chachi

you must have missed this. i was hoping for your input.

how do you get to be a total canopy pilot then? at 900 jumps does the rear riser flying part of your brain kick in? i think you are exactly who i was referring to in the other post. a guy that thinks you need hundred of jumps to start actually learning the flight characteristics of your canopy. dude, go to the ground launch centre. you will understand that low time canopy pilots can start "learning" how to use there rears close to the ground waaaay before the average person thought. i'll tell you this though, the canopy pilots that are emerging now are going to kick the level of flying up. im not saying that immediately off solo status we should add these things but we do need to wrap our brains around the fact that it is probably better to learn these things under a larger wing, not going mach 11 how most of us learned it.

ego's get bruised easily in this sport. this is exactly what im talking about.

not everyone wants to be a competitive swooper but may want to extend flight on their chosen wing. watching guys with few jumps master techniques previously told only competitive swoopers should be doing was an eye opener. not just a swooper is keen enough to want to explore the canopy. some people just want to be great at what THEY jump. be total canopy pilots, that's how i encourage. what specifically is wrong with that ideaology?

i think people should learn all aspects of flight on every single canopy they ever own or jump. just the same as i recommend people to start landing cross wind, and down wind in specific conditions. rear risers should not just be restricted to the swoop arena. here is q? how will jumper a know how to land his stilletto 120 on rear risers at 800 jumps when he breaks a steering line. what will have prepared him for that situation? he may not even be a swooper just a guy that loves his stilletto.

i dont think the qualified community holds anyone back, just offers good warnings. but i think canopy piloting is evolving and because of all the "got titanium" people, people naturally do not want to see the people around them that they potentially give advice to hurting themselves. in my case, i was actually pushed into things i thought were ahead of me, including stepping into xbrace canopies. i look at people and offer my advice based on who they are. the 100 jump wonder wanting to just "look" the part, or the 125 jump guy that wants to put the work, get the coaching, learn the actual methods and become a swooper. although i will be honest, being newer, i certainly watch the advice i give out lest i coach someone into hammering into the ground. something i do not wish to do. as for just reading spizzarko's post i think people have missed my point. i am not recommending coaching someone to land on rears to increase the distance, more like wondering why we don't teach newer jumpers to use the rears. it is another method of controlling your canopy. obviously not for everyone but certainly a skill to be developed earlier than even getting into high performance landings.

i believe you forgot to include the part of my post that was the most important.

you are missing my point. i was not talking about myself personally. i was saying we tend to shy away from encouraging people to explore their canopies in general. in fact, you seem to think that rear rise flight is only for someone "performing an aggressive diving manuever from 700 ft + and landing on rears." that is what i meant. i encourage canopy pilots to explore all flight, especially after watching guys with low jump number come flying in on rears, transfering to toggle and making amazing landings on stuff like triathalon 170, heatwave 150, etc.... my post has no attitude, it is just the realities of things i have seen. although you may be right and most guys out there are amazing and love to pass the knowledge, a lot push people away from rear saying it is only for "expert canopy pilots" - i disagree.

my point was that rear risers are not some big confusing thing that you need thousands of jumps to start learning to fly on, and take advantage of. high performance canopy pilots seem to try and keep it a mystery but all canopies can use them to begin to plane out and transfer. it would make it safer later on when things are going 5 times faster. GET COACHING ON ANYTHING YOU READ IN HERE.

you do not need to use any aggressive input before landing to use your rears, and then transfer to toggles. straight in landings... baby steps....

toggle around entire hand is the general preferred method. safest probably. fyi, you should see all the guys ground launching that only have between 80 - a few hundred jumps all landing on rears. don't think that advanced techniques can only be done safely by people with thousands of jumps. anybody that wants to invest time and get coaching can learn to be a proficient canopy pilot. GET COACHING though...

^ i would hope a paragliding company can bring a canopy that would out soar a GLX. find me video of this canopy showing it will out perform the glx in all areas and ill recant.

you make a solid point. i haven't flown the other one. however, knowing how many different things you want to do while ground launching and watching that video i am sure the glx would out perform. that thing looked fast, but you need to ski launch it? as per the required gear on the website. also, it looked fast but what about it's soaring cababilities? the glx is amazing in both. there is no way that thing launches slower than the glx meaning wind or ski's. i also like a canopy that doesn't breathe. ill stick with my glx.

im going with lineless cotton this year. the new wave.

after doing 47 launches with my glx in 3 days im telling you that you couldnt find something that launches easier and flies faster. this thing looks like a toy. it must certainly deform at higher wing loadings.

fuck that, get a GLX or GLS. canopies specifically designed to ground launch.

just because we're from BC doesn't mean ... what was i talking about??

lolololololol

^ this guy also has a clue. i mean, sometimes his judgement is off a little /tease JT - but smart.

he is more focused on platform. sabre2 vs xfire. is ellipticity a word?

although i went elliptical very early, and don't have a problem with someone heads up going under a big wing and learning i totally agree with dave and have told you as much regarding the $$ of swooping. you need to find the right thing for you at the time regardless of cost and this swooping game is not a cheap one.

hahaha

you should be either tracking or barrel rolling to see if anyone is above you between 4 and 5000' not staring at your dial. another good thing is to have an audible with multiple alarms keeping your focus again on what's around you.

pfft, chix dig swoopers

if i was paying for the slot or anything i would hire a camera flyer not an AFF instuctor.