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Friday, November 6, 2009

How to Fly Using a Wingsuit

To be able to fly like a bird has always been one of mankind's archetypal dreams. In 1903, the Wright brothers achieved human flight by inventing the airplane. But human flight without the aid of some form of flying vehicle has never been achieved, up until recently. Today, because of the wingsuit, human flight can be achieved without the aid of an aircraft. While this is not for the faint of heart, it is probably the closest to flying like a bird that exists today. Here we provide the steps you need to take in order to fly like a bird, or at least a flying squirrel. Following theses steps, you will find a discussion about this unusual form of flight.

The first step is to understand what a wingsuit is and how it produces flight. A wingsuit is a jump suit, which creates the airfoil shape because of fabric sewn between the legs and under the arms. It is also called a birdman suit or squirrel suit. When wearing this suit during freefall, with arms and legs spread out, you become a human wing and therefore you are able to glide. Your sink rate is relatively low, and you are able to glide at high speed horizontally. Most wingsuit flights last from 1 to 2 minutes, sometimes longer, depending on how high your jump off point is.

A prerequisite to wingsuit flying is skydiving. You need to be proficient in skydiving prior to wingsuit flying. As a matter of fact, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) recommends that you have at least 200 freefall skydives before even thinking about using a wingsuit. Of course, the more the better. But 200 is the bare minimum. Also, the USPA recommends that the 200 freefalls be within the last 18 months prior to a jump using a wingsuit.

The USPA also recommends after at least 200 freefall jumps, you then receive wingsuit flight instruction from a certified instructor. Finding a certified instructor for wingsuit flying is not an easy task, considering there is not to many people who have done wingsuit flying. Your instructor should absolutely be certified. The USPA states that you can also perform wingsuit flying without instruction from a certified instructor, as long as you have at least 500 previous freefall skydives. I would highly recommend instruction. Wingsuit manufacturers offer training courses and certify instructors.

Next, you need to develop an understanding of aerodynamics. Since your own body becomes an airfoil or wing when wingsuit flying, it is imperative that you completely understand aerodynamics and the concept of lift. Being a certified pilot for a fix wing aircraft is not required, but most certainly it does not hurt. The point is, you need to understand how you are able to fly wearing a wingsuit. You should have an understanding of what is taking place aerodynamically when you change the shape and orientation of your body, in order to create the desired amount of lift and drag.

If you desire to have jump off points other then an airplane, this means you most likely will be exiting from some high cliff or man made object. Most wingsuit fliers prefer to exit from a very high cliff. But in order to do this, you will need some mountaineering skills in order to reach the top of the mountain or cliff. Unless of course you are able to afford a helicopter ride, and helicopter rides are offered to your jump off point.

In any case, many wingsuit fliers who jump off a cliff, prefer to climb to their jump off point. So in this case, mountaineering skills are also required. It is not unusual to spend a large part of the day climbing, in order to achieve 1 to 2 minutes of wingsuit flying.

At some point you will also need to purchase a wingsuit. Companies such as Phoenix-Fly and Birdman Inc. offer wingsuits for purchase. Phoenix-Fly is headquartered in Zephyrhills, FL, with authorized dealers throughout the United States and around the world. Birdman Inc. is located in Helsinki, Finland, and they to have authorized dealers around the world.

You need to have good physical and mental health. Of course there are different variations of what one might consider mental healthiness, and some may feel that you need to be a little crazy to do this type of flying. The point here is that you most certainly do not want to black-out, even for a short time, while in flight. In a nutshell, if you black-out, you will not survive. This is the same reason the FAA requires pilots do be in good physical condition. It is important to remember that when you are wingsuit flying, you are more a pilot then a skydiver. So keeping your senses during your short flight is critically important.

Finally, you need a lot of fortitude to confront the danger associated with this type of flying. But is this not true of most extreme sports? So how does wingsuit flying compare to other sports which have a certain element of danger. Here are some statistics from a recent edition of Men's Journal. Total deaths over the past five years, per 1,000 participants:

Skydiving: 3.3
Base Jumping: 44
Hang Gliding/Paragliding: 3.8
Summiting K2: 104
ATV Riding: 0.5
Scuba Diving: .06
Snowboarding: .05


In terms of wingsuit flying, we could not find an actual fatality rate, most likely because there is not enough data to work with. Lets face it, not that many people have done wingsuit flying. Fatality rates were very high during the developmental period for this extreme sport. Between 1930 and 1961 71 out of 75 people died trying to perfect a wingsuit. I suspect that the fatality rate today is somewhere between that which you see for skydiving and base jumping.

