Canuck

What make and model of digital still camera are you guys using? I'm in the market right now, and I seem to be finding that the only camera that will do the trick is the Canon Powershot G1 or G2. None of the other cameras that I have come across will process the photo and be ready to take the next shot in less than like 5 to 10 seconds - way too long! Help! I'm looking for something a little cheaper than $1300! Canuck

First let me state that I have never jumped an air-locked canopy, so I will not make any assumptions about them. I have no affiliation with any manufacturer. Right now I own a Crossfire and a Cobalt. I do however have a problem with this thread. Parachutes collapse sometimes. Period. It's happened with PD canopies, it's happened with Icarus canopies, it's happened with Glide Path canopies, it's happened with Precision canopies, and unless I'm mistaken, the canopy that collapsed on John Matthews in Florida last year leaving him in a coma was an airlocked canopy. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's just what I read somewhere. We are invloved in a high risk sport. We enter that knowingly. Of course I think manufacturers should always be trying to improve on the safety of their designs, but they shouldn't lead people into a false sense of security. They also shouldn't slam competing manufacturers trying to boost sales... Canuck

Manta 288 20 jumps @0.7 Maverick 200 155 jumps @1.1 Blade Runner 150 350 jumps @1.3 Crossfire 119 120 jumps @1.7 Cobalt 105 0 jumps @ 1.9 (I've decided to sell it and keep my Crossfire) Between the Maverick and the Crossfire I jumped a bunch of stuff - Saber 170, 150, 135, Stiletto 150, 135, Lightning 143's, Blade Runner 135, etc. This is a good thread - much to be learned from it. Canuck

I almost put an order in for one back in October and decided at the last minute to do some checking into things first. I contacted several gear dealers who were showing them on their websites, and not one had actually seen one of these helmets! I changed my order to a Flat Top (which kicks ass by the way) and had the helmet in three weeks. I do remember someone from Square One posting a few months ago that one had finally hit their shop, and that they weren't that impressed with it. If I were you, I would try to change the order to a Flat Top. Good luck. Canuck

I shoot tandems in my freefly suit no problems - big guys, tiny girls - no problem. My first ever video gigs were tandems (that's another discussion altogether) and at that time I was doing them in a fairly tight rw suit. It's all about anticipation and fast aggressive flying. I'm a pretty firm believer that you should be able to fly your body first, your suit is secondary to that. For example, when did you last see an AFF/PFF instructor wearing wings in case they somehow got low on their student? By the way, by no means am I implying that people who use wing suits couldn't fly without them. I know they help, for me it's just a few hundred dollars I would rather spend on beer and doughnuts eh. Canuck

Internal clocks work great for flat flying, not so great for freeflying - too many attitudes and variables in a jump. Lets say in one dive you throw some sit, headdown, transitions, and a bit of tracking into da mix. Next jump you spend entirely going ballistic in a tight headdown. We are talking about a major difference in freefall time. Audibles are great, so are altimeters, so are your eyes. Use them all wisely, and it's all good. Canuck

Just a correction, the flat top does not have a 15 degree slope - it's basically at zero just like the rack - unless Bonehead was lying to me when I bought mine. I know one of the Headhunter full face cam helmets has a 15 degree slope, maybe that's what you are thinking about? I just got mine and only have a few jumps on it (also out of a Cessna) but I really don't forsee any space issues. I love mine - worth every penny (and in Canadian dollars it's pushing a grand!!) Canuck

I never had an audible when I was a belly flier, so when I evloved I started without one. I deffinately spent a couple jumps just learning to do alti checks (wrist mount) without corking or spinning - upright and headdown. And really, if you can't make that small a movement without losing stability, how are you ever going to make docks? I really don't see a problem with doing FF jumps without one. Now that I jump camera however, I wouldn't be without one. Whether it's right or wrong, the fact of the matter is, as we become more focused on getting the shot, we get less focused on checking the alti. Canuck

Bumping end cells is an excellent exercise for learning how to fly your canopy. I use to do it all the time with a buddy at the bottom of RW dives. From 2 grand we could get 4 or 5 "bump rotations" in where we would bump one side, then crossover and bump the other side, etc. Not only does it give you great foundation skills for CRW, you learn how small toggle/riser inputs affect your canopy relative to a base. You get a pretty good idea of what kind of lift your canopy generates when you are side by side and you burry the toggles. Great stuff, but I would suggest that it be treated like trying any other new skill. Make sure you do it with somebody with previous bumping or CRW experience (or at least with lots of canopy experience). Also, don't engage in a bump below an altitude which would afford you enough time to cutaway if you do get wrapped up. Canuck

I'll throw in my cuddo's too. I burned in on my Michigan suit last year (pretty nasty, but that's a different story) and took out both knees and the ass. Called Michigan - they asked me to wash the blood out and send it to them. Came back within a couple weeks all patched up and looking great. They did charge me a whopping $20 though. I'm suprised it could even be salvaged. Canuck

