hackish

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Everything posted by hackish

  1. hackish
    When you're packing and jumping your own you start learning little tricks. When I pack a sabre2 for a large jumper I do it slightly differently than for a 120lb grrl. Always ask them before and after what they like and how it opened. That feedback goes a long way. For the smaller more tapered canopies you really want to pay close attention to packing symmetrically. On a nav 240 you probably wouldn't notice a 2" differential on the risers but on a nitro 135 you sure will. On the smaller ones I also pay closer attention to nose symmetry as it seems to reduce off-heading openings. Slider symmetry in that area is also important but if you've paid close attention to the lines it should fall into place properly. -Michael
  2. hackish
    I had the option of going with microline (spectra) or dacron with my canopy. I opted to go with the spectra. Dacron does have the advantages and disadvantages listed above. Pack volume can be somewhat important especially when you're inexperienced at packing. I jumped a sabre 210 with dacron and one with spectra. The spectra one did fly noticeably better. Maybe not just because of the lines but it was the biggest difference. Although slammers happen they shouldn't happen that often. I hurt myself a bit on a borrowed rig but I'm sure it was his packjob. I never worry about being smacked by one I packed and you should become similarly confident about your own packing. I don't think they're a big enough issue to change your equipment over. -Michael
  3. hackish
    The way most people pack. They keep the nose in their knees until flaked then shove the entire nose into the middle of the packjob, set the slider and continue... Instead they suggest what we often refer to as a camera pack. -Michael
  4. hackish
    Packing a canopy does put some wear on it. How can it not? Probably not going to wear it a lot unless you have OCD :) Since the d-bag is part of the rig you'd have nothing to pack your canopy into so just buying a canopy is sorta useless for that purpose. My suggestion would be to talk to the DZ or a rigger who has some older gear and see if you could borrow it to practise on. It's far easier to pack a worn out old F111 than buying a new ZP canopy and trying with that. This way you can get good at the procedure before the slippery trouble starts getting in the way. I know lots of people have different variations on how they do things but it's often a good idea to see a rigger and have your "procedure" validated. It's always good to make sure you've got the basic objectives pointed out and covered. -Michael
  5. hackish
    How do you do that legally? I'm sure I could vastly improve the performance on a cessna engine just by doing the heads. Unfortunately you can't touch anything like that because you'd need an STC for it. Those engines are about the most disgusting 1950's technology castings I've ever seen. About the only thing I've seen like that is laser drilled injectors to balance the cylinders but they're very expensive and obviously only good for the EFI planes. Anyone got a spare PT6? I'd like to bolt it on the front of our 182 so we can do 18k tandems! -Michael
  6. hackish
    PD specifically says do not tuck the nose on a sabre1 or it will cause inconsistent openings they streamer or slam. I guess they sorted that out with the sabre2. -Michael
  7. hackish
    Yeah, in my head i'm trying to figure out if it's just a misunderstanding with the tandem client, a bad weather day for the DZ or just an outright ripoff. No doubt a bunch have traded PM's and know which DZ and such. I hope the situation can be remedied or at least reported back as to what the exact reason/problem was. -Michael
  8. hackish
    Looking at the second pic it appears like about a 3-4" edge around the door. Last jump I did this year it was -15C at 10k. Dunno how much more power you'd make this time of year - but I assume the temps to the south are warmer... In any event if it is a 182 then I'm impressed if they got 18k!!! -Michael
  9. hackish
    I was looking at the lump on the floor near the wall and don't remember seeing it on any of the 1970's Cessna's I've jumped. I'd seriously pay good money to see someone get 18k with a full load of jumpers on one of those. We got 13 in one with the 260hp engine, extensions etc and it took a very very long time. -Michael
  10. hackish
    Oh yeah, with all the noises from marine animals I forgot to ask the pilot types what sort of plane that is. The step and such looks 182-ish but not with the ridge on the floor. -Michael
  11. hackish
    I jumped a sabre 150 with a slider built to peek's specs. It opened beautifully compared to before the mod. I only did 2 on it but both were an improvement. From a pure physics point of view I don't disagree with what Mel says either. Just find the right size of a specific canopy. -Michael
  12. hackish
    I've seen many times instructors giving briefings about a new canopy when someone is about to make a downsize. Although they are details that you probably know having them at the forefront of your mind may be worthwhile. -Michael
  13. hackish
