Parachute choice

[tonyhathaway 0]

The most experienced staff at my home DZ (Skydive City/Z-Hills) and what they jump.
Pip Redvers-16,200+ jumps- original Sabre 120
Billy Porter-10,200+ jumps-Sabre 2 135
Me, 11,700+ jumps-Spectre 120
All loaded at 1.5 or lower. It's not because we're old. That's 3 people with nearly 40,000 jumps. Flying a slower parachute effectively is WAY more fun than flying a fast parachute like crap. What category do you fall under? -Tony
P.S. my parachute is still PLENTY fast. I'm only refering mine to some of the smaller ones that makes a relative difference of fast and slow.

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[unformed 0]

I fly a slow parachute like crap.

This ad space for sale.

[flyangel2 2]

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Pip Redvers-16,200+ jumps- original Sabre 120

That's me. Well not the number of jumps, but I love my original Sabre 120. The re-line I had done on it last year put new life into her. I just don't want to give her up yet.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[cocheese 0]

I'm with you. No need to downsize. Would rather master this one and know how to make it do everything it's capable of. Fabric is good. Learn to live with a little more than you need.

Samurai 150. Til it wears out.

[freeflyz 0]

Flying a fast canopy really good!

[Maxx 1]

Stiletto 135 till I become skygod (1000) ...
after that.. we'll see

Max

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Granted I'm not Mr Experience, but I jump parachutes in all shapes and sizes. Criticize me if you may (which we know you no doubt will since that is what this thread is all about - criticizing people who fly smaller wings). But yes not only do I like to go fast on my wings, but I also know how to go slow and be accurate.

I jump on a regular basis my:

Velocity 111 (Swooping)
Samurai 136 (Ground Launching)
Spectre 150 (Wingsuit Jumps)
FLiK 293 (BASE)
Rock Dragon 303 (BASE)

All I'm missing is something in the 190-210 range to fly it all. Oh and one day (when I'm ready) I may even go sub 100 feet ... just to piss people like you off even more.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[321seeya 0]

Better qusetion than that....
What size reserve do you choose to fly? I went with the wings container because I could mix any size main tray with any size reserve tray. I Fly a crossfire 139 and a 181 reserve.

BASE 3:16 - Even if you are about to land on a cop - DONT FORGET TO FLARE!
Free the soul -- DJ

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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What size reserve do you choose to fly?

I've got a PD143 in both of my skydiving containers. Sure my reserves could be a little bigger (if I get knocked out cold I may be breaking bones with a no flare landing), but at least my reserves are bigger than the reserve used by the originator of this thread.

PS: I do have a number of demo jumps on my reserves, so I have an idea as to how they will fly as well (even though it's been a year since those demo jumps).

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[tonyhathaway 0]

You are missing my point so much. I'm not the least bit pissed when someone jumps a small parachute. I do find it amusing that so many people way overthink their ability. I was talking to a guy recently who told me he had a certain cross-braced canopy "dialed in" with only 60 jumps on it. I still learn new things on my 120's with 100 times that many jumps on it. I ask Scott Miller questions about stuff I don't know when I see him. I bet I have more jumps than Scott, but still know that I can learn from someone without as many jumps as me. I was just trying to make people think about what they jump. If you think I was criticizing people who jump a small canopy, you are way off. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[AggieDave 6]

I'm sticking with my current canopy for probably another 300-400 jumps (more if I don't think I've dialed it in, I've already got about 400 jumps on my canopy) then I'm still kicking around ideas on what I'm going to downsize to. I love the speed and the feeling of swooping. I'm just working hard to keep from going too far too soon and making a thump sound instead of a swish sound.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[tonyhathaway 0]

Demo jumping the reserves is a great idea.-Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[RevJim 0]

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The most experienced staff at my home DZ (Skydive City/Z-Hills) and what they jump.
Pip Redvers-16,200+ jumps- original Sabre 120
Billy Porter-10,200+ jumps-Sabre 2 135
Me, 11,700+ jumps-Spectre 120
All loaded at 1.5 or lower. It's not because we're old. That's 3 people with nearly 40,000 jumps. Flying a slower parachute effectively is WAY more fun than flying a fast parachute like crap. What category do you fall under? -Tony

Pardon me, Tony, but not a single one of those parachutes you mentioned are slow. Once you get under the ~150 range, the linesets are so short that any parachute will be extremely responsive. I loved my Sabre 135, but it was wearing out, and I was putting on weight, so now I fly an original Sabre 150, at close to the same wing load I had on the 135. The 150 isn't just slower, it's noticibly slower.

All 3 of the 'chutes you mentioned are actually high performance, even at low wing load, though of course not on the level as a Stiletto or a Crossfire.

I'm sure you know this, I just wanted to make sure I pointed it out for the newer jumpers posting here. Glad you like the 'originals', I know I do.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[skybytch 273]

1k jumps - Spectre 170 at less than 1.0.

I'd rather have excellent landings under a slower parachute than land like crap under something faster too.

[Brains 2]

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I'm sticking with my current canopy for probably another 300-400 jumps (more if I don't think I've dialed it in, I've already got about 400 jumps on my canopy) then I'm still kicking around ideas on what I'm going to downsize to. I love the speed and the feeling of swooping. I'm just working hard to keep from going too far too soon and making a thump sound instead of a swish sound.

