CanuckInUSA

I was wrong for slaming your earlier about wanting to fly backward ... my bad ... I misunderstood what was being said by you and Hookit. But do yourself a favor. Instead of worrying about 45s tomorrow, learn the slow flight characteristics of your canopy. I'm not making this up. This is something that I got (in-directly) from Kevin Gibson when I was at your experience level. It may not make sense now. But it will make sense later. Swooping rocks (and I sure I don't crater). But swooping takes hundred and hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of jumps to properly understand and master. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Hey Spizz. You know I respect you for your talents and your knowledge and I wish we could jump/swoop more together (I guess I need to visit Canon City this fall). Basic aerodynamcis can be taught in 5 minutes. It's an easy concept ... if explained properly ... and really should be part of the first jump and course not left up to coaches. I was a licensed pilot before I was a skydiver, so I knew all of the concepts before I ever hucked myself out of an airplane. But as I said, it can and should be explained in 5 minutes or less (using visual aides). I'll PM you when I'm thinking of a road trip down to Canon City and PM me any time you'll be up this way. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

The disruption of air over the wing is what causes a stall. Yes a steep angle of attack can help induce this disruption. But lift is related to the smooth flow of air across the top of a wing. When this flow of air is disrupted, the wing ceases to develop lift and is in a stall. People think that their canopy needs to be all deformed to be stalled and in many cases this is true. But that is just a bi-product of a non rigid wing. A wing looses it's lift when the air is no longer smoothly flowing across the top of it. This can happen at any air speed and at any attitude (attitude has nothing to do with the ground and everything to do with the angle of attack in relation to the relative wind). Aghhh ... do I need to write a "Aerodynamics for Dummies" book. This is not a slam against you jakee, but why aren't we teaching students aerodynamics when they start skydiving? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Keystone is nice. Mary Jane has some of the best bumps around. The back side of Copper is fun. I like certain aspects of Arapahoe Basin (their East Bowl when open is hard core double back diamond, but you do have to hike to get to it). Vail is nice (I haven't been to any of the Aspen mountains). I'm not a big fan of Breck, but I'm sure the upper bowls rock with a good dump of snow. But my favorite resort in CO so far has got to be Steamboat. But I've yet to ski the double blacks at Creste Butte and I've yet to ski Telluride, Wolf Creek and I believe Pergatory (if I'm not mistaken) has some good double black stuff as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Now now Keith don't fondle the trophy girl. Do you have my Bellas II preview video? Alana is the girl seen exiting the balloon on the right hand of the screen at the beginning of the song. Of course to get a better view of her, just check out her "Are you a hottie and you know it thread". Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

A stall has nothing to do with angle of attack and everything to do with the flow of air across your wing. Once again, a wing can stall at any air speed and at any attitude. I'm out of here folks. I've got a hockey game to watch and some te-kill-ya to drink. Keep the flames coming though as I'll check back later. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I initially misinterpreted what was being asked when he referred to going backwards. I was thinking more of a blind man maneuver instead of deforming the tail of the canopy (toggles or risers). So in that respect ... my bad. As long as he's doing this up high, then no problem. Let him knock himself out. Let's just not tell him that this is an essential skill to have for fixed object avoidance jumps. Because the next thing you know he'll be on here telling us about his gainer last night and how he wants to know how to start doing triple gainers with some twists thrown in. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Go hook it up backwards, get video and tell us about your experiences. Why the #### do you want to fly your canopy backwards at 50 jumps? Are you sick or something? Or are you just planning on showing the PST guys and gals how good you are by doing a blind man at

I'm no canopy guru (some respectable canopy guru step in here any time), but high speed stalls on a wing are caused by abrupt attitude changes. As a licensed pilot as you claim to be, you should know this. Why is a canopy any different? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Maybe I'm daft, I don't know? And I'm sure someone will come along and say I'm full of it. But a wing (or a canopy in this case) can stall at any attitude and at any airspeed. I could be going a gazillion miles an hour straight at the earth and be in a stall. So unless you're in the habit of not completing your flare and pounding in before you need to, you're stalling your canopy on every successful landing you make. Remember pulling down on your toggles is changing the shape of your wing in much the same way as extending flaps on an airplane. It allows the wing (or canopy) to fly at a slower airspeed. At some point, you will lose enough airspeed where the airflow over the wing (or canopy) is disrupted causing it to stall. We are flying in a very dynamic environment with a dynamic wing. There is no "it's always going to stall here" toggle stroke. What Tim and Chuck are referring to (hopefully I'm not putting words in their mouth) is practicing your stall recognition. It's that seat of the pants feel pilots refer to as they loose their lift, they get that sinking feeling and they are stalling their wing. If I'm in the middle of a swoop and all of a sudden an obstacle appears in front of me (at a reasonable stopping distance). I need to shut down my canopy by adding more toggle input (not too much to pop me up in the air), changing the shape of my wing and inducing a stall. My touch down will be more abrupt than if I held it. But I've stalled my canopy. And on the reverse side, a good swooping canopy pilot (I wish I was better) is able to detect that seat of the pants feel, add the proper amount of toggle input, changing the shape of the wing, allowing the wing to fly even slower and increase their swoop distance. Of course we're not flying powered wings, so ultimately we loose enough airspeed where the air can no longer flow over the wing and we stall our canopies. So unless you're in the habit of cratering (which I doubt you are with 300+ jumps). You're stalling your canopy on every successful landing you make. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Learn the slow flight characteristics of your canopy. Watch a good swooper how they setup their hook turn. It's no accident that they find themselves at a certain vertical and horizontal position in the sky above their target before they initiate their hook. They've used their slow flight skills to get them to that point and once there, it's time for them to rock and roll (assuming the approach is clear of any other canopies). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

