Back to Mike and Draco, Ian. Mike talks about not doing Beta in fwd flight, and I understand his concern, but
it can be done safely, and is actually a procedure.
This video is nuts. As to Beta in forward flight, years ago I was getting a right seat ride in a USN T-44 (Twin turboprop Beech)
and we did a max rate of descent, a real procedure for a cabin pressurization loss event. This involved slowing to flap speed, dropping full
flaps and gear, and then bringing engines to idle, then going to Beta pitch (reverse) and then bringing up the power on
the turbines. The ROC was pegged well beyond 6,000 fpm down! Here is an image of a Japanese one, basically a military
twin engine trainer, pretty much a King Air. Nice flying aircraft, too.
But the Draco video is about guys in wing suits flying formation on him. A wing suit has a L/D of maybe 3 or so, (3 ft forward for each foot
down), a VERY poor glide ratio. So, to get Draco to do that took lots of drag and Beta pitch. Wild stuff.
Bill