    Personally I think someone who jumps 5 times a year is not current. We have a few at our very small DZ who are in the 65-85 age range. Each with thousands of jumps. They all have great stories to tell under the beer light but apparently the stats haven't caught them yet. Modern equipment is many times better than the blast handles, ropes and rings and capewells they used to jump as well. -Michael
  14. hackish
    I swapped sabre2-170's with someone once. I got brutally slammed. People on the ground thought it was hunting season and 4 months later my hip still bothers me during certain activities. The other guy was amazed as how nice mine opened (despite being badly out of trim). I packed his rig and he was like "wow how did you get it to open like that". I know you want to ignore packing but I really think it's the primary contributor. Most people I've talked to who complain about being slammed by a sabre1 never even read the manual which is very specific on what to do with the nose. I'm very happy with how nicely I've gotten mine to open. Having said all that I think you're on the right track with the dacron/spectre idea but I never worry when I pull on one I packed. -Michael
  15. hackish
    It wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world to engrave since it's stainless and very very small. I'd second the ideal of taking it to a jeweller. -Michael
  16. hackish
    The point was only that for me is only that preference equates to boredness - one thing that seems to drive downsizing. My preference is my 170 which means I didn't get bored in 25 jumps. I'd have to check my logbook but I may have done 25 on a sabre210 as well and wasn't bored with that either. Of course as I said originally everyone is different. I plucked out a grey hair this morning so maybe a desire to downsize would have been different if I got into this sport 15 years earlier. -Michael
  17. hackish
    Tandems in my area are $285CAD in a Cessna to 10k. Knowing the DZO's I know they're not reeling in any huge amount of profit or paying themselves. Would be interesting to know if the OP actually did get the altitude he paid for though. -Michael
  18. hackish
    Everyone is different. I've spent the majority of my jumps on a sabre2 170. The smallest I've flown was a nitro(n) 135. I prefer my 170. For you that may be the 150 you're asking about (when you factor our weight differences). I've flown a sabre2 190 as well and although I prefer my 170 I could spend another 200+ jumps on that canopy and still not get every bit of performance out of it. I once saw a rally driver in a 60hp Subaru Justy school some 1/3 million dollar "racers" in their fully prepped WRX and EVOs. I think parachuting can be the same - the limiting factor is seldom the equipment. At worse if you're having trouble choosing find one you can rent/borrow and with your instructor's briefing try it out. See how you like it. I wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first... -Michael
  19. hackish
    I've never heard of charging more. I don't think it's much extra work either. Main extra work is in manipulating all that extra nylon. -Michael
  20. hackish
    It may be worthwhile to try the storm. I'm basing that off what people say, not what I know. Hoping I can demo one in a couple of weeks. -Michael
  21. hackish
    Just a bad choice of words. I called the canopy for getting off the top floor a base canopy, you said it's not a BASE canopy and I was trying to say well they sell it for jumping from a building and that's why I called it base. It's not really a big deal since I did a crappy job of communicating what I was really thinking. Someone else pointed it out better. Sure, if you're in the situation with a burning building and no chance of rescue then any parachute, even a re-activated T-10 would be better than nothing, but it's selling an unlikely solution to an unlikely problem. Basing the sale on peoples' fears and is (as someone above said) more likely to get someone to "use" the not so likely to work solution before it is of last resort. -Michael
  22. hackish
    It works for a Mr. Bill it could work for what you propose. Would be an interesting thing to send to Mythbusters... A base canopy with slider down - I'm not sure if you could hold on during the g-forces. -Michael
  23. hackish
    If a pilot forgets to turn on the light they'll get the hint when the AC is still full of people anxiously checking their altimeters. Look at the bright side on the go-around maybe the pilot will keep climbing. The thing that gets me is at the large DZ's few people seem to look down. Light goes green and out they go. I understand you can't screw up the spot for the entire load but if the DZ is still 10mi away I want to know before letting go of the AC. -Michael
  24. hackish
    I was thinking base as in B is a building, not one of the known base manufacturers, althought I didn't know that apex came from one such company. I just think it's marketing a product of minimal use and questionable effectiveness. -Michael
  25. hackish
    I'm think'in a base canopy would probably be an idea. After 9/11 there was a company trying to market a static line type base canopy for wuffos on the top floor. Somehow I can't imagine someone with basically no training being able to pull that one off ;) -Michael