Best glide

[johnny1488 1]

I just came upon Scott Miller's name in an incedent forum regarding getting the best glide out of a zp canopy. He did say the more brakes the better.

He also said I don't count because I fly Icarus.
(yes that came from his mouth)

So what has worked best for you. Feel free to give your canopy, wingloading and mindless rantings.

Mine is xfire2 169, 1.36, and Xfires bury anything else on the market (and not on the market yet, Im willing to bet!! Bring it on!)

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[freeflydrew 0]

Quote

He also said I don't count because I fly Icarus.
(yes that came from his mouth)

HA HA HA!!!

Dude, you've got to post a picture of the hood of your car...c'mon, show Simon the love!

LoL


(half brakes for some things, rear risers for other things)

[johnny1488 1]

I will soon as I can figure out how to get the picture to my computer from my cell phone

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[selbbub78 0]

3/4 brakes for best glide. That's what i was told.

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[andy2 0]

really? In 3/4 brakes im sinking pretty damn well. What are you considering full brakes then? I consider full brakes to be the point where you can consistantly hold them without stalling the canopy. Am I correct with my terminology/semantics here?

---------------------------------------------
let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[ianmdrennan 2]

if there is no wind or the wind is behind you in some direection, you are covering more ground at a slower speed (You stay up longer than full glide). It just feels like you're sinking more because the ground is moving by slower than you are used to.

Into the wind, full drive is better than brakes.

and yes deep brakes is near stall point. I personally find I get better penetration on about 3/4 brakes though.

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[johnny1488 1]

This is where Scott actually agreed with me on Icarus canopies. I have tried this on many occasions and you can verify it with many Icarus jumpers. I cover more ground and lose the same amount of altitude (if not less) on rear risers.

This is one reason I didnt like the sabre2 when I flew it. When I went into brakes, it felt like I was gliding all over the place. I slow down to a crawl in brakes on my xfire. I like the ability of having 2 slow flight options.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[AggieDave 6]

On my Heatwave, I get a MUCH better glide with rear-risers (brakes unstowed) then I do in brakes. Just about every PD canopy I've ever jumped did better in brakes. (Sabre, Sabre2, Spectre, Stilletto, Vengence, Navigator, PD-reserve).

I'd agree with the comments made about the Xfire2, it really does well with rear-risers.

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

[Harksaw 0]

I once had a discussion about this when a student. One of my instructors said that pulling toggles down to your nipples would make you sink, while another said it would make you glide further. We decided it all depends how low your nipples hang down

__________________________________________________
I started skydiving for the money and the chicks. Oh, wait.

[ianmdrennan 2]

LOL. Nice line
The sinking mentality is often found in older jumpers who used to jump squares that actually worked that way (that or someone who was taught by one). Besides accuracy canopies, todays typical canopy just doesn't fly that way anymore.

Slowly but surely the myths are being put to rest.

Blue skies
ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[AggieDave 6]

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Besides accuracy canopies, todays typical canopy just doesn't fly that way anymore.

I can sink PD Navigators basically straight down. I can sink my Heatwave almost straight down. Those are the only two I've really done it with, though (well, besides sinking a Sigma 370 for accuracy so I can let it surge forward...the brake/surge approach that a lot of TMs use).

The catch is, with my Heatwave, I'm basically flying it in a very near stall. On one off DZ landing, I had to do that due to trees, it worked quite well. Not a great landing, but nothing a nice PLF doesn't fix. With the Sigma...well, its hard to get those to stall. Same with the Navigators, I've stalled one once, but I had to take a couple wraps on the toggles and hold it for a long time.

So those are 3 "modern" "squares" that I know personally I can sink without putting into a full stall.

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

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

So those are 3 "modern" "squares" that I know personally I can sink without putting into a full stall

You're still moving forward. That's my point. It's not sinking like the accuracy sinking and not how people are often mis-instructed.

I used to have a heatwave, so I KNOW there is no way you can make it come straight down without flying into wind.

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

I used to have a heatwave, so I KNOW there is no way you can make it come straight down without flying into wind.

Sure, if you hit it downwind, of course you'll be moving forward, you'd have to be moving backwards not to, and if you're moving backwards, then you've got other problems.

