jeiber

I have a Sabre2 190 loaded at about 1.5, and absolutely love it. I've jumped a friend's Stiletto 170 loading it at almost 1.7, and as far as swooping goes, I'll take my Sabre2 any day, simply because the recovery arc is much longer, and riser pressure is much lower. I just don't like starting swoops that low to the ground, but that's just my personal preference - I know many who don't mind it. One thing I really like about the Stiletto is the responsiveness of the toggles. It is so much fun to fly! I only have a handful of jumps on it, so looking at the horizon over the tail of the canopy is still such a cool sight to me. As others are commenting, I too wish the Katana were available in larger sizes. I'm going with a used Vengeance for the time being.... Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Hmmm. Your toggles should always be in your hand, so that would actually be the quickest. Your instructor can elaborate further on this one. You're absolutely right! Welcome to the sport, and may you have many soft landings!

Some good points. I want to clarify that I strongly encourage experimentation with rear risers (hence my first post on the subject). I agree 100% that rear risers are an important survival skill, for the exact reasons you mentioned; no argument there, it's only the front risers that I take issue with. Reading some of the responses, I'd also like to clarify that I'm talking about jumpers having 8-25 jumps using their front risers. Evidently my opinion isn't shared by many, but I'll argue a couple of the points I've seen so far. Fun- I won't argue the fact that front risers are fun. I just question whether jumpers on student status should be using them. As they progress in their skills, then they should experiment with front risers, without question. Canopy control - students are taught s-turns to lose altitude, not front risers. Again, we're talking students with 8-25 jumps. Most students are still trying to learn to use toggles proficiently with this many jumps. Sex Ed - I think that analogy proves my point. Tell them about it, don't encourage them to perform the action. Think about it, 'just put it in a little, but then stop'. Yeah right... (sorry Moderators, I'm trying to prove a point, not be overly graphic). I don't have kids, but I'll argue that education doesn't necessarily involve performing the action, just to learn from it. It would be interesting to hear a student's perspective on this... Everybody commenting thus far has been off student status for a while, and discussion of canopy pressurization may make more sense to us than it does to someone new in the sport. Let me reiterate, I'm talking specifically about skydivers with under 25 jumps. Once some experience is gained, I think EVERYONE should play with front risers. Just like I think everyone should have sex at least once! Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I had to watch it over and over... People in my office had to come over to see what I was laughing at. I have to say, the pre jump interview made it that much funnier! Jeff ps- glad he's ok! Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I wasn't sure if rears could spin up a main like the toggles, but wanted to at least throw the warning out so we don't see a sudden increase of cut away canopies due to my posting... My somewhat conservative (but loaded) canopy spun up after a deep toggle stall. Keep in mind I'm not an AFF-I, so these are just my personal opinions. I'm open minded, so please feel free to correct my way of thinking. Well, try anyway! Yes, front riser turns are listed as a maneuver to accomplish for the A license. However, I just can't think of a situation under canopy where a student would need to be using anything but toggles and possibly rears in an emergency. I think explaining to the student that a front riser will cause the canopy to go into a diving turn is sufficient instruction. Their's no denying the appeal of swooping. By having a student perform the first basic step of the maneuver, it's nothing but temptation. There will certainly be those that will execute it up high and think 'that wasn't so tough'. The next thing you know, they've put themselves in the corner... I can already tell this is going to be a controversial subject. Yes, the USPA says it should be done, and the AFF curriculum was developed by people far wiser and knowledgeable than I, but I can't help think this may fall in a category of RSL usage, and both hands on the cutaway vs. one hand on each handle. Just my two cents! Jeff ps- Please be constructive in your responses, your thoughts and experience may be passed on to my students in coaching sessions. Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Part of Scott Miller's canopy course in DeLand includes performing rear riser stalls and toggle stalls at altitude. Anytime I'm talking with student jumpers getting tired of jumping on their own, I encourage them to open high and perform these stalls. I don't know that I necessarily agree with having a newbie execute a front riser turn prior to hitting the rears, just to induce a stall... Personally, I don't think students have any business even touching their front risers, even at altitude. For those of you reading this with eliptical canopies, be very, very careful. You're canopy will likely spin up on you after this little maneuver. Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Hmmm - that's a thought. I haven't jumped in a few weeks, but once I get current again, maybe I'll look into demo'ing one. Your description sounds like it would be a good step prior to jumping a Katana. I'm a big PD fan, but you have me thinking this would be a much better canopy to get a little more 'elliptical experience' prior to moving to the Katana. Thanks for the great suggestion! Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I guess I didn't really use the correct terminology. When I said glide slope, I probably should have said 'recovery arc'... My mind and fingers don't alway work well together... I won't embaress myself by trying to pretend I know something about canopy design, but I can definitely say that my Sabre2 190 stays in a dive significantly longer than the Stiletto 170. In defense of the Stiletto, a sharp pull on a toggle (just half way), and I'm above the canopy, looking at the horizon over the tail. I absolutely love flying the Stiletto; it's fast and very responsive, but (in my opinion) the riser pressure seems to be at least twice that of the Sabre2, even at the start of a riser turn. Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Yes, you're correct. Currently the 150 isn't out yet, but 'rumor' has it that a couple of the larger sizes (150 being the largest) are still being tweaked and tested. At the moment I'm not ready for it anyway, but it's something to look forward to. Since I have a 'goal', I'll be analyzing and critiquing every swoop until it's ready, which just adds to the fun/challenge of skydiving!

I'm SOOOOO turned on right now!

