alan

I'll add my 2 cents here. I think the best is that the canopy has already nearly completed planing out on its own before using the rear risers to adjust the aoa for the best glide with the least increase in drag. Very tricky stuff. When you do an aggressive, carving front riser/harness turn, the canopy will want to plane out on its own when the risers are fully loaded and you ease back to neutral positions. Do it too high in the recovery arc and the canopy will plane out by itself....too high for a good swoop. Do it too low and you will have to either induce excess drag from the brakes (reducing the swoop) to plane out before chowing in or play Russian roullette with the risers (inducing a dynamic stall). I think the rest of James' reply explains the dynamics pretty well. alan

The answer could become quit long and involved......I'll try to avoid that. You mention that what I describe is exactly the way you have landed almost every canopy you have ever flown. "exactly" Really? I have nearly 2000 jumps over more than 10 years on canopies too numerous to list. Mantas, Cruiselites, Falcons, PDs, Sabres, Stilettos, Jedeis.......FXs, and VXs, to name just a few. I have flown these canopies at wing loadings from .7 to 2.5 and none of them flew/landed exactly like the others. There are three basic methods of landing/flaring a canopy (four if you count the ultra high performance rear riser flare being used now). The full flare or single stage, a two stage and a three stage. Experience level, canopy type, wing loading, conditions and type of landing desired are some of the factors in choosing the type of flare. A 170# student under a Manta in light winds, doing a straight in approach will generally have the best results with a full or single stage flare. An experienced jumper under a Safire at 1.7#/ft2, doing a cross wind landing will generally opt for the 3 stage flare. A novice under a Triathlon in moderately gusty winds at 1.2#/ft2, will generally be using a two stage flare with success. So what makes the 3 stage flare on the Safire so different from a Sabre II? How deep or where in the stroke that things happen. The PD canopies I have jumped tend to have the first stage sweet spot, of the three stage flare, very high.....meaning the first six inches or so of brakes produces a noticeable change in the canopies flight. On the other hand, in my experience with Icarus canopies, they tend not to show much reaction at all in the first six inches, but after that I see more response with less additional input. Of course, how the canopy is set up will have an influence as well, so let's just assume the manufacturers settings for purposes of comparison. The stall point on the Icarus canopy is very deep, with the stongest flare coming just above the stall point. On a similarly sized/loaded Sabre, the stall point will be comparatively a little higher and the stongest part of the flare is more to the middle of the stroke and not so near the end. So yes, the same techniques are used but the difference is in the how much, where and when. Sometimes, the differences are very subtle and difficult for even a very experienced jumper to discern, sometimes they are pretty obvious. I hope this has explained my perspective without getting too detailed and boring. alan

Ummmm......guys, if each of us posts just one or two "interesting" things about VWs or whatever, pretty soon people who really only want to find gear and rigging related posts, will stop coming here. OK, OK...we can't be all business and no fun, but just be aware and courteous. Thanks alan

In addition to what Chuck has already posted, I just want to add that the ends of the leg straps are "sewn over", so it is unlikely that they would ever completely unthread on a hard opening. Is that what you were beginning to think about? Go take a look at them and try to pull them through the hardware, you'll see what I mean. alan

Without having seen you fly your canopy it is difficult to give a proper analysis of your technique, but your comment above hints at why you have not been satisfied with the landings of your Safire. It does have a powerful flare, but it is done differently and is at a different point in the stroke than what many people are accustomed to with PD canopies. It takes lots of jumps to really learn how to land any canopy and it helps to have coaching and video, so a few pointers in a short paragraph or two will only serve to help get you started. Instead of flaring all at once, try this, bearing in mind that wind, turbulence, temperature, humidty, etc. will be cause for adjustments. At a lower altitude than you are probably used to (~10'), do a smooth, but short and relatively quick flare to _your_canopies "sweet spot". This is usually at about shoulder height with your toggles, but you will have to experiment to find it on "your" canopy. I experiment up high on my first jumps on a new canopy. This will get you under the canopy and plane it out. You should end up only a foot or two above the ground and find it necessary to bend your legs slightly to keep your feet off the ground. Now you need to very smoothly apply just enough brakes to keep "surfing". Do it too fast, or jerky and you will create a lot of drag and lose your lift, dropping you to the ground with too much forward momentum. Do it too slow and you will not create enough lift to keep you from sinking into the ground. Do it too high and you will plane out and do your surf so high you drop to the ground when you finish the flare. Do it too low and you either do a face plant or you have to "dig it out" with a full, fast, one stage flare that leaves you with a butt slide. Do it smoothly and at the proper rate at the correct altitude, you will surf until additional input begins to feel "soft". On the Safire, this deeper into the stroke than on most canopies. In my experience, pretty near the hips, but this will vary based on wing loading, wind, etc.. Now you finish the flare to the full stroke and put your feet down. A common mistake is putting the feet down too early, while the canopy still has more than enough speed to fly. Remember, when you put your feet down, that will effectively"unload" the canopy and it will want to continue flying now that it is not so heavily loaded. Keep flying it and remember, keep the wings level. The moral to all of this? Each canopy has flight characteristics that may require different techniques in order to be flown properly. It takes study and practice to learn how to fly a canopy to its full potential. It is easy to attribute poor/inferior flight characteristics to a canopy when in many cases, the pilot does not have the knowledge, skill, or experience to properly fly "that" canopy. My daughter was becoming unhappy with her Safire 149. She was trying to fly it like a PD 170. We had some "ground school". We got some video of her landings. We put a radio back on her for some real time coaching. Result? At about a 1.1 to 1 wing loading, she now gets much better surfs/landings than most of the more experienced jumpers on the DZ, using a straight in approach into the wind. alan