With the except of the Russia mafia, there are many people in Russia who were happier under the communist regime. I'm not saying communism is good, nor am I saying dictatorship is good. But if they (the people) don't want this, let them revolt. If they (the people) want it, let them be. Why must America impose it's way of life on the entire world? Must there be a McDonalds on every street corner? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Yes what's up with Jeanne. First she sets some skydiving speed records and now she wants to cause havoc on the Carribean and FL? Come on Jeanne, give the poor people a break. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I can't answer this as I don't jump a cross-braced canopy. But there are a few people in the state (some of whom do post here) who could. It's my understanding that you guys on your cross-braced canopies have more control as to how much you want your canopies to dive. But unless you've got your shit dialed in (which most PST qualified people should ) I'm sure you wouldn't crater. You might want to take a few jumps to slowly build up to first, before you go big. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Just don't do a downwind landing through the swoop course with no fear. I learned that lesson earlier this summer. The downwind part wasn't the problem. The no fear part was. I ran it out, but hurt my foot in the process and missed a good months worth of jumping. And I'm not jumping a cross-braced canopy loaded at 2.0 or greater. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

And Greg is one cool cat to meet and jump with. He wouldn't tell me what he was up to, but he did hint that himself and a few other people have something gnarly up their sleeves. Not sure when it'll happen though. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Hey guys if you want fast landings without buying a new canopy, come visit us here in Colorado. Just be prepare to complete your flare as you're going to lose lift a lot sooner than you normally would. If the PST ever came to Colorado (or Skydive NM in Belan) you know all of the speed records would be shattered. But the distance records would remain intact. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

If Russian society wants communism, then what's the problem? Why must the entire world live the same way America lives? Now if Russia attempts to conquer the world and impose their way of life on everyone, then that is a totally different can of worms. Hmmm ... do you see the irony here? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I don't have personal experience on it (yet), but what about ? But I'm not sure about how we'd get you to the exit point? (helicopter) Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

You can't compare an attack on a military (or civilian) installation to an occupying army. Modern North America has yet to be occupied by an invading army (and it may never happen). But if it was to happen, then the shoe would now be on the other foot. You forget or neglect to acknowledge that North America is radically different that Europe. Europe has many more different countries with many more different cultures and political agendas (at least historically) and thus has experienced many more different wars. God who knows what would have happened had Japan not attacked Pearl Harbor or if Hilter had not started a 2nd front before finishing off the first one he started. History would be totally different and we all could be speaking German or Russian right now. Imagine Hilter conquering the UK, then Russia and then building some nukes to take America out while America slept and choose not to fight in Europe's war. Japan actually likely did America a favor by attacking Pearl Harbor when it did and getting America into the war. Cause if Hilter had nukes, you know he would have used them against America while America slept. And America wouldn't have had their nukes when they did without the help of a few pretty smart Germans. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I understand if you view 9-11 differently (so please don't run off on that one), but when I'm referring to a war I'm referring to an occupying military force. And as far as which country could do it? Hmmm ... I would think it wouldn't be very smart, but China has millions and millions and millions of soldiers. If they could some how land a force without being sunk at sea, it sure would be hard to get them out of the country. I mean their army is probably bigger than the entire US population (I pulled that one out of my ass, so who knows exactly how many soliders they have, except to say there's a lot of them). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

North America has never had a modern war on it's soil. It would be a totally different story of a foreign super power was to invalid North America and proceed to destroy many of it's cities. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Excellent. You know it. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I totally agree with you. And they sure like to linger in the left lane regardless of what speed they are driving. This concerns me. So living in a society of rude people is better? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

This is so true. When I look back to when I had 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, etc, etc, etc jumps I shake my head. I sucked ... and guess what? Assuming I survive I'm sure when I reach 2000+ jumps I'll look back to where I am right now and I'll say I sucked. Dude confidence is good, over confidence is deadly. Reading books like Brian Germaines book is good. Keep it up. At least you'll have more info than some of the crater predecessors had. But just because you've read a book doesn't mean that you're ready to swoop. Learning to swoop takes hundreds and hundreds of jumps on each canopy starting from larger ones and working your way down. I have 80 jumps on my current canopy (more than your total jumps) and that's shit. I'm only starting to touch the potential of my canopy and it's going to require hundreds and hundreds more jumps before I truly learn it. Then if/when I do downsize, guess what? I have to start from scratch all over again doing straight in approaches before I do 90s, 180s and 270s. Don't take us wrong. It's not that we don't want you to learn to swoop. Swooping is a beautiful thing. It's just that people with experience have seen your type before. (and I'm not in the same league as guys like Hookit and Treejumps are to name just a few when it comes to experience). Be smart and don't rush things. Learn the slow flight characteristics of your canopy before you swoop it and learn how it performs. Learn how much altitude it eats up on certain types turns and do all this stuff up high before you bring it down low. Have fun, be safe. Don't be an incidents report. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over