Anyone flown a SONIC?

[dank 0]

I have just bought a SONIC 170 (made by PISA) as my first canopy and would love to hear any comments on handling characteristics. Anything to watch out for?

[dank 0]

I would also like to know if PISA have a website...
Dan.

[ramon 0]

I put 3 jumps on a Sonic 190 2 years ago. I remember it opening pretty hard. It was easy to fly coming off of student status flying 215 and 195 F111s.
It is very mildly eliptical (not to confuse with the semi eliptical this and that), you won't notice. It flew similar to a saber, it was pretty tame.
I beleive it is an older version of the hornet (which I jumped a 190 a couple of months ago for fun) and it opened a little softer.
Hope that helps I wasn't really an experienced canopy pilot when I jumped the Sonic. Never seen a PISA website.
bloo ones
ramon

[Kirils 1]

PISA has no website I know of. You can E-mail them though, and they will reply promptly. I is my understanding the Sonic was a Hornet predecessor, similar to a Sabre....
One note please, I've heard so many people say PISA chutes are PD knock-offs (ie the Heatwave is a Stiletto copy).
It's not true. Jump a HeatWave and you will probably never want to pack or jump a Stiletto again!
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[schumacher 0]

I have about 20 jumps on Sonic-170. Not a serious exp., but just my 0.02 cents.
Well, the canopy of this size was too underloading (I'm 180 with gear) and I had some nasty line twists, when I hooked Sonic very hard (too scary at 300 feet).
Sonic has very thick ZP, there were about 2000 jumps on that canopy, but I have to struggle to pack it, because it holds air very well. Very easy to land, but may be because of that size. Openings were nice always onheading.
I think, that Sonic is a previous version of Hornet. May be I'm wrong.

[faitor 0]

Could you tell me the email address? Thanks

[maretus 0]

PISA actually has a website. Here's the URL : http://www.sadid.co.za/SADID_6/files/c_pages/p066.html. However the page concentrates on military parachutes and offers no info what so ever conserning sport canopies. They only mention in one sentence that "they manufacture also high performance sport ram-air canopies" or something like that. I found that page from google using "PISA parachute" as a search term.

[jaybird 0]

I put about 10 jumps on a sonic 150, and i am 190 out the door. i had to try every kind of packing technique to slow that baby down, and still got slammed everytime. now i have a friend at the dz that jumps a sonic and she loves it, says it opens great (although she hates a slow snivel, they make her nervous taking so long to open). so i guess to each their own. flying wise, not bad, can be snappy depending on the wing loading, ok amount of flare, nothing real strong, but better than a big f-111.
hope it helps
jaybird

[dank 0]

Thank you all for your input. My instructor wanted to find out if there was anything really nasty about the sonic before he let me jump it, as he had never even seen one in Australia before. So tomorrow I get to find out for myself...
WOOHOO! :-)

[katzurki 0]

Quote

Well, the canopy of this size was too underloading (I'm 180 with gear) and I had some nasty line twists, when I hooked Sonic very hard (too scary at 300 feet).

I realize I am a good couple years behind on this thread, but could you or anyone elaborate on this linetwist issue? (the moral being, I guess, don't hook it, but still...)

Is this a suitable first canopy at 1:1, after the usual gradual progression?