crazydiver

ya fo sho. thats why sigmas are so much better than previous models. The extra drogue release handle on the eclipses is nice too. Its funny we are just here sittin on our computers late at night talking on DZ.com forums. College students to the max! Cheers, Travis

I would have to disagree. I can name multiple manufacturers whose suits are less than great and whose customer service and wait times are terrible. Stick with the big ones. Freedom Means Choice, Fire Fly, Tony Suit, Michigan Suits, Merlins. Flite Suits are great suits in my opinion. I realize that some of these companies have long wait periods, but the quality, in my opinion, is worth it. There are definetly fit, fly, and look issues with some others. Cheers, Travis

Ya, I was talking for vector I's and II's and eclipses. The strongs already have hard housings and I know the sigmas are different. Why would it be impossible? I realize there is a lot of force created between the drogue and the tandem pair, but why is it so impossible? Just curious. I figure it would be a long shot, but I am just curious why it would be nearly impossible. Cheers, Travis

Well at the place I was jumping at the time they had thirty pounds dumbells. I place the dumbell around the risers. The risers go right through the middle of the weight. works well for me. A thirty pound weight would not crush the cable housing unless it was dropped or slammed down. The hard cable housings can withstand hundreds of pounds of force, a drop or slam is what would have caused it (which also is a bad idea for packing). Cheers, Travis

Has there ever been any incidence of a drogue bridle that was so twisted during freefall that it twisted below the three ring and created a hard drogue release much like line twists could create a hard cutaway? Are hard housings for the drogue releases by the three ring warranted or not useful? Just curious and wanted to create a new conversation. Cheers, Travis

To anyone who places their packing weight in the bottom of the main tray in their tandem rigs...do not do it. Recently during an inspection, an eclipse tandem rig that I saw had a crushed cable housing. The cable happened to be the drogue release located on the cutaway handle. We pulled on the cutaway cable as hard as we possibly could with feet on the rig and it would not cut away because of the pinched drogue release housing. This was a fatality waiting to happen. The cable was pinched directly under the main tray. Again I say, never put the weight into the main tray. Thank god for inspections and safe main deployments on that rig. Rather...put the weight on the main risers while packing, or on or through the legstraps. But once again...on the eclipse, there is hard housing on the right legstrap as well. Be careful folks. I hadn't even thought of this problem. Cheers, Travis

No kidding. The same argument could be applied to complete cutaway and reserve cable housings. "What if the housing gets smashed by a weight." Well, I guess the only solution would be to use soft housings like some rigs still have. But time and injuries/fatalities have proven that soft housings are not good for many reasons. There is an if and when situation for pretty much every part of every piece of gear we have in this sport. Its the "best" option that we should chose. What "if" my main parachute malfunctions?...well...reserves have malfunctioned too so we better not rely on those... Cheers, Travis

I would never suggest landing a canopy with uneven controls unless you can do a perfect full flare up high and are above your hard deck. If it were me, i would chop it. Stuck brakes are rare. I have only had one that I couldn't clear and so I simply pulled the unstowed steering line back through the guide and re-stowed my brake toggle. Then landed with rear risers. If you have the ability and awareness to fix something and even out your canopy...go for it. I suggest to all students and low timers as well as people with a new canopy, test your parameters. Practice rear riser flares up high. Work your way to rear riser flares on the ground. It can be done. I load my Jedei 120 at about 1.6 and I have landed it with rear risers. Just remember that the pressure will most likely be harder than toggles and it will stall much sooner. But as for the risk factor...use the damn reserve. Its pretty much guaranteed to work. Its very rare to find a reserve malfunction that was due to the actual reserve. Most reserve mals are from the skydiver's body position/procedure/situation/emergency/malfunction. The reserve is there for a reason and is inspected three times a year for a reason. Cheers, Travis

Colorado State University has very few jumpers. I am one of four that I know of and I am the only one who gets out about every weekend. The dropzones here are kind of funny. They go from one extreme to another. Tight assed at one and bandit no rules at others. I'm always looking to take peeps on tandems, but as active skydivers, you know that people don't REALLY want to go usually when they say they do. Blue skies and Big Air Sportz...and CRW. Cheers, Travis

The width of a legstrap is simple physics. The wider the legstrap, the more surface area of "seating." Therefore, the wider the legstrap, the less force exerted on one specific point beneath the legstrap. I won't say that it makes a huge difference, but it does make a little. I know I wouldn't want to be a tandem instructor with a student opening up an Icarus 365 with little or no legstrap padding. My nuts can crunch as long as they like in the aircraft. I would rather not have narrow bruises on my legs from an opening...and a TERRIBLY uncomfortable tandem ride down. By the way...how in the world do those style and freestyle peeps fit into those goofy jumpsuits? Kinda looks like heat shrink. Cheers, Travis