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

[D22369 0]

Icarus fx 85
wingloading 2-1
definately get better drive and more distance with releasing the brakes and pulling the rear risers a bit.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[webracer 0]

I feel I get much, MUCH better drive on rear risers (brakes released) than in brakes. I felt this since I started jumping samurais two years ago. I now am on crossbraced, and it is even more accentuated on my VX or Xaos. Rear risers are the only way to go, but take more energy to hold (I usually push mine out a bit and pull down).
I can hold around (like waiting for my turn in the windblades) in brakes on the crossbraced, but if I am on rears, I really scoot around and cover some ground.
I make it back almost always, passing those who jump much less wingloading on canopies considered to have better glide than mine (like stiletto). It doesn't matter whether the load is running or going into the wind. It always baffles me why they don't make it back. Poor planning is probably the biggest reason. I steer to the airport first (usually with harness or rear risers), then do my post-opening sequence. I think others waste time stowing stuff, while flying away from the airport.
The important point here is that I make it back! hehe
Troy

Troy

I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

[trigger 0]

Personally i've no preference to what works best getting from a deep spots.I've used rears and brakes both techniques got me back to my pla safely without incident.
I'd add though,i do use the accuracy trick and my ears[guess when everything goes hush hush]i assume i'm flying at the same speed as the wind assuming i'm flying with the wind[otherwise my hush hush trick is pointless which it may be anyway].

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[teamhypoxia 0]

For me, it seems to depend on the canopy. With Lightnings at various wing loadings, I seem to get the best drive with no input whatsoever. I actually put my hands behind my back and steer with the harness. Typically, I'll be flying back alongside several other CReWdogs and can outdrive any of them who are using inputs.
On my Alpha 94 (~2.1/1) or Viper 120 (~1.6/1) a little bit of rear risers seems to work best although there are not as many identical canopies flying next to me to compare to

[jumperconway 0]

I'm not really sure on my Xaos 27-83' (2.3/1) but seems like rears work really well full glide. Interesting note though. With the brakes still set I can fly right along side a Triathlon 190 at 1.0/1 losing no less altitude than he does.

[VectorBoy 0]

The brakes provide gradual change from anice ammount of lift to enough drag to slow you down to a tippy toe landing. When used a little bit they provide more lift but when you go deeper into brakes you end up with tons more drag than lift and this is very noticable if you are downwind and trying to "penetrate" and get back up wind to the DZ.

Rear risers flatten your glide without the too much induced drag but if are trying to penetrate a headwind there is a point in hanging in rears that you will be paying a penalty in distance covered over the ground. To maintain this you need a certain extra forward speed for the relative amount of "headwind". Hanging in rears will be more tiring as you are pulling down the entire trailing edge of your canopy as opposed to a smaller percentage of the trailing edge that the brakes effect.

If you are up wind it doesn't matter what method you use.

[johnny1488 1]

Quote

Dude, you've got to post a picture of the hood of your car...c'mon, show Simon the love!

Not that I'm biased or anything (or a complete fucking nutjob, as some would put it).

In my defense, Tony put me up to it! Something about a double dog dare! hehe

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[Jimbo 0]

Nice! You should get some sort of sponsorship for putting that thing on your car.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[blair700 0]

On my old canopy, saffire189 (1.24) I was much more effiecient with rear risers (brakes unstowed). Now I'm on a Vengence 150 (1.56) and I come out of the sky with rears, so I've been using 3/4 brakes and make it back no problem. I prefer this method if for no other reason than it seems to take much less effort, leaving all that strength in reserve for a powerful swoop.
I guess my preferred method for making it back will always be my GTI though
Thanks
Blair

[PhreeZone 20]

>I guess my preferred method for making it back will always be my GTI though

I found the GTI lacking, but the Skyflyer3 helps me make it back almost every time if I can see the DZ.

On my Jedei I already don't have the same forward speed as some of the other canopies at lower loadings then mine, so I've found the rear risers help so much in floating back from long spots.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[billvon 3,092]

I get the best glide when I leave my brakes alone (i.e. full flight) and spread the rear risers as much as possible. That both flattens out and (slightly) deflects the center trailing edge of the canopy.

[Spizzzarko 0]

I think it depends on the type of canopy you are using, and the conditions you are encountering. I fly a variety of canopies, and use different techniques on each of them. Some times the technique I used to get back on one jump may be different than the technique I use on a different jump. Take being down wind or up wind for instance. On my Spectre 170 up wind I use brakes, down wind I use rears. On my VX 98 and fx 104 I use rears up wind or down wind. When I jump the pd 300 I use brakes exclusively. The amount of imput I use on the brakes varies on the conditions. Try every thing and see what works for you the best. Don't just blindly do what some one tells you to do, it may not work for you, or it may be flat out wrong. Look at the post about the nipples. Two different instructors saying two different things. That's all I have to say about that.