thepollster

I'd suggest CRW. Canopy skills are important, and not panicing when you are close to someone else can only be learned from pratice. Also, if you did 10 jumps with a top 4-way competitor, you might get a little better in freefall. If you did the same 10 jumps with a CRW coach, you would see great progress, and be much safer (likely, no guantees) under canopy.

BLOODHOUND GANG LYRICS "Why's Everybody Always Pickin' On Me" Why is everbody always pickin' on me? The morn' that I was born my old man beat up the doctor He clocked the doctor cause the doctor said I looked like Chewbacca The doctor said sir you're misled sir which infers you mistook me I did not mean your lovely wife was shackin' up with a wookie What I mean is Wolverine is less hairy than your son He's looks like Chewie Baba Booey Baba Booey and Hong Kong Phooey all in one To put it mild your new-born child's completely nutty fu-fu lookin' I'd shove him back into the oven until he is done cookin' But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause my fifteen year-old cousin has less acne But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Ain't brushed them teeth since 1983 But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you got the grooming habits of a chimpanzee But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you're white but you got a nose like Bill Cosby Why's everbody always pickin' on me? Always pickin' and rippin' apart poor ol' Jimmy Pop Ali I got a schnoz like the 'Cos' but there's a lot more wrong with you So back me up Bill yea and you're ugly too So what if I brush my teeth with a piece of cheddar cheese Or where a fish net shirt by Chams with my Sergio Valenti jeans And my mirror never lies but it always verifies I got more cheese and pepperoni than a homemade pizza pie You compare me to a Monchichi but I don't understand Why I'm scorned like I'm deformed like the Elephant Man And yea I took my mom to the prom but hey she asked me first But at least this time I didn't find my date in the back of a hearse About as popular with the girls with Englebert Humperdink And that might be 'cause everybody calls me Shrinky Dink I know I'm known as Polaroid I'm not a total retard It's cause I'm done in sixty seconds and you'll still want it enlarged But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause ya wore velour flares until the late Eighties But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you run like a girl and sit down to pee But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause your only school chum was the lunch lady But why's everbody always pickin' on me? You took your mom to the prom but still got lucky Like that episode where Gilligan gets sick of being teased And he breaks into the Professor's lab and makes some LSD Peaks freaks and eats the Skipper's brains then beats Ginger with coconuts As Mr. Howell and Lovey burn alive inside their grass hut Oh he'll kill again that Gilligan they he should of let him be And like a postal clerk I'll go beserk if you don't stop teasing me See the trick is only pick on those that can't do you no harm Like the drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm The drummer from Def Leppard's only got one arm But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause my fifteen year-old cousin has less acne But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Ain't brushed them teeth since 1983 But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you got the grooming habits of a chimpanzee But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you're white but you got a nose like Bill Cosby But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause ya wore velour flares until the late Eighties But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause you run like a girl and sit down to pee But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause your only school chum was the lunch lady But why's everbody always pickin' on me? Cause no one likes you monkey boy.

But the song remains the same...

Nice chart, but not to be blindly trusted. The obvious descripency is the Safire sizing; many people know the Safire1's were measured by a different method, but according to the chart a Saf 149=149, and a Crossfire 149=149. Maybe I did a poor job explaining that, so if someone wants to clear that up for me, be my guest.

Another vote for the PD143R here. AFAIK, PD measures all their canopies the same way, so if you want to say a 143 is a 155, you need to say a Sabre 170 is a 185ish. Apples to apples, and all that.

If it truly is a great price, I'd just buy it. Worst case, if you don't like it, you will be able to sell it for what you paid. Otherwise, trying to decide between the Sabre2/Pilot/Safire2 all come to personal preferences, but you would need to fly them to come to a conclusion.

KC+ Crystal+ Chris+ Phil=4

So was it a painful death?

What did the book say about checking fuel pressure? That would be the way to diagnose the fuel pump, not by sound. It sounds like it would be cheaper for you to pay a professional at this point.

The fact that the canopy is elliptical won't give it more speed, the speed will come from the smaller size. Just the smaller size alone will add to responsiveness. Any canopy can become boring as you get acclimated to the speed. I've been bored loaded 1.8:1, until I started to challenge myself with what I had (downwinders, PRO-rating, etc.)

I don't know how to link this, but Bill Booth said this in another post: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The only part of a correctly made Type 17 mini 3-ring riser (with 5/8" webbing holding the small riser ring) that might need flexing is the white closing loop. This "flexing the webbing" business comes from 20 years ago when we used 1 3/4" Type 12 webbing to hold the small riser ring on Type 8 risers. This webbing, because it was so wide in relation to the small ring, and because there is so much mechanical advantage in the "large" 3-ring system, could cause a problem if it got "stiff". Just clean and lube the yellow cable every month with silicone, and you should never have a problem

Would you mind telling everyone why they shouldn't use a pocket slider? This is the first time I've heard it, and the only reason I can come up with is MEL would not sell as many domed slider (but as far as I know, MEL wouldn't do that).