Now that we have tweaked your interest by examining the steps needed to perform wingsuit flying, lets look at wingsuit flying a little more closely. As we have eluded to, wingsuit flying is simply forming your body into the shape of an airfoil, achieving lift, and flying like a bird, or more like a flying squirrel. Because of the jump suit you are wearing, you become a wing.

You achieve a glide ratio of about 2 to 1. This means for every 2 feet of horizontal movement, you drop about 1 foot. But it also should be noted that with body manipulation, and selection of wingsuit design, you can alter your forward speed and sink rate. To a fix wing pilot like myself, a 2 to 1 glide ratio means you are essentially dropping like a brick. But to a skydiver, you truly are flying. It all depends on your perspective. You are by definition, a pilot, when wingsuit flying. But in this case, your body in combination with your wingsuit, becomes your aircraft.

Lets examine how wingsuit flying works. After you depart from your jump off point, either a cliff, airplane, or man-made object, you will sink but you will also start to fly horizontally. Actually, the technique for departure from an airplane is completely different from that which is used when departing from a fixed object. One requires entry into a slip stream and relative wind, one does not. You will learn this type of information if you receive formal instruction.

After you depart and sink, you will develop a horizontal velocity component. Your average horizontal velocity, relative to the ground, will be around 100mph. But if you have a tailwind, your horizontal speed can reach up to 140mph to 160mph. Your sink rate is much less compared to typical skydiving. Your vertical terminal velocity when skydiving is anywhere between 110 to 140 mph, depending on body orientation. With wingsuit flying, on average you obtain a vertical velocity of around 40mph.

After you have flown horizontally anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes, depending on your starting altitude, you release your parachute, and then land a short time later. Stamina is also important, as it takes quite a bit of muscle strength to fly a wingsuit to its full capacity. The most important part of this type of flying is to know when to release your parachute.

There are groups around the world that are working on wingsuit flying where you do not land with a parachute. In my mind this is a little to dicey. But if flying suit technology and piloting skill improves to the point where you can slow down your flying so that you can land without a chute, then they may have something there. But currently, to perform wingsuit flying, you need to be a proficient skydiver and you need a parachute.

I believe to do this type of flying, you need to be an adrenaline rush junky. In my mind, it is more risky then typical skydiving, and not as risky as base jumping. But most would agree it is an extreme sport, and of course imparts certain obvious risks.

To conclude, if you want to achieve a flying experience which is as close as possible to what a bird feels, or at least a flying squirrel, then wingsuit flying is an extreme sport to consider. It is not for the faint of heart, and the risks are obvious, but for some these risks are worth taking. It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. But the reward of achieving human flight without the aid of an aircraft can be tremendous. Human flight has always been one of mankind's archetypal dreams. With wingsuit flying, you can experience what only Leonardo da Vinci could only dream of, the dream of flight.



About the Author
Thomas Sullivan, the author of this article, is a web publisher and developer who resides within the Boston, MA area. He is also a certified pilot and is the webmaster for Pilot Portal USA and Pilot Jobs.

All About Skydiving

With some many different extreme sports about from skydiving, base jumping and even parachuting how the hell can you tell the difference between them. You can ask me what's the difference between skydiving and parachuting, and I'll tell you that you'll end up on the ground with each activity when jumping from an aircraft.

So what is the difference?

The main point with parachuting is your parachute will open once you're clear of the aeroplane. You can then enjoy you slow descent back to the ground. Skydiving is the extreme sport of the two. It has a more daring approach than parachuting. When you exit the aeroplane and begin to free fall without the assistance of a parachute (you'll either be on your own or strapped to an instructor) and after about sixty seconds you're parachute will then open.

Which is the most dangerous?

Both sports are both dangerous in there own right. You can make a ton of safe parachute or skydiving jumps once the right safety measures are taken. You can parachute jump or skydive for fun or be like some people and take it more serous and enter competitions.

How expensive is Skydiving?

