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Friday, March 11, 2011

Wingsuit skydivers create incredible 25-person flock

From: http://www.geek.com/

Exploring the Sky - Wingsuit Flying 2011 from Richard Schneider on Vimeo.


Last year we here at Geek.com had a short obsession with wingsuit skydiving.The extreme activity pairs two awesome pastimes–jumping out of planes and wearing multicolored jumpsuits–into one incredible experience. Make sure to go back and check out that video if you want to be amazed by the jumpers’ accuracy and willingness to spit in the face of death.

The wingsuit fliers have continued working on their craft since then. In a recently posted video we can see that production values are up, the fliers are jumping in teams, and making they are even making formations. Jeb Corliss’ video makes this one look downright relaxing, but we still get a glimpse at the awesome control the wingsuits give the divers; their stability in the air is really fantastic.

The video’s maker, Richard Schneider told me the video above was filmed almost entirely with a Contour HD helmet cam. He recommends the Contour HD for its shape which he considers safer, thanks to less possible “snag points” where a parachute or cord could catch while being deployed. (The other popular camera with this sort of activity is the Go Pro.)

Side note: check out the propeller blades at 0:40. Their super fast motion combined with the sensor on the camera makes them look like they were made of rubber. They appear to be flopping sideways as they spin around. It’s probably the least cool thing in the whole video, but I do appreciate how the tech interacts with activities like this one.




From Vimeo: Helmet cam footage from wingsuit flights at the edges of the United States, including California (Lake Elsinore), Florida (Zephyrhills), Nevada (Mesquite), and Puerto Rico (Vega Baja). The last scene was from a vertical formation record organized by Flock University, 25 expert wingsuit fliers exiting from two airplanes.

See more footage of the 25 wingsuit vertical diamond record: vimeo.com/​19552772

Wingsuit Pilots: Justin Shorb, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Matt Santa Maria, Joel Hindman, Joshua Sheppard, Abe Sheppard, James Raimar, Brian Voils, Tim Hedderich, John Kallend, Zach Schroedel, Alex Scheidt, Jason Carter, Kyle O’Donohue, Scott Callantine, Brian Snarr, Andreea Olea, Simon Repton, Ralph Kubicsek, Ben Lowe, Savage Sac, Cate Flies, Rick Hough, Greg Drogaline, Scott Bland, Michael Swearingen, Ryan Maher, Mike Masheff, Nick Wright, Dennis Sattler, Scotty Burns, Jt Valente, Jeff Donohue

Primary footage captured and edited by Richard Schneider, Lake Elsinore parachute deployment scene captured by Douglas Spotted Eagle.

Music: Undenied by Portishead & The Funeral by Band of Horses.

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