dragon2

Both my EOS 50E and my D30 have no trouble with continous focussing. A lot depends on the lens tho, if I use a 'holiday lens' (in my case, a Voigtländer 28-210 mm), forget it. But my Canon 35-105 is relatively fast so it keeps up fine. ciel bleu, Saskia

Hmmm something like that.... When I was learning how to sit, a freefly guy I didn't know asked if I'd do a 2-way. No, because I can't even stay in a sit the whole jump. Turns out, he followed me out the door anyway His argument: I never came NEAR you! But I still noticed him in freefall He should respect 'no'. A while after that, I did a 2-way sit jump with another guy. Same jumper asks if he could come along. We both say no (I still didn't have much freefly experience and my jumping buddy hadn't seen my sit yet). Guess what.... HE FOLLOWED US I was so busy with my 2-way I only noticed him when I was tracking away. My buddy had noticed him the whole jump and was furious. NO you're not jumping with us means NO you CAN'T follow us EITHER, IMO!!! Found out later the guy is an ok/good freeflier, but I still avoid him. He really really didn't get it... ciel bleu, Saskia

I have that too! ciel bleu, Saskia

Huh I just had my 4th reserve ride this weekend, in 403 jumps. First was 2-out on student gear, an FXC fire at a little over 2000ft (I was under my main after checks at >2000ft, the FXC might have gone off on opening anyway, might have not, anyway I was low), 2nd was a spinning mal from a line stuck on my too-long slider tabs (Safire 135), 3rd was an intentional (Spectre 135). This weekend we got to jump a DC3, which was an expensive jump to start with (EUR 50). The lineover on a borrowed Sabre 135 (which I had had a packer pack) added another EUR 78.... The spot was excellent; the canopy landed next to the hangar, the freebag landed at the next field. So I´m grateful the jump didn´t cost me more

Suits like these? Saw them at Gap, they sorta look like the Matter suit we have at our DZ, but not quite... ciel bleu, Saskia

I do know this: you need a reserve canopy for legal BASEjumping in Germany. This means having D-rings on your rig to attach a belly round (try to get your hands on one...) if your BASE rig has no reserve. To me (NOT a BASE jumper), this really sounds sorta rediculous. I really don´t think you have the time to get a reserve open, from most BASE sites. I also think you might be hindered by a belly reserve (skydived with one a few weeks ago, it was in the way a bit). But what do I know... Also, you can only jump a limited number of types of rigs and canopies. Seems the Germans took skydiving regulations and adapted them slightly for BASE. IMHO, they could use some more adapting... But the idea of legal BASE, that I like. ciel bleu, Saskia

I have a few jumps on a merit 190 (WL 0.83). Didn't like the canopy at all, for the following reasons: 1) I came from skymaster 230/280, this thing is FAST in comparison (which you might like but I'm more of a wuss) 2) openings are brisk, sometimes hard (had one that left my muscles all over my body aching for 1 1/2 weeks ) 3) steering range is short (don't know what to call it, but it is VERY responsive on toggles, more so then say PD canopies. Seems this is a french thing) 4) couldn't get it shut down at first, took me 10 jumps of tumbling head over heels. Did I say it's FAST?? What I DID like about it: 1) it packs real easy since it's a hybrid; half ZP half F111 (or the french version of) 2) their ubiquitous here, and are cheap to get 2nd hand 3) they pack small so you can stuff a larger main in your container All in all, not my canopy, but then I'm a 7cell fan, and a fan of soft openings (I jump camera)... I also wouldn't like to really load this thing, it isn't made for it I think, and it's REALLY responsive then. I bought a spectre 150 for a first canopy, but would not have dared to jump a merit 150 AT ALL (WL 1). ciel bleu, Saskia

What I was told (AFTER I was the upside-down jumper) was if they'd dropped me, I'd have swung back under my canopy (won't fall IN it). But the lines will go slack for a bit and when they become taut again it HURTS. Like a really hard opening. This came from a guy who claimed to have had this happen to him. Luckily we got dropped into a downplane, no prob. ciel bleu, Saskia

I've heard there's a pic of a dock on a tandem at one of the places you can go here to get your rating.... You've just done your exam, saying you can't, then there's that pic on the wall.... Ehm do as I say don't do as I do kinda thing?? ciel bleu, Saskia

Hee hee 2 weeks ago our DZ was kinda slowish. A girl came for a tandem and the bar girl (who didn't have much to do) mentioned she could actually CHOOSE her own TM. The manifest played along (not busy either I guess) and organised a TM Election Each TM (that wanted to) went up to the training mat and introduced himself or goofed around. Then the previous load came back, not knowing anything. The 3rd (I think) TM who came in won hands down as soon as he poked his nose in I guess Koos is cute, but he has a VERY jealous GF ciel bleu, Saskia

