Chris-Ottawa

Hmmm, do I see the beginnings of a sub-style of skydiving? 30 K Static line jumps... Sounds simple enough, but the challenge comes in when you realize you have 2 mins of oxygen.... The goal - Burn up 15 K as quick as possible before your oxygen runs out... Ugh...all the 360's....and cold... Why do I think this won't become popular? Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Just wanted to update the post. I called today and spoke to Dave, their rigger. He said I have 3 problems. 1 - Pilot chute is ZP (which is not what Sunpath uses) 2 - Pilot Chute is 2" too small 3 - (This is the kicker) The bridle is 3 FEET too short, WTF?? So yeah, I'll be ordering a new PC every soon. In the meantime, going jumping Saturday, he he. Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

You know, I never ever considered that. I sent a PM to each Sunpath rep on the list....sorry guys. I've been waiting for a response for months now, and it's clearly not coming. Thanks Cpox "When once you have tasted flight..."

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Hey Guys and Gals, Anyone know a way I can get ahold of Sunpath? Obviously email doesn't seem to work and I am never around during the day to call. Although I may be able to call if I can make it home a it early. I've sent 2 emails and never received a responce or bounced message. Does anyone from there post on here? I have an incredibly simple question, but only they can answer it. I basically need to know what size of pilot chute would have came with my rig, and how long the bridle should be on an OJK sized container. Please help! Edit to include "and gals". "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey Justin, I made sure to say "contributed" to the problem. Trust me, I've had discussions on here about the PCIT, and with my riggers. My rig is sized right for the canopies I have in there. We came to the conclusion that I have a couple problems. Bridle is a bit short, PC is slightly too small, bag is tight, and I am light. That whole combination caused a PCIT. Never happens at Terminal though. I have my deploymeny on video, and had 3 instructors watch me. No one believed me, but it was happening, anywhere from 3-6 seconds roughly. It happens on about 80% of all H&P's I do. A little scary! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hello, I just wanted to give some insight I have about the Odyssey. I currently jump an OJK which was manufactured in 2003. I absolutely love the rig in all aspects. I have never had any flaps open on me whatsoever. I feel completely comfortable jumping the rig. Please note that I do not currently freefly yet...so I may not be subjecting it to what you will be. One thing I do know is that the container pockets on Javelins are very snug. The corners "hug" the d-bag very tightly. For me, this is contributing to a PCIT on subterminal jumps. Otherwise...100%! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey, Just thought I'd pipe up here. Please be careful with your wing loading, I'm not going to say anything more and I'll leave it up to you and your instructors to figure that out. Trust everyone though, it's not a race, I went too quick and now I have to spend the time adapting to my canopy, and I'm only at a 1:1 (Even though thats not the only factor). As for the canopy, my progression has allowed me to try a few different beginner canopies. A) Silhouette 210 - Nice canopy, easy to pack, I found the openings brisk, had a few line twists. B) Pilot 170 - Very smooth opening, almost chopped the first time it was so long and comfy. Thought it wasn't going to open. Very snappy in turns, powerful flare. C)2 Different Sabre2 150's - Amazing canopy, simple as that. Great openings, wicked quick steering, stable, and probably the best flaring canopy in the beginner/intermediate market. I had my first chop under this canopy, not the canopy's fault, just some tension knots. The canopy could have been landed like this, but it would have hurt, so I chopped. Canopy was flying nice and straight with some toggle input, considering the last cell was collapsed. Highly recommended canopy. only thing I didn't like was that 3 out of 4 jumps will have end cell closure, which isn't a big problem, but can cause line twists D)My current canopy - Spectre 135. This is my baby. LOOOOOOOOVE this canopy. Openings are very nice, but not too comfy where it becomes scary. It opens in about 6-700 ft. Roughly 30 jumps on it and never had any line twists, collapsed cells, or any problems whatsoever. This canopy definitely sinks more than the Sabre 2 but I prefer it as I can land this one much better. That's just my preference. Plus, your reserve is normally very similar to a Spectre, so landing it, if necessary will be a breeze. The Spectre has a VERY good reputation as well. So in all honesty, I'd be hard pressed between a Sabre 2 or a Spectre, but I would personally but a Spectre due to the end cell issue on Sabres. That would be the only advantage for me in buying a Spectre over a Sabre. They are very similar canopies in most respects. Plus, I'm the only one on my DZ jumping a Spectre. Mauahaha!! Anyways, feel free to message me for more in depth info. Chris! "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey, Yes, you can do your ceritfication at multiple DZ's but you're probably going to incurr more costs that way. Usually a new DZ will want to assess your skills first, but AFF may be different since you have 