Hmmm, interesting. I start my 180's on my Saber2 at 400'. I know the Saber2 has a steeper glide slope than a Stiletto, but didn't realize it was that close to the Vengeance... Not trying to go off on a tangent, but does anybody know how different the glide slope is on the Katana vs. Saber2? I know, I know, they're two completely different canopies, but I've been jumping a Saber2 190, Stilleto 170, and Saber2 170 recently, but really want to move to the Katana 150 (I'm a big guy, give me a break!

I just picked up a pc109, and love it so far. Yes, it's small size and weight is an obvious plus, but something I haven't seen anyone else mention is the 25mm lens. I picked up a 'universal' .5x wide angle at Best Buy - it's actually a .43x with a macro lens and various size stepdown rings, thereby making it a .5x. The key here is that it's a bigger lens with a stepdown ring, so if I remove the macro lens, the .43x (fisheye) doesn't vignette. Two lenses in one package for around $35. Yes, the camera was expensive, but it's not just for skydiving. The only thing I don't really like about it is that the firewire is in the base unit, so I need to remove the camera from the helmet to firewire. Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I just left a voice message with his instructor. I know his instructor well, and assure you he's not aware of this purchase. Hopefully this is a joke, or there's more to the story than we know...I hope... Sorry to be the bad guy dude... but think about it, there's a reason why everybody here is reacting the way they are. Jeff Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

By putting a camera on your head, you'll be significantly slowing down your learning curve because you'll be thinking about the camera. If all you ever want to do is shoot video on your belly, then (safety issues aside) throw the camera on. If you want to learn RW and freeflying, leave the camera alone for a while and develop your skills. I consider myself a fast learner (sit at 50 jumps and head down at 130 jumps) and I'm just now starting to really develop my skills enough that I'm considering video again. Good luck! Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Yes, I started jumping with just the video camera, then I added a 35mm still after about 50 video jumps. No probs with video, kept people close and in frame. I only had a handful of vid+35mm jumps before I broke the mount for the still, so I'm not real proficient in framing subjects with the 35mm yet - just need practice. Hmmm. Sounds like I need to save up for an Optik... Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I started off with the Mindwarp as my first helmet. I added the flattop, chincup, and cutaway when I started doing video with a TRV. I then added a bracket, and mounted a 35mm still (upside down). I guess I wasn't very clear in my initial post. I don't want ALL those things on my camera at once. I would just like the ability to mount a flash, as well as the ability to mount the camera vertically. I wouldn't have two stills, video and flash all at the same time. Reading over the posts, it looks like my best bet is a new helmet... Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I've got a Bonehead Mindwarp with a flat top, and need some advice on cages/brackets for mounting a video camera, a 35mm, and a Nikon Speedlight flash. I'd also like the option of mounting the 35mm vertically. Being able to have 2 35mm's would be ideal (horizontal & vertical), but isn't absolutely necessary. This helmet will be dedicated for video. I already have the chincup w/ cutaway and flattop. I'm in the market for a new video camera, so I'm very flexible there. Somebody posted a link to some pretty nice cages a while back, but I can't find the post... Thanks! Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I actually had a dream a couple months ago that I 'went in', bounced, then got up and walked back to the packing area. I was ecstatic that I was alive and unhurt. Everyone was ignoring me, so I went over to flip off the lights on them, and my hand went through the lightswitch - I was a ghost! I totally freaked in my dream to the point that it woke me up. First thing in the morning I called my rigger and told her I was out of date. Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Hmmm. I've only got a little over 300 jumps, but I think I'm ready for a Velocity... Confidence is a good thing, but the wisdom to listen to experience will get you much farther... and it'll probably keep you alive longer. Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I just looked into this, but I have a $500 deductible, and a claim could cause my insurance to go up, so I'll just buy a new camera... When I called the local AllState office, they asked how it was done, and I said I had it on my skydiving helmet, and it got knocked off a table. Her response was, 'skydiving? bwahahaha, no, it's not covered'. I called the corporate office and determined that even if it was covered, it wouldn't be worth claiming it... J Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

This is perfect timing - I just trashed my Sony TRV... The Lortab's are numbing the pain, but it does nothing for the pain of knowing I forgot to turn the camera on before 'landing'.... J Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I have a Bonehead Mindwarp with a Sony TRV topmounted, and it definitely affects my head down, especially when freeflying the exit. Transitions are alot quicker too, and I over rotated a couple times when first flying it. If I had it to do all over, I'd buy a camera that I could side mount... Oh yeah, Torque = Force x Length, meaning the further the camera is from my neck, the more force is exerted on it. I'm tall, so I'm always bumping the camera inside the plane. Just my 2 cents! J Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

I agree with everything mentioned in the above post. I also agree that a single gradual flare is best (IMHO). You shouldn't need to run out your landings, but we (well, I, anyway

WOW, just got done looking at those pictures! I've had a couple beers , so I couldn't help but laugh when I pictured you running over it with your truck! Woodchipper idea aside, perhaps just take the pieces in and tell them it got run over. If they ask why it smells like smoke, just tell them you grabbed the closest shirt to wrap the parts in, and it smelled like smoke; now the parts do too. Just out of curiosity, have you tried perfume? Personally, if I were you, I'd go into the store, give them the parts and tell them it got run over (the truth). If they ask why it smells like smoke, put on your most sympathetic face, bat your eyes a few times, and tell them not to ask that question. I'm 'morally flexible' (just call me Robin Hood), but sometimes honesty is the best solution. Holy cow, did *I* just say that?!?! A low cut shirt might help too! J Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!

Just throw it in a wood chipper, and mail the parts back in a box. It wasn't stolen, and it wasn't burned, so it MUST be covered, right?! If they ask what happened, tell them it fell in a wood chipper! You're telling the truth! Or you could just tell them it broke on a camping trip, and it smells like smoke from the campfire. I like the woodchipper idea better though! J Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring!