Performance Designs

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

I'm a self-declared "PD snob", but you're not ruffling my feathers, actually you ask a valid question. I have jumped good canopies made by other companies. Why am I personally stuck on PD?

- It would be hard to argue that PD competitors are making canopies that are substantially better in an all-around sense (though they may be better at something specific).

- Other manufacturer's canopies fly differently... I started on PD's, and I find they all "feel" similar, while other canopies "feel" different. It's an ambiguous comfort factor.

- I have more confidence in PD's longevity and resale value. I could still sell my Sabre1, or get it re-lined without having to jump through hoops. Other canopies dating back to 1989... not so much.

- I feel PD is pushing the envelope in terms of R&D, and wish to support that effort. Other mfg's do somewhat, but I feel it is less proven and more frequently results in "flash-in-the-pan" ideas that disappear quickly.

- Reserves are a no-brainer... NOBODY makes a reserve that flies like a PDR or an Optimum.

- Easy to find others who fly those canopies and gain opinions.

It's a long list I guess... A lot like the reason I buy Honda. I know them and they're always good.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[mykle200 0]

I have jumped quite a few canopy's and what brought me to posting this is I just ordered a canopy and after trying some others I found I liked the Rage 130 from Flight Concepts. Red was very helpful and has continued to do a lot of the things people here have mentioned like keeping me informed on the progress of my canopy. Just seems to be a very knowledgeable and very helpful in helping me decide on the right canopy.

[DSE 5]

And that's what's most important, is who you feel takes the best care of you, and will offer you the best experience for the $$ you're spending with them.

[Skydivesg 7]

To what people have said here I would add the following:

I've taken a 2 hour tour (queue the "GI" music) of the factory and I could not believe all the testing that is done on every bolt of fabric that is delivered to the company before it's allowed to go into inventory. I was also surprised by how much of it was rejected.

I like the idea that every piece of material has it's own serial number and can be traced back to which bolt of material it was cut from and when. (yes, if you know what you're looking for you can find the serial number on every panel of a PD canopy)

I like the idea that John LeBlanc, head designer, has a Aeronautical Engineering degree from Embry Riddle.

I like the fact that PD canopies have a better resale value than any others(IMO). This is probably because so many people trust and want to jump a PD.

These are just few more to add to the already impressive list.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[pchapman 279]

Because of the many good points about PD, including their customer service, and the number of their canopies out there, even when things aren't perfect, people cut them a lot of slack.

So you don't have skydivers standing around the campfire saying, "Why would anyone buy from PD? They made some early zero P canopy that kept slamming people on opening, right? And their next one kept spinning up? I'd never trust them."

If you have problems with a canopy from a less known company, your buddies might shake their heads and think you made a bad choice. With a PD canopy everyone else is buying them, so you don't look like an idiot for doing so, even if you have a problem. Sort of like the 70s (?) saying in offices that nobody ever got fired for buying IBM computers, since everyone bought IBM.

Other smaller companies could have just as good customer service or canopies, but more people know about PD's good service, and have seen their canopies everywhere, so it is a safer bet.

Despite me poking fun at the love affair with PD, in the end the goodwill of jumpers towards PD is still of PD's own making.

[DSE 5]

Quote

I've taken a 2 hour tour (queue the "GI" music) of the factory and I could not believe all the testing that is done on every bolt of fabric that is delivered to the company before it's allowed to go into inventory. I was also surprised by how much of it was rejected.
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Just to add one more component to that....every inch of thread is tested as well, prior to being allowed onto the cutting room floor. Again...Bill Coe designed a unit that tests every inch of thread, placing in a stress test before winding onto the spools that ultimately end up on a sewing machine.