Looks as if you got the answer you were looking for. Don't forget, there is also a bungee collapsible pilot chute as well. The rigger at your DZ will be happy to show you this simple method or explain it for you. alan

Contact the manufacturer, they will be happy to answer any questions you have and provide you with an owner's manual. They are the most realiable source of information for any rig. alan

On rigs that come to me regularly, I also clean inside of the hard cable housings once per year with a .22 cal gun cleaning rod. I also always recommend cleaning/checking after one of those landings where you tumble and roll, especially if it was not in a nice grassy area. A rough landing in the peas can leave a small pebble lodged in the housing. Don't forget to check for freedom of movement of your reserve cable, for the same reason. alan

If you are serious, e-mail me. I just did a repack on exactly what you describe and the guy is looking to sell it. DOM in 96 and it only has about 15 jumps. This rig is cherry. It has CYPRES, but it was removed because the battery is out of date. It is ROL deployent, so you may want to convert to BOC. alan

Your container can be washed with a mild detergent at repack time and the grass stains can be scrubbed out. It will cost extra, but it will come back to you looking almost new again. For minor stains, as has already been pointed out, you can dampen and wipe/scrub them out and the sooner, the easier it is. Some dry stains can be brushed out with a stiff, plactic bristle scrub brush. alan

Try a hardware store or one of the big home supply places like Fleetfarm, Home Depot, etc.. There are several brands available. The one I have in front of me now is called LPS Heavy-Duty Silicone Lubricant. Manufactured by LPS Laboratories, Inc. Tucker, GA 30085-5052 (1-800-241-8334) alan

I have never had any problem when doubling rubber bands, although I seldom do it any more because it is just too much extra work. I use the small bands on all but the locking stows, where I use the bigger ones for ease of use. All of my rigs have either Spectra microline or Vectran. If I pack for someone else and they have the big rubberbands, it is usually because the rig has big Dacron lines and then I double the stows. I have never triple stowed anything and have never seen the need to. If they are that loose, then I would replace the bands with smaller ones. The stows are tight enough if you can pick up your d-bag by the lines and they do not slide out of the stows. I think there is very little chance that a double stowed band could cause bag lock, with proper stows. Excessively long loops in your stows have the potential to cause bag lock. alan

Check with your canopy manufacturer regarding the recommended size and type of pc. Yes a bad made pc will orbit and twist the bridle. A real bad one might cause linetwist. alan

An e-mail or phone call to Rigging Innovations will get you the best answers to your questions. I have found them to be very helpful and pleasant to work with. alan

Try spraying your rubber bands with a good food grade silicone lubricant. Rub it in until it dries. Your rubber bands will have a much longer life. A few re-applications will extend it even more. alan

Your best bet would be to contact Rigging Innovations. According to the size charts I have, your rig would be very loose with the canopies you are suggesting. RI containers are designed to accommodate pack volumes within a given range for each pack tray size and as far as I know, they do not recommend using the closing loop to compensate for using canopies considerably outside of the suggested pack volumes. Because the loop is on the bottom flap, it can only be shortened so much. The next option would be to change the grommet location and that modification is best done with the manufacturers recommendation. alan oops, the loop on my Voodoo from RI is on the bottom flap, on the Talon2 it is on a tab under the top flap.

Yes, Kelly, I have seen this before and it is as has already been pointed out. Lazy toss, the pc bounces in the burble, goes through a loop in the bridle, the knot tightens after it has moved out to the pc itself. The knot is in the pc. Have you ever tied a simple overhand knot and then moved it along the rope/string while it was loose and in big loops? This is what happened. Same goes for the CYPRES fire. It has already been pointed out that it is possible for it to fire right after deployment and not cut the loop. What is important here is that this person receive some additional training on emergency procedures, with an emphasis on deployment altitudes, decision altitudes, and initiation altitudes. alan

It should be noted that previously, Dan Preston had this to say: My point? Be careful about what you hear. Get as much information as you can and take into consideration the sources. We have two apparently conflicting statements here and both sources could have a motivation to "spin" the truth. Be careful and seek independant confirmation when possible. alan

and To lend a little balance to these comments: "During the canopy’s testing program and subsequent release there were no anomalies apparent with the design. When we learned that some canopies in the field started to experience buffeting we implemented a minor change to the canopy’s trim in January 2001 and production continued." "Contrary to some statements made in various public forums there have been no changes made to the canopy’s nose design or the planform shape." quote from Simon Mundel, Icarus Canopies alan

