tipz Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) some insane videos of wingsuit proximity flying ( with some pretty cool dubstep for the soundtracks ) jokke is my mentor ! This is so on my bucket list - so far i have 49 jumps and have my aff licence and half way through my b licence ! im hoping to do my first basejump from wallaman falls in australia early next year ! but ive got a way to go before i can hope to try this ! are there any other sky divers on this forum ? (quick edit to apologise if allready posted - i did a search but couldnt find it up here yet ) Edited July 9, 2011 by tipz 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) That's fucking crazy. I thought for sure he was going to clip the ground a few times there and tumble to a bone shattering compound fracturing death. That's very cool and looks like an amazing experience to be flying and all but no way would you ever get me up there. Edited July 9, 2011 by Alice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rahli Posted July 9, 2011 One of the few sports where helmets only serve to mount cameras on. They must know the terrain like the back of their hand as one sudden even slight incline or flat and they would be smeared. I've only skydiver once tandem. The scariest part was when I was going through the jump precedure on the ground and I realized I would soon be jumping out of a plane. I quickly came to terms with the fact and jumped no worries once up there. Glad I sorted that out on the ground. The initial dive out was pretty freaky as your falling so fast, then when you open out it feels like your floating. I was wearing contacts and the wind got under my goggles and blew one out so one eye was blurry most of the way down which sort of ruined the experience somewhat. Glad I did it though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted July 9, 2011 That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Fuck, that's amazing! I would love to give that a go. Where do I sign up? How do they land - parachute? I wonder how many people have died doing this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheather Posted July 9, 2011 Wingsuiting is definitely on my list. They do have a parachute, and many people have died at it tripsis. I've seen a clip of a guy trying to show off to some viewers on a bridge, an unexpected breeze blew him too high and he smashed into a steel girder, at about 200Km/h... The guys in that video are among the best of the best. Jokke is freakin amazing. If you liked Dream Lines, check out his "proximity flying in switzerland and norway" video too, that one's even more amazing I think. An amazing sport and, though expensive and likely illegal in a whole bunch of locations, one that I definitely want to become a part of. One of my few dreams that I've held onto for years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted July 9, 2011 200km/hr? That is an insanely fast speed to be travelling at. How do they keep control going at that speed? You're right, it would be expensive, like so many of the more interesting 'adventure' sports. Would have to be worth it though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legba Posted July 9, 2011 So would planking on the way down be considered idiotic? Each to his own. I prefer the option of overshooting. Unlimited aerobatics is the go. +/- 9G's if you desire and 200kph+ going up as well as down, then up again some nice inboard views in this vid... Anyone remember how this ends? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheather Posted July 9, 2011 Yeah apparently the new suits get really fast. I did a quick lookup and the fastest horizontal speed recorded appears to be almost 300Km/h! That would be so, so utterly insane... It's a stunning perspective shift though. Mmm Legba, a plane would still be cool, but it just doesn't seem as personal to me. With a suit, it's more like flying would be as a superpower, I think that might be some of the draw Poor Wile E. Never goes well for him... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legba Posted July 9, 2011 An open cockpit Pitts feels pretty personal with the airspace and a 2 minute high G sequence, even +5G's max., will leave you unable to stand up when you get out of the aircraft in the beginning. If the suit gig will make you feel like a superhero, then even advanced aero's will make you feel like a God! Even superheroes can't do Lomcevaks The other thing to consider is the time it would take to get your shit together to do Proximity attempted suicide. You could walk into an aeroclub and get a pilot to take you up for a flip straight away and keep your shit together with a nappy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheather Posted July 9, 2011 True that, Legba. Sounds like something I'll have to try too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted July 9, 2011 that s the craziest thing ive ever seen guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted July 9, 2011 That was very cool thanks for sharing tipz. You would of heard of Felix Baumgartner but if you haven't you should check out some of his jumps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted July 9, 2011 I've been fascinated by this for a while. But i don't quite understand the attraction of 'proximity'. Surely the sensation is about flying at immense speeds rather than about how close to death you can come this time? Why not fly at safe distances from objects? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted July 9, 2011 well i suppose thats part of the reason torsten - if it wasn't so dangerous it wouldnt be quite as intense ! I am so scared of heights its not funny believe it or not ... but i find the more scared you are before-hand the more the exhileration and adrenaline you experience afterwards. 