Hazards! Watch Out!

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I Spy... Hopefully something

Since wingsuiting is essentially flying without a plane, many of the hazards for flying are also applicable to wingsuiting. The first is visibility. If visibility is not cleared for VFR rules, wingsuiting is NOT ALLOWED and is potentially fatal.

For Basic Circling and Distance Wingsuiting, you have to be able to see your landing zone and the direction you're heading, or else you may accidentally run into buildings, power lines, or other on-ground hazards.

This is even more the case for "Ultimate" wingsuiting. Imagine flying through a canyon, near a cliff, between trees, or through a waterfall and not being able to see where they all are! So first things first, make sure your visibility is perfect!

Image result for dark clouds gif

Giphy https://giphy.com/explore/storm-clouds 03/17/19

Wind (not so much earth and fire though)

Better watch out for that wind. The rule here is the less wind the better. For beginners, the recommended maximum speed for aloft winds are 40 mph and 20 mph for winds closer to the ground.

Not only can they cause massive problems in orientation and control for the flier, but heavy winds can also damage the suit and even cause massive problems in releasing the parachute! If you're a beginner, any signs of moderate wind is a sign that wingsuiting should be saved for later. Even for more experienced fliers, wind should be heavily considered before making a trip.

Image result for wind gifGiphy https://giphy.com/gifs/loop-wind-turbine-xeiH58RK81Kuc 03/17/19

Earth - huh... guess I spoke too soon...

This one mostly applies to "ultimate" wingsuiting, but also should be considered for the landing portion of basic and distance wingsuiting.

The terrain plays a gigantic role. Even if visibility is perfect, it's best to know your route inside and out because any mistake could be deadly. Cliffs, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, trees, and human hazards are all things that should be considered when undertaking a flight!

Related image

Gifer https://gifer.com/en/BZ24 03/17/19

Thunderbolts and Lightning - Very very frightening!

OK ok ok, I'm cheating a little bit here, because thunderstorms overlap a lot with the previous hazards, and basic common sense will tell you "hey, maybe jumping from a plane or a cliff and flying during a thunderstorm isn't a good idea". But I think lightning adds another distraction to wingsuiting that is worth mentioning.

Although nylon suits do not conduct electricity, the biggest problem is that lightning is a major distraction for beginner fliers and even experienced ones too. Because they can sometimes be so up close and personal, they can throw off a person's sense of direction and make them lose control of their wingsuits worse than heavy wind, leading to disastrous and likely fatal consequences. The thunder then exponentially increases that chaos. And this is assuming that the wingsuits haven't already been damaged by the heavy wind. 

Image result for lightning gif daylight

Gifer https://gifer.com/en/RaYc 03/17/19

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