Skydivesg

That's what I suspected. I have a soft handle with the spectra cord from Vector. I love it. If it were to dislodge,it is also much easier to put back into the the Velcro just like the cutaway. Also, if the handle were to become dislodged, it doesn't really go anywhere (float) because there is no extra length of cord. So it stays right by the end of the housing. Nice design. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I'm a bit surprised and disappointed to hear how many people do not walk their lines (4 line check) while packing. I have never packed a step through but find the need to correct one about once a year. I think it adds about 15 seconds to my pack job. MarkM, any particular reason for not doing a line check while packing? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Just curious..... do you have a regular metal D handle or soft handle? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

You sound like you know what you're doing. Good advice. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I agree with you about letting the TI know if the goggles are too loose. It does ruin the skydive for the student but because the TIs never see the face of the passenger they don't realize how bad it is. And it is often the same TIs. A couple of years ago I had one TI that did it about 40% of the time and I tactfully mentioned it to him (in private) and he told me to "just shoot the video". After that I brought about a dozen 5x7s of the worst ones to the DZ and left them laying around the tandem area. I believe he was a bit embarrased but he didn't say anything to me. His goggles have been tight ever since. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

And to add some clarity....... when skydivers talk about altitude, we mean AGL not MSL. So it really doesn't matter what the field elevation is. So if we're going to 13,000 feet, that would be above the ground. As far as Perris and Elsinore, I have no insight on those DZs. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I also have several items from Firefly, (camera jacket, freefly pants and a 4 way suit) I've owned many suits from many companies and I think Firefly has the best quality of all. And Sherry is great to work with. She will make the suit the way you want it. If you want pockets in special places she'll do it. And the extra cost isn't that bad. You get the suit the way you want it. Give them a look. www.Fireflysuits.com Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

7,006 jumps. 3 cutaways. 3 reserve rides. I'm not sure the first one should count. It was "back in the day" when squares were pretty new and we always heard that the closer you got to the ground the worse the problems got. So I cut away my Strato-star due to a break hang up. I wouldn't cut that away today. No malfuntions in the last 20 years and over 4,000 jumps. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

If you keep your wiggler under control and don't let it overrule your brain, you won't need to worry about getting a bend in your undulator at an embarrasing moment. Here. I guess it just makes sense that my "Wigglers" would have fewer poles. I mean that's what makes them "Wigglers".... right? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

John, sometimes I get concerned that my "Wigglers" and "Bends" are not running in parallel. Do you think that could affect my "Undulators" in the "Continuum"? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

So what is the best/fastest card for shooting stills? Is there much difference in either quality of shot or in how fast the image writes to the card? I'm talking about something like the Canon G10 or G11. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

So if a person, during their current medical, suffers a treatable stroke, heart condition, diabetic reaction, siezure or any other condition that might otherwise keep them from passing a new medical .............. does that negate their current medical? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Many dive loops (not all) are fairly flimsy because they only use one layer of small webbing. Hard on the hands and fingers. The Louie Loops are made of extra layers of webbing so they can be pushed open after canopy opening and they stay open (and more comfortable on the hands). They also have red webbing on the inside so they are easily seen without much effort. I push up on my loops to set them open just before unstowing my toggles and I don't need to look up when I'm ready to use them. Most loops are also attached to the riser 1.5 to 2 inches below the top of the riser (where the connector links are attached). The Louie Loops continue all the way over the top of the riser and are attached on the other side, so the connector links actually go over the top of the loop. This causes the top of the riser to curl down when first giving some dive input. It doesn't necessarily mean that you go faster it just means that it takes less input before your canopy reacts. It also means that you have roughly a 3 - 4 inch advantage when pulling down on your risers. This is huge for me. I can hold my risers down for a long time if I pull them down to just below my collar bone and roll my shoulders forward to help lock them in. But if I had to pull them down to my breast area (4 inches farther) I simply don't have the strength to sustain that input. To me the extra $25.00 was well worth the Louie Loops. The extra bulk is negligible Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Do you mind explaining how all the new changes that are on the G11 makes it better than the G10. I'm not arguing I'm just trying to learn. I'm about to get one of them but I don't know much about them. I don't quite understand all the jargon or complexities yet. Thanks for your help. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Isn't that when you start out making the canopy, you project the size to be 189 sq feet but because you were running low on material, it actually ended up being 170 sq feet? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I have never looked at the ZPX material. I don't know anything about it. But would like to learn. Please enlighten me. How does the fabric let you get the air out better than regular ZP if it's not more poruous? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Quote Will Pilot 168ZPX pack smaller than Sabre 170? Yes, though Pilot 168 has more square footage than Sabre 170. *************************** What is the square footage of a Pilot 168? ************************************* Quote The true advantage of ZPX fabric is that it lets you get more air out of canopy. This way you can pack it in smaller dbag. ****************************************** So this must mean that the ZPX is more porous and thus allows air to come out. Is that right??

