New Canopy

[Damion 0]

I am in the market for a new canopy. :) but after the incident we had out here in Perris i am now scared that i am not following the same 1:1 wingloading that someone with the same number of jumps as is. currently my exit weight is 210 and i am jumping a sabre2 190 with overall good landings, 3 bad including my first and 2 on really gusty days. i wont jump in gusty conditions again for a while. i plan on buying either a sabre2 170 or pilot 168. i will go on the demo program and jump both of these a few times before i decide to buy it.

so what do you think? should i buy a 190/188 or a 170/168? honest opinions are welcomed. :)

[skybytch 273]

Can you do everything on billvon's "list' on a 190?

Why do you want a 170 instead of a 190?

[ManBird 0]

I sort of like this system:

<100 = <1.0:1
100~200 = <1.1:1
200~300 = <1.2:1
300~400 = <1.3:1
400~500 = <1.4:1
500~600 = <1.5:1
600~700 = <1.6:1
700~800 = <1.7:1
800~900 = <1.8:1
900~1,000 = <1.9:1
...and so on until whatever -- like 2.4:1 or something (not there yet).

Note that you don't have to buy a new canopy every 100 jumps -- you can wear lead or eat a lot, IF you even want to downsize.

If you're having "bad landings", get some coaching or go back up for a bit (assuming you're still renting or borrowing gear). If you get a Sabre2 190 or a Pilot 188, it will keep you happy for the next couple hundred jumps AT LEAST.

Also, you don't know whether you'll jump in gusty conditions or not. The wind can pick up and you won't know it until you're at about 2,000'. Don't jump a canopy that you can only land in good conditions. Jump one you can land in ANY conditions. If weather is resulting in bad landings under a 190, do NOT go down to 170.

I haven't jumped the Pilot, but I will say the Sabre2 is a good canopy that you'll be able to swoop later on, at any size. I must say, though, it isn't as docile as advertised. Many people with about your experience went out and bought them, loaded at 1.1 or less, and found them to be a lot faster than they expected, resulting in a lot of shitty, scary landings.

Go long, not hard.

"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯"

Click

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Besides asking the questions that Lisa has asked (Skybytch), how many jumps have you made on the 190? Learning to fly a canopy takes hundreds of jumps. I stood up 224 of 226 jumps I made on a canopy I sold not long ago. Did I master that canopy? The answer is no ... at least not when I remember those two times I didn't stand it up.

Oops I'm not setting a good example here am I? ...

Anyway as I said, learning how to fly a given canopy takes hundreds of jumps. A Sabre2 190 is a great canopy (I used to own one) and you'll love the Sabre2 170 when you're ready for it (once again I owed one of those as well). But how well do you think you know that 190 and how many jumps did it take you to learn all that there is to know about this canopy? In a high pressure event, can you absolutely say that you can for sure safely land that canopy under the worst conditions. Dang ... I can't say the same for my canopy so I think I need to get some more practice with it before I think about replacing it.

PS: Like Manbird I have little knowledge about the Pilot canopy.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[BrianSGermain 1]

Have you considered a Lotus MAX?

I love it.

Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com
Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com
Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

[riro 0]

Quote

I sort of like this system:

<100 = <1.0:1
100~200 = <1.1:1
200~300 = <1.2:1
300~400 = <1.3:1
400~500 = <1.4:1
500~600 = <1.5:1
600~700 = <1.6:1
700~800 = <1.7:1
800~900 = <1.8:1
900~1,000 = <1.9:1
...and so on until whatever -- like 2.4:1 or something (not there yet).

In sweden we have a rule that anyone under 500 jumps have to follow a chart that says how much your exit-weight can be on what canopy after XXX jumps.

Jumps to the left
Exit-weight on the top (Kg)
http://www.frittfall.nu/default.asp?page=/v2/pages/insidan/dokument/SBF2003_Jesperkurvan.asp

Minimum of 300 jumps to use a HP-canopy.

--
riro - http://www.ronnkvist.nu/gallery/

[skymedic 0]

for some reason I would think that you would, Brian.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[BrianSGermain 1]

As with most designers, I make my canopies do what I believe they should do. Therefore I will usually prefer mine to those made by someone else.

I believe that airlocks are a good idea, and improve the safety margin in bad air. I will therefore steer my friends in that direction so that they are less likely to spend time in a wheelchair (like I had to).

No Air:
No Wing.
;)

Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com
Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com
Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

[damion75 0]

Quote

i am jumping a sabre2 190 with overall good landings, 3 bad including my first and 2 on really gusty days. i wont jump in gusty conditions again for a while.

Since you asked for honest opinions - I think you have answered your own question there.

Better to buy the 190 knowing that you can fly the 170 in the future than buy the 170 and not be able to fly again.

I am jumping only fractionally more WL than you on your 190 and have been for the last 120 jumps - believe me I am still having a lot of fun on it!
Play it safe - there's no hurry!!

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.