frost

Does a wingsuit count? then probably 20:1?

Right, it's Icarus NZ Project AKA Daedalus Project but i'd expect the guy who designed and measured the original VX to apply the same measuring techniques to JVX (and GLS XF)... wouldn't you? Now if that is not the case, then it would be good to know. But we're guessing here unless JP has spoken to the source himself.

you sure about that? PD and Icarus use different measuring, but Icarus and Icarus? Never heard of that. Even still JVX will fly at extreme wing loadings much better then VX

can you define what "flying style" is to you? I have over 1000 jumps on various VX's, mostly on VX111. I can fly the shit out of it. I now have just 100-120 jumps on a JVX87 (sail top & bottom) and jump it in competition, camera and FF. And already i can fly it faster and further then my VX. I also know that i've tapped MAY BE 30% of JVX capabilities. Bigger turn, smother turn technique - all that is still ahead. The JVX flys different from a VX. In my experience, it has same front riser pressure, similar rear riser performance with lighter pressure. It is trimmed differently so the turns will start from a higher altitude - 150 feet higher then VX. but same general turn techniques can be applied with great success. Slow beginning rolling into a fast snappy final 90 has been working well for me lately. Of course, wing loading difference is huge, vx111 @ 2:1, JVX87 @ 2.6:1 - so the speed comes from there. Unlike the beliefs of the past where most of us thought the big wing would go further, the JVX can take the loading AND fly further then a bigger ligheter loaded VX. It also does not fall out of the sky as a VX loaded @ 2.6:1 would. The comments about the spilling air, mushy controls, lack of bottom end, etc. probably come from people that never jumped a JVX but HAVE seen pictures of it (Yes, you Johnny ;) or people that put 10-15 jumps on it and never got a chance to dial it in.

same here. You'll know (SHOULD know) when you are TOO low for even a quick 270 (450, 540, etc.) and will abort before you even start the low turn. also same actions for traffic. Abort before you start.

Not bad at all! At the Ranch - 20 bucks full altitude, 18 anywhere else. Sometimes, when the DZ is not too busy or the clouds are low, we'll get the Cessna or the Porter to fly the loads to 4.5 for $10. But everyone has to go to 4.5 SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

Each one praises their own :) Have you ever tried the Optima? If so, what did you not like about it? I have and use both. As a swoop audible I BY FAR prefer the Optima for its swoop corridor alarm. It's a less expensive, cleaner, smaller, more efficient, less buggy and easier to maintain device. And batteries for Optima are half the price compared to Neptune batteries The one big plus for Neptune is the log book - the only way i keep track of jumps :) And it's water proof. but you can make Optima water resistant by buying the silicone pocket for it. P.S. I actually have TWO Neptunes, i use the second one on my legstrap as a visual aid for canopy flight.

Oh hey i just found these on my work PC hard drive :) First two by Laszlo last one by Kostya B.

Nice Ian. Di you make it out of the pond on that one? :) Here are a couple of pics i was sent by my friend from the Farm CPC.

Oh no, BUSTED!! Jairo, they're just jealous bro.

it's man-pri damit! MAN-pri! I don't know - I wear regular pants and/or bike pants SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

Drag. that lower pant is a lot of drag at 60-70 mph. Try to stick your hand out of the window of a car on the freeway. Feel the drag from the sleeve or even flip your palm to the wind and then flat. The surface of the pants is much much larger then that. As someone worried about drag but wanting more protection I would either wear dirt bike pants or regular swoop pants with thick knee-high soccer socks, possibly with shin protection installed or just plain old jeans in a tighter fit at the bottom. Looking cool IS important, no doubt. But I am MORE worried about my skin, then looking cool :)

I participated in the discussion of this subject on that OTHER site (good one Ian, keeping it politically correct ) I agree 100% with you Chuck. More body protection is needed. Swooping in man-pris and tight shirts? Nah. I lost 10 lbs of skin wearing a t-shirt during the 5 SE CPC comps and my weigh in records prove that . But if someone wants to have a good bucket for their head - you can never have TOO much protection. If i can find a good looking (key point) helmet that can hold my audible for less then 50 bucks... i'll buy it and wont tell anyone where i got it :)

It was the way his statement was made. It was ignorant and inappropriate. It was not a concern for possible injuries, it was a poor attempt at dark humor. I can see how you may have gotten the impression that the person was concerned about our safety so i apologize about my earlier reply to you. Jairo's post pretty much describes what i would want to say.

