{"id":17524,"date":"2016-11-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=17524"},"modified":"2021-01-07T11:46:26","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T11:46:26","slug":"2016-11-17-wtf-are-we-really-doing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2016-11-17-wtf-are-we-really-doing\/","title":{"rendered":"WTF are we Really Doing?!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Article by Richard Webb, <a href=\"http:\/\/topgunbase.ws\/\">Topgunbase<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p><!-- Squirrel Large Leader Wingsuit [async] --><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler){(function(){var s = document.createElement(\"script\"); s.async = true; s.type = \"text\/javascript\";s.src = 'https:\/\/servedbyadbutler.com\/app.js';var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);}());}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\nvar AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\nvar abkw = window.abkw || '';\nvar plc356734 = window.plc356734 || 0;\ndocument.write('<'+'div id=\"placement_356734_'+plc356734+'\"><\/'+'div>');\nAdButler.ads.push({handler: function(opt){ AdButler.register(175942, 356734, [860,248], 'placement_356734_'+opt.place, opt); }, opt: { place: plc356734++, keywords: abkw, domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com', click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOaLDER' }});\n<\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wingsuit-exit-squirrel-fire-nicole-schafer-FI.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wingsuit-exit-squirrel-fire-nicole-schafer-FI.jpg 860w, https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wingsuit-exit-squirrel-fire-nicole-schafer-FI-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wingsuit-exit-squirrel-fire-nicole-schafer-FI-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wingsuit-exit-squirrel-fire-nicole-schafer-FI-400x225.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><figcaption>Are we playing with fire? \u2013 Image by Nicole Schafer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In 1964, NASA initiated a test program to research lifting body aerodynamics. These were stubby, ultra-short-wingspan aircraft that literally fell out of the sky.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Towed up to a release altitude of approximately twelve thousand feet over Edwards Air Force Base in Mojave, CA, highly trained test pilots perfected a high-speed flight profile with a \u2018best-glide\u2019 sink at just over three thousand feet per minute. For a glider, these numbers meant you might as well have been&nbsp;flying a brick. To effect a safe landing, test pilots intentionally pushed the nose even steeper from best-glide to generate surplus airspeed, building enough kinetic energy for a one-shot flare to just <em>baaarely<\/em> level their flight path prior to touchdown. Energy management and timing had to be impeccable. Real lives were on the line. With precision honed by years of high-performance test pilot training, they nailed it repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/\/8afe6cf1-a945-4743-bdad-664aef29266b.jpg\" alt=\"M2-F1 in front of Shuttle prototype\" width=\"935\" height=\"497\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>M2-F1 \u2013 ultra non aerodynamic aircraft \u2013 in front of Shuttle prototype<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aesthetically, the M2-F1 was just plain ugly, but its performance validated the theory of lifting body aerodynamics. The M2-F1 set the stage for development of the X-24A and other lifting body research aircraft. The knowledge gained from these incredibly high-risk programs led ultimately to the most complex flying machine ever created: the Space Shuttle. In recent years, we\u2019ve all been witness to the cutting edge victories of Space Ship One validating private space travel. Space Ship Two is poised to offer civilian space rides for a fraction of previous costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/\/36f20738-1415-4153-be70-6053a719582b.jpg\" alt=\"Spaceship One over Mojave, CA\" width=\"1103\" height=\"833\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Spaceship One over Mojave<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of these programs incorporate stump-winged, low efficiency, high drag lifting body platforms. That\u2019s great, but\u2026 <strong>aren\u2019t we supposed to be talking about wingsuits?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, just to keep things spicy, let\u2019s take the above-mentioned high-risk programs, and add flexible airfoil technology. And 8 degrees of flight control articulation, meaning wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, spine, hips, knees, and ankles. Don\u2019t forget ram air inflation. And blended-wing-body aerodynamics. Let\u2019s also take out the wing spar. Now combine all of these aerodynamic nightmares onto a single platform and ask a pilot to fly this crazy aircraft. Wait, let\u2019s ask a non-pilot to fly this aircraft. Just a few meters off the deck\u2026. We\u2019ve just described today\u2019s modern wingsuit community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/\/203543fa-77c9-4bd3-9d62-1d52aa4a68dc.jpg\" alt=\"Today\u2019s modern wingsuit: Nightmare for aerodynamicists and pilots, yet flown by neither\" width=\"1139\" height=\"558\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s step back from the edge for a second and assess what we\u2019re really doing. We\u2019re taking an already very high-risk activity, that of jumping off a cliff and saving our butts by deploying a parachute, and intentionally increasing the risk by zipping ourselves inside a baggy nylon straightjacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then we\u2019re asking our straightjacket to inflate as fast as possible to a magical shape that enables us to scoop out of our ballistic freefall arc and sort of fly. We\u2019ll get back to that \u2018sort of fly\u2019 comment in a bit. First, let\u2019s look at these magic suits a little closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Today\u2019s wingsuits are awesome<\/strong>. Seriously, modern wingsuit design teams have the coolest job description ever! They combine computational fluid dynamics and digital laser cutters with good ol\u2019 fashioned trial and error. \u201cHey, let\u2019s try this idea!