I've had a violent spinning mal with type 17 risers and mini rings. All of the load was on one riser since the mal was the result of an improperly manufactured locking loop on the riser. My weight was about 215# out the door on an 89 VX. I had hybrid riser housings meaning they are hard where they pass through the yoke and soft on the external loop to the grommet. I was able to cutaway. I used the two hand method and I had to get serious about it. Proper inspection and maintenance of your three ring release is critical, yet largely overlooked by most skydivers. I base that on my inspections of rigs that I get in for reserve repacks. I would also encourage you to look into the hard inserts for your risers that protect the cutaway cable ends. I still use type 17 and mini rings with the hard housings and the inserts. alan

I wrote a very extensive review that was a feature article hear on Dropzone.com this past summer. You might find it in the archives(Piloting the Samurai by Alan Binnebose). You can also still read the review on the Big Air Sportz web-site at: http://www.bigairsportz.com/reviews.html I think Ramon's perceptions are pretty consistent with my own. If you are ready for a high performance elliptical at a 1.5 wing loading, then I would recommend getting a demo canopy and try it out for yourself. alan

On Zero-P canopies, .60 per jump is a more realistic number due to the increased life expectancy of the fabric. Other factors should include how old(or new) the line set is, overall general condition of the canopy( Az. dust and direct sun is harder on it than Wi. grass and less direct sun.), patches, holes, local demand (popularity) for that particular model and size, prices of comparable canopies in your area, and how badly you want to sell it. Your "original" price should reflect real street price of it new. Many or even most new canopies are sold at 20% to 30% off the the suggested list price, while some are sold at full list. Spectra lines _should_ be replaced by around 500 jumps or even sooner if they show evidence of wear or being out of trim. The heat genereated by the slider grommets comming down causes the brake and outside lines to shrink, often considerably. A new line set can run about $200 after all of the shipping, assuming you send it to the manufacturer. If you can't remember what you paid, try finding an old copy of a Para Gear catalog from the year you bought it, that should give you a starting point for the list price at the time. Your local rigger/dealer may also be willing to offer suggestions on what the canopy may be worth and as suggested in a different reply to your post, check out the ads in the magazines and various web-sites, including Dropzone.com . I hope this has helped a little and good luck. alan

I'm not sure I agree with this. The guide ring is used on the reserve/RSL systems on many rigs, but those use a hard, straight pin, necessitating the pull on the same plane. The flexible teflon pin would/should act the same as the curved pins in common use and thereby not need to be pulled in the same plane as the grommet. Coated cable is used on Strong student rigs and on the Strong Tandem drogue release system very successfully without an added guide ring. Drawback to the teflon cable pin......make sure it is in good shape, with no cracks or nicks. Two loops means security if one breaks for whatever reason. Two cables means twice as many chances for one to have a nick,crack, or kink. Life is about decisions and compromises. I wholeheartedly agree with this, as I have been using Spectra for my closing loops for several years now. I have used the 1000# and the microline weights with success. No stretch(loop stays tight), less friction during pin extraction(one reason why you want a tight loop), and way more durable. Way less resistant to friction heat so it is important to remove the pull-up chord slowly and from under the pin. I have seen the 1000# take a "set" when used on rigs with spring loaded pc's, keeping the flaps closed. Just takes a bump or nudge to open it, but it is still a Total Malfunction until you or your AFF/JM react. alan

Daniel, I know how you feel. I just spent nearly an hour composing a reply that in essence was mostly an apology, but also explained my rationale with respect to your post. I did read it and did not take it lightly. I had to step away from the computer for a few minutes and my mentally disturbed wife took that opportunity to delete it. Hence, I understand your frustration. I won't re-write the whole post, but the bottom line was that I felt the Safety and Training Forum and/or Talk Back were more appropriate places for the issue of regulation except for TSO issues. It was inconsiderate of me to not move it or encourage you to do so. You mention the post from Mr. Brownell and it was that thread that motivated me to take some action to encourage posters to keep on topic. Both Sangiro and I posted warnings in that thread and I also followed up with a private e-mail. Please accept my apology for letting some bias and frustration cloud my judgement. alan

I'm curious now. I know that relatively speaking, there aren't a lot of VX canopy pilots out there, but I would like to know if others have experienced this surge on openings. For the most part, I have to agree with Chuck, mine is unusual and "dances" around a bit, but it has moderate snatch force and opening shock. You have to steer it during the opening sequence by shifting weight in the harness, but once you learn to pay attention, openings can almost always be kept within 45 degrees of heading. The key is to pay attention and fly the canopy at all times. Anybody else experience problems with surge on opening with the VX? alan