Canopy flying in high winds

[grega 0]

This weekend there was some prety strong wind blowing at our dz. And later that evening we were discussing if it effects canopy flying at all. We all had different opinons.
Anyway my opinion is that the wind itself doesn't have an effect at all (talking about flying with canopy above 1000 feet). Canopy doesn't know that the wind is blowing it just has its own airspeed, no matter the wind. The problem at flying canopy in high winds is that the air is much more turbulent. And the turbulence can colapse your canopy, but not the wind itself.
Exact example we were talking about is that when you are flying downwind and do a fast 180 turn upwind, the wind can colapse your canopy. I don't think that's the case because you are moving with the same airspeed no matter how strong is the wind. Turbulence is another thing as i said...

So what do you think?

"George just lucky i guess!"

[gus 1]

I'm with you: it's not strong winds that effect the canopy it's increased turbulence and a general increase in wind activity. The canopy knows nothing of windspeed, only airspeed - how else does its groundspeed vary according to whether you're running or holding?

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[skygod7777 0]

that's a big mith. not true. someone at my dz used to think that, and was telling our most experience swooper that he's going to collapes his canopy if he hooks in high wind. i thought it was pretty funny.

airspeed is airspeed, it's consistant. it's ground speed that will change.

now, if you hook in turbulant air, then that's different. but if your in the middle of a field with no buildings, trees, anything to cause turbulance, you will have no problem at all. period.

later

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Regardless of what my canopy thinks, I do not jump my smallest mains in high winds or ANY turbulence. When conditions are not good for exploiting those canopies, I change to a safer canopy or just don't jump at all. In 22 years of skydiving I have seen many, many examples of people making the wrong decision when it comes to jumping in less-than-favorable conditions. A decade ago I would not have sweated it at all, as we were all jumping larger "square" canopies, but I have plenty of "proficiency" jumps in high winds and now know better than to risk it just for the sake of jump numbers.

Chuck