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Having read the previous opinions, would a spectre still be a good choice as a first canopy (without thinking about wingsuits) ? An Aerodyne Pilot seems to offer as good openings, a better glide ration, and nice landings... What about airspeed ? Is a 188 Pilot faster than a 190 spectre ? Which one is the hardest to pack ? Thanks.

Very good question. The answer is : more or less... I still screw up sometimes, so I decided not to downsize : 210 will be fine for me, at least for my first main. Anyway, my problem is not downsizing, but finding a canopy from another manufacturer (PD, Aerodyne, or Icarus) having the same surface as an Electra : Indeed, according to several posts, I suspect a Sabre 2 210 being about one size bigger, as well as a Safire2 or a Pilot would be ... Has anyone some infos about such an equivalence ? Thanks. Blue skies,

Hi, I have pretty much the same question : I'm considering buying a Sabre 2 or a PdF Electra. I'm hesitating between size 210 and 190. My total weight (equipped) is 85 kg or 188 lbs (let's say 190), and I will have 100+ jumps in a few weeks. I think I'll do almost 100 jumps per year. I'm quite conservative, but don't want to be hanged under a sluggish canopy during all the way down. Flying against the wind is important too... I've heard that a PdF Electra would be smaller than a same sized PD Sabre 2. PdF 210 equivalent to PD 190 ? This makes a big difference in terms of wing loading... Thanks.

Hi, I have pretty much the same questions about the Electra. Since I'm in France, I have easy access to PF's canopies, but it's more difficult to try other brands. I've just graduated from student status, and intend to put a couple of dozens jumps before buying my first rig. Let's say after 100 jumps... Is anyone able to compare Electra to Safire2, Pilot, Triathlon, Spectre, or other intermediate canopies on the market ? I'm currently flying an Electra 210 (a new regulation in France restricts the sizes of canopies) and could go soon with a 190 (not less before a while...). I like my Electra, smooth openings (a bit long, though), nice glide and safe landings. I'm not experienced enough to really play with it for the moment. Packing a new one is awkward (especially in a tight pod !)... I'm looking for a canopy you can play with, with quite a flat glide, nice openings and forgiving. Thanks for your advice,

Hi everyone, I've read many discussions here about Bonehead Havok (including photos -what a strange look !-) and Paratec FreeZR. The thing I've noticed is that almost everyone is happy with one's helmet. But there is no direct comparison between both. Has anybody tried both enough to make an objective comparison ? I think that they are the only helmets allowing glasses easily, and fitting large heads. The problem is that yes, I wear glasses, but I have a small head (56-57 cm, 22-22.5 inches). I'm not quite sure they will stay still on my head... There are very few here, in France, and it's very difficult to try one (unless I have one shipped from the U.S). Here are different points I care about (apart the look, which is nice for FreeZR) : - Comfort (padding, silence, air-tightness,...) - View width (including handles !) - Time to put it on/off, to lift the visor - Quality, robustness, - Sound altimeter protection, - Lens' resistance, - Cost of spare sparts, - etc... The only full-face helmet I have tried on was a Z1. I liked it, but my glasses didn't fit well inside, and I didn't find it very robust... Thank you for your help.