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Hi,

Does anyone know the horizontal distance between exit point and grassy landing area at ITW ?

(needed to evaluate glide ratio... Shouldn't have left my GPS at home )

Thanks !

1600 or 1700 m I believe.

Gus

> Does anyone know the horizontal distance between exit point and grassy landing area at ITW ?

Yes indeed, Gus is right.
At ITW, there are 1700 m of horizontal distance between exit and (designated) landing, while there are 1200 m of height difference between exit and landing, making a 2000 m (diagonal) straight distance bewtween exit and landing.
The 2 km straight doistance between exit and landing is good to know for those interested in videoing the wingsuit flying directly from landing.
I would say that a videocamera with 20X optical zoom (plus the digital zoom) can video the jump pretty well. A 20X optical zoom is attainable with a 2X lens put on a "standard" 10X optical videocamera.
Once I took a video of a wingsuit flight from landing, but in that event I didn't have my 2X lens on, so I videoed with 10X optical+(what-needed) digital, and the jumper on exit was decently "visible".
Shooting a video from landing with at least a 20X optical zoom should yield a very nice video of all flight.
Supposing you are fully flying wirth a wingsuit 300 m below exit point, now you are 900 m above landing level with still 1700 m of horizontal distance to go, with an efficiency of 2 you can barely make it, any efficiency above 2 you can make it very well.
In fact, the best wingsuit jumpers pass the landing, reach the river, do a 180°, come back a while and then open over the landing. I know that the best wingsuit jumpers can reach an efficiency of about 2.5.
So, with any efficiency between 2 and 2.5 you can make it to the landing, being careful that being too close to just 2 you could not make it to the landing, if there is a slight cross wind, or if you cannot keep your best position for all flight long, or because of any other small "if".

Thanks both of you for the info !

I would correct this a bit: a wingsuit will start flying much much sooner. I usually substract 100m for the start and 100m for the opening, that's a good approximation. Thus a minimum glide to make LZ at ITW is about 1.6, which is quite easy. It is even reachable in Classic or Prodigy.

There are many other advanced sites requiring a glide of 2..2.5, though.

bsbd!

Yuri.

> I would correct this a bit: a wingsuit will start flying much much sooner.
Yes, indeed, my friend. I am NOT an expert of wingsuit at all, but I know the data of the site (I measured them personally (well calibrated altimeter+GPS positions)!!!), plus I collected few hints here and there from expert wingsuit flyers (yourself, #880..) and so my "300 m" of vertical-non-flight are simply an overconservative approach.
Just to stay on the safe side, you know!!!!!!!
Keep in touch!!!!!

> It is even reachable in Classic or Prodigy.
I would like so much to see that (=to reach the landing) done with a Prodigy!!!
In that case, I would go out and buy one!!!!!!
I know that I am NOT going to make it to the landing the very first jump off ITW, but knowing that someone can REALLY make it with a Prodigy with be a "target" for me!!!!!!!!!!!

You just missed seeing it in August ;-) Prodigy made it over the bar (1700m mark) still about 200m high, on the first try. It took many flights to reach the same spot on Classic in the good old days.

bsbd!

Yuri.

> You just missed seeing it in August. Prodigy made it over the bar (1700m mark) still about 200m high, on the first try
Who made it to the landing (with still 200 m to spare) with a Prodigy?
A phenomenon like yourself/R.P./#880 or a "normal" jumper?
Very good achievement indeed, though!!!!!! Whoever did it!!!!