With any sport there's always a certain amount you'll have to spend in order for you to take part in the activity and you'll also need the right equipment. Once you decide to try out any of these two sports, renting equipment from the skydiving centre is a must, after that your need a jumpsuit, goggles and a helmet if you intend to jump on a regular basis. It will seem expensive at first and you have to remember that most of the initial cost will be for training. The reason why you have added cost is because even if you decide to jump solo or tandem, instructors will still need to jump with you so everything goes without a glitch.

What Can I Expect From Skydiving

With so many reputable skydiving centres, you'll have experts who will give you hands on training with tandem and solo jumps. The instructors are experienced in dealing with nervous people who have never jumped before. They will try and put your mind at ease, helping you to enjoy your skydiving experience.

What's So Great about Skydiving?

It's the buzz, excitement and thrill that gets your blood pumping before you jump, once you have jumped out of the plane and the parachute opens, you will be filled happiness and rearing to have go again, so go on give it a try and really enjoy yourself.



About the Author
With some many different extreme sports about from skydiving, base jumping and even parachuting how the hell can you tell the difference between them womens snowboard boots

Airsoft or Paintball-Which One Do You Choose?

Between airsoft and paintable, what would you pick? Many people debate when it comes to these two extreme sports. Some say that paintball is better and more action packed than airsoft or vice versa. To help clear this up, people should first know the similarities and differences of the game.

First of all, both have the same gameplay and objective. The rule is to beat your enemies, whether you're split into teams, by shooting them with the ammo inside your guns. You are inside a playing field where there are places to hide. Each has special gears to protect themselves from bullets. Both can be played by anyone who has the knack for these kinds of extreme sports.

Nonetheless, the playing field for each is different. While the location for paintball is more spacious and has limited hiding places, the battlefield of airsoft resembles a forest with trees and bunkers. It has a military setup. It is characterized by playing with strategies, just like soldiers do when they are in an assault.

At the same time, each game differs with regards to their weapons of choice. Paintball uses guns with, of course, paint balls. These are small balloons with dye in them and can shoot these up to 300km. On the other hand, airsoft has firearms which are similar to guns used in real combat such as revolvers, pistols and rifles. These use plastic pellets. Depending on the driving force of the gun, the accuracy, speed and velocity of the shot differs.

Paintball equipment is definitely more expensive than the equipment of the other. The price of paint balls is quite high when bought. Airsoft guns are definitely cheaper. Buying spring operated guns is inexpensive and so is buying the pellets. At the same time, these really look like a genuine gun while paintball guns look much like a toy gun.

With paintball, one can definitely see the damage done because of the stains. However, in airsoft it is hard to determine if your enemy is hit. Paint balls can also easily break when they hit solid objects while airsoft bullets are small and can fly to longer lengths. These are the similarities and differences of these two games. Either way, they are still extreme sports which can be played by a person who craves for adrenaline pumping action in their lives.


About the Author
Are you an avid airsoft fan? Are you looking for the best gun to use in your came? If so, check out this site on Soft Air Guns.

However, if you want a weapon which is close to a real gun, read what Waker Glass has written about Gas Airsoft Guns.

Mountain Bike Frames

A mountain bicycle's frame is the core part of the mountain bicycle. It is is hooked up to all of the bike's parts, such as the seating, suspension system, forks, handlebars, brakes, and tires. The frame comes in varied sizes and types, which customarily influence its general performance, as well as the sort of riding it best supports.

Trail biking, as a sport, has increased in appreciation during the last few years, particularly with the upsurge of action sports or 'extreme sports.' It has liked the patronization of environmentally-concerned people, who use such bikes not only for the game, but also as a means to travel in the outside and in the town.

As more makers compete for shares in the mountain biking market, they're occupied with the continual development of bike technology, including the materials utilized in building the bikes. Trail biking technology has increased by jumps and bounds since the pioneers first assembled trail bicycles, and has now resulted in bikes that are extremely light yet highly sturdy. Again, striking a balance between these two aspects depends heavily on the type of mountain bike riding you wish to do, and on what terrain.

The first trail bikes were made from steel alloys. Carbon steel metal compounds are still employed in making beginner-level trail bicycles, and some enthusiasts still prefer these kinds. The heaviness of these steel alloys is not necessarily a disadvantage to the rider, as they supply natural shock absorption ( because of the material itself ), and a superb ratio of strength vs weight, only transcended by pricey titanium metal. Also, bike frames made of steel alloy can be easily fixed, even by the rider himself.