I also am wainting at least 5-700 more jumps on my current canopy/size before downsizing again if i ever do. Having a friend thump on Sunday really put the brakes on my swooping and my thoughts on it.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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If you think I was criticizing people who jump a small canopy, you are way off.

Fair enough (and I'm not looking for a fight). You'd be surprised how fast my FLiK 293 and Rock Dragon 303 can fly. It's all relative when you're dealing with a tight landing area.

I do agree with the statement that it's better to land a slow flying parachute well then to land a fast one poorly. But not everyone lands fast parachutes poorly. But until I start showing the PST guys how to land, I can only assume that I haven't learned it all, mastered it or even dialed it in. But it's nothing that 10,000 jumps can't fix right?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[tonyhathaway 0]

You are right. One line that didn't get into my original post was that mine was still "plenty fast" . I was more referring in comparison to something like a velocity, or tiny something. I'll edit my post now. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[AggieDave 6]

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or tiny something.

Dude, a 120 and a 135 is very much a tiny something to some folks...folks like me.

A 135 will be loaded at 2.1:1 a 120 at 2.35:1 with me.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skymama 37]

Sabre 2 170 for me with almost 300 jumps at that wingloading. PD is giving me a new canopy and I contemplated moving down to a 150. I decided I can't jump enough this year to be able to work with downsizing. I'm happy and comfortable with my decision.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[gjhdiver 0]

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The most experienced staff at my home DZ (Skydive City/Z-Hills) and what they jump.
Pip Redvers-16,200+ jumps- original Sabre 120
Billy Porter-10,200+ jumps-Sabre 2 135
Me, 11,700+ jumps-Spectre 120

7000 of my 8000 or so have been under a 135. At 1.6, I get longer and better swoops with more outs and flyability than higher loaded wings.

The only thing a higher loading gets me, is down faster, and that's not really all that attractive a trait in a canopy.

[mnealtx 0]

I"ll be jumping a Sabre2 230 at about 1:1, maybe a bit less. I don't plan on downsizing until I can make it do ANYTHING I want it to do.

Add into that the fact that staying current is going to be my main problem for the forseeable future, and I don't see myself going any smaller for a long, long time.....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Peej 0]

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You'd be surprised how fast my FLiK 293 and Rock Dragon 303 can fly. It's all relative when you're dealing with a tight landing area.

Oh hell yeah, i noticed exactly that the first time i had to put one down on the beach next to the river up in the Potato state. It ain't easy when you're shaking like a leaf and on complete overload too

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[tonyhathaway 0]

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But not everyone lands fast parachutes poorly.

You are 100% right. I think part of the problem is that plenty of people land poorly and don't realize it. I always thought, if you're going to land that badly, why would you want to go so fast? There was a guy here that had 800 jumps and was jumpig a velocity. He swooped the pond better than some with way more jumps, and more velocity jumps than him. There are WAY more categories that people fall into, I only put 2 in my original post. I don't think everyone should jump a square (lighly elliptical) just because I do. Quite the opposite. I like what canopies allow qualified people to do. I have the same quitar that Eddie Van Halen plays. That doen't mean I can play it anywhere close to the way he plays. My having a guitar better than my ability in no way can kill me. I was jumping before ZP was even on parachutes. I watched a lot of new designs come out. I wonder what will be in another 20 years. Unfortunately, the reality is, another 500+ skydivers (about the number that have died from skydiving in general since I started jumping) will probably be dead in the next 20 years and will never see the advances. -Tony

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[tsisson 0]

Everything I fly goes fast...I'm a big fella...seems like my canopy gets smaller every year, even though I haven't downsized since 1998...

I gotta stop the Big Mac attacks or something...

[namdrib 0]

Ok, have to submit my words on this. First of all, there were several people on here that agree that you can still fly fast with the 120's, 135's and 150's. I think that you should have mention more about the wing loading on a canopy. But there again, I have come in just as fast on a Sabre 107 or 120 as I did on a Cobalt 95.

I currently fly a Xaos 78 loaded at 2.4. Why? Cause I like it. The same reason everyone else loads there canopy of choice. I think that everyone here can agree that every single one of us is different. IF you like being conservative, then stay at a lower wing loading, I have nothing against that. Then there are people like myself that prefer higher wing loading. There is nothing wrong with that either, just as long as you didn't do it quickly.

There is a very infomative article in the "Safety" section of this website. It is called "Downsizing Checklist". I actually presented this for our safety day meeting last weekend. It is very informative and gives people an idea of what should happen before you take a stupid step to something you can not handle.

I, personally, have over 1,400 jumps on a what most people would call a "High Performance Wing Loading". I have made mistakes in the past and I am sure that I will make some in the future. That is what learning is all about. In the infamous words of someone that I jumped with this past weekend, (*And if you see this, you will see that I REALLY like this saying) "If you are going to Stupid, you better be tough"... Go Sonic Beef!!!

Now, feel free to flog the freakin' bloody hell outta me, I can take it.

Unknowing attempting to take out all 4 wheeled vehicles remotely close to the landing area!