tso-d_chris

Remember, red is port, green is starboard. For Great Deals on Gear

Will it be docile or dangerous at a wingloading of 1.4 lbs per square foot? The manufacturer says both, in the same paragraph.

I don't think you are really, but I don't think Pilotdave is either. However, here is the problem. A low timer reads "I consider the ripcord to be a backup to the RSL". And they take from that that the RSL should deploy the reserve. Then we have people like the lady in the CYPRES save thread in this same forum. Its not about the facts here (you are both 100% that the RSL should beat any jumper to the Reserve pull). But it is about what we STRESS as important. A newer jumper might just depend on the RSL and when it does not do the job freak out and then its up to the AAD or the ground to stop them. Like I said just read the CYPRES save thread for an example. I think we should stress saving your own life and that all these great devices are backups to YOU, not the other way around. That way when we fail the device might save us. Not when it fails we might save ourselves. Well said. For Great Deals on Gear

The glide ratio should not be different, although the descent rate will be lower at the lower loading (all else equal). The slower descent will allow the use of the winds aloft for a longer period of time, allowing a tailwind to be more beneficial to the more lightly loaded canopy. For Great Deals on Gear

I would think partial. I'm not saying that an RSL is never going to work. I'm just saying that the ripcord will work virtually all the time, while certain conditions must be met for the RSL to activate the reserve, even if those conditions are met most of the time. So the RSL is indeed a back-up. For Great Deals on Gear

And people have died thinking "I don't need any backup devices. My left hand is my AAD." Well, they were probably actually thinking more like "damn I wish I had an AAD right about now." . . . Saying that my RSL is most likely going to pull my reserve pin after a cutaway is a fact, it's not attitude or opinion. It's the way the gear works. It's not a part of the emergency procedures though. I have used rigs without an RSL. Doesn't change anything procedurally, but it DOES change the inner workings of the rig. That's the beauty of an RSL... it's totally transparent to the user. Nothing new to learn. Dave Nothing you add to your gear should be transparent, whether it be an RSL or an AAD. There are situations where either one can be a safety hazzard. Just like there are situations where either can save your life. Thinking they are "transparent" and that the jumper has "nothing new to learn" is a recipe for disaster. For Great Deals on Gear

I disagree. The RSL, as designed, works conditionally, ONLY when the main is out. The reserve ripcord handle, as designed, will activate the reserve deployment in all situations. I would not consider a system that has more limited operating parameters as the primary system. The ripcord is the primary system; the RSL is redundant. For Great Deals on Gear

I personally know what it feels like to have a reserve pilotchute bridle wrap around me due to deploying (via ripcord) the reserve too_soon_and_unstable after a spinning mal. Not a good feeling. I also know what it is like to be back in freefall, and being (temporarily) unable to locate my reserve ripcord handle. Also not a good feeling. (I stopped using two hands on each handle reserve procedures after that.) There are no easy answers when it comes to RSLs. In some situations, it can be quite beneficial. In some situations, it can make things go from bad to worse. Ignoring either possibility does no one any favors. For Great Deals on Gear

I have no doubt that there are jumpers who are both interested in, and capable of understanding, the information you are suggesting be presented. However, I also have no doubt that there are jumpers (maybe the majority) who either are not interested in that level of detail, cannot understand the factors presented, or will mis-construe how to apply the information. For this reason, I think you might be aiming a little high with your ideas. What needs to be presented is a basic explanation of the canopy's construction (cell number, x-bracing or airlocks, line type and design), along with a written description of the canopy's design intent. What question was the mfg. trying to answer when they developed the product? Is this the same question the jumper is asking when they are looking for a canopy? Additionally, this information needs to be applied to different wingloadings, and presented with a chart similar to the current warning label on PD canopies. This would give the jumper real-world information they could use when chosing a canopy. We have already discussed how canopies with similar design in the areas of cell number and taper can produce very different performing canopies, so providing that information does not answer the questions that jumpers need to consider when choosing a wing. For example, I would be a bit gun-shy to buy a 300hp, 3000lb. car for a first time driver. If, however, it was a heavy duty deisel truck for towing trailers, and had an empty weight of 5000lbs, aside from the gas guzzling problem, I'd feel much better about a newer driver behind the wheel. See? Same horsepower, two vastly different applications. Telling me it has 300hp is not enough, telling me what it's designed for, and how fast it will go is the real-world info I need. The terminology 'eliptical, semi-eliptical, and semi tapered' need to go away. There are no eliptical canopies (Firebolt excluded), and any term using the prefix 'semi' relies on A) having a 'full' or 'complete' standard to reference, and B) an indication of the magnitude of how 'semi' it is. Is it 50% of the reference or 75%? I agree that all the info I want would be difficult to obtain, and confusing for some. My point is, if the manufacturers are going to confuse potential customers with technical jargon and numerical figures, that jargon and those figures should actually mean something, and not simply make the product sound hi-tech.

