High Altitude Cross Country Jump

[Casch 0]

Has anyone attemted a high altitude clear and pull? I'm sure it's been done, I'd love to hear about it. I just thought about it today and I'm like...I WANNA DO IT!!! I know you'd have to have a bail out bottle until you got to the proper altitude...but this sounds like great fun to me...

[AggieDave 6]

Ok, my turn for a question for someone out there:

Would the flight characteristics of a moderatly loaded to highly loaded fully elliptical canopy be fairly off due to the pressurazation of the canopy's cells being too low?

What I mean by fairly off is "dangerous" or maybe "prone to collapse."

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

[darkwing 5]

There are several extra hazards here. One of the biggest is the opening itself. A clear and pull should be fine, but any significant delay can result in so much speed that you and the canopy can get hammered by the opening.

Don't forget things such as:

1) malfunctions suck more than at low altitude
a) find your canopy?
b) Playing with a malfunction can result in a LOT of speed at cutaway time

2) Oxygen problems can kill you

3) Spotting is trickier

I wouldn't worry about the flight characteristics. The canopy will do fine, although it will be faster in the thinner air. My bottom line here is that this is seriously major stuff, and you should only approach it with professional, experienced help.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[skygod7777 0]

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Would the flight characteristics of a moderatly loaded to highly loaded fully elliptical canopy be fairly off due to the pressurazation of the canopy's cells being too low?

the pressure won't be lower because the thinner air, you'll just be going faster to get the same amount of air to fill the cells.

later

[skygod7777 0]

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Has anyone attemted a high altitude clear and pull?

how high is high?? if you mean just like a regualar load, ya, i've pulled many times at 14 grand. just don't do more than a hop'n pop. they open a bit faster that high.


later

[dropdeded 0]

How about distance,is there a record for distance traveled under canopy ?

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[billvon 3,107]

>Would the flight characteristics of a moderatly loaded to highly
> loaded fully elliptical canopy be fairly off due to the pressurazation
> of the canopy's cells being too low?

No. Relative pressures remain similar even when total pressures go down. That's why an airplane's airspeed indicator (which works on relative pressures) still works at high altitudes. The _true_ airspeed is much higher, but the indicated airspeed stays relative to the amount of air flowing over the wing, so things like stall speed remain relatively constant.

The one thing you might have to worry about is opening shock. Taz was testing tandem HAHO rigs a while back (which have obvious military applications) and they were blowing up canopies left and right. The reefing system doesn't work as well at higher altitudes - the aerodynamics are the same but speeds are much higher. Even a C+P may give you a hard opening since the plane is flying faster.

[riggerrob 643]

People who do this on a regular basis tend to be military special forces types who are secretive about their work, so they do not publish records.
Decades ago (1980s) , a group of (5 or6) British military jumpers crossed the English Channel by flying their parachutes.
None of the more recent military HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) stuff has been published.

[billvon 3,107]

>is there a record for distance traveled under canopy?

Paragliders have flown 250+ miles; not sure if there's a record for our kind of canopy.

[AggieDave 6]

I was reading about a guy who flew his Paraglider from Austin to Abeline, that's way more then 250 miles...he got on some winds that were right before a storm front and was gone and going.

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

[Viking 0]

Spectre230 Has done it many times!! .........................

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Would the flight characteristics of a moderatly loaded to highly loaded fully elliptical canopy be fairly off due to the pressurazation of the canopy's cells being too low?

What I mean by fairly off is "dangerous" or maybe "prone to collapse."

I doubt it. There will still be a difference in pressure between outside, and ram air effect inside the cells. It's all proportional. Been under canopy as high as 17,000 msl and no problems other than harder openings.

Speaking of hard openings, you ought to see the video of these crazy Brits we had out here last year. They came out to do the worlds highest static line jumps. 30,000 msl on Military Rounds. can you say *WHACK!*

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[kansasskydiver 0]

lol when i was at collegiates in december there was a guy who wanted to do a high alt birdman jump. we all joked with him and asked if he was just trying to get a cheap ticket to flagstaff.

the highest i've opened is 10k

<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist!

[DBCOOPER 5]

Was at Skydance in Ca last year to do High Altitude jumps and Two Brits did a static line jump from 30,000 on rounds.If you want to do anything high thats the place.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.