StearmanR985

Hmm, did you cut something away on Saturday?

Great slide show Roy! Looks like you guys are having too much fun, Wait, err, there is no such thing as too much fun.

Looking forward to your review.

I see nothing wrong with both parents on the same load. In fact, the next time my SO does a tandem my daughter is going to ride as an observer. So all three of us will be on the same load. Of course it will have to happen in the Otter and Stretch will have to be the pilot.

Yes you did. And you were right! Actually, I hope to pay a visit down there before harvest this year. We may try to work it around my birthday in July if finances permit and the grapes hold off.

I know I did!!! Can't quite recall how much strawberry shortcake I ate over the last 3 days but I do know it was way too much. But it was so tasty though.....

Glad to hear you are enjoying your Pilot! I am hoping to make a purchase by the end of the month...

Just when I though I was done with demos... Nick from Aerodyne showed up with all sorts of gear at our DZ this Memorial Day Weekend. More than a few people have suggested I look at the Pilot so I snatched one up and gave it a try. Here are my thoughts. Openings: This canopy has a SWEET ASS opening! Nick mentioned it was going to be good and he was right. They are on heading too and unlike the Sabre2 there are no end cell closures to deal with. Turns: Toggle turns are smooth and predictable. You can crank a toggle and dip the canopy below the horizon if you so desire. The performance here is much like the Sabre2 but I do remember being able to make tighter turns with the Spectre. Riser pressure seemed 'normal' to me. The canopy was happy to go where you wanted with rear or front riser input. Flare: Plenty o' Power on the flare. Not once did I time a flare properly (the whole not used to a 9 cell thing) yet I was set down on my feet each time. If I was early I could hold it a bit and there was still enough flare left to stop the canopy. If I was a little late I could stab the toggles a bit and dig right out. Surf/Swoop: I did not tinker with this too much but I did get a surf out of it on my last jump and without any 'added' speed (straight in approach). This leads me to believe there is good potential for swooping once one starts inducing turns and/or riser input. The Pilot is my new favorite. I would definitely recommend taking a look at this canopy if you are thinking about a semi elliptical 9 cell with nice openings. Jeff

I'm driving to Monterey this evening. Work related though. Hopefully I can sneek in some fun.....

Thanks JP, but I wont be there this weekend. I am heading to AZ tomorrow for Airspeed's Arizona Challenge. - I'll be there but I am not nearly as cool as Ed. Oh, and I am the KING of H & P's. I'm such a cheap bastard. Jeff

Nate & Hookitt, I might know of a newbie ground crew person... Should you want/need any help that is.

Hello Tom, Speaking of PM's, when ya gonna answer the one I sent you a few days ago?

Cool, I thought it was something like that. Makes perfect sense, there are definitely differences amongst the two planes. Anyhow, I can be there pretty much any day of the week with some warning. Jeff

I like flying the canopy. I want to learn to swoop. There is a lesson in this story so bare with me. As many of you are aware I have recently demoed a Sabre2 170, Spectre 150 and borrowed a Stiletto 150. Now I have been flamed here on DZ for the last two choices and probably rightly so as I was going against the grain. But filtering through the flammage I found some helpful advice; it was suggested that perhaps I could do more on my Tri 175 then I thought I could. Now being the stubborn individual that I am, it took me a few days to really process this. I am actually open minded, sometimes it just takes me awhile to get there. So on Friday I took the ole Tri out for a 'spin' to see what could be done. A cone was in the landing area and I decided to use it for my landing target. I did a 90 degree front riser carve continued using fronts to steer at the cone and keep some speed up and bam, I came within one foot of it all while surfing my Tri to a one step. Very cool and very FUN!!. I did it again on a second jump only this time there were people (on the ground) in the way so I steered right by them (not too close mind you) for another surf to a one step. Hmm, interesting, didn't think I could do stuff like that with this 'ole thing'. There was something else I read from another poster here that motivated me to work harder on the Tri and that was, "It is the pilot, not the canopy..." Very valuable quote, I viewed it as a new challenge, a personal challenge. Lesson: Perhaps it is true that one should wring out the performance of their current canopy before moving on. This doesn't mean I don't want a 150, it just means I am not in as big of a hurry as I was a week or two ago. I was pleasantly surprised on Friday. I am going to keep working with my Tri for awhile and I would appreciate any advice on techniques to use for good surfing. Jeff

Hello Kath, Though I think it may be difficult to get Bill to pull one of the Otters out on a Monday I can be there to help you guys fill a plane. I am still new to the sport so bare with my question: Why would the Beech 99 not work out for ya? I think I know the reason but I want to see if I have the right line of thinking going on. Jeff

So I don't get in trouble for hijacking the thread I'll PM ya.