I've held that job at that DZ. If a non-student lands in the student area, picking them up is secondary to catching tandems, picking up jumpers who had off field landings, etc. Students are a higher priority. I agree with you; the DZ should allocate resources to find missing jumpers as soon as they are known to be missing.

Yes. Jumpers should demo canopies before purchase, and base decisions on actual flight characteristics, and not some marketers description in an ad. For Great Deals on Gear

With respect to performance, the Safire2 is in the same class as a Pilot or a Sabre2. The flight characteristics are similar. It's shape, however, at least according to Icarus' marketing department, is fully elliptical. All this means is that every cell is tapered, as opposed to, for example, the Pilot, on which only the two outside cells on each side are tapered. There are many factors which play a major role in a canopy's performance, besides the shape of the planform. Some of these are the angle at which the canopy is trimmed, frontal surface area and line length. For Great Deals on Gear

Sounds like a fun game. From what altitude do you drop the dime?

Yes, I think the general perception is that the semi-elliptical canopies are the "well behaved" tapered canopies while the fully elliptical canopies are the nylon version of a fighter jet. IIRC, at least the Safire2 is marketed as fully elliptical. I can't be sure at the moment about the Sabre2 or the Pilot. Take the terminology with a grain of salt. For Great Deals on Gear

You mean its not ScaryPerry? For Great Deals on Gear

True. It would not be easy. And probably not fast. But it would be appreciated, and helpful when trying to get out good information. I had to ask. You don't believe the other manufacturers have not already purchased your gear to test, measure and otherwise scrutinize, do you? They already know your secrets. For Great Deals on Gear

True. Except the attachment point is such that the relative wind has more leverage to move it. I think PC stowage plays a bigger role in premature deployments than handle choice. For Great Deals on Gear

I would think surface area (ability to create drag) has MUCH more of an effect on the likelihood of a handle to come out when you don't want it to. In fact, I'm not sure I can see how mass has anything to do with it... (?) Anybody else comment on this? If the wind sets it in motion, a higher mass object is going to have more momentum, and this increases the likelihood of pulling the PC out of the pouch. I think packing the PC so that the handle is snug against the container, "orange tube thing," hackey, or any other handle, is best. If my hackey can bounce around, I have either improperly packed and stowed it, or my BOC needs replaced. For Great Deals on Gear

Do you have a suggestion on a format to give you something that is easy for the layman to understand and measure? Regards Bushman A picture is worth a thousand words. A projection of an inflated canopy would offer an easy way to differentiate the planform of different models. If manufacturers and PIA could settle on an industry standard for getting the projection, it could also be used to compare canopy shapes from one manufacturer to another. I can take your formula and get the same result for various similar but distinctly different shapes and get the same result. These different shapes would likely have significantly different flight characteristics. So it really doesn't tell me much. I would rather see detailed (cell by cell) specs on the canopy, including other factors such as trim angle, frontal surface area, etc. And then offer downloadable articles on your website explaining the effects of differences for all the different factors. You will be surprised what new and old skydivers will read to learn more about their equipment.

The best way to make a little bit of money in aviation is to start with a lot. For Great Deals on Gear

It is inconsistent with mathematical definitions, which are what should be used, IMO. The methods and formulas offered don't offer me useful info about the planform shape.

Tracking shares many similarities with skyflying, and is a good way to prepare for future WS flights. Seek advice regarding pulling in a track. If you are not flying horizontally, you are just falling down!

From Dictionary.com: Elliptical is a mathematical term often misused in skydiving. If a wing is truly and fully elliptical, it is shaped as an ellipse, with the ends truncated (cut off). This means that the front taper and the back taper are the same, and (math stuff follows) the combined distance between any place on the leading or trailing edge and each of the two focal points will be constant. Literally, semi-elliptical means half or partially elliptical. This could mean that only the leading edge or trailing edge of the canopy or the traliling edge of the canopy is based on an ellipse. It could also mean that the profile of the ellipse has been truncated from some number of center cells. Tapered just means that the chord length of each cell is different, with the outer cells being the shortest, and the center cell the longest. Cross bracing isn't a characteristic of the airfoil planform; it is a type of cell construction that reduces distortion of the wing, and makes the wing more rigid than traditional canopy designs. For Great Deals on Gear

I have voluntarily reduced my skydiving significantly so that I can get a degree. At times it sucks, but I'm glad I made the decision to do it. For Great Deals on Gear

Why not? Most people seem to really like them. For Great Deals on Gear