\u201d Nothing wrong with that approach. Pretty legit when you\u2019re breaking new ground, and we\u2019re getting some amazing wingsuits as a result. It\u2019s honestly the 1930\u2019s \u2018Golden Age of Aviation\u2019, except it\u2019s the 2010\u2018s \u2018Golden Age of Wingsuits\u2019\u2026 a great period of flying history to be immersed in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here\u2019s where a disconnect starts to emerge. A disconnect that leads to one of the biggest problems facing the wingsuit BASE community today: Our heritage skydiving mindset, combined with today\u2019s explosive production and development of modern wingsuits, fools us into believing wingsuits are cutting edge, high performance flying devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Well, \u2018High performance\u2019 relative to what?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>From a freefall skydiver\u2019s perspective<\/em>, wingsuits are mind-blowing flying wonders available with the swipe of a red-hot credit card. Honestly, that\u2019s about as simple and accurate as it gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>From a pilot\u2019s perspective,<\/em> wingsuits are ultra-low-efficiency gliders with no wing spar, a tiny flight envelope, unforgiving handling qualities, high pilot workload, and no landing capability. Test pilots would legitimately describe a wingsuit as \u201ca high-speed nylon body bag\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/\/24ad1a1a-8d63-4f90-b954-5ce5bcd4dda1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"578\" height=\"730\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blincmagazine.com\/forum\/wiki_index.php?title=BASE_Fatality_List\">BFL<\/a> would agree with this observation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From my personal experience, I can unequivocally state that I have never flown an aircraft as unforgiving and ultra-low-performance as today\u2019s modern wingsuit. With upwards of seventy different models of aircraft in my logbook, wingsuits are by far the deadliest aircraft I have ever flown. From helicopters, gliders, ultra-lights, gyrocopters, and airplanes. Tail wheel, single engine, twin engine, piston, turbine, and jets. Never have I focused with such intensity, flown with such commitment and precision, or exerted such physical effort as when landing an F-14 on a pitching carrier deck at night. Nothing comes close. Except when flying a wingsuit in technical or unfamiliar terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is the light bulb starting to come on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ok, let\u2019s switch gears a bit. Let\u2019s talk about the pilot inside the suit for a second. Today\u2019s explosive wingsuit development is grossly outpacing our poor training regiment, our lack of basic pilot skills and our lack of good judgment. To make matters worse, most new wingsuits released today are actually easier to fly than their predecessors. No wonder when a false perception of pilot skill starts to take root. It\u2019s an insidious circle when you really think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a nugget of aviation wisdom: A good pilot can fly any aircraft well with sufficient and recurrent training. However, just because you can afford to buy a Learjet that practically flies itself does not make you a good jet pilot. The same is true for wingsuits. Don\u2019t let the apparent ease of flying a particular wingsuit fool you into thinking you\u2019re a good pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everybody thinks they\u2019re a good driver, right? Well, take away your ABS, traction control, power steering, power brakes, rear view mirrors, the speedometer, and your gas gauge. Jump into rush hour traffic on the highway. Now we\u2019ll see how skilled a driver you really are. Chances are, the very features making your car easy to drive mask your lack of full-spectrum driving awareness and capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being a good pilot is no different. As flight instructors, we don\u2019t take student pilots and stick them in newer, more expensive and \u2018easier\u2019 aircraft to compensate for their lack of skill. We give them focused training in basic, no-frills aircraft, and lots of it. We make them prove their competency and core piloting skills in entry-level aircraft first. Students incrementally advance to more complex aircraft\u2026 some would call this, I don\u2019t know, slow and steady progression?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the highest levels of commercial aviation, we find full-flight autopilots, auto-throttles and auto-land capabilities. These features make the most complex aircraft appear \u2018easy to fly\u2019 to a novice pilot. Yet, when shit hits the fan, systems malfunction, and flight plans crumble airborne, core pilot skills and judgment are the primary critical components for a safe outcome. It\u2019s the pilot, not the airplane, who saves the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okay, we\u2019ve talked a little about the suits. We\u2019ve talked a little about the pilot skill inside the suits. Now let\u2019s get back to that \u2018sort of fly\u2019 comment at the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u201cI\u2019ve got 200 skydives, therefore I\u2019m now qualified to fly a wingsuit.