I am a skydiver with about 1200 jumps, and I've made about 50 jumps with a 
wing suit. I confess that jumping with a wing suit was the only time I had 
the feeling that I was really flying. Actually, one time I left the airplane 
and for a brief amount of time I actually went up instead of going down.
The glide factor is so amazing that some crazy ideas start to cross your 
mind. A friend of mine is actually doing a series of tests with a wing suit 
and test the feasibility of landing with a wing suit. Patrick De Gayardon, 
one of the greatest skydiving inovators, died in 1998 while testing a wing 
suit. He was the first guy to leave an airplane and then return to it while 
the plane was still flying.

The concept on these wingsuits is very similar to modern canopies, they are 
composed of two pieces of fabric that let the air in but not out, generating 
internal air pressure so the "wing" is almost rigid.

Cheers

Padu

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Russell McMahon"


> English Channel crossing by sky-diver.
>
> Felix Baumgauter, Austrian.
>
>
>
> 22 miles / 35 km cross range capability.
>
> 6 foot "wing".
>
> 30,000 foot release.
>
> 14 minutes
>
>
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3112095.stm
>
>
>
> 360 kph / 220 mph peak velocity.
>
> Typical travelling velocity was 220 / 135.
>
> Temperature down to -40C.
>
> Cloud cover all the way so no view of where he was going. (I think I can, 
> I
> THINK I can, I ...)
>
>
>
> Glide ratio of about 3.8:1 - not very flash - so why hasn't someone done
> this years ago?
>
> Quite a large looking "wing" considering - almost a mini glider.
>
>
>
> Landing report
>
>
>
>        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3113733.stm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In 1999, he jumped from the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro and the
> Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur - the tallest buildings in the world.
>
>
>
> He says he has something better coming up.
>
>
>
> __________________________________
>
>
>
> 20 miles cross range. Now you just need to work out how to get from orbit
> down to 30,000 feet.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Link: Matthew McMahon
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
> 

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