tso-d_chris

All I'm getting on my Mac is the writeup on Vladi. If that is all that's there, it is working fine. If there are supposed to be additional links, I'm not seeing them. For Great Deals on Gear

In Virtual PC or did they use the Mac versions? For Great Deals on Gear

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haven't you ever heard the expression that IE is the root of alll evil? Actually, I completely removed IE from my box. Hope the site supports Mozilla soon! For Great Deals on Gear

Seven cell canopies tend to be more reliable, while nine cell canopies tend to be more efficient at producing lift, all else being the same. Seldom is everything else the same, so be sure to try different model of each kind. For Great Deals on Gear

The filters are changed with the battery on the Vigil. They are incorporated in the half of the metal case that the batteries are epoxied into to eliminate any possibility of a leak into your reserve container. Batteries, filters, and half the case are replaced as a single unit. As far as the LCD is concerned, the Vigil's appears to have a clear protective plastic cover over the LCD (I was just playing with our demo unit's), significantly increasing its resistance to damage versus a CYPRES (I don't have a CYPRES2 in my hands to play with today) control unit's LCD, which is unprotected and subject to be more easily damaged. The CYPRES has earned its excellent reputation over the last twelve plus years, but I don't think any corners were cut to make Vigil a viable, competitive alternative. For Great Deals on Gear

I just got word from Kim at Vigil USA that the 2 pin version has been released for sale and use on Jump Shack Racers. For Great Deals on Gear

I doubt most tandem operations clear $100 per jump. $150 minus two slots equals $110, minus $20-$25 for packing and maintanence, leaving $90 or less. Give the tandem instructor $35, the rig owner is left with about $50 or so, from which he still has to pay for the $10,000 plus rig. For Great Deals on Gear

This being the key phrase. Big slow canopies are better suited for newer jumpers who are trying to learn the art of swooping, and who ARE going to screw up. You are exactly right with your point that smaller canopies require less precision (paraphrasing mine) to land "safely." Larger canopies require more precise pilot input, with much slower impact speeds when (not if) mistakes are made. Currency not tempered with experience is merely overconfidence. For Great Deals on Gear

I don't believe in more rules; I believe in more education. I understand that a smaller canopy offers a larger margin of error with respect to altitude. But the same can only be said with respect to time if the pilot stays ahead of the canopy 100% of the time. This is rarely the case with moderately experienced jumpers, even the current ones. And when the jumper gets behind the curve, it is better to be going slower. All that extra lift does is make your swoop longer. Once your descent is arrested, you (ideally) fly at a single g until touchdown. With a smaller canopy, you need that extra lift to arrest your horizontal velocity. It is better to learn precision at low speeds. I never said a skydiver is safe with a large canopy. Swooping inherently adds danger to the skydive. And skydivers make mistakes. New skydivers tend to make lots of them. Usually, lower loadings, things work out just fine for the jumper, but not always. Lots of mistakes under a highly loaded canopy is rarely survivable over an extended period of time. For Great Deals on Gear

This is a valid point, buit it is only one side of the argument. You must also take into consideration that the larger canopy is going to build up less speed, decreasing the forces involved with a misjudged turn. I have seen people walk away from landings on boats that would have killed them on a Stilletto. So yes, the chance of a mistake may be a little higher on a larger canopy, but the consequences of that mistake is higher on the small one. More altitude does not necessarily equate to more time if you are diving faster. Depends on the pilots, canopies and turns in question. Most people learning to swoop in a responsible manner do not start with radical hook turns. They use even front riser pressure, low angle turns to final, and/or carving turns. The benefits of a smaller canopy for the extra margin of error is minimal compared to the benefits of swooping at a lower speed, at least for beginning swoopers. For Great Deals on Gear

I was under the impression that this was currently only recommended, and will not be required for several months. Did I misunderstand? For Great Deals on Gear

This is one of the best aspects of tandems. Too bad more DZs don't use this approach. For Great Deals on Gear

The static line program also has the advantage of teaching freefall skills at a pace comparable with the canopy training. You get more landings as a student. At many DZs this means you will get more instructor input on your canopy control before you obtain your A license. For Great Deals on Gear

Care to elaborate? Many of the best canopy pilots in the world learned to swoop under huge canopies. I used to jump with a guy who routinely had nice swoops on a Cruiselite loaded well under 1:1. Usually when people can't swoop big canopies, it is do to a lack of a solid foundation of canopy skills, not because the canopy is too big. For Great Deals on Gear

The Sabre only has a bad reputation when compared to today's elliptical canopies in the same class. I cannot think of a single rectangular zero-P canopy that did not have a reputation for having the occasional hard opening. Teiathlons occasionally spanked their owners, as did Monarchs. But you hear about it the most with Sabres because of all the canopies in that class, there are more of them out there. The canopy has not changed any since it had an outstanding reputation, but canopy design, in general, has improved. For Great Deals on Gear

During the mid to late nineties, if the Sabre was not the most popular canopy around, it was definitely in the running. Everybody seemed to have one back then. For Great Deals on Gear

This sounds very interesting, but I'm guessing there is more to it than can be covered in a single sentence. Do you have a link, perhaps?

The force of gravity is the same at 3000 ft from a balloon or a plane. It will take the same amount of time to reduce your altitude by 1000ft, assuming equivalent non tracking body positions. The forward inertia does not affect the force of gravity.

As of a couple years ago, all packers at Skydive Deland packed using PD recomended methods, which includes double wrapping large rubber bands.

Those incidents weren't contributed to hard opening Sabres. One was a harness failure and the other was an apparent heart attack. The Sabre may open harder than presently produced canopies, but I've never heard of it opening so hard as to kill the jumper. And injuries caused on opening are not limited to Sabres, so it is more likely caused by packing technique or body position.

Wouldn't the 150 mph limitation pretty much cover the max speed? For Great Deals on Gear

I've never heard of this ever happening. Do you have a link or other verifiable source? It sounds more like something out of Bedtime for Skydivers. For Great Deals on Gear

I have a friend who is looking into using one of his laptops as a video editing station. Since most of the video editors I know use Macs, but I know there are some avid PC users on here, and I was wondering what software you most prefer to use for video editing on a PC, and why. Thanks. chris

I've heard this is due to the fact that many of the first zero P canopies were simply existing canopy design built with the new material,with little re engineering. The latest generation of canopies has been built with over a decade worth of experience with ZP. For Great Deals on Gear

CYPRES (one) is no longer available new, as far as I am aware of, with the exception of some stock models some dealers may still have. But, I would like to know where I can find a new CYPRES2 for $900. For Great Deals on Gear