2 instructors anyways. But do keep in mind that you may have to repeat a jump before they'll continue AFF with you, but you may not, depends on the DZ. I'd personally recommend finishing AFF at one DZ, then go where you please. Once you have your solo, you're pretty much good to go. Keep in mind that I'm in Canada and even though the programs are almost identical, there is subtle differences. As far as money goes, I did a tandem last October with no intention of ever coming back. I spent the winter thinking how to afford skydiving (I was hooked instantly). I did my PFF (AFF for Canadians) in may and have been out nearly every weekend. Had no intention of buying gear but rental costs are not worth it for me, so I bought gear. Now I'm down about 8k(CDN) for the year including PFF, gear, and additional jumps. Luckily the DZ in only 30 mins away and gas isn't a major issue. Nonetheless, all my sports are pretty costly as well. It's life, enjoy it while you can! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey Baycat, Congratulations on your jump. It's a big step to get started (pun intended). Actually that's unture, getting your solo license is pretty easy. The only things you really require are time, dedication, money, money, money, and lots of money. Did I mention money? Hahah, that makes it seem so much worse than it really is. Just pace yourself, stay current, listen to your instructors and be safe. A few things I can suggest for you to help out. 1)Don't rush to do anything in skydiving 2)Fill in your profile so everyone knows where you are and your experience etc... 3)Get very friendly with your bank loans officer (for you know...gear) 4)Become your Boss's best friend (for that well deserved raise) 5)If anyone criticizes you on these forums, take it lightly, they're doing it for your safety. Feel free to ask questions, everyone here is friendly and always willing to help. See you in the skies! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Thanks for the posts guys. I appreciate the links and PM's. Does anyone have info on recommended jump nubers before looking into GLing a canopy such as my Spectre 135 at my wingloading? I hear higher wingloadings are a bit better (1.3-1.6 range), but I would think a little lighter would be easier to get up and stay up. Also, any ideas of what kind of site would be required for very basic GL'ing. Just enough for me to practice kiting, and once I've got that down, try running and going on very short launches. I mean, I've come in for landing at my DZ, caught a thermal and stopped descending, or went up without flaring. Am I considering this way too soon in my skydiving career? I would love to go to the GL school, but california is a bit of a jump for me. I'm not interested in swooping the ground or anything, I simply want to fly. I will continue this post on canopypiloting.com, but I have to wait for my password and I can't get to my email from work. Thanks again guys! "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey everyone, I was hoping I can get some help from some peple who I know are already involved in this. I am really interested in ground launching, but I am not adventurous enough to take my Spectre 135 down a hill. I was actually thinking of buying myself a paraglider. I love being up in the air under canopy. How much of a direct linkis there between skydiving canopies and paragliders. I know the glide ratio is different and they're bigger, but as far as control and safety goes. Do theyhave reserves if you have ot bail for whatever reason etc... If anyone can post some good beginner paraglider links, that would be great too. Any other advice for a noob would be cool. Thanks so much guys. Also, if anyone has comments on my GL'ing my 135 please let me know. From what I've gathered alot of people say GL'ing is worse than base jumping, but I find that difficult to believe because you are under a fully infated canopy. I understand about thermals, collapses, impact etc, but I wouldn't be trying to swoop the hill, I'd just love to glide down as high as I can without paying for a plane ride. A paraglider would be absolutely fine for me too, Thanks "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hello, I just wanted to post here to give you an example of how much a canopy like that will change what you feel. I got alot of comments about jumping a 135. The difference between me and you is that I am much lighter, I weigh just under 135 out the door , which means I'm loading the 135 at 1:1 roughly. If you look at my previous posts, you'll see how much I was told not to do it.I admit the 135 was agressive, but not absurd. At your wing loading, it would be absurd for your experience level. I have about 20 jumps on the 135 now and I am comfortable under it, but I always have to be on guard, if I make a simple mistake, I understand that the consequences will be huge. Please don't buy a 120, especially if it is elliptical, that is a whole other problem. Listen to your instructors, they are the best place for information as they know how you handle your canopy. You can still have a tonne of fun under your 190 or a 170. I bought mine because my instructors gave the OK, and I got a good deal on it. That is the wrong reason to buy gear. Deal or no deal, this is your life in your own hands. I have no intentions to downsize EVER. Maybe go to a same sized elliptical in 5 or 600 jumps, but not necessarily smaller. "When once you have tasted flight..."