You could always do the spit test. Not very scientific but it seems to work. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

IMHO we all should do our best to make Skyride go away. The only way to make that happen is to not accept the certificates, not work at those DZs and not patronize those DZs. Do you think that concerts and sporting events should just accept counterfiet tickets because it might make them look bad if they turn away the person who got suckered into buying those fake tickets? After all, those people paid good money for those bad tickets right???? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

Where do you want those links posted...... here? Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I've talked with several evaluators and they all say that the biggest mistake they've seen, is people who came to the course without good belly flying skills. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I have a buddy who bought a PD Spectre 1 1/2 years ago. It's had a slow built in turn. He had a local rigger look at it several times but they couldn't get it figured out. He sent to PD and they re-trimmed it. It still had the turn just not as bad. He dealt with it for a while until he could get to the Couch Freak boogie with the PD rep. After the rep jumped it he made a call to PD and they told him to tell my buddy that they would rebuild it. They also told him if he wanted any other parachute that they would give it to him for no upcharge. He's a conservative jumper so he had them build him a Pulse. He was in Florida a few weeks ago for a family vacation so he stopped in to PD to check out the factory and to say thanks to the woman with whom he's been dealing. She said the canopy got done a bit sooner than they expected. He had his rig with him so they put it on his risers and packed it for him. He is a very happy customer. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

He would be more than happy to give you pointers on packing and canopy flight. His name is Nick. Just look for him the next time you see the PD tent at an event. He's been the tour rep for them for the last three years. He started with them when he was 21. And yeah..... I am proud of him. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

4. Throw yourself on the mercy of the recommended rigger. Promise lots of adult beverages after the beer light goes on. 5. Trust this rigger... stop surfing the net for products and advice for a matter that LITERALLY IS OF LIFE AND DEATH IMPORTANCE. 6. Follow the advice you get from this rigger. *************************************** I'm afraid I'll have to take issue with your advice. It appears you assume that riggers are the "all seeing - all knowing - wealth of knowledge experts of canopy choice." While I agree that there are some who fit in to that catagory, I know at least four times as many that do not. I personally know and am friends with two riggers who run a very well known loft at one of the largest DZs in the country. One of them has not jumped in more than five years and when he did was mediocre, at best, with his canopy skills. The other makes about 30 jumps a year and seldom stands up his landings. He would however be more than willing to give canopy advice because he has a massive need to appear relevant. Since they are the primary riggers on this DZ they are the default when someone queries "which rigger should I ask about my gear questions?" I would trust these guys with my gear (and have) because in my opinion they rank up with the top riggers but I would never ask their advice on a main canopy choice or flight. Your suggestion that this kid take advice from a rigger whom you don't know, while attempting to be helpful could actually be quite counter-productive. Now I'm not trying to insult you or your advice, and I hope you don't take it that way. I believe you are tryiing to be helpful. But I think we need to be careful in giving blanket advice and suggestions. The fact is: not all riggers, instructors or even DZOs have the high level of knowledge or skills as some would like to believe. Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

I've jumped with lot's of people over the years. Several of them called me a "dildo". Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.