{"id":38649,"date":"2021-11-30T15:26:34","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T15:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=38649"},"modified":"2021-12-15T13:07:20","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T13:07:20","slug":"just-keep-flying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/just-keep-flying\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Keep Flying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Patrick Kramer & Alex Knaub advise on Wingsuit Transitions<\/strong>…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“Just Keep Flying<\/strong>!”<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Note from the authors <\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As with any other skydiving discipline, it\u2019s best to get a good coach to help you learn wingsuiting skills. If you\u2019re fortunate enough to be in Sweden, where there\u2019s a dedicated wingsuit tunnel<\/a>, you will be able to accomplish in a few hours what might take months to learn in the air. A wingsuit tunnel is also scheduled to open in 2022 near Orlando, Florida. (But honestly, doesn\u2019t a trip to Sweden sound more fun?) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As wingsuit flocks get bigger, it\u2019s becoming ever more important to spread the gospel of bird traffic control…<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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If you want to fly the suit and not let the suit fly you, it\u2019s essential to learn the basic maneuver of transitioning from belly-flying to back-flying. The core element of the transition is to continue flying the wingsuit through the transition while maintaining lift, which will ensure the transition is smooth. Smoothly rotating from your belly to back while maintaining your flight is significantly different from throwing your body over and catching yourself on the other side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although throwing your body over and catching yourself may work to get you from one side to the other, it does not make for a clean transition, and it is unlikely that you will maintain altitude and speed. Flying the suit through the transition allows you to maintain control, and it\u2019s just an all-around better way to transition. You won\u2019t lose speed or altitude, you\u2019ll look cooler, you\u2019ll have more fun and you\u2019ll be a safer flyer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, you will learn the proper body position for doing a transition and the proper techniques to use when practicing in the sky. Invest your time wisely in the beginning to get more out of every jump. If you have questions, ask an experienced wingsuit coach. You\u2019ll want to practice with a partner for a frame of reference. If you make solos, you\u2019ll have no idea if the transition was good, bad or ugly (with \u201cgood\u201d defined as maintaining level flight, altitude and speed). Your transitions may be sloppy in the beginning, but with enough practice, they will become beautiful and smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your body and wings give you lift. In a smaller suit such as a Phoenix Fly Havok, Phoenix Fly Carve, Squirrel Sprint, Squirrel Swift and the like, your body will be the main driver of lift. You\u2019ll gain lift with your shoulders, chest, stomach and leg wing. Your arm wings will keep you flying level and stable. (Although you can actually accomplish a transition without wings, we won\u2019t go there. It\u2019s weird and incredibly difficult). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Video <\/em>– Transitions in the Indoor WS tunnel<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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