Spizzzarko

What about using them for AFF, how about tandems? Are they comproble to Booties, or do they have more drive? I like booties for AFF, and I have tony pants for tandems, but changing from suit to suit to suit all day long when making work jumps is a pain in the ass. Are any of you guys instructors who use them? That's all I have to ask about that.

A lot of the swoopers now a day's are getting bigger canopy's and wearing weights. It has been recomended to me to load a 21 cell not much more than 2.0, and a 27 cell not much more that 2.2. This will allow you to fly the canopy the farthest, and still be able to fly it at very slow airspeeds. Look at JC colclasure (spelling?), I have seen him fly a big canopy (114 FX?), and do much more amazing things with it, than those guys flying smaller higher loaded canopy's. I like the distance no the speed, but that's just me though. That's all I have to say about that.

Icarus has always treated me very well. I ordered 2 FX 104's a year and a half ago. The both fly great. they took a little while to manufacture, but no big deal. I just ordered a VX-98 and it will be here in three weeks. I really have had great service with the company. Mr. Mundell has taken very good care of me. He even took time out of his day to call ME, form NZ to CO, and find out a little more about my needs and wants for the VX. I think Icarus is doing a lot of things to make their Customer service better, but it's pretty hard when you are traveling from New Zealand to the US, and Europe a lot to keep track of things. You can keep some of the people happy some of the time, and all of the people happy none of the time. PD has been around for awhile, Precision has been awhile for some time, Icarus is pretty much a new ddue in the business if you look at overall time of operating. Every busines has a few growing pains. Fact is, I like their products and am willing to make a few sacrifices for that. That's all I have to say about that.

Let's talk about swooping Big 7 cell canopy's. What's you definition of big? I work at the Air Force academy with the wings of Blue parachute team. The canopy's I routinely jump are as folows: 1. Spectre 170 Swoops often 90' + 2. PD 218 Swoops often 30-40' 3. PD 235 Swoops often 25-35' 4. PD 300 (Student) swoops 15-20'+ My personal canopy: 1. FX-104(Cross Braced 7 cell) Swoops 300'+ Tell your little friend, any canopy can be "Swooped", it's all how the pilot does it. "It's not the size of the boat baby, but the motion of the ocean..." Nigel Powers... Austin Powers III

No it's not! (Outdated that is). I think by far the stilletto 135 is one of the best all around canopy's out there. The stilletto is about 11 years old, and it's still by far one of PD's best sellers. You need to learn your technique on a stilletto, and when you can land it cross wind, down wind, with a 50% braked approach and stand up, carve it, and finally, go the distance with it, then maybee you can think about trying a different canopy. There are plenty of idiots out there that will tell you that you have to have a small cross braced canopy to swoop. I have seen some amazing things done on a stilletto 135. IT'S THE PILOT NOT THE CANOPY!!!

Dressing for success is VITAL. As an AFF-I I'm changing suits constantly. I get more wear and tear from taking them off and putting them back on than from jumping. I think the hard part of it is is lokking at a person or a formation or the people in the formation and deciding if they are going to go slow or fast. It can be decieving. Look at Billy Rhodes. He's not the skinney-est guy in world, but that dude can float.... Drag can be your friend in bigways if your in the outside, but it will be your enemy towards the center or the base. It will make you fight it, and tire you out during the jump making it less fun. That's all I have to say about that.

I just landed my PD-126 reserve yesterday at Skydive the Rockies. The winds where calm and the DA was 9,000. I only had to step it out about 4 steps. If your looking for reserves, I would suggest a PD. That's all I have to say about that.

Who cares how you approach the dude. If there is a basic safety violation, then let the dude know. Maybee the root of the problem is having more people aiming to land at the exact same place at the exact same time. I believe there is nothing wrong with landing out. Look at the bigger drop zones such as Perris, and Elsinore. Their swoop area's are pretty far away from the main landing area's. A good canopy pilot doesn't always have to land in the pit. And by the way, yeas a man can eat 50 eggs... I saw Cool Hand Luke do it once. "I'm shakin' the bush Boss"

I ordered my GTI with the LQRS, but it didn't show up on my suit. No big deal.... I fly a 104 FX at 2.1. Do I wish I had the release? You are damned straight I wished I did.

Several of the newer Garmin GPS units are using a barometric altimeter in coordination with the satilites to give a better fix on the altitudes. It is really an automatic process. The Baro takes over when there is little or no satilite info. It may be a gee wiz thing for hikers and people driving, but I think it really helps people like us out for our uses of the device. It's actually more accurate than your wrist mount (or at least mine). Personally I think GPS use will increase amongst the birds. It's like taking a camera with you on the jump. When you get down you can show off what you did. It would be pretty borring to film a solo bird flight. The GPS can show every one that you flew 75 miles and gained altitude with your suit and even landed it!!! Once we find a suitable place to install it, maybee Birdman will sell GPS pockets as an option. Kim if you guy's use this, I want my royaltee's to be paid in Sam Adams Beer, or possibly a nice discount on a S3. I think every one can agree GPS Data is far more accurate and detailed than the Pro-Trac, just the GPS doesn't beep at you when you are about to go in. My Pro-Dytter doesn't even go off on half the flights!!! That's all I have to say about that....