320 km's an hour is possible in head down position but in normal box position freefall is approximately 190 km's an hour ( a little faster for me as im quite stocky - most people I jump with have to wear weight belts to keep up with my rate of descent ) - its all about how much friction your surface area is creating in relation to your weight ! What is even more insane is that the guy who was jumping alongside the wingsuit flyer who died upon impact with the bridge ( mentioned above )is gearing up to attempt a landing flying a wingsuit at full speed with no parachute in the next year - in collaberation with redbull they plan to build a huge ramp at the exact angle of descent and touch down in a heat protected kevlar suit to slow him down to a stationary chuteless landing - crazy stuff ! One more amazing fact for you which you can find on youtube a military officer named Joseph kittinger broke the speed of sound skydiving !!!!!! by jumping from a height of 102,800 feet ( edge of space from a special balloon )- the atmosphere was so thin the resistance was much less than closer to the earth - and he reached 988 km's an hour ! - as he got closer to earth he almost burned up inside his pressurised suit as he slowly reduced speed as the air density increased ! and once you have paid for your aff course which is about 2 grand now - ( and buy a chute ) its actually quite cheap and you can jump anywhere solo - if anyone in SA is interested come out to SA skydiving and speak to miff - good dropzone - good crew ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted July 9, 2011 oops just found this while looking into this after reading deadstars post - Kittinger is currently advising Felix Baumgartner on a planned free-fall from 120,000 feet (about 36,000m).[6] The project is called the Red Bull Stratos project and has collected leading experts in the fields of aeronautics, medicine and engineering to ensure its success. Felix Baumgartner will also become the first person ever to break the sound barrier while in free fall, if his jump is successful. Baumgartner's jump will be used to test the next generation of full pressure suits, used in space and to collect useful medical and scientific information .[13] Although the jump was planned for 2010, it has been delayed by a legal case between Red Bull and promoter Daniel Hogan, who claims that he was first to propose the jump to Red Bull in 2004, and alleges that Red Bull backed out before resurrecting the project some years later - so kittinger didnt quite break the sound barrier ( close enough though ! )- but its about to happen ! come on guys sell a few pricey lophs and your on your way ( wish i could be the redbull stratos guinea pig ) ) skydiving is really a safe sport if you play safe and by the rules ( which isnt quite as fun ) - most deaths occur under a perfect parachute - and statistically you have more chance of death driving to the dropzone ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted July 9, 2011 I would imagine that the danger is half the buzz in proximity flying. The rush of adrenaline from hugging cliffs and other terrain would be immense. Crazy stuff, that's for sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted July 10, 2011 statistically you have more chance of death driving to the dropzone ! People tend to make up statistics to justify their own behaviour, so i got curious about this statement and looked into it a bit further. The rate of skydive fatalities is 1 death for every 100,000 jumps. The rate of fatal traffic accidents in developed countries is 1 per 100 million km travelled [statistics say ~10 per billion km]. So to make your above statement correct the average trip to the dropzone would have to be 1000km. I would think that the average trip to the dropzone is probably less than 100km, ie the chance of dying in a skydiving accident is at least 10 times higher than for the car trip there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyPants Posted July 10, 2011 Oh man that's insane! I can't wait til they bring out 3D HD Bluray P-O-V of those shots. I tandem skydived once in Canada but I missed the briefing part when they tell you to breathe through your nose; soon as we jumped out I naturally breathed through my mouth which just started me hyperventilating til I worked it out. So I lost a few good seconds of the 1min freefall just trying to breathe. Then also I'm blind as a bat without my glasses so I missed the view, but it made it easier to imagine we were a lot higher since I couldn't see the ground's distance, was AMAZING and want to do it again heaps more times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted July 10, 2011 People tend to make up statistics to justify their own behaviour, so i got curious about this statement and looked into it a bit further. The rate of skydive fatalities is 1 death for every 100,000 jumps. The rate of fatal traffic accidents in developed countries is 1 per 100 million km travelled [statistics say ~10 per billion km]. So to make your above statement correct the average trip to the dropzone would have to be 1000km. I would think that the average trip to the dropzone is probably less than 100km, ie the chance of dying in a skydiving accident is at least 10 times higher than for the car trip there. It may well be an old skydiving fireside myth T ;) Even IF i was trying to pull the wool over everyones eyes it's for a good cause But I actually didnt make it up T and it most definately wasn't said to justify my actions - no need for that i was basing my statement on something i read in an american skydiving magazines article "How does the fatality rate in skydiving compare to other common activities? Since most adults in America drive cars, let's compare skydiving to driving. Roughly 40,000 people die each year in traffic accidents in the United States [ref]. That's 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. Therefore, if you drive 10,000 miles per year, your chance of dying in a car wreck in any given year is something like 1 in 6,000. In other words, we accept a higher level of risk by getting into our cars every day than people do by occasionally skydiving. You would have to jump 17 times per year for your risk of dying in a skydiving accident to equal your risk of dying in a car accident if you drive 10,000 miles per year" its a contentious one and i actually assume your correct - your