Raistlin

Like what? >:)

We once dropped a lavatory pan and got it on video. There wasn't a piece bigger than a thumb when it met the ground; man did it flip in the air :) then people jumping out with brooms to look like witches don't hold onto the broom...

I searched Atair website and this forum, but it seems like there is no information (not even rumors) available on Atair's latest bird, Dragon. The website doesn't even list one as being worked upon. Yet the label on the canopy I currently jump clearly reads: Atair Aerodynamics, Dragon, 170, MFD: April 2004 :) So I was basically wondering when these canopies are going to hit mass production, and if anyone has jumped one, what are your impressions? Maybe cobaltdan can offer some helpful input... :) I've got only around 15 jumps on it, and can only compare it to the same size Spectre and Hornet. Dragon is a 7-cell rectangular, definitely quicker than a Spectre and surfs longer (disclaimer: with my lousy landing techniques applied :p). At first, I had troubles with stand-up landings, because where a Spectre lifts you up and stands you on your feet, the Dragon will glide on and on. Flare good, toggle turns very fast, riser input sluggish and it buckles, as could be expected from a canopy this size (WL of about 1.35). Not very good at making it back from long spots, even on rears... has opened always soft and on heading, but end cells will sometimes not inflate (like maybe 2 out of 10 jumps). Does not boast Atair diamonds :) and I think it is broader than the Spectre (tail-to-nose wise). The pics I have are rather crappy though. I've not jumped the Hornet in a while (you don't really turn down offers to fly a brand spanking new toy that is so fresh, nobody has any idea what it is :p), so will abstain from comparing them for now. I think I would buy one if I had a good deal on it.

Weird... should be working... does it open ok for everybody else?

Oh, it was great. I mean, I never before tried to sit back in the harness. Actually, the first time I tried, I couldn't, but then worked it out and am happy as a lark :) why did nobody mention it to me about a few months earlier... :) no pain/discomfort at all, so no need even to bother about wider leg straps. Thanks everybody! On a related note, so far the most comfortable container I've jumped is a 12-year old EOS - supposedly built for someone just my size. Edit to add, not to mention the first thing I did after leg straps no longer were the mortal threat to my appendages, was to take a cam and do a 12k hop-n-pop :) here's the resulting aerial shots, among other pictures: http://helxen.com/skydive/2.jpg up to 20.jpg

Ah, you can sit in your straps... :) I guess I'll have to try that. The things you learn at dz.com! I've thought about a custom rig, but it'll have to wait a year. I did take on a second job specifically for that purpose :) thanks. I'll report any progress after the weekend :)

What if you wear a rig, get your canopy out, get someone to hold it and let it become fully inflated, and jump off a building? How dangerous (aside from the icky turbulence) would that be? I know this is done regularly with the bigger canopies off cliffs...

So far I have jumped about 8 different containers that all have had one thing in common: it is not very comfortable in the crotch area in them. (It seemed to be worse with student rigs, it is slightly better with a 170) The leg straps cut into flesh and if I open high, the flight itself is not a very pleasant one; on a hop and pop from 9k my legs were practically numb by landing time. I asked around and most have told me it is about what everyone has to endure, and you've got to lose some weight or bear and grin it (I'm 230 with gear). Any solutions? >:) I tried tightening the leg straps really tight, but it didn't seem to help much. Maybe get a mod to make them wider by a couple of inches - that oughta take care of the excessive pressure, no? Any solutions? Anybody got the same problem, if you consider it a problem at all?

Yup, thanks everybody for the replies. I am meeting an ancient friend of mine and taking her for a tandem...so I am not looking to jump all day long. Still, it's probably going to be Empuria if we make it Friday or the weekend, and someplace closer if we do it on a weekday... I just hope the tandem master guy lets me hold hands with her in freefall, just to get in the picture :)

If it's chicks, I'd rather they be hot than cool :p

N/A

So, it is to Spain I am going. I've heard more than one bad thing said about Castellon DZs; should I attempt going there, or should I go for Empuriabrava? (I wouldn't ask, but going there will add about 8-10 hours to driving time...)