I learned the hard way not to to discuss WL here on DZ.com. Instead, I chat about it with others in person, much safer.

I checked out the Stiletto mainly just to try it out for fun. I didn't think it would be the canopy for me and still feel that way after jumping it the other day. I did demo the Sabre2 for about 12 jumps but just didn't quite like the flare on it. Don't get me wrong though, it was a very fun and exciting canopy to fly. I REALLY enjoyed the Spectre demo right from the sart, especially the flare. For whatever reason, I seem to prefer the steeper angle of decent. Also, it just seemed like a great all around canopy, even if it is a bit ground hungry And though it may not surf like the Sabre2 I believe if flown well it can get somewhat close. Not that I can accomplish that...yet.

Yep. Working on Billvons list, I have done a few crosswinders and this has happened to me. Kind of interesting when just after the first step in the wrong direction you trip over your own feet and are suddenly sliding on the grass on your side. The brain says you are going straight but really you are not. May take some getting used to.

It was a Stiletto. It was a very interesting experience but the canopy was too "quirky" for both my experience and comfort level. It is sensitive to harness input too, something I am not familiar with. Landings were fine, it responded well to toggle input but far different than what I am used to, I am having trouble explaining it. You have to 'fly' it more if that makes sense. At the same time, I bet one could 'over fly' it and get in trouble fairly quick. Anyhow, me thinks I'll be sticking with ordering a Spectre.

Hi JP, I deleted my posts in the best interest of my home DZ. The first two replies were aimed at not only me (which is acceptable) but at the DZ. Lodi is an excellent place to jump, with great people and a good staff. I have made many new friends there and don't like the idea of the DZ being tarnished in anyway based on posts I have made. I knew I would be flamed but did not expect the flammage to be directed at the DZ or any of my fellow jumpers at the DZ. So that all are aware, I don't have the intention of purchasing a Stiletto (I am quite happy with the Spectre demo I had). I just wanted to see what all the hype was about. I like checking things out for myself. It is not like I was hooking it or trying to swoop it or anything of the likes. I was just...flying it for the experience.

As some of you are aware, I have been demoing canopies for the last few weeks in preparation for a purchase. I have jumped the Sabre2, Spectre and now the Stiletto. I found it interesting, VERY different and a bit touchy/quirky on the toggles which would take some getting used to. Question: Once the canopy was near full inflation I started an unwanted turn to the right (actually 360's). There were no line twists, it was kind of like a toggle being unstowed (not the case though). Anyhow, I fixed it the first time by unstowing the brakes and toggling out of the turn. The second time I used the rear risers to work out of it and that worked fine too. But, I was told afterward that I am probably shifting weight during opening without realizing it and that the Stiletto is quite sensitive to weight shifts. Does anyone else have/had this problem and is that difficult to correct? Oh, I was also informed that I should steer the canopy with weight shifts rather than risers/toggles during the opening process if there is an off heading situation developing. I intend to work with the weight shifting upon my next few jumps with it but wouldn't mind recieving some advice on different techniques. BTW, once I got the canopy flying straight, it was quite fine all the way through landing. I was able to let the toggles go while collapsing the slider (damn that thing was noisey) and the canopy stayed right on course. Jeff

I just flew my first elliptical today.

Hmm, wonder where that might be? Oh, and if you're lucky, you'll get some high speed stalls with the 99....on rare occasion. Ah, what a rush!!!

There have been a couple of gentlemen working on the DC over the last two weeks. I questioned Bill about this and he said that he is just having it "maintained" so it 'could' fly but not that it would fly. That is about all I got out of him.