Lou, I told you I would get back with you. I made 3 jumps down at coolidge on Sunday with the GPS. All three times I would take the unit (I said Unit, uh-huh-huh uhhh) out of the pocket I have sewn into the lower left leg on the calve, and accuire sat's in the aircraft. I used the little porthole window next to the little back left seat in the Mullins King Air. After endurring the endless barrage of questions to include, "What's that thing for man? Is it for if you get lost man? It's really easy to find the dropzone man. It's over by the hangar man..." It got a 3d reading as to where the aircraft was. As soon as I put it back into the pouch it lost sat's, but it was still tracking the altitude with the barometric altimeter. After the jump, it showed the usual bread crumb trail, fairly accuratley at that, and I was able to see a graph of altitude over distance. The 76s has a page where it will plot altitude gains and losses. It is tracked in the track log, so I just clear the track log prior to exiting and it plots fromn the top down . I'm not sure if the Vista does that, but it's kind of neat. The best thing about it is that you can tell exactly how much altitude you have lost untill it re-accuires the sat's. I was losing about 3 or 4 hundred feet, untill it stared to plot any distance's. I don't have any fancey computer software to download the info like you do, so I can't upload the info for everyone to see. As far as where I'm attaching the unit, I'm getting better accuracy with it being on the back leg of the suit. I got some pretty funky readings just shoving it down the front of my jumpsuit. It was saying I went 6 miles out and 6 miles back. Maybee with a few more jumps on my GTI I could do that... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah sorry, that was kind of funny. I'll try to get a hold of a digital camera and take a few pictures of the pocket I made foe the GPS unit, so every one else can get bombarded with stupid questions on the airplane. That's all I have to say about that.

Sorry Lou, I didn't get a chance to try out the GPS. Maybe in a couple of weeks when I'm down in AZ. If I can find a digital camera, I'll try to take a picture of the pocket for you.

I did a BM jump with my Garmin 76S. I acquired the sats in the plane (Caravan) by sitting next to the door. I just erased the track log just prior to getting out, then shoved it down the front of the suit. The GPS said I went a lot further than I think I did. The decent speeds where pretty jacked up also. I think this is due to the pressure differentials on your stomache. I have sewn a pocket on my lower left leg of the suit. Unfortunately the WX in Colorado has been bad, so I havn't had a chance to jump it. I will try it out tomorrow if the WX is better. Have a nice day.

How are the openings on your VX? I'm in terested in a 27 cell, but I jump a 13 lbs camera setup. Currently I jump an FX 104. I was wondering about a vx or xaos 27 94 series canopy. I really want to swoop further. Thanks for any info...

What are your thoughts on the Xaos 27? I've been thinking about going to a 27 cell to go further in my swoops, but I'm very interested in the openings. I fly a 13 lbs camera helmet in Colorado, where the field elevation is 5500, and the DA gets close to 10,000 on a hot summer day. I currently fly an FX 104, and I was thinking about downsizing to a 94 VX or Xaos 27. There really isn't that much info on either of those canopy's out there, with exception to the common belief the vx is a slammer on opening. Hook and swoop jump's his 60 VX at my DZ, and say's it's the best canopy for swooping, and that's about it. Thanks for the info...

My suggestion to you... Drink heavily. Start in Texas. Houston then to San MArcos. Travel north west to Colorado, and stop by Sky dive the Rockies. They have the best view in all of Colorado. You will also get a taste of landing your canopy at 5500'. It can be a little sporty. Then you should travel south to Coolidge, and Eloy. Coolidge has much cooler vibes than Eloy, but they don't have all the ammenities of Eloy. Then go to the bar at eloy, and pee on the wings of blue sticker in the urinal in the bent prop saloon. Then you should travel to California, stopping first in California City. There are two drop zones there. If you want o make a bunch of jumps then you should go to Van Pray's place with the otter. If you want to make some friends, and be accepted for who you ar then got to Bob Celaya's place. He can Party like it's 1999, and they will treat you like family the instant you walk in the door. Then you need to travel south to Perris and Elsinore. Perris has a good bar and restaruant, and Kack Grambly will treat you well, but in my oppinion, Elsinore has some cooler vibes, like Coolidge. Then you need to travel north up the PCH (HWY 1) and watch the sunset on the pacific, and go up to Sanfrancisco. Then you need to continue to drink heavily, and go skydiving around that area. Have a nice trip.

