Under a smaller canopy than expected

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Under a smaller canopy than expected:

I started a new topic because the old one that is similar is getting rather long and because there is some arguing going on. (Imagine that!)

Believe it or not, those of you that jump demo canopies at events might have me partially to thank for the degree to which manufacturers now take care to identify the canopies in their demo rigs.

How's that, you ask?

Well, it has been a long time ago, so long that it was before many people had zero porosity 9 cell main canopies, and so long ago that some manufactuers had round reserves in some of their demo rigs.

I was at the WFFC and was trying a few new canopies available, in particular, some zero porosity (which was fairly new at the time) 9 cells.

I was given a rig that was supposed to contain a >200 sq. ft. 9 cell zero-P main, but got a sub 150 sq. ft. 7 cell F-111.

Granted, this doesn't sound small now, but I was jumping a big canopy, I am big, and I had never jumped such a small canopy.

Well, I opened, and was quite shocked. The first thing to go through my mind was using the reserve, but what reserve did I have? (Duh!, I forgot to look.)

What if it was a round?

I said to myself, "OK, man, you have 2000 jumps and you have a lot of experience with PLF's, having made 40 round jumps, so you are going to land this thing and do the best PLF you have ever done."

And you know what? There was plenty of wind, the canopy flew great, and I probably did not need to do the PLF. (Although I recommend it if you are ever in the same situation.)

I took the rig back to the manufacturer, who looked so completely shell-shocked when they saw that canopy that I felt sorry for them.

They established some "safeguards" after that.

You'll notice I've not mentioned the manufacturer. I know that they want that to be in the distant past.
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[pilotdave 0]

Demoed a javelin odyssey a couple weekends ago. They do a great job. The canopy type and size is embroidered onto a riser, and the harness/container sizes are embroidered on the cutaway handle.

Kinda funny though, after all that, I thought I was jumping a Sabre, not a Sabre2. Didn't realize what it was until i put it down after jumping and noticed the label.

Dave

[fundgh 0]

Quote

I thought I was jumping a Sabre, not a Sabre2.

You mean that you didn't notice all of those fabulous differences they talk about!?

...FUN FOR ALL!