Watcher

Skydive 499 is a good starter. Getting good coaches that might be able to show you tricks. Use a few different sources, our continuity plan started out basing most of the stuff on 499, now we find ourselves baseing it much more on PD Blue. Build yourself a good pair of creepers, dirt dive everything, especially early on, if its raining dirt dive the entire dive pool all day. Its a big commitment if you really want to improve. In April my team was doing a 2.8, this last weekend we did a mock meet and were able to post a 13 (slightly fast draw, we think a 11.5 is more accurate). The team has an average of about 350 jumps per person, and a couple of my teammates are just doing their first renewals of USPA membership. So I guess my point it anything is possible, and if you keep at it you can really improve really quickly if you put in the effort. Dirt Dive alot early on, jump as much as you can together, I have gotten 350 jumps since Jan, I would estimate only about 10 jumps without one of my teammates. In conclusion, 4 way rocks!! Jonathan GTInviscid http://www.gtinviscid.com Georgia Tech premier Skydiving Team --- Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Faster and slower draws I think account for some of this flucuation within the advanced class. Also this years intermediate was alot better than years past as it had 8 more blocks and were 10 rounds instead of 6. Of course I still felt our draw was kinda slow. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Well the Nitro is a very superior canopy. Great bottom end and a decent surf. I would assume the blade would then be a pretty good canopy, but would not know until I jumped it. Considering its made in ?denmark? then I probably not get to jump it, o well. Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Are you kidding? I emailed Kira, and within an hour had a reply with a message saying a replacement lens and ratchet system (for the Oxygn) would be sent out to me free of charge. And the times I have called I have also had very prompt service and found the customer service and the products to be superior to any other competitor. Oh and almost forgot, they are open on Fridays which few skydiving companies are, and their operations hours is a 10 hour span instead of an 8 commonly found at other places. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

PD reserves flare amazingly well, My 113 is loaded at 1.7:1, I have had 2 beautiful tippy toe soft landings on the reserve, after about a nice small 20 foot surf (same flare as the other PD canopies). The deployments were good too, one was terminal, one was subterminal. As far as why one has it, a smaller container is easier to fly with, and weighs less. Most Container manufactures do not make a large reserve small main combo, there are some, but most are not stock designs. But in the end there should be no problems landing a highly loaded reserve if you are flying a highly loaded main, at least from my experience with PD reserves, to each his own though. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

That was ana amazing insite. I recently had to cutaway my Velocity 103 when I opened into 2 line twist that became 5 very quickly as it dove over my shoulder puting me in a diving spin on my back at 2 grand. The toggle release would be a great idea to have in my arsenal to try to clear the malfunction, Thank you much Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Ok, let me clarify, these characteristics are based on a canopy that is not grossly over loaded. Through extensive testing the velocity has been found to be at optimal between 2.0-2.1 :1 A canopy is not going to come out of a dive when loaded at like 3.0:1 Its just going to drop out of the sky, great for speed events, not good for distance though. My 103 will completely level off after an agressive dive as long as I have started it high enough so it can recover on its own, If i am too low I will either have to pull it out with input or I bury myself into the ground waiting for it to recover, but thats why its a radical canopy. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Ive not flown more than 1 jump on a Xoas so I was not going to speak for a canopy that could have a characteristic to make it behave differently. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Well many of the instructors are skydivers. Many great flyers. Skydive U offers a tunnel training aff package to get you to learn everything also with a skydive U instructor. http://www.skydiveu.com/flash/taff.htm It might be worth it. I did not find any trouble with AFF, but the tunnel is pretty amazing, I had about 40 jumps when i went in, had 1 hour of one on one training with Jaime Johnson (Touch of Majik 01) and she took me and made me an excelent flyer. Ian, Shannon, and David then took the team in for 5 hours and showed us how to rock. We ended up winning 1 hr and 10 min of free tunnel time from NSL this season that we are just waiting to get back in and use. Tunnel Rocks!! Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

I have about 6 Hours in the tunnel, and It rocks. Helps though when your coaches are Ian Bobo, Shannon Pilcher, and the rest of the PD guys If you want to seriously learn, goto skyventure in Orlando. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

I jump a VE-103, while I was in Deland I was talking to a friend of mine and we were talking about the power in the velocity flare. The canopy like other cross braced cascaded lined canopies are very rigid and very fast. The toggle stroke is going to be more strong compared to a more mushy canopy like a stiletto because it is not as rigid and the airspeed and lift is not nearly close to equal. So you get a canopy they will surf because you cannot blow through the flare stroke, and its freaking solid. The front risers are going to be heavier just because you have a canopy that wants to lift out of your hand. I load my 103 at 1.85:1 which is considerd lightly loaded for the model. One thing I have noticed that many pilots to not think about as far as the velocity is concerned is that they think you have to pull it out of the dive or you will take it into the ground. Ian Bobo told me that the velocity will recover back to level flight if given enough time. The perfect swoop is one that you are coming into your surf without any input after the initial impulse from the front risers, That is how Ian then Shannon (with a combination of rear risers) were able to break the swoop distance records. No wasted energy pulling it out of a dive. The key then it to start higher up and let the canopy come out of the dive on its own. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