Alpha, Columbus, Easton Aluminum, and Reynolds are some of the bike companies that turn out aluminum alloy frames. These reasonably-priced frames are made for light weight and corrosion resistance, making these handy to maintain. Aluminum is also used as it is highly malleable, and can be turned into frames of different shapes. These are also strong, and their high levels of rigidity highly impact the success of integrated full suspension systems. Aluminum alloy frames will be available at reduced cost since the material is naturally abundant.

Composite materials such as Kevlar ( the same material used for bulletproof vests ) and carbon fiber are the most well liked composites used to make mountain bicycle frames. These materials are also utilised for other parts of the bike, as they are extremely lightweight and extremely strong. However bike frames made with Kevlar and carbon fiber are almost impossible to repair when damaged.

Titanium, the best and most costly material for bike frames, offers the light weight of carbon fiber with strength that will exceed that of the hardest steel alloy frames. It is also the most corrosion-resistant material for bike frames. Expectedly, all of these benefits come with an astronomical ticket.



About the Author
For more information please visit Mountain Bike Frame

Taking It To The Extreme With Mount Everest

The best known mountain of all, Mount Everest is an excellent modern extreme vacation destination. Travelers seeking a journey to a mesmerizing location will not be disappointed. Everest ranks as one of the top 8 extreme vacation spots in the world.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It attracts hikers and thousands of climbers of varying skill levels every year. Everest is around 29,029 feet high or 8,848 meters. Exhilaration and adventure are set requirements for climbing enthusiasts looking to vacation at Mount Everest. Stepping away from the beaches or camping beside a lake is becoming more popular.

Glaciers envelop the mountain from peak to peak. The mountain is a pyramid shaped horn with three chief ridges which soar to the summit from the north, south and west. The mountain is revered by the people of the Himalayas for power and beauty. Locals also revel in the fact that so many thrill seekers come to the mountain bringing much needed income.

What makes Mount Everest an extreme destination is the altitudes combined with the weather. There's a very small window of opportunity for climbing safety. The months of May through October are the best months to climb the mountain.

Only Serious Climbers Please

It's important to take into account that mountaineering is for serious travelers. Mount Everest is a tremendous adventure for serious thrill seekers. Steep faces, rough rocks, night climbing, ice, wind and snow are all factors when climbing this mountain.

An adventurer will journey from Lukla to Base Camp which is 17,600 feet of trek on the first day. Khumbu Icefall is another 19,500 feet upward, and then comes the Valley of Silence. Finally you will scale Lhoste Face and then onto the Summit. A climber will begin early in the morning and each stop resonates with a sounding effect of triumph.

As an extreme destination Mount Everest offers minute by minute thrills. A traveler seeking to branch out and away from the ordinary will find the world's highest mountain is a thrill seekers dream. It will test your own endurance and will power.

Breathtaking scenery, defying everyday life and a sense of accomplishment await those who wish to trek the highest peak in the world. It truly is a mountain climber's dream accomplishment.

Although one of the rarest adventure sports, mountaineering is one of the best options for an extreme vacation. Climbing Mount Everest is one of the utmost accomplishments of a lifetime. Embracing the intense challenge sets in stone a climbers sense of adventure.

Malta Climbers Set to Climb Mount Everest

In May 2010 three men from Malta will seek to be the first from their country to set their flag atop Mount Everest. Marco Cremona, Robert Gatt, and Gregory Attard are members of Challenge 8000. They are climbing Mount Everest for the aid of the Society of Maltese Asthmatics. They hope to raise social awareness on the air quality in Malta.

How much a cheap Malta flight impacts the environment for example isn't well known at the moment in Malta.

Robert says this about climbing the mountain, "Everest is the summit of what you can achieve, it's the one thing on every mountains climber's mind; the one place they all want to be." Trekking Everest is a dream come true, but a formidable one for any climber.

One must be fit and acclimated to high altitudes and ready for the push of a lifetime. Climbing Mount Everest will place a climber alongside the world's greatest climbers. It's an extreme destination, with an extreme calling for many.



About the Author
More details about a Malta are obtainable at yourmalta.com plus for Italy the Rome weather and an Italian map

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