It's been a while since we saw some good base jumping and wingsuit flying - not to mention proximity flying, where participants try to fly as close as possible to the terrain without actually hitting it. Here's a video with all three elements at once. For once, the music's not bad, either. Watch it in full-screen mode for the best perspective.
The only time I've seen trees go past above my head like that was aboard South African Air Force helicopters in a combat zone. It was pretty sphincter-tightening then, and I daresay it had the same effect on the jumper in this video too . . .
Peter
If only Wile E. Coyote had had a wingsuit.....
ReplyDeleteNot just no, but Hell no
ReplyDeleteThe really cool part about that sport is, with the combination of lack of instrumentation for precision, horrible maneuverability, no margin in energy states, and ultra close proximity to obstacles, the amount of reaction time between, "Hey I might have a problem here" and "Splash" can usually be measured in fractions of a second. On the other hand, when the accident happens it can usually be cleaned up with a sponge and a bucket.
ReplyDeleteI guess statistically it's not much more dangerous than hunting dangerous game in Africa, but I think I'll skip that one.
FormerFlyer
FormerFlyer:
ReplyDeletethe question is whether any real improvements can be made in those areas you mention. I doubt there is enough money in the sport to get some real aeronautical engineering people interested in the problems.
If there was a huge growth of need in the military side...