I actually think this thread reaffirmed my original choice of the neptune from way back when the VISO was still just a webpage. Any hints on the updates coming out Dave? Edit: You don't have to disclose anything, I'm just always curious. And yes, this thread was and still is about the VISO, and I would love more experiences from people who have them. I'm glad it got sidetracked as now I'm probably going to buy a Neptune! "When once you have tasted flight..."

Oh so it does record it all, just doesn't display it on the unit? That's much more what I was looking for! Chalk 1 for Alti2 One more question: Does the Neptune allow the capability to edit the FF time and jump #'s for when you buy the unit? And does it require paralog to do so? "When once you have tasted flight..."

Thanks for the reply. I was fully aware of the updates and now that I'm really looking hard into this I'm starting to lean towards the Neptune again. The thing I REEEEEELY like is the updates. I mean once you buy the VISO, that's it, it'll never have a new feature. I do like the fact that the VISO logs the speeds differently. Like I'm interested in the canopy speeds that the VISO records which afaik, the Neptune does not. (Recommendation?) I don't know what to do! Oh, and far as a used neptune...hmmm. I would be worried about the "usage" of the previous owner. If it wasn't a sensitive electronic device, i wouldn't care, but it is and it's something I rely on to know when to pull. And yess, I can judge altitude visually and I'm sure it would be fine...until I entered the only cloud in the sky. Scary! And I wasn't saying you should ower your prices because they're too high, or that the VISO is cheaper and does the same things, because it doesn't. I would have no problem payingfor the Neptune, I'm just trying to weigh what device would suit my needs more. Thanks "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey Lara, That is one feature that makes me want to buy the Neptune. If the VISO had that, I would probably have on already, but I'm trying to make the best decision. I've also had people say that L&B support is just as good as Alti2 but you have to send it out of country..Bummer. Is there going to be a revision to the Neptune anytime soon, like anything in the works after a bunch of field testing. Like a Neptune V2.0, or is eveything that was an issue resolved from the software side? The update factor of the Neptune is weighted VERY heavy in my books as that is a priceless feature. Maybe I'll have to wait and test both when someone gets a VISO on my DZ.... And maybe, just maybe, Alti2 will try to compete with the VISO price and knock a few bucks off to make the Neptune a more viable solution? (Not trying to be cheap, but I would already have a Neptune if it wasn't $80 more, plus exchange rates into Canada). I already use a Galaxy and love it, but I think it's time for a digital. I really want a neptune, but don't want to pay over $300 CDN to get one if I can get a very similar unit for about $100 less. Any specials going on??? Heheh, sorry, it's worth a try! "When once you have tasted flight..."

Thanks for the input. I actually thought more people would have had these by now since it's been years since they announced it. Hopefully we'll get a few more posts. "When once you have tasted flight..."

Yeah, I know alot of people were mad about that, but considering the price, you can't go wrong. I'm fine with it being purely Visible. I'm mostly interested in the logging features. Why would I buy a protrack for 250 when I can get the same thing plus a visible alti for 169? "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey everyone, I know this has been heavily discussed but the VISO looks to be released. I am curious if the masses like it and what some pros/cons are? I am looking to buy one but want to see what kind of stuff the real life field says about the unit. Also, if anyone has final specs on what it really does, that would be sweet too. I looked at the website and it seems to suit what I want it for, but apparently it has changed and I don't know if the website reflects the changes. (I also don't have the option of demoing the unit either) Thanks SOOO Much! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

