SkymonkeyONE

We took quite a few pictures. I have one of them with us still out on the DZ with our gear still on in a big group pose. I left it in my logbook on the DZ, but will make sure to post it soon. I am sure that there will also be pics on both the SkyKat page and the jumpraeford page soon. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

2:10:0 Weather didn't cooperate, so I didn't get to make my 3000th this weekend (I need four more jumps). Still, I made some very nice skydives. Bo Derrick (the actress) and her best friend came out and did tandems yesterday morning. Very nice ladies, the both of them. I jumped her friend Carol, and Ken Ates jumped Bo. They had a blast and happily posed for pictures afterwards. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

It took me a minute to find the back door, but here I am, posting away. It's magic. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

We at the Raeford Parachute Center School had one of our brand-new student Javelins walk off early this weekend. This rig had three jumps on it and was set up for AFF. There is a substantial reward offered for the return of the rig, either whole or by compent. The link is on the SkyKat gear page, but I will post it HERE, so check it out. Needless to say, we are posting flyers all around the local pawn shops, putting it in Parachutist, and all of the electronic billboards. If you would, print out the flyer and post it at your dropzone for me. Thanks, Chuck Blue D-12501 Raeford Parachute Center Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Actually, that is a very good plan you have there. I will say, though, that dumping in a "regular" track is not the same as you will experience in a wingsuit. I can see you getting spanked, but if it's not happening then go for it. The only weird stuff to me about wingsuit flying comes at pull time, so practicing the wave-off and pull sequence will really help you(feet together, arms back to the bottom of the rig simultaneously, then popping both back out). Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I don't have any problem training a very-current 200 jump wonder, but would have to skydive with that person without the suit to see whether or not he is a flailer first. Anyone who is current with 500 jumps or more can pretty much handle it with just a ground class. Chuck BM-I Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Oregon, eh? Not sure if I know any BM-I's up that way, but I am sure there are some. The hot ticket would be to hit one of the boogies that one of us will be at this summer. Rob and his posse are at Elsinore, CA. Yes, that's a haul, but it's certainly closer than here or Deland. Go to the www.bird-man.com website and look under "tour". See when the next thing you might possibly make is. chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Tom, we will figure it out. No prob. Chuckie Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I generally keep my most-jumped gear in my bin at the school on the DZ, but keep my other gear locked away in my RV. I always travel with at least one rig wherever I go. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Actually, I am sure I would love the CF2. There has just not been one around to try. I will make it a point to try and acquire a tiny one and wring it out. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I think I clearly posted that I am plenty "open minded". I am certainly no xenophobe, having jumped all but two performance canopies I find suitable for swooping. I like many, many of them and wouldn't mind winning the lottery so that I could afford more parachutes. My wife and I usually have five or six rigs between us and no, they do not all contain Atair mains (actually only two do). Anyway, the original question asked for comparisons (by those who had jumped) three different mains. I, having done so, gave my opinion. My opinion of the Nitron/Nitro has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I own several Cobalts (which, by the way, I paid for). I am equally happy voicing my displeasure of the PD Vengeance, which I also think sucks completely for the exact same reason (bottom end swoop distance). I have plenty of friends who really love these mains, but then again they expect a parachute to do different things than I do. Skydiving is an individual event in the end, and I certainly don't claim to be the ultimate "judge" of what people ought to jump; do what you like and jump what you want. But, please make the effort to try everything in the catagory before you go spouting "mine is better than your's" as is common practice on every single dropzone I have ever stepped foot on. I state my opinions based on personal experience, not what some other sponsored person tells me, regardless of what anyone else might think. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

GK Gold averaged a 23 in the last CaSL meet. It is going to be a war. I am anxious to see the outcome, as I am very good friends with lots of those guys (at least one on each team) Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Mark, you can bet your ass that I bought beer for every single "first" I ever did. Chuckie Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Eric Butts competed last June in Perris under a stock 105; fucking nuts. He is about 265 out the door. His current competition model (the green one) is a 120. I load heavier than Eric does, but his larger wing makes him swoop farther. He finished 4th in the PPPB world games last winter. Eric is my brother. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Just as a simple comparison, I would say that a CC has bottom end lift of a one size larger Cobalt, but the dive and forward speed of a one size smaller Cobalt. You can load them very heavily and still turn have tremendous lift (without fear of bow-tieing) at the end of the swoop. Eric is still out in Texas screwing off, so you could jump one of his if it isn't too big for you. It is certainly worth a try. Personally, I am all about jumping other stuff as it comes out. Raeford, like most dropzones used to be completely Stiletto/Javelin. If you were not jumping that combo you were chastised. There is still a lot of that crap going on, but nowadays you see as many Wings and Infinity containers (plus quite a few Mirage) and a great variety of mains. Since I am here, obviously people have a better opportunity to see Atair stuff. There are Cobalts in every size being jumped on this dropzone. Likewise, there are a ton of intermediates jumping Hornets. There are still lots of PD, but more Velocities and Vengeances than before. There are a few Xaos drivers, but a lot more Crossfire pilots. Etc, etc. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