Now if only it could run like a Ferrari! Cheers, Travis

He went straight for the silver. Says they were pretty low when he got it. Just because the video person pulled the reserve for them doesn't mean the tandem pair was low. On a tandem, you MUST clear the drogue before you release it or you will have a horseshoe mal. I suppose if he had gone for the drogue release, there was a chance that the drogue would have cleared from the guys head...or flat out ripped his head off. Too big of a risk. bottom line...when you can't clear the drogue, tandem instructors are taught to pull thier reserve immediately. I wonder how the reserve managed to be fired into the drogue bridle without entangling...lucky guy! Cheers, Travis

Shit ya. You can always wash your birthday suit...the only down side is that the birthday suit is a little tougher for a rigger to repair. Cheers, Travis

With an exit weight of 170, I would reccommend a 126 or a 143. At that weight, a 126 would be perfect as the reccommended wing loading for lightning crw is between 1.3 and 1.4 pounds per square foot. However, if you gain weight in the future, or want more versatility in case someone is loading a lot lighter, I would go with the 143. My regular exit weight is 180. I jump a 143 and use ten or fifteen pounds of weight added onto that 180. As long as the friends you are jumping with are within .3 or so on either side of you, you would be fine. I work at Denver Skydivers. I know a few extra canopies that are floating around to use at least. Come on out when the weather gets a little better (CRW in the cold sucks). There are about eight of us or so that are out every weekend that have canopies and that love to do crw. Good luck with the hunting. We are lucky here in Colorado to have many of the wild humans parachute team still living in the state. These guys placed at nationals multiple times. I jump with a few of them and they are amazing. I learn a lot from those guys. Cheers, Travis

Couldn't you still wash them? Cheers, Travis

Do you know if they will be open then? I dont even know if northern California will be good weather that time of year. Maybe it wont even be jumpable. Cheers, Travis

I am going to be in Reno over new years for about a week. A friend and I were also planning to skip over to San Francisco for a day or two. Are there any dropzones open and jumping on the way from Reno to San Fran between the 30th of December and the 5th of January? Thanks for any help friends. Cheers, Travis

Do you roll four and four into the center cell? I wouldn't if you do. I have a friend who was jumping an sr71 as his first rig. He rolled the nose like that, and because of those nose dams, it locked the cells on each side into the center cell. It obviously didn't open. Keep your hands on those handles. Just be aware that it could happen. You may have a rigger look at it and check out a pocketed slider or a larger slider. also be aware of what you are doing with the tail of the canopy. Cheers, Travis

No kidding. I know a couple guys who had a pilot chute entaglement just before they came out with the retractable system. The were too low to cut away and hit the ground like a propeller on a helicopter. They both ended up stradling a road each in a service ditch. I think they both walked away. Crazy stuff...but crazy enough to buy a retractable system as well as set some rules for yourself such as no new formations under 4000 ft or whatever. Think. Plus...for earlier posts, side by side and offset formations with an elliptical canopy is asking for a wrap. Cheers, Travis

Hey Drew, Is that picture on your profile at the pond swoop out here in Brush? That was fun stuff. I remember you were there. Travis Cheers, Travis

Does anyone know of a website or have instructions on how to alter a point and shoot APS camera to hook a remote shutter release to? I have a canon elph, but its not the basic elph that a couple companies sell already modified. Its a higher model with lots of more features. Any info on how to do this would be great. I also have an older minolte that I could do this too. I am just looking for an inexpensive way to get started with stills. Thanks all! Cheers, Travis

Tru dat on the fact that the sabre 2 has a longer recovery arc than stilleto. I like the way the stilleto flies up high, I'm just not a fan of the short recovery arc. For some reason I think the sabre 2 has more front riser pressure than the stilleto. maybe I was in different conditoins. I've got about fifty jumps on a stilletto 120 but only about 10 jumps on a sabre 2. Stilletos are amazing for getting back from long spots though! Have fun with the sabre 2. Its a great canopy! Cheers, Travis

The glide ratio really doesn't have that much to do with how long a canopy dives. While my jedei is trimmed extremely nose down and dives forever, a samurai is much much flatter of a glide but will dive almost as long as a jedei at a similar wing loading. Cheers, Travis

I just talked to Mike Furry and he said a rigger doesn't have to have permission from him, because when they tested the dolphin, they closed it like a javelin also and it didn't change the way it deployed. He said it is simply a matter of whether or not the rigger feels comfortable closing it that way. Cheers, Travis

I use a Lightning 143, which packs up more like a 160 or 170, and a pdr 143 reserve. I am actually more looking for a second rig for video. I have a javelin and would prefer another NJ if I could get one for cheap. My mind's open though. I am looking for another pdr 126 or a pdr 143 for another rig. Cheers, Travis