We may ask ourselves from time to time, “How do I get where I want to be?” This article will help you with direction in life. More specifically, lateral movement (left/right movement) in a wingsuit, which is kind of like a metaphor for life and at times we just want to go left without turning left. Even Zoolander can do it because it’s not a left turn.

In an objective sense, this equals a diagonal flight path. In a relative sense, this is simply moving to the left and right. As I ponder the bigger questions in life while writing, it becomes obvious that wingsuiting allows us time for reflection that can be carried to other aspects. But we’ll save that for another day’s discussion.

This article shifted focus around this point. Even changed the title, but the information for the original title will definitely come in another article. I really do want to discuss the left and right movement. Although, to learn that, you need to know this. Enjoy the detour…

I will take this opportunity to say something that has weighed heavy on my mind for a while. I have been told that when aiming to meet up with someone in the sky, I should aim ahead of them because if I aim at where they are, they won’t be there when I get there. I have a problem with this way of thinking. It assumes I am aiming at a static point, which is weird to do in the sky. A freefaller who is higher than the group wouldn’t think to get on level by aiming below the group. They would aim at the group and match the group’s speed once level is reached. They would accelerate to a point then slow down once that point is reached because they are aiming at the people and not a point in the sky.

So, why is it so popular in wingsuiting to use this saying? We are not aiming at a fixed point in the sky. If I aim to be in front of someone, I will be in front of them, not on level. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills to agree with the faulty logic. And I now propose a different way of thinking about flying. Fly relative. Boom. Simple.

Fly relative to the other people in the sky. Their speed is fixed, and my speed is not fixed. If that person is a fixed object in relative space, then by flying faster than them, I will move forward. If I fly slower than them, I will move backward. If up from them, then up…. You might see a pattern here. The person, group, or whatever is a fixed object moving at a fixed speed. If I treat that fixed speed as zero, then I can be relative to them without worrying about where they are in an objective sense.

If that person is actually flying faster than me (i.e., I am flying slower than them), I can speed up to match or exceed that speed. Nothing changes. We still set their speed to zero, and I am now moving backwards. To fix this, I need to fly forward.

Let’s explore the ridiculousness of thinking you will end up “where they were.” Picture yourself on a train. The train is moving, so you are moving with it. But you’re in your seat, and your friend is three cars ahead in their seat. You look out the window and see a tree that is three cars ahead, right outside the window by your friend’s seat. You decide to go see your friend who’s by that tree right now. So, you decide to walk to the tree? You take a few steps forward on the train and the tree passes by your window. Would you stop? Hell No!! You’re at the tree, you’re not at your friend. You keep walking forward to your friend no matter what the fixed objects outside are doing. Your friend is moving at speed zero, relative to your forward speed, because the movement of the train doesn’t count. You keep moving forward until you reach your friend then you stop moving forward; the train is still carrying you both forward, but your relative speed matches that of your friend. Now you’re hanging out playing Uno and shit. Don’t fixate on objects that aren’t moving at the same relative speed. Fixate on the object of your desire and get after it. Move your ass forward until you get there. And don’t aim for the trees!

This works with forward, down, sideways, and probably even the dimension of time (time travel is slightly outside the scope of this article, or is it…?).

We’ll call this a topic well-covered.

Blue Skies,

-WSL