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That statement is heard at dropzones everywhere. In most circles, this is actually considered a conservative statement! Many jumpers begin flying wingsuits with far less skydives. With visions of social media grandeur playing through their heads, it\u2019s becoming routine to hear AFF students loudly proclaim their intentions of terrain flying in Switzerland as fast as possible. <em>Whoa, what?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember the first time you really nailed a track in skydiving? Your first taste of \u2018human flight\u2019 where, all of a sudden, you found the sweet spot of perfect body position and you took off across the sky! Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but that wasn\u2019t actual flight. It was controlled deflection of air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u201cBut it feeeeels like flight, and it feels good!<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I totally agree!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, after progressing through multiple wingsuits, \u201cLook at skydivers falling vertically while I fly at 3:1 glide ratio. I really MUST be flying now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the big problem! The skydiving metric of \u2018improved flight performance\u2019 is referenced off the vertical column of air introduced to us from our very first tandem. This reference is reinforced for the recommended couple of hundred jumps before we\u2019re arbitrarily \u2018qualified\u2019 to zip into our first wingsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a dirty secret: the very same jump plane that gets you to altitude references \u2018improved flight performance\u2019 <em>relative to the horizon<\/em>. Yet, wingsuiters delude themselves by&nbsp;referencing&nbsp;the vertical air column for performance metrics. In part, because it\u2019s what we know from our skydiving roots. In part, because we think it&nbsp;makes us look good as we brag about our glide distance and speeds to newbie skydivers. Wake up! We\u2019re collectively fooling ourselves. When&nbsp;we truly compare wingsuits to other aircraft,&nbsp;we\u2019re in a world of hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Showing up at your local glider flight club for a demo instructional flight, you find yourself flying a docile entry-level sailplane with a glide ratio of 35:1 and a wingspan of fifty feet. &nbsp;(Fun fact: Top competition sailplanes can achieve glide ratios as high as 72:1)\u2026 The flying bug hooks you, and a sailplane pilot syllabus rapidly follows. You sweat through ground school absorbing aerodynamics, weather, regulations, airspace, and more. That\u2019s just the bookwork. The flight portion of your syllabus navigates you through basic flight maneuvers, takeoffs, landings, emergency procedures and the accumulation of required flight hours. Your first solo flight is the happiest day of your life! A couple of months later, after passing an intensive ground and practical examination with the FAA, your official \u2018Private Pilot: Airplane-Glider\u2019 certificate now hangs on your wall. It\u2019s your proudest accomplishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fast-forward a few hundred hours of flight experience. You\u2019ve grown bored flying with the slow docile flight characteristics that 35:1 GR gives you. Those advanced aerodynamics books you\u2019ve been geeking out on have given you a crazy idea. Grabbing a saw, you chop ten feet off each wingtip, leaving you with a 30-foot wingspan and a theoretical 21:1 GR. Your flights are now much faster and less forgiving. The flight controls are more responsive, your flights are much shorter, and you need to stay closer to the airport. Your wing also stalls at a much higher airspeed than it used to. Other glider pilots look at you funny, calling you \u201ccrazy\u201d and \u201cstupid\u201d\u2026 \u201cYou\u2019re gonna kill yourself, son. There\u2019s a reason why gliders are built the way they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you\u2019re a certified pilot who diligently trains and studies. You\u2019ve done your homework. You enjoy being a test pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next weekend, you chop another ten feet off each wing. Now you\u2019re down to a ten-foot wingspan (just five feet on either side of you!) with a theoretical 7:1 GR, somewhere around the glide ratio of a typical fighter jet. As expected, flights are stupid fast, really twitchy, and hard to control. You\u2019re working hard for every second of flight. Precise energy management is of critical importance, as every knot of airspeed is precious energy that cannot be wasted. Your flight pattern is precisely planned to account for every variable of temperature, pressure, winds aloft, surface winds, cloud cover and time of day. You\u2019ve modified Microsoft Flight Sim to simulate the flight performance of your \u2018lead sled\u2019. You diligently train to develop flight profiles that are repeatable. You build a set of known performance numbers to fly to on your cockpit instrumentation: best glide speed, target sink rate, and ideal angle of attack. All of this meticulous training and preparation enables you to glide to a stupidly fast one-shot flare at a precise point on the runway. Things happen fast and there is no time to think. Every detail