That main might have 300 jumps on it. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

The CC is not a good parachute for an intermediate jumper. It dives much steeper and flies much faster. The stock Cobalt can be flown slow and easy without any problem, while still being a kick-ass swoop main at heavy wingloads. The CC can't be "dumbed" down. If I were a straight-up swooper looking at both mains, I would of course buy the CC. If I wanted a fantastic all-around main that I could fly the piss out of when I got used to it, then I would choose the stock Cobalt. Two different animals. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I guess I should temper my statement by saying that the ones (two of them) I jumped didn't impress me one bit. I will add to that by saying that I thought it flew like a Vengeance, which I bought, flew, also hated, then sold ten days later. If I wanted a parachute that only swooped as far as a Stiletto, I would have never sold the two I had. The Nitron I flew last was brand spanking new and was an 88. Like I said, it dove like a crossbrace, but was mushy and didn't do anything on the bottom end. Just my opinion, but I do not judge things before giving them every opportunity to impress me. What I stated was my opinion, not any "official" position of dropzone.com (obviously). You may very well be happy with that parachute for what you use it for, but as a full-time swooper, it just doesn't do anything for me, especially when compared against a Crossfire or Cobalt; both outstanding swoop mains. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I bet that is my old main. See if the serial number is "0000110X" . I sold the main to Josh Seagraves (SeaMonkey) and he sold it through SkyKat gear shop when he bought his Cobalt. What a hoot. Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Anyway, the original Sharks were rectangular and very similar to a Sabre, minus the hard openings. I owned a 130 and a 110 (actually the very first 110 ever built) and loved them both. The later ones were eliptical and had a better swoop, but I still surfed the shit out of the 110 I had. My sister also had a 110 that she jumped for a while before upsizing back to a 130. I jumped them for a couple of years before I got my first Stiletto, then never looked back. The canopies are still available actually, but Bob doesn't really do any real advertising. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

What color is that Shark 110? Orange with blue ribs and stabilizers? Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Bravo. Outstanding initiative. I am sure you can recoup all you want or need by setting up a paypal account for it. If 25 people pitch in $20, then the thing will be payed for. If you are going to write the entire expense off anyway at the end of the year, then yeah, having people split the other $250 will be very simple. Even if I can't make it for long, I will pitch in $25 right now and hope that nine other participants will follow suit. PM me with your address. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Here is my opinion of the Nitro/Nitron: it sucks completely. Steep and fast dives, but no bottom end. Might as well jump an old Safire. Feel free to compare the general flight characteristics of the stock Cobalt and the original Crossfire. The Competition Cobalt is a better parachute than both (for swooping), but as I have not jumped a Crossfire 2, I cannot compare it to anything. I would love to give it a try (assuming they would give me a 75). Seriously though, if you are in it for swooping, stay away from a Nitro/Nitron; they are not competitive. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

Openings on a Competition Cobalt? Dude, I have never jumped a better opening canopy in my life. It's just a damn nice parachute. Jason, that is the Grey and Red main that I was jumping at ASC at the meet. As for the Crossfire 2, I have never even seen one, and SkyKat is an Icarus demo center. The way I read it, the Crossfire 2 is a nice flying main, but with a shorter control range like a Stiletto (not my style). I am sure it is a fine canopy, but, once again, I wouldn't pay $200 more dollars for it (minimum) over a Cobalt (stock or competition) just because it says Icarus on it. Anyway, there is no "best" main out there, period. Every performance canopy has it's merits and shortcomings. Some people will get better performance out of a PD product than an Icarus or Atair product. Others will find the opposite true. Different canopies react different flying styles; what works great under a Velocity will not work worth a crap under something else. As previously stated: try everything, then make your choice based on what you feel; not just because some famous jumper preaches in the latest Parachutist. I have jumped every competitive main out there except the Xaos 27 and am happy to have a Competiton Cobalt over my head. Would I still like to have a crossbraced canopy laying around just for shits and grins? Oh hell yeah, and eventually Dan will get me a correctly sized Onyx to play with. I had a ton of fun with my VX, but it was a shitty everyday canopy and it was harder to get long surfs out of than my current ride. It's all about jumping what works best for you. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE

I have good reasons to go to both: Couch Freaks because there are a ton of "like minded individuals" there who don't give a shit if people see them walking around with a beer at 10 am. Richmond because there is going to be some righteous BirdMan flocking going on. That being said, I am not sure if I am going to be able to get away for either because of another commitment. Chuck Are you a Monkey or a Flunky? HERE