Since I replace my closing loop when it is worn, and I have mini-risers which don't need to be flexed, you conclude I don't take care of my gear? I think I take care of my gear because I don't leave it in a hot trunk, I don't get it wet, and I don't leave it in the sun I am okay. I am more worried about riggers who don't educate their customers about things such as riser inserts and loose BOC's. The vast majority of riggers look past those things, maybe out of ignorance or apathy. And a poll on DZ.com wouldn't be a accurate sample, because most people who read the gear forums take the time to educate themselves.

And if I want music on my Verizon phone? iTunes won't work with my Verizon phone Wait, I am mistaken, no music is available for Verizon phones (yet, that I am aware of). And if I want a Big Mac, why can't I go to Burger King?

To be technical, the PD demos are free. When you order a demo from them, you are paying them for the shipping to you ($30), and then you send it back on your own dime. Did you really pay $60 to use a demo canopy that the DZ had, or were you renting a canopy? There is a difference. For instance, the Squares (1,2, and 3) will rent you a canopy, but if you are demo'ing, looking to buy, it is free.

You people make me laugh, acting like breaking a femur is the worst that can happen. Femurs heal. Death doesn't. If you break your femur, you were very close to dying, you just got lucky. People, small canopies and swooping are serious business. You make a mistake, you might die. It happens too often. Don't let it happen to you.

Well, at least he isn't the only expert here The skyhook IS an RSL, albeit an improved version. Saying it isn't an RSL is like saying a Grand Caravan isn't a Cessna, IE, it is, just not necessarily the first type that comes to mind.

If you look at the Cypres/swooping thread going on, apparently some people do take instruction from an ad. See the references to "Cypress2-good for pond swooping" ad.

12/27/2004 Titusville, FL "One report speculates that the jumper suffered a hard opening on a Sabre rendering him unconcious. A brake also released causing the canopy to spiral to the ground." This is not the torn aorta one AFAIK and I can't find every back issue of Parachutist I own to verify which is which or refute your statement.*** It was reported on this website as a hard Sabre opening causing death, and it was not correct. First, she was on a Stilleto, and second, after an autopsy, it was found she had a heart defect.

Those are two very different canopies. Without knowing you, based on your jump numbers and largish downsize, I would go with the Spectre. I have flown a Spectre 135 loaded a little heavier than you, and it had plenty of lift. It will swoop nicely with proper inputs (though not as far as most 9-cells) while still maintaining the good characteristics you like of the Spectre.

I wish I knew it all. I don't. what I do know is I have more Sabre jumps than you have total jumps, and I do know the worst opening I've ever had was on a Safire2. I also know I can pack a Sabre in 5 minutes, and have absolutely no more fear than if I was jumping any different canopy. I also know that there are only 2 ways to break a femur on an opening, as long as there are no other people or objects involved. One way is to have the leg-straps poorly positioned, and the fix would be a better fitting rig and/or a butt bungie. The other way is to deploy unstable, and hit something (think:arm) against a femur. And if you think hard openings are killers, why is the BASE community not dying (from openings)? Can you even name 1 person who died on a Sabre opening? If it is the one I think you are going to reference, she had a heart defect which led to the torn aorta. Not to mention, it was a Stilleto. Prove me wrong and come up with a name, or at least an incident report.

Well, I know most of North America's best swoopers, and I don't see them landing straight in after a freefly jump, or jumping a different canopy. I will concede they usually don't jump RDS on freefall jumps, but they still throw 270+ turns when the landing conditions allow it. Everyone seems to be panicking about swooping and cypres not mixing, when in years of use, there has been no problems. Only now that more people are doing multi-rotation turns to land are they triggering firings. Maybe I should look at the cypres detractors and thank them, since I might be able to pick up a used cypres cheap

So what you are saying is you have never seen a G4 D-bag? Hard to believe, a rigger from California not seeing modern gear

Out of curiousity, can you do pull-ups? I've never flown that big of a canopy at a decent wingloading, but I have flown Safires at lower wing-loads than you have, and never had a problem with front riser pressure. I am wondering if it actually has to do with the size of canopy or your strengh.

You are complaining about a canopy 6 (or more) years old tearing? When you bought the canopy, you must have seen the warning that said there is no warranty. Even if there was a warranty, it would have long expired because of time. Try this: buy a brand new car, only drive it once a month to the corner store. When it is six years old, try and get the manufacturer to warranty a broken part. They will laugh you out of the dealership, and that is with something that was barely used, and did have a warranty, since expired. Also, I am certain they never approved the canopy to be packed with skybands, so you were not packing properly according to the manual. Get over it.