None of you freaks ever mentioned Devo!!!!!!! SSSSSSTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPIIIIITTTTTT "Whip it, whip it goooood!!!"

I'm sorry you feel this way. It's obvious you have never served in a military unit. The Airman, Soldiers, Seaman, or Marines who are now deployed are not fighting for some poor Iraqi child, who's leader has starved them, but more fore their buddy. If you don't look out for your friends then you have nothing. What do you have? A parachute and some free fly jumps because no one else will jump with you? Realize the person next to you on the jump plane amy not be there next weekend because they are deployed to Kuwait. If it where not for this person then you would probably not be jumping. Don't take your freedoms for granted, for it doesn't take much for them to dissapear.

I alway's throw a flaming bag of poo on their front porch in the middle of the night, then I squeal my tires and fire off the .45 multiple times.

Got a buddy here in Colorado who uses a crossfire 109. He say's it opens great on BM suit. I use an FX104. Sometimes it opens good, sometimes it doesn't. More good than bad though.

I too came to the same Horrid realization as you did, when I went to change out my pilot chute and bridle on my odyssy. After about ten minutes with a seam ripper, the problem was allieviated. I'm using a substantially longer bridle than what came with my Jav, for my wing suit jumping. It's a little different waiting for bag launch, but you get used to it. I have used the standard bridle on my bird suit, and i don't think it's quite as effective, espessially if you have a weak through. Cocking the new pilot chute takes a little getting used to also. I have to step on the bag, then step on the bridal, then pull it accross my chest, then accross to my other hand. It looks like a GIANT "Z". It's also wierd looking up at your canopy, and seeing this extremly long bridle trailing behind you. It makes your canopy look much smaller. If your going to fly a small canopy with your bird suit, I recomend three things. 1. Tube inserts in your risers. These will save you one day. Personally I like the Vector inserts because they will not come down and snake their way through the loop on your 3 ring. I have seen two jav inserts do this, and potentially cause an impossible cut away. 2. Extended bridle. This allows your pilot chute to escape the burble behind you giving you a cleaner launch of your bag. 3. Leaving at least 24 inches of lines unstowed between your risers and your first stow. The air is turbulant enough behind your back, and line stows make the bag move around during deployment. If you allow the bag clear the burble before starting to unstow the lines, this will decrease your chance of line twists. These are only my opinions. They have worked for me. Don't take it as the gosple, but at least give it a try.

Oh yes. Skills camps are the way to go, but armed with the new knowledge my learning curve took a sharp turn for the better. I'm starting to land with rear risers now, and I wish there was a skills camp in Colorado that could help me out on that matter. That's all I have to say about that.

Check it... For my first several WS jumps I used a Sabre 170. Then I went down to my regular main. (104FX) I would take the 170 down to 3500. I did that once with the 104. it decided to hose me and spin up a little bit. I finally got the thing onlie around 500'. enough time to do a 90 and land. (Jumping in Colorado) I still fly the 104, but I pull, by at least 5000'. The worst thing that happens, is I get it online high and have more canopy time. I'm sure any one on this forum who jumps a loaded canopy with a WS will tell you the altitude above you does you NO FOOKING GOOD!!!! Thats all I have to say about that.

Stop collaborate and listen, I believe Mach 1 is defined as 714 mph at sea level on a standard day. If any of you are pilots you will remember the standard day from ground school. As you increase your altitude the speed of mach decreases. Therefor it is very feasible that Kittenger went ballistic, even with a drouge. As for flying a wing suit at that altitude... I believe it would be very feasable, as long as it where presurized, and insulated. Yes you will be travelling at a very high rate of speed, but there is little air to create drag, therefore you wouldn't feal much resistance in the wings. As you re-entered the atmoshpere you would actually slow down, because the atmosphere would thicken and the drag would increase. This is why the space shuttle doesn't continue to speed up on re-entry. More air makes for for drag, and conversely more lift. The higher the wingsuit pilot is the less forward movement he or she will get. The lower the person is the more forward movement the pilot will achieve. The info expressed above is only the opinions of an uneducated young man. these are things I have picked up from flying airplanes, and flying my body. That is all i have to say about that. Have a nice day.

I went to Jim Slaton's school at Perris Valley. I think it's called "Evolution". I had just transitioned over to a 104 FX from a Stilletto 120. He tought me several things about when to start doing the turns, and how to get the turn done before the canopy loads up. He also told me about entering gates for swoop contests. Three months later I went to my first swoop comp and got extremely wet. That's all right though, because I learned so much more on those three jumps, than the hundred jumps prior, with exception to what Jim Slaton taught me. And by the way the water can be just as hard as the ground. Smaking into either one of those at a high rate of speed is rather painfull.