The Apache class

The Apache is in a class of its own. The Apache is without question the largest and highest performance wingsuit available in terms of glide and speed. But most importantly, the Apache is still a fun and easy to fly wingsuit for experienced wingsuit BASE jumpers.
During their work on the Fusion wingsuit project, Tony and Jeff observed that placing the parachute harness inside the suit improved performance by reducing drag. They immediately made a prototype that could accommodate a normal BASE harness, attached via specially positioned zips in the back panel of the suit. This allows the suit to benefit from the improved aerodynamics of an internal harness system whilst still being able to utilize your normal rig. The Apache system basically combines your normal BASE rig with the wingsuit to create an integrated wingsuit / container system.

Innovative Design:

This new "Zip-in-rig" system allows the bottom skin of the suit to be shaped as a single surface, without being obstructed and distorted by the harness. As a result the arm wings are sewn 100% to the suit (no more zippers!) allowing the size of the wings to be increased and greatly reducing drag on the surface of the suit. This has created a massive “free” performance increase with no compromise in stability or safety.

Handling:

Despite its increased surface area the Apache is one of the “lightest” suits available in terms of arm resistance, thanks to the suit's incredible pressurization and the lower wing loading that is a result of the increased surface area. With airlocked arm and leg wings, it requires very little effort to hold in a position of best glide and speed. Many Tony Suit pilots feel that because of the high internal wing pressure, a more relaxed body position actually yields higher performance – contrary to many other suits which require much effort to fly at best glide. With the Apache, just relax and give the suit gentle inputs to get where you want to go.

Speed:

The Apache arm and leg wing profile thickness has been adjusted to increase forward airspeed. This was made possible by an increase in overall surface area and also the “No-Flap” feature inherent in all Tony Suits, another benefit of our airlocked wing technology. Thanks to these new features, the Apache has a faster speed at its maximum glide than any other suit on the market.

The Pilot:

If you are an expert wingsuit BASE pilot looking for the cutting edge in glide performance and speed, then this is the suit for you. There is no other wingsuit available that can match the Apache’s size, glide performance, and ease of use. TonySuits have been the world leader in wingsuit glide performance for 3 years in a row, in skydive competition and in the BASE world. The Apache takes Tony Suit’s legacy to the next level with a design that is years ahead of the competition.

NOTE: This suit is for BASE jumping only. Having the harness inside the suit excludes it from being used for skydiving. Expert wingsuit skydivers could choose to modify the Apache to mount the emergency handles on to the suit itself under the guidance of a qualified rigger but TonySuits does NOT recommend any modifications!

Apache features

Semi rigid shaped leading edge:

the arm wing leading edge incorporates semi-rigid foam inserts to improve the air flow over the arm wing and increase performance.

Escape Sleeve 2:

Would you like to be able to reach your toggles without unzipping? With the escape sleeve that is exactly what you can do! There is no need for a release system, thanks to the carefully tailored arm sleeve design you can reach up and immediately grab your risers / toggles after opening.

With the release of the Apache suit which utilizes a greater arm sweep angle, the Escape Sleeve has been further refined and updated to allow even easier access to your toggles. Check out the gallery for video of Matt Gerdes demonstrating the Escape sleeve.

Air locked inlets:

Standard on all TonySuits are our industry leading air locked inlets offering fast and rock solid pressurization.

'Zip in rig' attachment:

TonySuits are now even easier to attach and use thanks to the ingenious zip in rig system.

Variable Pressurization :

Zips installed in the arm and leg wings allow the amount of pressurization to be varied. By opening the zips the amount of pressurization is reduced, useful for dialing in your suit performance to match a flock or to follow students.

Fast-back:

for an extra performance boost the fast back option is available - the fast-back is a large full length deflector that inflates on the back of the suit, streamlining the parachute container form to improve the air flow over the back of the suit. The fast-back has also been re-tailored to allow even cleaner PC access.

Extended Leg Zips (optional):

if you have difficulty reaching down to unzip your leg wing then you will find this option useful, the zip pull is extended up the side of the leg making unzipping easier and quicker.

BASE Soles (optional):

the BASE sole option is provided for BASE jumpers who wish to have more grip on the exit point. The BASE soles are heavy duty studded rubber pads that are attached to the normal leather bootie, ideal for improving your footing on top of the mountain.

The Wingpack

Wingpack

A jet-powered wingpack

Another variation on which studies are being focused is the so-called wingpack, which consists of a strap-on rigid wing in carbon fibre^. It is a mix between hang-glider and a wingsuit. The wingpack can reach a glide ratio of 6 and permits transportation of oxygen bottles and other material^.
On July 31, 2003 an Austrian, Felix Baungartner, jumping from 29,360 ft (9 km), successfully crossed the English Channel in 14 minutes using a wingpack, having covered over 35 km (21.8 mi)^.
In 2006, the German enterprise Gryphon, introduced  a wingpack specifically destined for the secret incursions of the special forces

WiSBASE

Since 2003 many BASE jumpers have started using wingsuits, giving birth to WiSBASE, regarded by some as the future of BASE jumping and the best course of development of wingsuit flying.
Among the main places where the WiSBASE practice in Europe is reported Kjerag and Trollstigen in Norway, Lauterbrunner in Switzerland, and Monte Brento in Italy, with the landing field near Dro.
One technique, risky and spectacular, is proximity flying, which is flying close to the faces and ridges of mountains. On July 1, 2011 near Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, Jeb Corliss became the first man to fly through a waterfall wearing a wingsuit Apache. In 1999, Corliss had a near-fatal BASE jump into a waterfalls where the chute opening went asymmetric and he could not avoid flying into Howich Falls

Presentation

WINGSUITS

Wingsuits in flight

Wingsuit flying is the sport of flying the human body through the air using a special jumpsuit, called a wingsuit, which adds surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift. Modern wingsuits, first developed in the late 1990s, create the surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms. A wingsuit may be referred to as a birdman suit, flying squirrel suit or bat suit.
A wingsuit flight ends with a parachute opening, so a wingsuit can be flown from any point that provides sufficient altitude to glide through the air, such as skydiving aircraft or BASE jumping exit points, and to allow a parachute to deploy.
The wingsuit flier wears parachutes equipment designed for skydiving or BASE jumping. The flier deploys the parachute at a planned altitude and unzips the arm wings, if necessary, so they can reach up to the control toggles and fly to a normal parachute landing.