both my hands to the side of my body to clapse the wings (so I don’t go in to a spin,) then pull out my pliot chute.
Then I went into a flying position, which is open my leg as wide as possible. There is a piece of wing between my legs. And open my arms (wings under my arms), cup my shoulders (so I can catch more air and slow down even more), suck in my belly (to catch air). If you have problem image the position.... You can lay on the ground and push your belly up from the ground with your head, hands and toes. But you need to be very flat so keep your legs and arms straight.
Well... I kept looking back to the coach, because I definately didn’t want to lose him.
I was flying very stable. Jeff, the coach, came in and docked on my hand.
I needed to pull at 5500 feet. I was waiting for my pro-track (a device that I use to remind me the pulling altitute) to beep, but it didn’t. I had to take look of my altimeter, because I have been flying for a long time. Wingsuit flying was very tiring. I felt that I had been flying forever...
When I looked my altimeter, it was showing 6800. I still got some time.
Finally, my pro-track bept and I pulled.
My average fall rate in this jump was about 60 miles per hour, which is normal for experienced wingsuit jumper. Therefore, Jeff invited me to join them for a group flying.
However, I was so tired. I didn’t think that I would be able to do another wingsuit flying for the rest of week.
It was a very fun and unique experience.