I am going to whine incessantly. There you are, jumping - here I am, stuck at home. WHINE... Plus I am missing out on all you guys, that's a double *sniff*. The only good thing is I get to jump at Empuriabrava possibly as soon as next week! I hope you're all having a wonderful time..somehow I am almost positive you are...but for Dror *comfs*

so I get to meet people and you get to jump with them? not fair! and sheesh, you have me worried now..... presumably you just didn't see him? i'd hate to think a group of danish skydivers was mysteriously lost in the depths of russia...

Ok, Kitn and I met vonSanta and others, and it was an interesting, if cruelly hilarious, day. Everything that could go wrong, did, but in the end worked out fine..er..good.. er, just say it worked out with minimum losses :)

Sigh, and here I am, getting frowned upon if I want to pull any higher than 6k... As an offtopic note, if anybody wants to send any vibes my way please do - I'm having the awfulest, cruelest, meanest summer exam and I've been up 20 hours already... :)

I jump the same canopy, albeit at 1.3, and am still learning to fly it. I start the flare slowly and never stop it, and when the land gets just -this- close, I intensify the pressure on the toggles to reach just below the chest, and the canopy surfs. I still have troubles sliding or lifting feet, so I just run it out for 3 or 4 steps - not good, but at least on my feet. If you tame yours, PM me with the secret recipe, mkay? :)

So what kind of canopy do you think it might be? and he was landing downwind and did not know how to flare turn! :p

http://aniland.w3ip.com/animations/ILoveSky.wmv (about 20 Mb)

Alright, let's face it: Kolomna is overrated, deal with it! :) I still invite you over to Borki... and to substantiate my claim, I've updated the listing in Dropzones section with new prices, renewed aircraft info, and what can pass for a description... check it out if you will :) On a related note, at least two foreign skydivers I know say they like Borki better than Kolomna, so consider giving it a try :>

As of June 2004: The dropzone is undergoing a number of changes: new facilities are being built, new rental rigs have been purchased recently. While probably the smallest of the three main dropzones in Moscow whereabouts, it has been described as the friendliest one by more than one visiting skydiver. With its two aircrafts, the sleek and comfy L-410 and the fast and bulky An-28, Borki manages up to 25 loads on a busy day, with the average being around 18 in summer. It is hardly a coincidence that the newest canopies on the market are first available in Borki, and only then elsewhere: such was the case with PD Katana, such is the case with Atair Dragon. Coaching is available in any discipline you can think of: RW and freefly go without saying; skysurfing? got it; wingsuits? yessir!; swooping? ooh, we like to swoop; even BASE, if that's your goat - several jumpers are quite experienced in the ways of BASE. And if you have a sudden itching desire to co-pilot a plane or, say, experience the way of the old and jump a round canopy, you get it right after you name it. After the jumping day or if the weather decides to be uncooperative, there always is the campfire with frequent barbeques, or paintball, or a nice hot sauna, or just plain Ye Ole Bar if nothing exciting is going on. The hotel is situated about 300 ft from the manifest which sure helps to be out and about. As you soar through the almost always blue skies, the twisting band of the Volga river combined with the many forests below produces a breathtaking effect. The dropzone is operational every weekend, no matter how bad the weather is; usually the worst months weather-wise are through November to February. This DZ might not be very big, and the mosquitoes sometimes can get real annoying in nil winds (but talk about packing speed if you do it in the open, hehe), and you may spend whole 20 minutes waiting for the load... but even so, Borki remains a nice place we like to call home.

I can't promise I'll have a mini-van to give you a lift directly to the DZ, but if anyone of those who are coming needs any help finding their way around, I'm in Moscow & available for the first half of July.

FT-50 has a nice look but seems to be fragile. Someone who repairs altimeters commented that FT-50 was the most fragile alti on the market. Mine locked up at about 8k right in freefall, and so did someone else's the next day, and we weren't exactly throwing them against concrete to get them to behave so :P Wrong altitude measures are not infrequent as well. Edit to add: My point being, take Altimaster for your own safety :)

Out of curiosity, if it's a good-performing canopy without any obvious flaws, why it has a low value? Why doesn't someone with over 1000 jumps on one of these write us a nice informative review? *hint hint please please*

As noted before, I went 1.3 at 50 jumps and frankly stayed quite fine. The only two scenarios I can envision in which a broken leg might be expected are: 1) a low turn close to the ground (no comments - gotta avoid those), 2) a way too early flare that throws you up and slams you into the ground (happened to me - I flared a couple feet too high / too hard - got bruised in a few places) Am I missing something here?