Hey Chuck. In the swooping forum you made a comment about Cobalt 105's which led me to believe they perhaps don't open and/or fly as nicely as Cobalts of other sizes. Your quote was "Get a Cobalt...anything but a 105 and you will have butter openings, long swoops..." What's up with that? Canuck

Chuck, what do you mean anything "but" a 105 and you will have butter openings, etc. Is there something wrong with Cobalt 105's? Canuck

Yeah! Night hoop dives rock! I did one a couple years ago. Four of us came out of a 182 from 9000 and everybody got through once, even the camera guy! We had reflective tape all over it and the vid guy had a light hooked up on his helmet. It's some of the coolest video I've seen - watching glow sticks go shooting through a glowing hoop. Oh, now I want to do another one!!! Canuck

I come from a 182 DZ, so I've launched a bunch of these. The key is to get the first guy as far out the door as possible. Our 182 has a big step over the wheel, so that helps. The front guy holds on to the strut with his left hand and braces himself with his right hand on the rear edge of the door. There is no reason you shouldn't be at least a couple feet clear of the fueselage. With the first guy this far out, the second guy can be almost completely out of the plane too, hands on the door frame, feet ready to kick under guy number one's arms. Front guy gives the rock, and just as it peels off, back guy kicks his feet into place. Think about leaving at a 45 to the plane. Watch for handles. Smile. Scream. Laugh. You're freeflying!! Canuck

Anybody out there who has sent in their Crossfire for modification and gotten it back yet? Mine has been gone for over two months now. Granted, I do live on the North side of the border, but it seems to be taking a really long time! Anyway, what I'm really interested in are any observations in difference of flight performance. Anybody noticed different glide, faster/slower turns, harder/softer openings, better/worse flare, etc? Please post. Mine didn't actually require trim mods, it's just in to be re-lined with Vectran, so hopefully it will come back flying the same. Now, I don't mean to be snotty, but unless you actually fly a Crossfire, I'm not that interested in what you have to say. I had my fill of heresay and rumours, and slams from other manufacturers a few months back.... Any insight appreciated. Thanks. Canuck

The first thing to do is get that sit dialed in vertical. Look at the "learning to sit" post for some excellent tips on how to make that happen. Once you can exit and hold a stable vertical sit, there are lots of things to start learning - most of which are easier to do with a coach or another stable (and experienced) free-flier. The three things you need to learn first in my opinion are: 1. Fall rate control 2. Turns 3. Forward driving Fall rate is controlled with both arms and legs. I use arms for small adjustments, legs for big ones. The higher your arms are the faster you fall. The more straightened out your legs are at the knees, the faster you fall. Like I said, get another experienced free-flier, and play follow the leader. They drop down, you catch him/her. They pop up, you pop up. As far as turns go, I could explain how to use you arms/legs/torso, but this is easier. Follow your head - look where you want to turn. Driving is all in the hips, push 'em forward to go forward, kinda like arching on your belly. Don't make the mistake of using your arms by pushing them behind you to drive. 9 times out of 10 it will make you drop your chin, lean forward and you end up backsliding. Again, get another free-flier to hold a base for you, drive to them, have them back off and go again. Once you can do all this stuff, then start working on transitions, head down, etc. My rule of thumb, untill you can go anywhere and do anything upright, forget about getting head-down. Others will argue... Canuck

The only real problem with a Vector 2 for freeflying are the velcro riser covers. The reserve flap is secure, and the main flap is really no different than any other rig that closes top down (Javelin, etc.) rather than bottom up (Voodoo, etc.). A girl at my dropzone just had her Vector 2 retrofitted with "tuck-tabs" on the riser covers. They work great. Just make sure it's a qualified rigger who does the job, and you might want to see if it affects the TSO (if you care). Canuck

I've been reading these forums for 2 years, I guess it's time to make my first post. Some of the advice I'm reading here I agree with, some I don't. Here's my advice for what it's worth. Sit flying is like any other type of flying - it takes muscle memory. When I work with students on basic body position, I get them to do "wall sits" (squating position with your back flat up against a wall). A real common problem with beginning sit fliers is that they think it's all about being relaxed. It is, but you need to be agressive too. Without making a concious effort to keep your feet under you, you're going to end up on your back, feet high. Learning the position actually sitting in a chair means you don't have to push down with your legs, and you can be sure what you do on the ground you will do in the air. As far as the advice goes to keep your arms way back, I have to disagree. It's a bad habit to get into. In a real stable sit position, your arms should be in view of your peripheral vision. If they're not, you are using them to compensate for bad body position somewhere else. As a side note, when you start learning to "drive" your body forward in a sit, don't rely on your arms then either. It's all in getting the hips forward - kinda like arching on your belly if you remember how to do that. Keep your head up, relax, breath, and enjoy the view. Welcome to the dark side. Canuck