Slashdot Mirror
Flying Humans
mlimber sends us to the NYTimes for a story about flying people who jump from planes or other high locations wearing a wing suit akin to a flying squirrel's. Their efforts have potential military and Xtreme sports applications. The story profiles, with video, one guy who wants to be the first to jump from a plane and land without a parachute (and live). Here's a YouTube video of another of these fliers skimming six feet above skiers in the Swiss Alps. Quoting: "Modern suit design features tightly woven nylon sewn between the legs and between the arms and torso, creating wings that fill with air and create lift, allowing for forward motion and aerial maneuvers while slowing descent. As the suits, which cost about $1,000, have become more sophisticated, so have the pilots. The best fliers, and there are not many, can trace the horizontal contours of cliffs, ridges and mountainsides."
The best fliers, and there are not many,
That is because the bad one die.
Darwinism in action
In Soviet Russia, Boris and Natasha get Moose and Flying Human.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
...from Acme products. Tragically the roadrunner continues to elude me.
Faith: n. -- That human impulse that drives them to steal appliances when the power goes out
The best fliers, and there are not many
Darwin in action.
Weeks of coding saves hours of planning.
Kinda like Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story
The principal difficulty seems to be in throwing oneself at the ground and missing.
Of course it would! Just put telescoping poles on each limb and increase the wingspan about 20 feet or so... then add an engine and a propeller... maybe incase the guy in some kind of lightweight metal to protect him from the wind and such and to make him a bit more aerodynamic...
Dammit... Now I want to know about the library incident.
"That's not flying, it's falling with style"
Woody, Toy Story
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
And he liked it!
By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. -- George Carlin
"...possible to use an engine to turn these gliders into true flying suits? "
Pull my finger, Phillip, and we'll see....
Because it is there Struth, it would be much harder to jump out of the sky if it weren't there...
Sorry, I didn't mean to jibe. I know what you're saying and I agree, althought I think the quote is more about making huge risks for huge gains (but also potential losses). Sometimes it just feels like Godwins Law somtimes on slashdot though, except like this: As a Slashdot thread grows longer, the probability of a comparison to the benefits of open source approaches one. In fact I name it Aneurysm's law :)
...is our gain. It was going good for him until he got smug about it.
FAQs are evil.
"Say what's a mountain goat doing way up here in a cloud bank?"
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
Just look at the suit! It would sharply direct 140mph air at my man parts!
The game.
I don't think so... Vesna Vulovic was female. ;)
After the accident, at least...Yeah, the Russian commanders probably told them that they didn't have it so bad - the guys who were drafted in the summer had to do it without snow.
And here I thought it was Python...
Look around for a proportionate personal vehicle--some large, flat, aerodynamically suitable piece of wreckage.
Unfortunately at this point, all those bits are still wayyyy above you, flapping about as they tumble gently to earth. You, however, having been in the "dead spider" position for a few minutes, are wayyyy below them. Bummer.
But still, keep your hopes up and your mind clear, and you'll be able to take some nice shots with your cameraphone, smiling and waving cheekily as you plumment to earth. Try and get into one of those legs-crossed hindu levitation positions for the last ones - they'll look a treat.
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.
Perfectly good airplane?!
Have you seen jump planes? No seats and there's a huge hole in the wall.
I can honestly say without caveat that of the hundreds of rides I've taken on Twin Otters not once have I safely landed in one.
I find being offended by me offensive.