Re: [tunnelvision9] Phoenix Fly power tracking suit
Here are couple of thoughts from my end as well. Like being said before, I have been involved in the PTS project for the whole lifecycle of it (the last 2 years) and tested and flew all the prototypes and the end product as well. The PTS project originates to back in the times when we spoke with Ted Rudd (RIP bro!) regarding convincing Robi to improve tracking gear. We had already at that time a very high performance with the new version of tracking suit, quite widely known as the "wide design". The wide design was outperforming the previous models easily by 15-20% but it was also bringing a lot of stability issues and being very demanding to fly when flown to the max. We experienced a lot twitchiness on the suit and this design albeit highly powerful was difficult to fly to the point that it could not be recommend to anyone except highly experienced and skilled (and current) big wall trackers.
We took this as a starting point and focus to the development of new tracking suit; to create a suit which still passes any previous suits in performance but is more stable and safer to fly. The end product of this project is the PTS, bringing entirely new shape and several functional improvements to the pants and jacket ensuring rock solid pressurization, ease of use and great performance. The PTS still has a lot of performance but the main improvement is the stability, safety and ease of flight. I can get almost the same distance in my wide design when I max it out but I have never flown a tracking suit which feels so solid to fly like the PTS. Also in top the PTS seems to start higher than any of the suits I have previously flown.
The PTS, although much more stable and easy to fly, still is a suit for advanced and experienced big wall trackers. It is not your first tracking suit or if you are looking for a suit to do occasional arials, freefly base or what ever other things, get the "standard" suit. The PTS is the V4 of tracking suits, optimised to start early and fly far.
And ultimately, like said by some really good trackers already in this thread, it is not the arrow, it is the indian. The suit itself, regardless ho good it is, will not fly anywhere. It is the pilot inside the suit that makes all the difference. I wish all safe flights and long tracks, I´m really stoked to see several companies pushing the development of tracking gear further and further!
Markus
HSBC / SBA / FBA
www.basejump.fi / www.basejumper.ch