mathematical reasoning seems a little more robust than this example ! obviously there are many variables ! the degrees of difficulty in certain styles of skydiving - like large number formations (b-rels), quality of equipment ( i.e does your chute have a cyprus which automatically deploys at terminal velocity at a certain height and how well maintained and well packed your chute is ! ( I have seen blindfolded chutepacking races followed by jumping it unchecked) , do you stick to the rules or play games like chicken ( face-off last one to pull wins ) or be pushed out in a cardboard box ( good fun :D )... i see some very reckless actions that increase the chances of death many times as its in the nature of most divers to push the envelope. There are guys at my dropzone with over ten thousand jumps. if everyone was sensible, cautious and vigilant the death rate would be much lower ! If you dont take excessive risks i think its safe to say that the sport is much safer than most percieve ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheather Posted July 10, 2011 Torsten is likely correct, and the information you read probably is too, your error was in rewording it from 10000 miles per year to "drive to the dropzone" which is definitely not even nearly 10000 miles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted July 10, 2011 I don't have a problem with risk taking. I used to take a lot of risks myself and fully understand the motivation. I do have a problem with the risk being incorrectly represented. Whether that is the government exaggerating the risk of takin drugs, or smokers denying the risk of smoking related diseases.... or for that matter drivers denying the risk of driving a car. I am arguiing this poitn not because I am against skydiving, but because I think it is silly to try and deny the risks. Roughly 40,000 people die each year in traffic accidents in the United States [ref]. True. That's 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. Not quite true. The official statistic is 12 per billion miles, ie 1.3 not 1.7 . It might not look like much, but that's nearly a 30% increase the author made up. In other words, we accept a higher level of risk by getting into our cars every day than people do by occasionally skydiving. Oh, this is such a misleading comparison. how can you compare a daily activity with an occasional activity and claim the risk to be the same? By that logic you could make ANY activity become less risky than driving a car. For example, falling from the 3rd floor has a 1 in 10 chance of causing death. So as long as we only fall out of the 3rd floor window once in our 70 year lifespan, the risk of death would be less than driving a car every day and hence we should all try falling our of the 3rd floor window at least once in our lives. Sounds stupid right? So does the comparison in the article. You would have to jump 17 times per year for your risk of dying in a skydiving accident to equal your risk of dying in a car accident if you drive 10,000 miles per year Once adjusted for the error he made above, this comparison makes sense. Most people probably won't consider the fact that most of the driving we do is for work or for other reasons we more or less NEED to. Unless you're a skydiving instructor there are probably not a lot of reasons for NEEDING to skydive. So the comparison would probably be better applied just for 'leisure miles' ;) i see some very reckless actions that increase the chances of death many times as its in the nature of most divers to push the envelope. There are guys at my dropzone with over ten thousand jumps. if everyone was sensible, cautious and vigilant the death rate would be much lower ! If you dont take excessive risks i think its safe to say that the sport is much safer than most percieve ! dropzone.com reports the following fatality causes: Collisions 16% Landings 31% No Pulls 9% Malfunctions 17% Reserve Problems 5% Other 14% I would think that only collisions and some 'other' would really be affected by recklessness. Malfunctions, reserve problems, no pulls, a fair chunk of landings, and most 'other' would probably be unaffected by recklessness. So that's at least 65% that are unaffected by recklessness and probably less than 20% that might be affected by recklessness, with 15% that could go either way. So by not being reckless you are really only reducing some fraction of the 20% [only a fraction because you have to divide this by the number of other people who might be reckless around you]. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) Torsten i concede ! I am in no position to intellectually joust with a man of your intellect ( no sarcasm - said sincerely ) And i did say i thought you were right and your mathematical reasoning sounded more robust in my post above, so i believe i had agreed i was incorrect right there :D Just hope your not scaring any of my potential future jumping buddies from trying something they had been thinking about :D Come for a little trip down to adelaide T - id love to throw you out of a plane - I reckon you would love it too ( edit - spelling ) Edited July 11, 2011 by tipz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted July 11, 2011 p.s - landind deaths are nearly always from recklessness - they are called hook turns - but aaanyway - come jumping Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bush Turkey Posted July 11, 2011 that video of the guy hitting thr bridge is intense! one guy was flying under it while the guy that hit was going over it. The clang it made was horriffic! I think the suits provide 30ft of foward motion for every 30ft of decent??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted July 11, 2011 I'm definitely keen to come jumping. Skydiving hasn't really held that much appeal for me before, but now that I realise wingsuit flying can be done once you know how to manoeuvre while falling, I'm suddenly much more interested. Video of the bridge collision: Another interesting video, although the narration is typical American shock-journalism garbage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