must be planned, considered, briefed and executed with minimal contingency plans available. You start wearing a flight helmet. You weld a roll bar over the top of the cockpit inside the bubble canopy. You wear a parachute. You love it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A month later, after convincing yourself that you really do have this \u2018anvil glider\u2019 flying dialed in, out comes the saw for one more downsize. A few cuts later, you\u2019re staring at a cockpit\u2026 and not much else. Only three feet of wing, about one arm\u2019s length, stick out from either side of your tiny little bubble cockpit. You\u2019ve checked and re-checked the numbers. A six-foot wingspan gives you a glide ratio of 4:1\u2026 theoretically. You pick up your helmet and your parachute. This will not be a test flight. This will be controlled freefall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>So, what&#8217;s the difference<\/strong> between today\u2019s average wingsuit pilot and our glider test pilot here? Both involve manned, low-efficiency, stubby-wing, and immensely high workload flying platforms. Yet wingsuits are perceived as high-performance state-of-the-art flying devices, manned by self-taught \u2018freefall athletes\u2019 with zero pilot training and no flight instruments. Our glider pilot is a highly trained certified pilot who has passed the rigorous and intense Practical Test Standards of an FAA checkride\u2026 yet could easily be perceived by peers to be a lunatic pilot with a death wish. The under-educated wingsuit community praises perceived achievement and capability; the professionally trained pilot community scorns high-risk, low-efficiency flight. Are you starting to get the picture now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to our stubby-wing research aircraft at the very beginning of this story. Guess what the subsonic best-glide numbers were for them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/\/5cc5a750-8170-46a3-9d21-06ffe71b00fa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1112\" height=\"861\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eerily similar to today\u2019s best wingsuits\u2026 yet all flown by the world\u2019s best test pilots\u2026 You don\u2019t see test pilots tipping their already sketchy lifting-body aircraft off cliffs and scraping their wings down mountain terrain lines, do you? No, that would categorically be considered the dumbest idea ever, even though performance envelopes eerily match up. In wingsuits, it\u2019s considered good sport; in a similar-performing airplane flown by an actual ice-veined military test pilot, well, that\u2019s just plain lunacy. See the hypocrisy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alright, where does that leave us? Wingsuits are currently in a TBD (to-be-determined) category of aviation. We\u2019re \u2018sort of flying\u2019, but defaulting back to our freefall modes when shit goes south or the ground gets close. On the other hand, when we are actually flying\u2026 it\u2019s really, really sketchy flying, as in Chuck Yeager-type flight envelopes. We\u2019re flying just enough to kill ourselves by making flying errors, not freefall errors. Pilots don\u2019t know shit about freefall and parachutes, and wingsuiters currently don\u2019t know shit about aviation. We need to bridge that gap. Our wingsuit community, with our deeply embedded freefall roots, believes that \u201cwe know what we\u2019re doing, and we know how to fly.\u201d We couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. Our high fatality rate in wingsuit BASE proves this. Our fatalities are being caused by ambitious minds thinking they\u2019re test pilot quality. In reality, those same minds are making novice pilot mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So perhaps on your next wingsuit flight, you could pause to reflect on just how close your wingsuit resembles a NASA research aircraft. Ask yourself \u201cWhat makes ME so special to bypass any form of pilot training? Why am I qualified to fly this 3:1 aerodynamic nightmare?\u201d If you can come up with a substantive answer, please cross-check it against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blincmagazine.com\/forum\/wiki_index.php?title=BASE_Fatality_List\">BFL<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Article by Richard Webb of&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/topgunbase.ws\/\">Topgunbase<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><!-- Squirrel Supersize Wingsuit [async] --><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler){(function(){var s = document.createElement(\"script\"); s.async = true; s.type = \"text\/javascript\";s.src = 'https:\/\/servedbyadbutler.com\/app.js';var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);}());}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\nvar AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\nvar abkw = window.abkw || '';\nvar plc356859 = window.plc356859 || 0;\ndocument.write('<'+'div id=\"placement_356859_'+plc356859+'\"><\/'+'div>');\nAdButler.ads.push({handler: function(opt){ AdButler.register(175942, 356859, [860,484], 'placement_356859_'+opt.place, opt); }, opt: { place: plc356859++, keywords: abkw, domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com', click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER' }});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Richard Webb, fighter pilot \u2013  &#8220;I have never flown an aircraft as unforgiving and ultra-low-performance as today\u2019s modern wingsuit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":18745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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