Huh you're right, apparently during the last make-over the english pages have been discarded.... Anyway this is the adres: Nationaal Paracentrum Teuge De Zanden 11 d 7395 PA TEUGE tel: 055-3231604 fax: 055-3231603 e-mail: npct@para-teuge.nl It's near Apeldoorn and Deventer, both have train stations. ciel bleu, Saskia

OHHHH yeah....there's nothing like a man's ass in a pair of Pantz. Hmm I've gotten a few choice remarks, myself, if I do say so ciel bleu, Saskia

I think if you have the regular plug on your biteswitch it won´t work, but I got the stereo version on purpose, so I can use all 3 wires (and also can connect the remote together again BTW). So now I can set the switch on the lens to manual or autofocus as usual. I don´t really need the autofocus for skydiving, but I liked the idea of being able to use the (expensive) remote again too... ciel bleu, Saskia

Well at our DZ, just about everybody leaves their gear lying around in the hangar. Since we´re not sitting on our rigs most of the time, well, I suppose it could happen... I myself put on a friends Atom once by mistake, similar to mine but one size smaller with a Tri 120/Techno 115 instead of my Spectre 150/Transfair 128. Noticed it when I fastened my chest strap: 'Hey how come there´s a hair elastic on here for a keeper??' Oops ciel bleu, Saskia

Hee hee I haven´t even jumped a suit yet, but I´m ordering one anyway.... I already own a pair of Pantz tho, shame, but I´m sure I´ll find a use for the extra one Sold a scanner, my old car (so, not worth much ) and some rabbit cages to get the money, and I also promised to bring (drive) our CF team´s heavy stuff (weight vests, spare rigs) to the World Championships. Hey presto, enough cash. Now, I better like to fly it!!! ciel bleu, Saskia

The problem with landing near roads is the power lines. They are nearly impossible to see until the last minute. A long walk beats an ambulance ride any day. Oh right. Didn´t think about that: we don´t have all that many above-ground powerlines here. Usually not a problem. Except for the few times you DO encounter them: yesterday I say half a 4way team land in a corn field because they had spotted the powerlines (at a DZ they probably only jump at for the nationals) too late. They were ok tho it took them some time to get out of the corn. But on the whole, not many powerlines here, tough luck for BASE So a road would still be my best bet. ciel bleu, Saskia

Hi, I didn´t use a 3 canopy rig, I had 2 separate rigs on. This may or may not be illegal in the States, no idea, but over here it isn´t. In fact, if you want to become a TM and haven´t had a cutaway yet, you have to do one, the same way I did it, with an extra belly reserve. Maybe you can mount it on your own rig too if you happen to have have the hardware for a tertiary reserve (for CReW). I don´t jump with a terts, so I had a simple harness on that my rigger has for stuff like this. I didn´t do it because I wanted to practice cutting away, I did it to see if my reserve would open ok this time after a persistent closed end-cell on the previous opening. An intentional was suggested by my rigger and by my instructor, although I think my instructor´d have been happier if a more experienced jumper had jumped it instead of me. BTW this instructor has had to do an intentional himself to get his tandem rating. I don´t think it´s really common practice here, for instance you need 1000 jumps to become a TM and I think most people have had a malfunction by then. But it is legal here. And personally, I liked it. On the ground: can I do that again in half a year? Well my instructor didn´t really like that, it took some planning and explaining to the public and stuff. So I´m not going to do it every repack. But I think I´d like to do it again, tho. But I haven´t got a real reason to, since it opened fine this time. And if it hadn´t, or doesn´t at some time in the future, it´s going to end it´s life as a car cover... ciel bleu, Saskia

I´ve never seen slinks on a CReW canopy. You want to keep the slider or spider at the links, I suppose it might come down (on it´s own or getting kicked) if you didn´t have bumpers and you don´t want that. Also sometimes I need to trim my canopy with extra links (in my case I put a second large link on each RR, to get a steeper angle). You can´t do that with slinks, but you probably won´t need to anyway. A Lightning comes with a bridle I think (a piece of line), just attach a (largish) standard (non-collapsible) pilot chute and pin of your choice (there is a stop on the bridle for a throw-out pin). See pic, Henny´s attaching a pull-out to a comp Triathlon. Use the plastic pipe handle for throw-out; a hackey is too heavy. My own (throw-out) pc is large, and F111, but some people use ZP pilot chutes too. My rigger said, whatever works... ciel bleu, Saskia