I agree it looks photoshopped. If you zoom in around the people, they are blurry. This is a good job though if it is truly photoshopped. ANotherthing to notice is that the TI's shoulders are above the 3 rings, outside the harness. I also don't see a harness for the student, but it could be just out of frame. Another thing to question is the agressive turn that low on a tandem, can anyone say Cypres?? ANother is the fact that the harness connection points are non existant. From what I see around the DZ, they connect just below the 3 rings and I don't see them on the photo. My vote is for photoshop "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey Deesh, You may want to start a new thread for that, but you could also do a search. This gets discussed fairly often in these forums but, if you want a simple answer, read below. I wouldn't use the phrase "survival" or "failure" in a sport like this. Obviously we wouldn't do it if it was unsafe, but I'm not saying it's a safe sport. If you want a safe sport, bowling and badminton are safe sports. You are the person who controls safety in this sport, and sometimes even you can't control it. That's life and you need to understand that certain things are out of your control. If you want to know if you are likely to die in this sport, absolutely not, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. It's not likely, but still can, and does happen. I've had a couple scary moments, assuming you read this thread, you would know, but you just have to stay calm, assess the situation and do what's best. I suggest you head out to a local DZ, talk to some of the people out there, watch them jump and land etc. Then, the rest is handled throughout your training. P.S. - If you want advice on these forums, everyone likes to see a full profile, just so they know where you are roughly, what your experience is etc... Trust me on this one, fill it out as much as you can. Hope to see you in the skies Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Update: 5 second delay x2 ....No issues. So, conclusion, until I hear back from Sunpath (been over a week), I am not doing any clear and pulls. I'll let you know what Sunpath recommends. Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."

Thanks for the reply... You are correct that the pilot chute should be big enough, we just think it's a combination of everything that's making it delay. As for the container, OJK, the Bag, OJK. And the canopy is a 135 so it should be fine. The reserve is a 143, so it's all within specs. Maybe I should call sunpath and see what they recommend. What we all found odd is that the container apparently has 55 jumps on it before I got it, but the pilot chute has been replaced??? It's a Jim Cazer and it's also very new, but still. ...and Mark, I was glad to drive to Gan on the weekend, I had a blast. for my first Otter jump! "When once you have tasted flight..."

Hey everyone, I just thought I'd update this post since it veered into "my" malfunction. I did 2 more H+P's today and yes, I had a PCIT for both of them. The first one I was on my own and it towed for about 3-4 secs. I talked to my fellow jumpers and we decided to look into the issue. I think everyone thought I was retarded and didn't knwo what a PCIT was. Here is what we tried: First, compare the pull force in a car of 2 pilot chutes of equal size...Lots of pull. Looked at the mesh, seemed ok, it's smaller mesh than most others on the DZ but still OK, porosity is still zero. We next measured the PC and bridle etc. Turns out the PC is 27" which seemed slightly small to everyone, but nothing absurd. Bridle from pin to PC connection, 5'8", again, a bit short but not absurd. So, at this point everyone is sort of scratching their heads and thinking I'm crazy at the same time. I had a fellow jumper try out my gear and sure enough, came out just dandy. So...I asked someone to film me exiting from the plane. Well, this got everyone excited and it became a "Watch my hop and tow. I exited with a cameraman who was to stay in the plane, a guy on the end of the strut to exit with me, and a guy in the plane just to watch. I'll try and get the video, you can see it but the camera went out of focus. (Thanks for doing video Dave, much appreciated!) Exit, wait a second or 2 and dump. Bam, PCIT. It only towed for about 1.5-2 secs this time, but my perception of time was pretty accurate. When I got on the ground, I asked them if they saw it, they said yes, and I said it towed for about 2 secs right? They said yes it did. So this is what they we saw. PC goes to full stretch, pin pops out immediately, flaps open, bag starts to come out and hangs. It's basically the bag being locked in the container. FINALLY, I'm not crazy. And it's on video!!! All in all, we figure it's a combination of a few things. #1 - PC is a bit small #2 - Bridle is a bit short #3 - I am very light #4 - Canopy is tight in the bag So the combination of all these things, we figure is causing the tow. Now that we know what causes it, we can do a few things. I was going to get a whole new PC/bridle, but I don't think it's necessary. Next weekend I'm going to see what happens on a 5 Sec delay. I think it will work fine, as it works fine on terminal jumps. My resolution....don't do clear and pulls, or expect to tow. I may end up getting a bigger PC, or simple extending my bridle a bit. Thanks for the advice from this thread! Chris "When once you have tasted flight..."