Yeah, sometimes when Dale got into his redneck speaking i could not understand what he was saying - but that made me smile even wider! I'm just guessing that he probably had the same problems with my accent... And the packpad jokes were priceless! He was a genuine person, and thats how i am going to remember him. Peace, Dale.

A thing of beauty!

Welcome to the club... I have been happy with the way MEL treated me in the past. BUT. as much as i hate to say it I have been very disappointed with the way he has handled his business lately. Local DZ friend had to wait months before getting canopy that was promised to be delivered within two-three weeks. Several fellow FL CPC competitors have been very unhappy with his services. From putting wrong linesets to not delivering on time and very late. Most of them have said the only reason they send their business his way is because they dont know anyone else who can do these things (like HMA relines)... My associates from Russia ordered 3 sliders from MEL 7 months ago. For 5 months they have been getting a runaround. He was either ignoring their emails or coming up with excuses. After they contacted me i was able to get it resolved by calling him week after week... took me ONLY two months for them to finally receive their sliders.... without the stainless rings! Rings were still to be sent out, pending a new supplier, not sure if they got them... MEL's excuses have been ranging from his other job as a nuclear engineer to house break ins to bad suppliers. I can understand a single case, but time after time? I also have very little patience for people that promise a lot but deliver nothing. If he'd tell me that he could get my stuff back to me in 2 months, but then get it to me in 6 weeks i'd be a LOT happier then if he'd tell me I could have it in two weeks but then get it to me in 6... Mark, if you're reading this, please, take notes. It doesnt matter if your other job is your main source of income and rigging is just something you do for fun. No matter what - you ARE running a business and people ARE relying on you. Serious people, competitors, people who need their canopies for a living. You cannot expect them to be happy if you promise them things but deliver them in such bad manner. I say all this with respect for your expertise and not to badmouth you but to hopefully get you to see the point. You can see in my prior replies that i praised your work, but lately there have been just too many unhappy campers...

What's this "also canceled"? why were these EST events canceled? Was it due to local DZ scheduling conflicts? Sure would be nice to know that $1200 spent on tickets to Kolomna was not wasted due to some last minute changes in the global EST schedules SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

I jump at the Ranch and would love to come to NE to compete. But I will be in CO for the CPC finals and possibly at the Nationals too... SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

A friend just gave me a link to the local public transportation page. I thought it might be useful to someone else: http://www.flydenver.com/gt/index.asp SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

So finally, after giving it a lot of thought, i bought my tix too. :) I will be in Denver Tue, Aug 28, 2007 @ 11:59pm Wondering if there are any fellow competitors that will be there around the same day and time and could either pick me up or would like to share the costs of the rental car. Question for locals: is there any public transportation from DEN Airport to the DZ? SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

Bah! Who cares what people think? YOU know what YOU can do, that's all that should matter. Hey, you're in the top ten overall! Great success, high five! SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

scores for the meet: http://www.cpafl.org/07round4scores.htm Season overall scores after 4 meets: http://www.cpafl.org/images/07overallafter4.gif SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

well , i did take it apart... i didnt find the problem :( BUT i had a few extra parts after i finished putting it back together. Extras a guess... I broke down and sent it to the repair center. SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

This weekend i witnessed a conversation between a fellow swooper and CPC competitor and a local at the hosting DZ. I dont recall the whole conversation but it came down to this: "you, swoopers, endanger 90% of the skydivers when you get out of the plane. what can i do to teach others to avoid accidents because of you?" That made me almost lose it, for some odd reason... I just got up and walked away, fearing that i might say something bad to point out the guy's stupidity and it might escalte into a big scene (he was drunk). Quite possibly the local jumper was stricken with grief over a recent dual fatality at that DZ... However, the idiocy of making such a statement to a competitive swooper was quite clear and very annoying to me. Annoying because it rubbed me the wrong way, as i consider myself (and 95% of competing swoopers) very well versed in safety as well as in common sense and decision making. Why am i saying this? Because i think that the canopy control education of non-swooping jumpers is the key here. As far as experienced pilots - it's a constant exercise in good judgment, since they should already have knowledge of the proper piloting techniques in traffic. SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.