Just had sorta the same conversation with a rigger. Outcome: don´t stuff a bigger reserve in! And he said that a PD is infinitely better then a Tempo. So is a Techno. BTW this rigger said he´d jumped a PD 113 before and it flew exceptionally nice. He´d recommend a PD 113 over a Tempo 120 or even a size bigger Tempo I believe. No idea about the Micro Raven except for what I´ve read here, but if it were me, I´d either buy a different rig (and a larger PD reserve to go with it) or keep the 113. But then, I´m only 150 lbs... Aks your rigger... ciel bleu, Saskia

Well personally I like to land near a road if I can. If I don´t, I´m in for a long walk through fields and farms, and the DZ van might not see me. I landed off one time doing 2-way CReW. The other guy veered off to the right real early, he wasn´t getting much penetration into the wind, but I thought, I´m still going forward, I might just make it, so I kept flying straight towards the DZ. He landed way out, near a road, on a field he had landed on a couple times before. The van picked him up real soon. I landed way closer to the DZ, but was on the wrong side of a small canal without a bridge and had to cross like 3 fields with barbed wire and a farmhouse, and after that I still wasn´t near the road. 2 guys picked me up, the sign said 5 km to Teuge, after all the walking I had already done... Note to self: if an experienced jumper veers off, follow! ciel bleu, Saskia

Uh, he's from the Netherlands! Perhaps he'll want a PAL. ltdiver Well yeah, I didn´t mean he wouldn´t want to have PAL, just wanted to let him know what it means... BTW I´m also from the Netherlands, and from the same DZ as Jaap too ciel bleu, Saskia

Jaap, Marijn jumps a 16. Trouble is, it doesn't have DV-in and it can't be activated either. Don't know the 12. BTW the 'E' stands for PAL-version. If I didn't have my 25 already, I'd buy a 19 or 22 now, really really cheap compared to the older models. Ask Henny... ciel bleu, Saskia

Well if they are hard to land...Which BTW I had a 113 loaded at 1.59 I had no problem landing...Had to hook it, but no problem...Then maybe they are accurate? I don't really believe you ever have to hook a Lightning (unless you shortened the brakes or something): I don't hook, I don't even use both FR yet. Only canopy I really had trouble landing recently was a Diamant 160 (French version of a sequential - I think otherwise rotation - Lightning). I had 10 lbs of lead too. I really think that's one canopy you HAVE to hook or FR to get a decent landing. I tried 3 straight-ins with zero winds of which I biffed 2 times. Definitely NOT my canopy of choice! I'm not the world's best land-er. So, if I can land the damn Lightnings, and straight-in too, it can't be that hard, can it? Speed does make landing a Lightning easier. I land more easily with the 126 then with the 143, and lead helps as well. Of course, I also never biffed the 143 and I did biff in twice with the 126 in zero wind/thermal air. Other people biffed as well, so not only the canopy's fault, and afterwards I landed just fine, same conditions. Then again, my F111 RESERVE landed better (softer) then the Lightning... Oh well, I don't feel unsafe with this canopy, and my I's and the crew guys at our DZ think it's OK too. In fact, I'm still way underloading, compared to a couple others (our national team jumps Tri's at almost 2.0/1), but then they have 2.000 - 10.000 jumps. I'm quite happy with my 1.17/1.25/1.34 wingloads... ciel bleu, Saskia

And you have come to this based on 108 jumps? I think they are very reasonable. Can they be exceded? Yes. But I have found a Stiletto to start to loose performance right at 1.7...Right where PD says it will.... Funny huh? The people that make the canopies having a clue as to how they should be flown? Ron I think you both have good points (disclaimer: I don't even have 400 jumps yet). According to PD, I should've kept my Spectre 150, putting me exactly in the intermediate category (whatever that is, but I'm not a student and I'm not an expert, I'm sure). However I now jump a Spectre 135, putting me in between advanced and expert (WL 1.17 BTW). Okaaaay, I don't think the WL is high or that the chute is very small, but then I don't manufacture them. HOWEVER my Lightning 126 is off the scale: I'm between advanced and expert as well, overloading it by 32 lbs (not even including the 10 lbs of lead I sometimes wear), according to the label on the chute (max for a lightning is it's size in lbs, apperently), and not getting to max yet according to their chart (227 lbs, same as expert). Huh? According to the chart, I would have to jump a Lighting 218 (!!!) for an intermediate WL. Yeah, right . Advanced would be either a 160 or 143, can live with that. I asked Kolla about this, it's because Lightings are so hard to land... But still, I'm either 'advanced' or I think I am based on my canopy choices, according to PD. Myself I don't think so, therefore I do think the charts (at least these two) are a bit on the conservative side. ciel bleu, Saskia

Right, forgot about that. Yeah, had my rigger remove the pilot chute. ciel bleu, Saskia