darkwing

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Everything posted by darkwing

  1. darkwing
    There are many good canopies out there. Your profile doesn't say where you live, so it is difficult to give specific advice. Many manufacturers offer you the opportunity to demo canopies. For a small fee they ship you a canopy to try for a while. It is the best way to evaluate canopies. If you cannot demo canopies, you will get a lot of "I like this canopy" and another person will say "no, that canopy is crap, I like this one" or "That canopy is OK, but this one is better." Having said that, and considering what others have recommended to you I think you will be happy with a Sabre2 or a Pilot or a Saffire. Of those, I prefer a Pilot, although I have only jumped the Pilot and the Sabre2. I am on my second Pilot. ps - please don't use all CAPS. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. darkwing
    Contact several. Many will give a deal.. I doubt there is one that will give a substantially better deal than others. One thing you need to remember is that customer service is worth something. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. darkwing
    The reason videos get posted is usually because they show something special, or unusual, or scary. Don't think for a moment that youtube represents skydiving. Sure, those things happened, but they are FAR from common. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. darkwing
    This is an interesting issue. I'm a rigger. Years ago a guy came to me with a reserve to pack. I told him it was not airworthy. I wish I had cut the lines. He packed it himself, used it, it blew up, and he is paralyzed for life. Later his lawyer called me. Fortunately I wasn't one of the people they were suing! I am a big fan of being responsible for yourself, but after being told by two riggers that it was not airworthy, he jumped it anyway, and others still got sued! I suspect the only reason I didn't get sued was that I was a poor student at the time, and the lawyer figured that out. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. darkwing
    Quit whining and pack. New canpopies are slippery. It isn't just a Pilot issue. ps - I'm on my second Pilot... -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. darkwing
    If it is going in a museum I'd buy some new fabric and do it right. Is there a reason it actually has to be made from real, modern canopy fabric? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. darkwing
    I bet some of those people had lots of jumps on that very same gear already. I know I do. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. darkwing
    He's too cool to need a name. Just call him "The Man" -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. darkwing
    For use on mains as far as I'm concerned, if they feel right, they are OK to use. Too many variables in a straight lifetime issue to be useful. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing
    Her name vaguely rings a bell with me. Perhaps her son died in a jumping accident and she has been on a mission since then? I could be wrong though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. darkwing
    Fitting them in you helmet issues aside, I think they'd be OK for reducing airplane noise, but not good for freefall noise. Just to be clear - I'm violently opposed to using them to play music while jumping. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. darkwing
    The details of the jumps on it matter more than the number of jumps. 1000 jumps in the desert in the south is a lot worse on a canopy than 1000 jumps in green grass up north. Two major reasons - exposure to sunlight, and exposure to abrasive sand... Other issues, was it packed on carpet or grass or dirt? Was it ever in the ocean....? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. darkwing
    Maybe it was just a special custom color pattern for McElfish parachute company to sell? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. darkwing
    I'm pretty sure it has been done. I remember working on similar things back in the 1970's. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing
    To the beginners -- You will land out if you keep jumping. It will probably sneak up on you, but it will happen. Be prepared mentally for it. Don't panic. Run down the list of stupid stuff to do, and don't do it. I've landed in downtown Kalispell, Montana, in the back yard of a trailer in the woods of North Carolina, on dirt roads in the middle of a forrest, on train tracks in the woods, and lots of other places. It absolutely, positively will happen to you. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  16. darkwing
    I feel your pain. I've been through a similar problem. Still suffering. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. darkwing
    Was the scene with the guy outside the Otter with the door closed one of those classic moments when you tell him to get out, and then close the door leaving him on an unintended solo, with a bad spot? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. darkwing
    I'm assuming you load the canopy fairly lightly. I wouldn't see a pressing need for you to get a new pilot chute now. I view it as more of a performance issue than a wear issue. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. darkwing
    I can see some advantages to F-111 internal ribs, and NO disadvantages. I have long wondered why more mfrs don't use F-111 ribs (although I think I know why). I don't understand why you feel cheated. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. darkwing
    As a Spectre jumper (600 on one) and a generally canopy savvy guy (I have designed and built a bunch), let me give my perspective on it. 1. ANY canopy is capable of isolated hard openings (usually called "slammers"). Even with NO packing errors. The fact that a person claims XXXX jumps with no hard ones isn't useful as a diagnostic. 2. In the absence of other information (repeated slammers, photos or inspection showing a specific issue...) there is usually no sure way to place the blame for a slammer. 3. Your opening COULD have been caused by packing error, or body position, or canopy flaw or suspension line flaw, or none of the above. 4. Don't forget you are throwing a bunch of lines and fabric out into a turbulent airstream, and shit happens. 5. Attempt to rule out the stuff that has been discussed above. 6. Keep skydiving and realize that you can do everything right and shit can happen. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. darkwing
    I like good skydiving photos, regardless of who is in them. I'd rather see a good photo of someone I haven't seen before, than someone I have. Write an article and submit it to Parachutist. I'm not keen on what I perceive as jingoism, which seems to come through a bit in this thread. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. darkwing
    No, it isn't a crossbow, which was much earlier. I forget the details, but it seems that the Sierra was a later, more RW-centric canopy, lighter weight and lower volume, perhaps more like a Strong Starlite (shudder, for personal reasons). If the Sierra is snug, I doubt seriously that a PC would fit. I'm sure someone will chime in if my memory banks are messed up (likely). -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. darkwing
    Glad you didn't die. Who put your main together for you? This is a good lesson in learning your gear. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. darkwing
    Maybe you'd have to rotate the polarizer 90 degrees when shooting against vertical glass though. Yes, nice vid. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  25. darkwing
    I made a tandem when I had about 1700 jumps. It was kind of scary, and not what I would call pleasant in any way. I did another one shortly thereafter, and it was a little better in some ways, but I doubt I'd ever do one again. They just aren't fun. -- Jeff My Skydiving History