Cheap Used F-111 Canopies

[Bodhisattva420 0]

Would a used Fury 220 be a poor canopy choice for a newbie? I am a broke college student planning on earning my A License this year. This canopy is selling for $200 in the classifieds and I believe it is the 7 cell version of the 9 cell Manta 288 that is in my student rig. Do you think this canopy would a safe choice for a jumper on a budget looking to purchase his first parachute?

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=81055;d=1

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

Would a used Fury 220 be a poor canopy choice for a newbie? I am a broke college student planning on earning my A License this year. This canopy is selling for $200 in the classifieds and I believe it is the 7 cell version of the 9 cell Manta 288 that is in my student rig. Do you think this canopy would a safe choice for a jumper on a budget looking to purchase his first parachute?

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=81055;d=1

It'd be a good but not exciting choice if you weigh 150 pounds and it's not jumped out. While I have no reason to suspect that poster and it should be fine "unknown number of jumps, lines look good, no patches, no tailpocket, no mods, nothing crazy. Nice tarp, well cared for." leaves a lot of wiggle room. I loaned a girl who wasn't too big a spare canopy after she sprained her ankle jumping an old Raven (at least the Raven 2 which is 218 square feet) that looked fine but didn't have flare left. It may also limit the sorts of winds you want to jump in although I personally don't run into wind conditions where I'd be willing to jump my 105 but not my 244 or 245 provided that I get to spot or get out well up wind with the big canopies.

Moving up to 190-195 pounds it needs to be fresher.

Above that forget it based on experience and the wing loading it was designed for.

With new lines every 600 jumps, no desert sand, and covered packing a ZP canopy can be good for a couple thousand jumps. That makes it a lower risk purchase.

With average testosterone levels you're going to want a smaller canopy which means ZP. Classic 7 cells don't land or fly anything like that and you need to pickup those skills before becoming an unguided meat missile so jumps on a same sized ZP canopy may be prudent when you down size.

You may get the same sort of deal on a more modern canopy if it comes in a package with the rest of the rig so it may not even cost you more.

Having been a starving college student who lived in a machine room for a month rent-free to afford my season ski pass, I'd stretch $100 and eat more ramen. With a little patience and negotiation you should be able to find a usable Sabre or Monarch (with the revised nose - my new version was made in 1992, so that would have to be real old to not have the update) for $300 and change which will be easier to sell for what you paid. Some people complain about hard openings, but most of them are new jumpers who've gotten soft. No one had anything negative to say in 1995 when nearly everyone who'd moved past 9-cell F111 PDs was under such a parachute.