150 Stiletto ok for beginner?

[kallend 2,148]

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Hi, i'm currently in the process of getting back into skydiving after almost 3 years away. I was still a beginner last time I jumped so will be even more so now.

Someone is selling a rig with a 150 Stiletto in it. What is everyones thoughts on these canopies for a beginner? I weigh 12.5 stone (175 pounds) without gear, so not sure on my exit weight.

Any advice will be much appreciated!!

You will be around 200lb exit weight.


My first canopy was a Stiletto 150. However, you are a lot heavier than me.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 3,116]

>No, they currently do not... and I personally hope they don't ever.

Personally, I hope they do. We desperately need at least guidelines to guide DZO's and S+TA's when it comes to making good decisions on what to make a fuss about. I've heard this scenario played out a dozen times:

DZO: You really shouldn't be jumping that Stiletto 150 at 50 jumps.

Wannabe: WHAT? Half the student programs in the US use ellipticals like this! Besides, you jump an accuracy canopy; you simply can't understand modern canopy skills. My friend knows someone on the Pro Swoop Tour; he's been giving me instruction on how to land it safely, and I stand up my landings more often than Jim Oldguy does on his Cruislite.

But I hear you; I'll be very conservative under canopy, and ask my friend for more instruction.

DZO: Well, OK, but be really careful.

>this sport has a way of weeding out the people who really don't have
>the physical, mental, or common sense abilities for it.

Nowadays even common sense won't keep you from getting hurt. When everyone at your DZ is jumping a tiny elliptical, and you haven't been in the sport long enough to see one of them get killed, it's easy to make the mistake that it's a safe thing to do.

A big part of common sense is learning from your experiences. If your first lesson is that you break your back and will never walk again - it's a bit too late to realize that perhaps that canopy was a bad choice. USPA could play a role setting reasonable guidelines to follow until you _do_ have enough experience to make good decisions on your own.

[Legs 0]

Hey,

I think you've got a good all round response here, a rule I try to stick to is don't buy until you know its the right canopy and why. In the mean time start with a student rig with a .8 wing loading and move on slowly. Jump friends rigs (If CCI/DZO says OK) to see the differences. Eventually over time you will now what you want, a sabre 2, a sillohette, a Pilot etc. Dont waste your money on a canopy that will not suit your desires/ needs in 2 months or one that will kill you in a week.

Good luck and keep safe

With love in Christ

[JohnMitchell 16]

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While I do not like to see anyone get hurt, this sport has a way of weeding out the people who really don't have the physical, mental, or common sense abilities for it.

Yeah, but going to their funerals really sucks.

[fonz 0]

I didn't really mean to a) hijack the thread and b) start a debate about whether or not canopy sizing should be regulated, but since the thread is moving that way, I might as well voice my opinion after all.

Looking at the performance of modern canopies, the amount of attention paid to canopy control in today's training curriculum (or actually lack thereof) and the number of landing accidents with perfectly open canopies, it is my belief that at least some degree of regulation/guidance (2 different things) is called for, at least until canopy flight education catches up with canopy performance development.

However, I do agree that such regulation/guidance should not be based solely on jump numbers (as is currently done here in Holland), but rather on skills. The problem with this though, is that jump numbers are easy to check, whereas skill is more difficult to define. Canopy licenses could be a solution, but have the drawback of increased administration/bureaucracy as well as an increase in jumpers' expenses. I'd say it's worth it, but that's just me of course.

Alphons

P.S. Sorry, but I don't feel much for the Darwin approach. I'd prefer education and guidance instead.

[edit: Fixed typo in subject line]

And five hundred entirely naked women dropped out of the sky on parachutes.
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[DZJ 0]

I can see an argument for a limited degree of regulation being worthwhile, but I'm not sure how it would be enforced.

[Legs 0]

I dont know what the rules are around the world, but high performance landings are not allowed by most CCI's in the UK without Canopy piloting qualifications (CP1).
To get A license Canopy Handling 1 (CH1) must be passed, B license CH2. and so forth.

Is this the same aroung the world? US, europe etc?

With love in Christ

[fonz 0]

Here in Holland it roughly works as follows:

To get an A license, one needs to make 5 hop&pops from 7,000 feet (or more), on which you perform canopy flight exercises. These jumps are briefed and debriefed by an (assistant) instructor or canopy coach. There is a suggested programme, but the exercises in there are (imho) very basic and there are no formal requirements to meet.

To get a B license, ditto.

To get a C license, one needs to make 5 CRW jumps. However, docking is not required, just flying in close proximity is sufficient.

On top of that, your total number of jumps and your number of jumps in the past year determine a maximum wingload, a minimum area and a range of allowed canopies.

Alphons

And five hundred entirely naked women dropped out of the sky on parachutes.
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[billvon 3,116]

>I can see an argument for a limited degree of regulation being
>worthwhile, but I'm not sure how it would be enforced.

Start by publishing guidelines for:

canopy size vs experience
required canopy skills
creation of a Canopy Coach (CC) rating

If that doesn't work, tie canopy skills to licenses i.e. someone has to flat turn before they can get their D license.

If that doesn't work, then add canopy size restrictions to licenses. I doubt we'd have to go that far.

[Legs 0]

In the UK you need to demonstrate a flat turn before getting CH1, this means no CH1 no A License.

With love in Christ