The tunnel is a rush, and one that can be expirenced for longer than the normal 75 seconds of freefall. Its a rush, and if i was living in orlando i would be in the tunnel every single week. No packing . Incredible fun, levels become a bigger issue. And for some of us, getting faster and faster at turning points is the biggest rush in the world. If it was not for my Velocity 103, and the challenge of exits, i would perfer to do everything in the tunnel. Jonathan GTInviscid Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Not Yuppie parents. Some of us have an instate college, with a HOPE scholarship (pays tuition and fees unless we drop below the 3.0 at review time). And then work 2 jobs during the week in between classes and such. And then found a good team deal so its cheaper than the norm to jump. I am averageing between 450-600 jumps for the 2002 year, I have been regularly jumping for 18 months, but know that i cant afford much more, but thats why i got my coach rateing as a first step for AFF in January (Georgia Tech will prob. pay for the course and practice jumps before hand, because in turn we can offer the club $550 AFF), So AFF will help subsidize the constant team training. Thats how. Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

Forget the Bumpers, replace the metal links with Soft Links. Jonathan Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

The only reason that Sebastion was not good was cause they moved the meet up a month from the great weather in October into the hurricane season of September, because Airspeed whined that the october nats would have been too close to the world meet and they were not going to show up, so they moved it to September. There will be better weather in Lake Wales in 2003 than the likely weather in Chicago for 2002. Plus Fayard will be able to bring in a huge fleet for nationals, and the airport is nice and big. Lake Wales will kick ass (not as good as Eloy prob, but no where is). Jonathan www.gtinviscid.com Jonathan Bartlett D-24876 AFF-I

wow, What was the wing loading you had on the canopy, I fly mine at 1.6 (Nitron 120) and get amazing bottom end flare. TJ landgren was talking to me about it and said he was flying an 88 at 2.3 and was still getting great bottom end on it, said it was a great canopy, of which I agree with him. I flare it and it keeps going and going and going. The comparison to a safire i dont seem possible, those simply suck comparably. I found the nitron very very close to a Stiletto with a better longer flare stroke, better bottom end, less oversteer (the 2 hotdogs are like a stol conversion for those that are pilots). No a Nitron is not going to be able to beat cross braced, but either is a stiletto. But to say is sucks completely i think you are wrong, but thats my opinion. Demo them all, My next canopy will be a Velocity 96 or 103. Jonathan D-24876

Eric Taylor (camera for PD Blue) used to have a 75 and a 70, but had to give those back when he came back to Atlanta, his consolation was 2 79's. He was doing video for us this last weekend, had not jumped in a year, and said he was going conservative on the first few, well instead he came in, laid out a sweet kick out carving swoop (i was at 600 feet and went from seeing his canopy, to seeing him laid on his side, with the canopy to the right of him on its side, to him back under it landing it, Everyone was like "DAMN" ). Yeah the PD team kicks ass, of course im biased as they were all GaTech Alumni) Jonathan D-24876

The Velocity i love, Been under a 120, 111, and a 103 its very ground hungy which i like with alot of power in the surf. The Xoas21 - 98 i flew was very fast, long snivelly openings, and a much flatter glide, great flare also. Most of the ppl i have talked to like the Xoas over both the FX and VX, while the Velocity tends to be a different animal, I love them but thats me.Just a reminder the Velocity holds the Number 1 and #2 distance records, a VE-103 at 418 feet. Jonathan D-24876

I got really bored. Jonathan

I give and hear exit count very easily in my oxygn, i can even here ppl screaming in freefall Jonathan

I have a Deja Blue weight belt, produced by Shannon Pilcher from PD Blue. amazing belt i like it better than the lead bellys. The weight fits pretty well, but you could always just get diminsions then make your own weight, just use some sowing and some lead shot. I can fit about 16 pounds into my Medium size. I dont know how much the retail is we are a sponsored team, but weight was $5 a lb for us, i think i saw on the lead belly site is was like $6 a lb. But i have worn both belts and Vest, and if you are trying to flying in an active torso high position the vest sucks, the belt sitting on your CG allows for better center point turns and are alot more comfortable to wear. Jonathan D-24876 Jonathan@gtinviscid.com

Do both, downsize and go elliptical, when you change wings its gonna be different anyways might as well go down too. yeah everyone on this forum will prob tell you differently, ill might even get flamed too, but i dont think changeing from one canopy type to another was that big of a deal. From personal expirence i went from a 170 Square to a 120 Elliptical. But im always disagreeing with the ppl on the forum so i accept that as my fate. Jonathan D-24876

I used a figure 8 knot on each line for the Nitron. It has not moved since i set them. Jonathan

I had a ride on my 113R at a 1.7:1 wingloading opened so great, landed well, got about a 30-40 foot swoop on it, did not have to front riser it, great canopy. I thought about getting a 106 in my next rig but i dont really need it cause the main is not going to be that big to need the extra room. Never flown the 106, but unless you are getting like a 111 Velocity in there and need the extra room, i would go with the 113, why do you need a smaller reserve than that? Even the smallest containers hold a 113. Just my $.02 Jonathan D-24876